Home Theater Geeks 469: Too Many Remotes!

Summary

Episode Summary: Home Theater Geeks 469 – Too Many Remotes!

In episode 469 of Home Theater Geeks, host Scott Wilkinson addresses a common frustration among home theater enthusiasts: managing an overwhelming number of remote controls. Released on February 13, 2025, this episode offers practical solutions and insights for streamlining your home entertainment setup.

Introduction: Ann's Dilemma

The episode kicks off with Scott responding to a listener named Ann, who is struggling with managing multiple remote controls for her recently upgraded home theater system. Ann shares her experience:

Ann (00:32): "Your podcasts are great. Thanks, Ann. I know just enough now to be dangerous with a checkbook... My issue is five remotes. My brain can't handle it. Help."

Ann has invested in quality components, including a Yamaha AVR, Panasonic Blu-ray player, and a Samsung S90 OLED TV. While the equipment performs well, the proliferation of five different remotes—Roku TV, Blu-ray, AVR, and additional ones for headphones—has become cumbersome.

The Problem: Excessive Remotes

Scott empathizes with Ann's predicament, acknowledging the high-quality gear she possesses:

Scott Wilkinson (00:32): "Congratulations on the new gear. Yamaha makes great AVRs, Panasonic makes great Blu-ray players, and Samsung makes great OLED TVs."

He identifies the crux of the problem: too many remote controls complicating the user experience.

Solution 1: Universal Remotes – The Harmony from Logitech

Scott introduces the most common solution to reducing remote clutter: universal remotes. His top recommendation is the Harmony series from Logitech.

Scott Wilkinson (02:10): "My favorite universal remote is called the Harmony, from a company called Logitech."

He notes that while Logitech no longer manufactures Harmony remotes, they still offer support and some models are available through secondary markets like Amazon and eBay. The Harmony remotes are praised for their reliability and extensive device compatibility.

Types of Harmony Remotes

Scott outlines the two main categories of Harmony remotes:

1. Standalone Models: These use infrared (IR) signals to control devices, much like traditional remotes.
2. Hub-Based Models: These combine IR with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing control of devices that may be hidden or located in different rooms.

He details several Harmony models, highlighting features such as display screens, touch panels, and the number of devices each can control. For example:

Scott Wilkinson (04:15): "The Harmony one which is the one I actually use. I really like that one quite a bit. And it has also a display screen on it and that's a touch panel display so you can actually touch the display."

Challenges with Harmony Remotes

Despite their advantages, Harmony remotes come with certain limitations:

• Availability: Most Harmony remotes are now only available through secondary markets, and their support is becoming limited.

  Scott Wilkinson (05:30): "These devices are no longer available except on the secondary market... once they run out, I think they'll be gone."

• Software Compatibility: The Harmony software has restrictions, particularly with newer operating systems.

  Scott Wilkinson (06:00): "The My Harmony software does not run on Mac OS 10.15 or higher... it's limited to older OS versions."

These factors present potential hurdles for users seeking a long-term solution.

Solution 2: Sofa Baton Universal Remotes – A Modern Alternative

Seeking a more current option, Scott introduces Sofa Baton as a viable alternative to Harmony remotes.

Scott Wilkinson (07:15): "I wanted to mention a more current device company that sells universal remotes that a lot of people really like. It's called Sofa Baton."

Sofa Baton offers two models:

1. U Series (Standalone): Priced at $65, it includes a display and can replace up to 15 devices. It supports IR and Bluetooth LE communication but is limited to controlling four Bluetooth devices.

2. X Series (Hub-Based): Starting at $140 for older models and $200 for newer ones, the X Series supports up to 15 devices, offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and includes voice control through Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Sofa Baton's own API Smart Home System.

Scott highlights the benefits of Sofa Baton remotes:

• Affordability: Generally less expensive than Harmony remotes.
• Modern Compatibility: Designed to work with current software and operating systems.
• Enhanced Features: The X Series offers activity modes and voice control, akin to Harmony's capabilities.

Scott Wilkinson (09:45): "With the caveat that I haven't tried the Sofa Baton remotes yet, I'd probably recommend going with one of those because they're current and they work with current software and computer systems."

Setting Up a Universal Remote

Scott provides a brief overview of the setup process for universal remotes like Harmony:

Scott Wilkinson (08:22): "You need to tell the remote what equipment you have and which pieces of equipment are used for which activities... This is done by connecting your remote to your computer by USB and logging on to the myharmony.com site."

He acknowledges that while the setup can be somewhat complex, especially with software limitations, the effort pays off by simplifying the user experience.

Conclusion: Streamlining Your Home Theater

In wrapping up, Scott emphasizes the importance of reducing remote clutter to enhance the enjoyment of a home theater system. He encourages listeners to consider universal remotes as a practical solution and to explore options like Sofa Baton for a more modern and affordable alternative.

Scott Wilkinson (14:00): "I hope that answers and helps your question... Until next time, Geek Out."

By addressing the common issue of managing multiple remotes, this episode provides valuable insights and actionable advice for home theater enthusiasts seeking a more streamlined and user-friendly setup.

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Notable Quotes:

• Ann (00:32): "My issue is five remotes. My brain can't handle it. Help."
• Scott Wilkinson (02:10): "My favorite universal remote is called the Harmony, from a company called Logitech."
• Scott Wilkinson (05:30): "These devices are no longer available except on the secondary market... once they run out, I think they'll be gone."
• Scott Wilkinson (07:15): "It's called Sofa Baton, which I think is a great name."
• Scott Wilkinson (09:45): "I'd probably recommend going with one of those because they're current and they work with current software and computer systems."

This comprehensive discussion not only addresses Ann's concerns but also serves as a guide for listeners facing similar challenges with their home theater remotes.

Transcript

[Scott Wilkinson]

In this episode of Home Theater Geeks, I answer a question from Ann, who's bummed about having so many remotes. Can she reduce the number? Yes, she can. Stick around.

[Unknown Host]

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[Scott Wilkinson]

Hey there, Scott Wilkinson here, the home theater geek. In this episode, I'm going to answer a question from Ann, who writes, your podcasts are great. Thanks, Ann. I know just enough now to be dangerous with a checkbook. Oh. After five or six highly educational podcasts, I bought a Yamaha AVR and a Panasonic Blu ray player. The two 20 year old speakers sound good when I watch a movie, and the old TV speaker is not bad for news programs. My issue is five remotes. My brain can't handle it. I have remotes for Roku tv, Blu Ray, avr. Then there are headphones, which is another complication. Help. I'm happy to make progress with a new TV, a Samsung S90 OLED. But if I can't get the remotes under control, one or two max, I'm gonna take this new stuff back to the store. Well, Ann, it's a very common problem. First of all, congratulations on the new gear. Yamaha makes great AVRs, Panasonic makes great Blu Ray players, and Samsung makes great OLED TVs. So you got some great stuff there. And now we have to get the control under control. Now, the most common solution to this problem is a universal remote. Now, my favorite universal remote is called the Harmony, from a company called Logitech. You know Logitech, they make keyboards and mice and you know, headphones and stuff like that. They also used to make the Harmony universal remote. Unfortunately they don't anymore, which is a true bummer. But they still do offer some support. And we're going to put a link to the URL where you can get support if you already own one from Logitech. And you can still buy some of the models on Amazon and ebay, so you know they're not completely unavailable and they really work great. Now there are two basic types. There's the standalone and the remotes that have hubs. What are called hub based. Standalone models use ir, typically infrared, just like most component remotes. And the hub based ones use IR as well. But also they use Bluetooth and WI fi to control things hidden behind doors or even in another room. So there are a number of standalone models that are still somewhat available. The 350 is probably the, the entry level one, shall we say. You can see it here. It's got number buttons, it's got transport controls. It's got a what's called a cluster, cursor cluster in the middle up, down, right, left and okay in the middle. And a mute button volume and TV and channel control, stuff like that. I think it can control eight, up to eight devices. Then there's the 650, it's kind of a step up from there and that's the next graphic. There it is with a little, a little LED display with some buttons on the side and the function of those buttons changes depending on what you're doing. There's also a665, a700, a950 which is the one seen there and it's Charger and the one called the Harmony one which is the one I actually use. I really like that one quite a bit. And it has also a display screen on it and that's a touch panel display so you can actually touch the display. And then there's the ultimate and the ultimate one and there's the ultimate one. And that those higher ones control like 15 devices. Looks to me like the ultimate.1 May very well be a hub based and I probably, I probably should have mentioned that in the hub based models anyway. The hub based models include the Elite, the Ultimate Home, the Companion and presumably the ultimate one because this picture has a Hub in it. Now the prices on Amazon range from 145 bucks for a renewed 650, that is one that probably got sold and got returned to 300 for a new 650 to nearly 500 for an elite with a Hub. So you know, they ain't cheap but they really work well. Now they, they are what are called activity based. So basically you specify different activities like watch tv, watch cable, watch a Blu Ray, play a game. All these different activities require your system to be set up in a different way. So you hit a button labeled Watch TV for example and it sends all the codes necessary to turn on the TV and the AVR switch to the right inputs and everything else that needs to happen in order to watch that. And then the controls, the volume control will control the avr. The channel control will turn the tv. If you're using cable box, it'll change the, change the channel on the volume on the cable box. Watch Blu Ray will turn on the Blu Ray player, switch the inputs as necessary. The transport controls will work the Blu Ray player.

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[Scott Wilkinson]

Now to get this working you need to tell the remote what equipment you have and which pieces of equipment are used for which activities and what inputs they need to be set to and so on. Now this is done by connecting your remote to your computer by USB and logging on to the myharmony.com site. And you also have to run some Harmony software in your computer so that they can communicate together. And then you just tell tell the system. Here's my avr, here's my tv, here's my Blu ray player and here's what needs here's the here's what controls the volume, here's what controls the channels, and so on and it sets it all up for you. However, I have to warn you the I was doing some research for this and the My Harmony website says that the My Harmony software does not run ON Mac OS 1015 or higher 10.15 or higher, you can use it on Mac OS 10.14 and lower or Windows. They didn't specify any versions and if you're using a Hub based Harmony, you need to control it from your iOS or Android phone. So older Harmony remotes can use Harmony remote software which is compatible with Mac OS 11 and 12. So a little bit newer. Now this all sounds very complicated and it isn't trivial. I will tell you that they tried to design it to be easy to use and they succeeded to an extent, but not completely in my opinion. But it's not as bad as it sounds. The biggest problem is that these devices are no longer available except on the secondary market, like Amazon has a stock. But once they run out, I think they'll be gone, they won't have any more. And the software is in some cases, as I just said, limited to older OS versions. So you're taking a bit of a gamble there. So I wanted to mention a more current device company that sells universal remotes that a lot of people really like. It's called the company is called Sofa Baton, which I think is a great name. Now I haven't tried one myself yet, but I as I say, I've heard a lot of good things about it and I do intend to to try one. Their their URL will also be in the show notes. It's Easy. It's sofa baton.com they offer two models. The U series, which is a standalone and you can see it here, has a little bit of of a of a display near the top of the remote. And the X series, which is a hub based unit, has also some display at the top. Both can replace up to 15 device remotes or even more. Both offer IR and Bluetooth LE communication. The U series is limited to four Bluetooth devices. The X series can can also control classic Bluetooth devices like the PlayStation 4 and 5 Roku Wi Fi Roku Wi Fi. I mean Philips Hue light bulbs which are remote controllable light bulbs that are pretty cool, and the Sonos whole House audio system. Now both can control various devices by switching between them on the remote. But the X series also has an activity mode like the Harmonies. On the U series you can set up what are called macros, which do the same thing as an activity series, but it's probably not nearly as convenient as a true activity mode. Now the X Series also lets you do voice controls, so Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Sofa Baton's own API Smart Home System U Series apparently does not do that. On the other hand, the U series is 65 bucks, way less than any of the harmonies. And the X1, which is still available, but it's an older model, is 140 bucks and the X1s current model is $200. That's still less than almost any Harmony remote, except for a renewed one. So with the caveat that I haven't tried the Sofa Baton remotes yet, I'd probably recommend with going with one of those because they're current and they work with current software and computer systems and in fact I look forward to trying the X1s myself. Will it replace my beloved Harmony one? I'm not sure, but I do want to get up on the latest that's available for you so that I can share you share it with you. So I hope that answers and helps your question. Like this episode. In many episodes I answer questions from listeners and all you have to do is send it along to HTGWIT tv. Now in a new development, all of our videos are now available on YouTube with ads but they're free. You can watch them anytime. Now. If you want ad free shows, all you have to do is join the club. Which you can do by going to TWiT TV club TWiT and I do hope you will consider that. Until next time, Geek Out.

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[Scott Wilkinson]

Today.