Big, a little quirky, but A STEAL for the money!!
Written: Oct 24 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Customization, looks, PRICE!
Cons: Size, poorly-written manual
The Bottom Line: It's a little big, it's got its quirks, but if you want close to the best for a fraction of the cost, you can't go wrong.
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| bstauffer's Full Review: Sony RM-AV3000 LCD Touchscreen Remote Control |
I was very happy with my Sony RMV-L900 for a couple of years. I eventually found it lacking in a couple of areas. Namely, I had certain functions on certain components that were rarely used. These functions were either not programmed at all, or I could remember them because the button names were not symbolic enough.
My home theater system is reasonably complex. I have a TV, receiver, DVD player, and a TiVo. It doesn't sound complicated, but when you throw in TiVo Home Media Option, picture in picture, and discrete remote codes, it gets there quickly. Also important is the wife factor. I like for her to be able to hit (or hold) one button that says what she wants to do.
I was never a big fan of touch-screen remotes, and there are still things I don't like. The attractive thing about this one is the abundance of hard buttons (i.e., the rubber ones that aren't on the screen), which allow you to control your system with a short glance or none at all. Those are the ones I use the most. The other most-frequently used one is the fast forward button for my TiVo, which is located in the center on the very right-hand side of the screen.
What you read is partially correct: the manual that comes with the remote does pretty much suck. You'll get the basics pretty quickly. However, programming this thing for several components will take a while, so be patient.
For the on-screen keys, you are limited to a finite number (usually 4) of preset labels. You are also limited in layout. This seems to be a problem for some, but I haven't found it to be as of yet. There are 4 labels on the bottom for which you can choose whatever text you wish, and there are 3 "pages" of these, so you get 12 per component.
Speaking of components, you have *18* component selections on this baby! There are 6 on hard buttons, and I didn't even use all those. The remainder are on the screen, and you have to page through them.
The remote is big. Your friends will either be appalled or make fun of you at first. But it sits nicely on the couch next to you, and has a nice "channel" on the bottom to sit on the arm.
Battery life is nothing to complain about. I change them when I notice range decreasing a little bit, and that happens after a couple of months. Buy 8 AA MiMH rechargables and a charger, and you're set.
Overall, it's not perfect. It doesn't offer the number of hard buttons as the MX-700 or the customization of a Pronto. But you can have this thing for under $100! (Buy on the web, not from brick and mortar!) If you want top-of-the-line, but don't want to pay for it, you can't go wrong with the RM-AV3000.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bstauffer
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Location: Columbus, Ohio
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 5 members
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