Dave B
Pros:
Backlit, Easy and painless to set up, WILL replace any remote.
Cons:
Sluggish response time until tweaked. High power usage.
The Bottom Line:
I like it and I don't regret purchasing it. Don't forget to pick up those batteries and change the default delays.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Ok, so reading the previous 3 reviews... I've concluded that one guy is intelligent enough. And he's absolutely correct. The remote is a bit delayed, and a bit sluggish on response time compared to the factory remotes. HOWEVER this is easily adjusted through the software, where the delays are adjustable, and well-explained by the on-screen prompts.
Setup was extremely easy. Looking at the other two reviews, one guy apparently didn't read the manual. (Even if it fails to turn off a device, you should never have to get up because there is a help function on the remote to help you through this.) The angle on the remote is quite wide, but if you turn it during the few seconds that it is turning devices off/on, it will not get to them all. There is no way for your remote to *know* if the TV is on or off. It only knows what you tell it.
And the other guy, well let's just say he must not have read the manual either. You have to type in the specific model number. I've got my remote set up to control two TV's, an audio receiver, a cable box, and two xboxes. All work flawlessly. You can also add or remove inputs. You really can't hurry through the setup phase and expect to be entirely satisfied. It also helps if you are smarter than the packaging.
For me, this remote is spectacular. It allowed me to rid my living room of several remotes. I've even got it controlling the fan, thanks to the learning functionality of this remote. If you take the time to set it up properly, it works perfectly.
The sluggish response time of pressing a button to the device actually doing something is a valid point. But as I said before if the delays are tweaked a bit via the software, you can get it to respond much much faster. I REALLY wish Logitech made a bigger deal about this in their manual.
The only other gripe I could come up with is the power consumption. It eats up the batteries, so pick yourself up two sets of 4 AAA NiMH batteries and a charger. It's not that they run out ridiculously fast or anything, but more than any other remote I've had. I think I end up swapping them out for fresh-charged batteries every 2 months or so.
The channel buttons are a little skinny, but when you consider the fact that most people willing to drop 130 dollars on an xbox-360 remote probably have TV's/Cable boxes that support menu-driven channel changing and built-in guides, who cares? The circular pad on the center of the remote does just fine.
It's a great remote, packed full of useful features. Even one that wasn't documented anywhere I could find that I found to be rather useful. If the remote is untouched for a long period of time, vibration or movement will turn on the backlit display. Kind of nice when you can't find the friggin' thing at night.
Don't let the bad reviews discourage you. We've already established that two people out of the 3 previous reviews apparently couldn't be bothered to spend any time setting it up, and out of those two, one buffoon was unable to figure out how to open a plastic case without hurting himself.