Tag Archive: speakers


Marantz RC2001 Universal Programmable Remote – Saved my Sanity

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February 10, 2012

Marantz RC2001 Universal Programmable/learning Remote review by Steve Taylor

My Overall Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5 out of 5


Marantz RC2001 Universal Programmable/learning Remote
Marantz RC2001 Universal Programmable/learning Remote

This Marantz RC2001 Universal Programmable/learning Remote does what it says on the tin. All the functions work just as expected. You can connect the remote control to your computer by the USB input, using the supplied cable. You need to follow the software the comes with this controller to set up all your audio visual equipment. The software is pretty simple to comprehend. Even if you have very little IT and computer skills you’ll be able to get yourself all set up without too much hassle. I managed to programme all of my audio visual equipment in around an hour.

Buying this remote as saved my mind! It’s saved me time faffing around turning on my television, surround sound speakers, dvd player and satellite box. My television set up was a little complicated, there was a lot of different settings I had to change just to watch a movie and now I only need the one remote, so that’s very nice. It’s also saved my sanity because I used to always lose the one remote control that I wanted at that particular time. If I wanted to watch a movie, you could gurantee that I wouldnt be able to find the DVD player remote. Now with just the one remote control it’s much easier to keep track of its whereabouts!

The remote control is easy to use, it takes a little getting used to, but boy when you do it really is great. The buttons are well layed out, the remote is well designed in general, the LCD screen is large and easy to read and it the remote looks good too. I’m pleased with my purchase, which I bought as a bit of gamble. A very nice remote.

Key Features
PC programmable remote
Large LCD screen with hard keys
IR transmission
Backlighting for LCD and hard keys
512kB non-volatile memory
Advanced timer function
Windows Vista compatible new editor: “Wizz-It 3″
Multi brand IR database in the editor
Discrete power on and off keys
R03/AAA battery operation
3-year limited warranty

If you want to buy one of these universal remotes they are currently on sale at Amazon through this link.

Steve Taylor Steve Taylor

Steve is a professional technology reviewer and writer. He has been reviewing console accessories since 2004 and has reviewed over 100 products.
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Universal Remote Control R40 – Advanced Customization

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January 15, 2012

Universal Remote Control R40 My Favorite Remote (Black) review by Steve Taylor

My Overall Review: 4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5


Universal Remote Control R40 My Favorite Remote (Black)
Universal Remote Control R40 My Favorite Remote (Black)

This remote is similar to the Logitech Harmony remotes, but I bought this one over a Logitech remote because it gives you more customisation. It is more expensive but its more advanced and a little tricky to get to grips with. Having said that basic programming is easy – you don’t even need access to a computer or the internet and that feature is really what makes this remote different to the Logitech Harmony remotes.

It only takes minutes to programme the remote so that you can watch a DVD by pressing just one button. A nice feature is that you can have two commands for one button – for example you can set up the ‘Blu Ray’ button so that when you press the button it brings up your Blu Ray player menu, and when you press and hold the same button it can turn on the TV, Blu Ray player and speakers. This lets you have more control over your equipment and makes it far simpler and easier to operate.

The construction is solid, it is comfortable to hold and the buttons
feel nice. There’s a button on the side of the remote you can press to
light up the buttons – this ‘light’ button is in a nice position, it can
easily be found in the dark by touch. A good design for when you’re
watching movies in the dark.

The screen is an OLED, which gives a
great viewing angle, you can easily read the screen from literally any
angle. You can chose how long you want the screen to stay lit for before
it turns off, which is a nice power saving feat and being able to
customise the number of seconds before the screen turns off is nice too.

Overall this remote is very impressive. If you want to use it to simply control all of your remotes from this one remote then it is easy and very quick to set up. If you want to customise the remote heavily, you can – there are so many options, but it does take some time to get to grips with it.

If you want to buy one of these universal remotes they are currently on sale at Amazon through this link.

Here is what current buyers think of the Universal Remote Control R40 My Favorite Remote (Black):

Sam,
Let’s face it, with today’s electronics, you must have a programmable remote lest you have a collection of random remotes to get lost or confuse you. This remote lets me control all of my major devices with ease. The programming is a snap and the directions clear. Recommended Read Original Review

Pigs,
I don’t write many reviews, even though I purchase a lot from Amazon. I feel kind of guilty because of the many, very helpful reviews I read here (thanks to you all!); This product has inspired me. This is BY FAR the best universal remote I’ve ever owned. I also have a Logitech Harmony One, which I like, but I prefer the Universal R40.
It looks great when it’s backlit, with the very legible red light/text, and the mostly blue OLED screen. It’s very crisp, and easy for me to read. I really like that I can program it on the couch without a computer. It’s so well thought-out and logical. Nothing in the programming process is difficult – I had to redo a couple of things, but it didn’t take me long to figure out what I was doing…and everything you wish it had to make things easier, IT HAS! Read Original Review

Steve Taylor Steve Taylor

Steve is a professional technology reviewer and writer. He has been reviewing console accessories since 2004 and has reviewed over 100 products.

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Harmony 720 – Just Press Play

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December 20, 2011

Logitech Harmony 720 Universal Remote review by Steve Taylor

My Overall Review: 4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5


Logitech Harmony 720 Universal Remote
Logitech Harmony 720 Universal Remote

This Logitech Harmony 720 Universal remote is great. It works well – it does everything it says it will do. It’s easy to use and it’s let me get rid of a whole bunch of remotes, replacing it with just this one. The remote feels nice. The buttons are responsive and the display is
easy to read. This remote comes with a rechargeable battery, which
charges fast and the charge last a long time.

Setting up the remote was simple. I downloaded the software, ran through the set up guide, selected the makes of my audio visual equipment and choose the models from the lists. The software then automatically connected everything for me. I customised a few things, such as renaming the Activities – a nice feature, meaning you can personalise this remote to suit you 100%.

The whole set up process, from opening the box to completion took me around about an hour and a half. After this I could get rid of loads of remotes and use this one remote to access the X Box, TV, DVD, Stereo etc by pressing one button. After pressing the one button to watch the TV, the television powers up as does the satellite box and the speakers. This made things a bit more calm in the house as my partner who used to struggle with the set up can now do everything he wants by pressing one button.

Key Features

  • One-Touch Activity Control choose Watch a DVD and the Harmony will powers on your TV, DVD, stereo receiver, set all the inputs and even press play.
  • Simple for Everyone – There’s a handy HELP button.
  • Easy to Set Up – The Harmony set-up wizard does the programming, so you don’t have to.
  • Connected – Just connect your remote to your computer and answer a few questions about how you currently use your audio-visual equipment.
  • Logitech’s patented Smart State Technology does the rest

If you want to buy one of these universal remotes they are currently on sale at Amazon through this link.

Here is what current buyers think of the Logitech Harmony 720 Universal Remote:

Gary Shepard,
This is obviously a well thought out product. I purchased one yesterday, spent 45 minutes programming it online, and promptly shelved 4 remotes in the process. The build quality is top notch, buttons are well lit and assignable to whatever you want them to be (the unit programs them itself; however, you can override if desired).
I didn’t think I could find a remote to replicate all of the buttons on my Time Warner cable DVR remote (Scientific Atlanta brand), but this baby does it all. I couldn’t imagine paying upwards of $1000 for some of the ones I’ve seen for sale, when this one can control up to fifteen devices (even light dimming modules).
And the best part is that Logitech’s database of remote controlled devices ( which this remote utilizes) is continually updated, so even if you buy a new component 3 years from now, you will be able to control it via this unit. A+A+A+A+ Read Original Review

Stephen Smith,
I bought this remote yesterday. When setting up my home theater system that I’d stored several years ago, I could no longer locate the remote controls for my components. After several non productive calls to Onkyo I decided to give the Logitech remote a try, hoping that they would have the correct codes to run my system. After I ran the easy to use software, the remote works much better than I had hoped. It’s smart enough to set up all of your activities such as turn on TV, Sound System and DVD with the push of one button. I have no hesitation in recommending this fine product With the docking station the days of dead batteries and a table crowded with a collection of remotes are over!
Read Original Review

Steve Taylor Steve Taylor

Steve is a professional technology reviewer and writer. He has been reviewing console accessories since 2004 and has reviewed over 100 products.

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Yamaha Surround Sound Receiver – Home Movie Heaven

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October 4, 2011

Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black) review by Steve Taylor

My Overall Review: 4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5


Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black)
Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black)

The Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1-Channel AV Receiver is a great home cinema, surround sound product. It has HDMI inputs and outputs, it works with iPods, and is 3D ready (it just needs a firmware upgrade) – so it’s future-proof.

The receiver looks good – I opted for the black design (it also comes in silver and titanium). Its sleek and the small silver feet look good – it fits nicely on my black glass and silver television stand.

The layout of the front panel works well – although there are a lot of buttons, they’re in a logical order and the display panel is easy to read. I plug my laptop into the receiver and play my iTunes library and also stream television programs and films from the Internet. On the back panel there are four HDMI inputs and one output. There’s also a subwoofer connection.

There’s a huge number of sound modes on this receiver. There are different sound settings for all types of film and telly including Sports, Drama and Sci-Fi. There’s also a good choice for playing music through the surround sound speakers.

This receiver is easy to set up – it does most of the work for you. It comes with a microphone that picks up test noises and adjusts the sound depending on the acoustics of the room the receiver is in. Pretty clever! Using the receiver is also fairly straight forward and the remote is a snap.

I’m more than impressed with the sound that this receiver projects – it’s a great home cinema experience. The surround sound really submerges you in the film – you feel like you’re a part of it. The sound is clear, there’s lots of deep bass and voices have a realistic tone. It really sounds like the person is right behind you at times… spooky!

If you want to buy one of these universal remotes they are currently on sale at Amazon through this link.

Here is what current buyers think of the Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black):

Eric S,
The Yamaha RX-V367 AV receiver is a true performer. For a long time I owned a JVC 884VBK, an old AV Dolby Digital receiver. It sounded good when VHS was leaving the scene and DVD’s took over. Though JVC really never got it right when it came to true cinema sound production as well as its expensive price tag. It lasted 13 yrs and still counting but as digital sound got more sophisticated and HDMI now being the new sound king, it sounded more and more boring as time moved on. Especially since it was made back in the day when there was optical and coaxial but no HDMI sound. That’s when I decided to replace it with the Yamaha.
Wow what a difference $179 dollars make. The sound was crisp and accurate on my JBL 181 ‘s, Bose center channel and surround sound speakers all while playing my Roku, Comcast box, DVD’s or ipod. It even makes my old Hsu Research TN 1225 subwoofer boom like its never done before.
The only draw back is that it doesn’t have pass through technology. You have to listen to what you are watching or not watch TV because you have the amp on a music input. I wanted both, watch TV while listening to music. I did get around this by buying a quality J-Tech Digital HDMI splitter. I simply split the HDMI signal coming out from my Comcast cable box. One going straight to the HDMI input on the TV and the other going to the amp then to the second input on the TV. That way I can, for instance watch a sporting event and listen to music at the same time while all on the same system. I can also watch TV without turning the amp on. I also have an old 900mhz Recoton wireless speaker system with 25 watt speakers and 50 watt subs all through out the house and the new amp makes these speakers sound incredible. Undoubtedly, this is simply the best deal for an AV receiver out there. Thanks Yamaha for making a great product! Read Original Review

Evan,
Simply put, you will get a whole lot for relatively not much when you purchase the Yamaha RX-V367 AV Receiver. Setup was easy; I connected my LG television, MacBook Pro, and Klipsch 5.1 surround sound system with absolutely no hassle. Audio and video quality are top notch. Enjoy! Read Original Review

Steve Taylor Steve Taylor

Steve is a professional technology reviewer and writer. He has been reviewing console accessories since 2004 and has reviewed over 100 products.

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