NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
Feb
7
Written by:
John Sciacca
2/7/2011 4:22 AM
After 41 years of walking this earth, I’ve come to learn a few things about myself. Deep, soul-searching things that come to define the man that I am today. Things like the knowledge that rapidly cramming down a ton of Taco Bell and hot sauce packets immediately before rushing off to do something physical results in bad -- wicked bad -- juju.
I’ve also learned things that I need to avoid in order to keep my anxiety, stress, and spleen rage to minimal levels. And much like I try and avoid the bile and agita that comes from walking through a Best Buy or Costco and overhearing their “experts” discussing technology, I know better than to read any of the “mass publications,” like Consumer Reports or the New York Times, for my tech advice.
However, one of my readers forwarded me an article the other day, knowing that it would goad me into a reply. Like a giant digital poking stick from way up north, this reader sent me an e-mail with the message, “Blog fodder? This article is ridiculous. It totally ignores our entire CEDIA industry.” Poke-poke! Attached was a link to a New York Times article titled “Universal Remotes: Not Remotely Possible.” Then with the modern equivalent of a stick-jab, he pressed SEND. And, well, being me, I have taken the bait. And now the hook is embedded, and the only way to extract it is to rant.
The article, written by a guy named Farhad Manjoo, begins with this magical, unicorn, and rainbow island query: “In an increasingly automated and connected world, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could manage all our blinking machines from a single super controller?” It would be wonderful wouldn’t it? And turns out, it IS wonderful, because I’ve been installing -- and using -- single unified remote controllers for years. Apparently, though, Farhad has time traveled back to the mid-1980s where a $10 Sony Commander is one of the best things he can find. Farhad, I'm not even going to describe the crazy future world we live in now...a world where we have the internet...on computers...in your pocket!
Farhad’s apparent mission statement was to search the world of universal remotes -- though he took that to mean more the microcosm of really basic and mostly super low-end models -- and look for a single remote that can save “your coffee table and your brain [from becoming] more crowded than a Tokyo train at rush hour.” So after testing a variety of models ranging from what he describes as “cheap remotes, expensive remotes, smartphone remotes, and a few about which the less said, the better,” he says he doesn’t have good news to report.
He declares, “Some universal remotes are more useful than others, and one of them is almost pretty good, but in general these devices remain more appealing in theory than in practice.”
Really? Because let me tell you, Farhad, I have NO idea about your system. None. Don’t know what kind of gear you have or how it is connected or anything. But even with that handicap, I can PROMISE you, my system is WAY more complicated than yours. As in WAY. And before you read on, I'm happy to wager. Let’s count my components with remotes, shall we? Pioneer Elite Plasma (1), Marantz Projector (2), Panamorph anamorphic lens system (3), Draper motorized screen and masking system (4, 5), Marantz processor (6), Kaleidescape Blu-ray server (7), Pioneer Laser Disc (8), Yamaha CD (9), URC iPod Dock (10), Lutron lighting controller (11), and cable box with DVR (12).
So, not only do I have 12 potential remotes to contend with, I have TWO separate display systems. So my system has to handle switching between watching the plasma or watching the projector -- and turning the other one off -- and switching, where the Marantz processor routes the video.
Farhad claims that remotes “all suffer from an inherent, usually fatal flaw: universal remotes cannot possibly offer enough buttons to mimic all functions of all devices, so they usually have to make compromises, cutting out buttons here and there. The trouble is, some of those buttons are important.”
Again, really? Because I can tell you exactly how many times I need to go back and pick up one of my 12 original factory remotes: Zero. That's the sum total number of times I need to go running for another button. I’m not even sure where some of my old remotes are. Probably in a drawer somewhere leaking battery acid on themselves or maybe they’ve started a self-help group where they hold meetings and discuss what it’s like to be unused, unneeded and unloved.
Farhard’s favorite remote in his roundup was the Logitech Harmony One. Now, granted, I think this is a pretty good remote as well, but it is not in any way worthy of the lumped on “the Mercedes-Benz of universal remotes” praise that Farhad bestows on it. And, at $170 it is not “expensive” and certainly not Benzo level. Compared to the $10 and $20 models he looked at, yes. But even in the Harmony line-up, it’s not the top of the line. I’d say the ONE is more like a decent, middle-of-the-road model Kia or Hyundai.
But even the Harmony fell from grace. “One persistent problem was the occasional omission of an important step in an Activity -- in trying to set up my system to listen to music, say, it might forget to set the television’s input to my CD player, or it might turn my TV off instead of on...for all its sophistication, the Harmony exhibited the same flaw I found with every other remote: it lacked certain significant functions for each of my devices.”
In testing a couple of remotes from remote uber producer URC -- a $20 and a $90 model, by the way, from a company whose line-up goes to the $1,500 price point, so uh, so much for your little $170 Mercedes comment, Farhad says, “The R50 includes another feature found on several high-end remotes: macros. These allow you to press one button and have the remote perform a series of actions automatically...Unfortunately, I found it too much of a hassle to set up these macros.”
So, again, because YOU couldn’t figure out how to adequately program and set up the remote, it’s the remote’s fault? “Look remote! You’re making me hit you! I don't want to, but I want you to know this is ALL your fault! Smack!” Sounds like you’ve got lame tech skills.
OK, enough. Here’s the problem. On top of disappointing his parents with his lack of tech and programming skills, Farhad clearly doesn’t know this industry. To dismiss ALL universal remote controls because you tried a total of four -- FOUR! -- models is ludicrous. And, the four models he tried -- including a $10 and $20 model -- had an average price of $72.50. That is kinda the equivalent of saying, “I drove a Yugo, a Pinto, a Tata Nano, and the Adobe (that sassy new Mexican import that’s made out of clay!), and I’m here to tell you that cars are small, cramped, catch on fire in any kind of minor collision and lack any kind of get up and go! Stay away from cars!”
So if Farhad’s article had instead been titled, “Buying a cheap, piece of garbage remote that you try and program yourself results in a totally lame experience! Instead, save your money, buy a ‘real’ remote and have it professionally programmed!” I’d be like, “Rock on, Farhad! You get it, bro! Now, let’s go drink some beers!” But instead, he lumps ALL universal remote controls under the moth-eaten, smallpox infested blanket. Then he equates his lame decision to look at four low-end models and then write-off the entire universal remote category with… journalism.
Here is the solution to all of your and Farhad's problems:
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This is my remote, a URC MX-980 with an MSC-400 system controller. This package is $1,200. Expensive? Sure. And in an era where many people are purchasing TVs that cost under $1000 and a matching sound bar that is $399, a $1,200 remote control system might very well seem egregious. But it is a small percentage of the overall system price and allows me -- and everyone else in my family -- to thoroughly use and enjoy the system ever day. And it totally works. It’s bulletproof.
I can hand the remote to anyone, and it takes me about one minute of instruction to explain to guests -- and these guests include my mom who is baffled by the procedure to retrieve a text message -- how to use my near six-figure system. ONE MINUTE! Know who else has mastered using my system? My four-year-old daughter. The system senses the power draw of components and “knows” when something is off when it should be on and vice versa. I press one button, and magic happens. Lights drop, screens drop, lenses slide into place and movies start playing. One button. And it works. Every time. (“But it doesn’t have a ‘help’ button.” So. “But, what if I need help?” Why would you need help? “Well, what if something doesn’t work?” See, you’re missing the point. It works. Always. Every time. If you can accurately press a large button labeled “Watch Kaleidescape Blu-ray,” then you will be rewarded with a Kaleidescape Blu-ray movie. You won’t need help. Trust me.)
Part of that is the remote. OK, maybe a large part. (And the MSC-400, which is a rockin’ base station, receiving radio frequency triggers and turning them into real world “Daddy needs to watch a movie!” magic.) And the other part is that I know what the hell I’m doing with the programming. You think I’m just gonna jump into a F458 and suddenly be driving like Michael Schumacher? Sadly, no. I’m going to immediately jam on the gas, the car is going to powerslide sideways, and then it is going to smash into a barrier. Then am I going to blame Ferrari for making a lame car? Yes. But that won’t be right. Programming a smart remote is kind of the same thing. Except you *probably* won’t spin out of control, kill a family in a minivan, and toast a $300,000 piece of Italian art.
Universal remote controls are sophisticated and to get the most out of them, you need to hire a professional who knows how to properly program it. And you can find a ton of professionals over a place called CEDIA. (I'll even help you out; it's
www.cedia.net) Programming remotes and getting stuff to work right every time is a big part of what these guys do. Just don't expect them to recommend anything that has $10 in the price. Well, maybe some replacement batteries.
So, Farhad, if you *really* want to solve your remote control problem, shoot me an e-mail. We’ll talk. And then we can get that beer. PS: You're buying...
13 comment(s) so far...
NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
John, while you make some good points in your article, I think Farhad had an argument, although he may not have actually said it. Besides the middle-of-the-road Harmony remotes and similarly priced and functional models, universal remotes are relegated to those with systems as complex and expensive as yours. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the people reading The New York Times electronics reviews and articles aren't willing to spend more than $200 on a remote, if that. When you mention that people are buying a $1,000 TV and a $400 soundbar, I'm not sure how you can immediately follow that with saying a $1,200 universal remote system is "a small percentage of the overall system price." Maybe for your system it is, but not for 95% of consumers.
This should have been Farhad's main point. The perfect universal remote is out there, but for most people it is way out of their price range.
Disparaging writers that have a readership many times larger and more economically diverse than yours is more than a little pointless.
By ericmatthew86@gmail.com on
2/8/2011 8:11 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
Enjoyed the article. Not that anyone except our own will read it...
A client emailed me the original article a few weeks ago, looking for a bit of reassurance and (I think) a bit relieved that his system wasn't one of those that was reviewed. I answered him in 2 sentences, you really took it to the next level.
As for Eric's points about your remote not being a realistic comparison for most NY Times readers, even a $120 Harmony, properly programmed, makes a system useable for the whole family, not just the one person willing to perform the "dance of the half-dozen remotes".
And those expensive remotes allow you to upsell more. I can take a basic Control4 RF remote and base station, show how now the equipment can be hidden away and still work, and introduce them to music streaming both over their home network, and from the internet. That's value, even if they never would consider $700 for a remote JUST to control their basic AV equipment.
Anyway, really enjoyed it. I linked to it on my own site as well (http://zedware.com/242)
By jordan@zedware.com on
2/9/2011 9:42 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
One of the frustrating things from an AV specialists standpoint is that newspapers and other non AV publications decide to write an article and assign a reporter and they go and do a little research and write about it. Unfortunately the general public reads the article and since its from a respected publication they assume that it must be accurate so now they know that universal remotes don't really work and they are a couple hundred dollars. This happens over and over with all kinds of products and the mis-information spreads exponentialy. You meet a client and sometimes you have to spend a ton of time trying to undo the damage that these mis-informed writers have caused. If they would just take the time to write a really informed article it would really help our industry rather than handicap it.
John thanks for taking the time to address some of the mis-information circulating out there.
Gavin
By gdoering@wwstereo.com on
2/9/2011 11:43 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
John, while you make some good points in your article, I think Farhad had an argument, although he may not have actually said it. Besides the middle-of-the-road Harmony remotes and similarly priced and functional models, universal remotes are relegated to those with systems as complex and expensive as yours. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the people reading The New York Times electronics reviews and articles aren't willing to spend more than $200 on a remote, if that. When you mention that people are buying a $1,000 TV and a $400 soundbar, I'm not sure how you can immediately follow that with saying a $1,200 universal remote system is "a small percentage of the overall system price." Maybe for your system it is, but not for 95% of consumers.
This should have been Farhad's main point. The perfect universal remote is out there, but for most people it is way out of their price range.
Disparaging writers that have a readership many times larger and more economically diverse than yours is more than a little pointless.
By ericmatthew86@gmail.com on
2/8/2011 8:09 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
John, while you make some good points in your article, I think Farhad had an argument, although he may not have actually said it. Besides the middle-of-the-road Harmony remotes and similarly priced and functional models, universal remotes are relegated to those with systems as complex and expensive as yours. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the people reading The New York Times electronics reviews and articles aren't willing to spend more than $200 on a remote, if that. When you mention that people are buying a $1,000 TV and a $400 soundbar, I'm not sure how you can immediately follow that with saying a $1,200 universal remote system is "a small percentage of the overall system price." Maybe for your system it is, but not for 95% of consumers.
This should have been Farhad's main point. The perfect universal remote is out there, but for most people it is way out of their price range.
Disparaging writers that have a readership many times larger and more economically diverse than yours is more than a little pointless.
By ericmatthew86@gmail.com on
2/8/2011 8:09 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
Enjoyed the article. Not that anyone except our own will read it...
A client emailed me the original article a few weeks ago, looking for a bit of reassurance and (I think) a bit relieved that his system wasn't one of those that was reviewed. I answered him in 2 sentences, you really took it to the next level.
As for Eric's points about your remote not being a realistic comparison for most NY Times readers, even a $120 Harmony, properly programmed, makes a system useable for the whole family, not just the one person willing to perform the "dance of the half-dozen remotes".
And those expensive remotes allow you to upsell more. I can take a basic Control4 RF remote and base station, show how now the equipment can be hidden away and still work, and introduce them to music streaming both over their home network, and from the internet. That's value, even if they never would consider $700 for a remote JUST to control their basic AV equipment.
Anyway, really enjoyed it. I linked to it on my own site as well (http://zedware.com/242)
By jordan@zedware.com on
2/9/2011 9:43 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
Eric and Farhad, URC makes a perfectly capable remote, the MX450. It can control 6 devices (more than the average family has) that does plenty of macro commands, can be programmed with embedded on-screen instructions, for around $200!! I have sold dozens and dozens of these remotes to my customers and they all love it. So many people are unaware of this stuff which is why CEDIA guys are so critical. Thanks John, well done.
By chesapeakehometheatres@verizon.net on
2/9/2011 10:05 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
Thought the article was hilarious....it is like I say to all of my clients when I am designing their system....the most important facet of a system is that it is easy to access and control....it does not really matter how much money a person is willing to spend on their entertainment system....if it isn't easy to operate, then it was just a waste of money....most end-users of a/v systems get this point without much explanation needed because most have experienced the pain and frustration of controlling their system with multiple remotes or even a single low-end and often poorly programmed/implemented universal remote....in the end, people buy the electronics because they want to enjoy their entertainment options not to get a degree in how to operate a bunch of proprietary pieces of gear that, more often than not, do not want to play nicely together.....this is why Farhad and every other consumer needs to hire a competent systems integrator....the long and short of it is that Farhad was in over his head and needed help from an experienced integrator, regardless of the cost of his system
By sales@privatetheatersfl.com on
2/9/2011 11:24 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
Thanks John for yet another debunk. Control is all about the programming, and of course that starts with (1) well controllable products, and (2) the control system used. I define a decent control system as "starting" with a URC computer programmable remote. We've done our fair share of MX980s. One of my favorites.
As far as misguided media goes... yeah that's a fact of life. Even our own industry media gets misguided from time to time. Then the Internet gives it all more reach.
Gotta love journalism.
By info@kromphardt.com on
2/10/2011 5:48 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
Thanks John for yet another debunk. Control is all about the programming, and of course that starts with (1) well controllable products, and (2) the control system used. I define a decent control system as "starting" with a URC computer programmable remote. We've done our fair share of MX980s. One of my favorites.
As far as misguided media goes... yeah that's a fact of life. Even our own industry media gets misguided from time to time. Then the Internet gives it all more reach.
Gotta love journalism.
By info@kromphardt.com on
2/10/2011 5:49 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
He doesn't care what kind of equipment you have and similarly, wouldn't be impressed by the difference between your TV and His. He's not an AV snob like we are- he's a regular guy looking for a way to simplify his entertainment. He went to best buy and couldn't find it. This isn't that different from a lot of customers.
What we fail to realize is that there are many customers who are shopping for a legitimate home theater and realize that they are going to need some sort of control system. They get sticker shock on a big ticket control system, and they start debating between a decent remote from you and going the DIY harmony/best buy route. The NY times article might be the influencer you need to make the sale.
By porkchopbasements@gmail.com on
2/23/2011 9:03 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
He doesn't care what kind of equipment you have and similarly, wouldn't be impressed by the difference between your TV and His. He's not an AV snob like we are- he's a regular guy looking for a way to simplify his entertainment. He went to best buy and couldn't find it. This isn't that different from a lot of customers.
What we fail to realize is that there are many customers who are shopping for a legitimate home theater and realize that they are going to need some sort of control system. They get sticker shock on a big ticket control system, and they start debating between a decent remote from you and going the DIY harmony/best buy route. The NY times article might be the influencer you need to make the sale.
By porkchopbasements@gmail.com on
2/23/2011 9:03 AM
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NY Times: You Want a Remote Control That Works? Call Me
Eric:
First, thanks for the well-thought out reply and for not starting out by immediately jumping to the “you’re an idiot!” part that many other people seem to prefer.
My biggest beef with Farhad’s article was that it was wrapping up an entire segment of the CE market – universal remote controls – after looking at a SUPER small slice of the available options. Clearly, my $1200 remote is beyond many people, but the $700 option offered by URC (MX-880 and MRF-350) is a terrific option that would satisfy nearly anyone. Is $700 still expensive? Sure. But if it is the difference between being able to use and enjoy your entertainment system on a daily basis, I – and many other integrators – would say it is a small price to pay.
Even then, there is definitely a place for Harmony as well, and I even linked to a review of it on the version of the post at my blog (www.johnsciacca.webs.com ). I loved the ONE and think it does an admirable job of controlling a system. I think the problem was that Farhad didn’t know how to correctly address programming and integration issues with the remote, so he put the blame on the remote, not on his programming.
My intent wasn’t to disparage Farhad – well, OK, maybe it was a little – but more to point out that his article dismissed an entire product segment unfairly and without doing proper research.
John Sciacca
By jmdls@aol.com on
2/9/2011 9:27 AM
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