Awesome Remote!
Written: Jul 02 '02 (Updated Jul 02 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: New ergonomic design, ability to label buttons, outstanding range, clock added to display
Cons: Screen hard to read without light on, expensive
The Bottom Line: This is a great remote control for those that have three and four remotes cluttering the coffee table. It's a bit pricy, but offers a great value.
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| the_art_guy's Full Review: Sony RM-AV3000 LCD Touchscreen Remote Control |
I previously owned the RM-AV2100 and have to say that I was disappointed with it. So when I saw that Sony had released the RM-AV3000, I was hoping for many improvements. I have to say, my expectations were met as this remote has been drastically improved over the previous 2100 series. I would almost say that this is a total redesign and many of the features have been changed, almost all for the better too.
At first glance, the remote itself looks quite different from the 2100 series. It is a bit thinner and the LCD display has been titled a few degrees toward the user, a nice change. The body itself feels solid when held in the hand, and does not feel as cheap as the 2100. I think it is about the same weight as the 2100, but because of the thinner body, it is better balanced in the hand. One of the complaints I had about the 2100 was that it felt like it was going to tip over, out from your hand when you picked it up, this is not the case with the 3000. The top cover of the remote almost looks like it is some sort of galvanized metal, but I'm sure that is is plastic. The IR port on the front of the remote has been redesigned too, it now covers just the front end and does not wrap over the edges.
One of the best features about this remote is the fact that Sony added the menu and arrows to the remote as hard buttons, just to the left of the volume and channel keys. This is a very welcome addition, one of the things about the 2100 that was very annoying was having to go into the LCD screen to select the menu and navigate. By removing these buttons from the LCD screen, on the 2100, Sony has added valuable real estate on the LCD screen of the 3000. The LCD screen is still the same size, but Sony has removed the Change button (from the upper left of the LCD screen on the 2100) and moved some things around. Sony has also added new, fully customizable buttons to the lower row of the LCD screen. There are four Label buttons that you can completely rename with up to 8 characters. This will be a welcome addition to those of you 2100 series owners who have complained about not being able to change the button to what you want it to say. It should be noted that there can be up to three screens of four label buttons each for each component.
New features include a clock in the LCD display, this is another extremely welcome addition, no more pressing Display on the TV just to see what time it is! Another new feature is the addition of the Timer function. You can fully program multiple timers for each component to automatically perform a series of actions at a specified time. Lock and Hold are two other functions that have also been added. Now you can lock the remote so one else can use it while your away! Sony has also changed the Component select buttons to glow-in-the-dark buttons. No more turning on the light at night just to see what button to press to switch to DVD mode, or AMP mode. This is a nice feature, but it should have been added to the Light button as well. If you're watching a movie at night and you need to turn on the light for the LCD you have to know where the button is, otherwise you have to turn on a light in the room, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a light on the remote. Sony, if you're reading this, make the Light button glow-in-the-dark...please!!
Carrying over from the 2100 series are many of the same features. This 3000 series is a fully learnable remote commander, it will learn from almost any other remote control and you can even copy codes from one 3000 to another. The blue backlight has been improved as well, it does not have that annoying buzz that was present on the 2100 series when activated. The macro controls are still available as well, but Sony has increased the amount of consecutive operations to 32 per macro key, with a total of 33 macro keys.
One of the things that is a minor annoyance is the fact that the LCD display is hard to read in dim lighting without having the light on. I find myself tilting the unit towards light just to read some of the buttons on the LCD screen. It should be noted that you can select either Bright or Dim settings for the light as well as being able to adjust the contrast of the LCD.
One of the great things about this remote commander is the range, you can be up to 32 feet away and still use it. The IR port on the front of the unit is nice and big so you can point it a wall and the signal will still transmit.
All in all, this a great remote. Sony has added many new features and has addressed almost all the shortcomings of the previous 2100 series. At $180 retail, it's a bit expensive, but worth the investment if you are thinking about purchasing it to replace you cluttered, remote control laden coffee table.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
the_art_guy
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
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