|
Sony RM-AX1400 Eight-Device Home Theater Remote Control | 
 enlarge | Brand: Sony
Category: CE
List Price: $99.95
Buy New: $11.99
You Save: $87.96 (88%)
New (11) from $11.99
Rating:  39 reviews
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0.1 x 0.1
MPN: RM-AX1400
Model: RM-AX1400
UPC: 027242690752
EAN: 0027242690752
ASIN: B000F8DBF8
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | Universal home theater remote control operates up to 8 components at once | | • | Controls TV, DVD player, VCR, CD player, satellite dish, A/V receiver, and more | | • | Bundled PC software (no Internet connection required) makes setup easy | | • | 1-touch XPress function lets you execute series of commands with single key | | • | Max operating distance of 32.8 feet; runs on 2 AA batteries; 90-day warranty |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Supplied Accessories: RM-AX1400 Remote Control, Component Code No. List, USB cable, instruction manual & warranty card The RM-AX1400 Remote Control turns your living room sofa into the driver's seat for your home theater. It's the perfect remote control for today's home AV system, consolidating multiple remote controls into one. The XPRESS Function executes a series of commands, enabling you to operate several AV components just by pressing a single key. The RM-AX1400 also controls up to 8 components. Operating Distance - Approx. 32.8 ft. (10 meters) Requires 2 AA batteries (approx. battery life - 5 months) Included Software - Installation CD
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 34 more reviews...
 If you are a gadget geek, this is the last remote you'll ever need. January 16, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
This is not the remote for everyone; this remote is made for a certain type of person. In response to the challenge of programming this remote, some people would likely lose patience, give up and blame the remote, calling it a "piece of junk." Others will see that it is a quite capable remote, but perhaps a bit beyond their expertise. Then there are those that will embrace it for its extreme flexibility, and actually enjoy meeting the challenge of programming it in a way to squeeze the most usefulness out of every feature. In short, this is THE remote for me.
Only you know what kind of person you are. But if you are like me, then learning a new gadget is like solving a puzzle or figuring out the answer to a riddle. Not only do you have the patience for this remote, you will actually savor the challenge of figuring out how to make the four Xpress buttons (TV, Movie, Music and Radio) work as advertised, and when successful, revel at your accomplishment.
The MSRP on this remote is listed as $149, but as you can see, it is being sold for much, much less. I would assume this is due to the reputation this remote has garnered among non-technophiles. But do not let the low selling price mislead you into thinking this is not a high quality, capable remote. In my book, this remote is worth the $149 MSRP and more. It is likely the last remote I will ever need. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a Logitech Harmony remote or other some such universal remote with a large color screen on it, but it is every bit as capable. And instead of shouting, "hey look at this gadget!" the Sony RM-AX1400 exudes a subdued elegance that, in my opinion, is more fitting of high-end componentry than the more expensive toys. The Sony remote simply says, "class."
I have it programmed to operate all of my living room and bedroom components, and I have even programmed it to operate my Media Center PC. All of this was done using the included software, without having to edit the XML files as others have suggested. Editing the XML provides additional flexibility as far as naming the functions that appear on the OLED display, but is not necessary to get the most use out of this remote.
The nitty gritty details:
As is standard for learning remotes, the AX1400 includes the ability to remap any key to any command that you see fit, using your other remotes to send the signal to the Sony for it to "learn" them. It also includes presets for many devices, but in my case the only device that was successfully programmed with a preset was a Sony (go figure) TV. Programming a device using the learning feature as opposed to using a preset does take quite a bit more time as you must program each and every individual key one by one by learning the codes from the original remote control, but still, this is better than having a remote that knows only presets, where, if it doesn't have the right code for a component, then it simply can't be used for that component. The learning process is indeed time consuming, but it only needs to be done once. However, all of this is true for any learning remote.
The highlights of the AX1400 remote are the OLED display and the four Xpress buttons.
The display lets you know which device (up to 8) is currently selected, and when a button is pressed, it will tell you the label of the signal being sent. For instance, if you press the volume up button, the display will read "VOL+". Where this becomes even more useful is when customizing the remote. For example, there are four buttons at the bottom of the remote marked A through D which can be used for assigning functions from another remote that don't match up well with other keys already on the remote. In my case, I use the A through D keys to control the surround sound settings on my receiver. When programming those keys using the learning feature of the remote, the software asks you for a label for each one. I labelled A "Surround Mode", B "Effect" and so on. So when I press A, the OLED display will show "Surround Mode" letting me know the function of the key I just pressed.
The Xpress buttons are macro buttons that can be used to accomplish a specific task. Each button can be programmed to turn on the necessary components for each function (TV, Movie, Music or Radio) and select the necessary inputs on each component. For example, when I press the Movie Xpress button, the remote will turn on the TV, change the TV input to DVD, turn on the audio recevier, change the input on the receiver to Video, and turn on the DVD player and press "play." That is impressive in itself, but what is even more impressive is what happens if I then press another of the Xpress buttons. For instance, let's say I am done watching the DVD and decide I want to watch TV. If I press the TV Xpress button, the remote will press "stop" on the DVD player, turn off the DVD player, turn off my receiver, and change the input on the TV back to Cable. What's special about this? The remote remembers that the TV is already on. It knows what components are used for each function, and as long as you control the components with only the AX1400 remote, it knows what is on and what is off, and what needs to be on or off for each Xpress button. And if you don't use the Xpress buttons and decide to turn on or off a component using the individual remote commands, it still knows what's what. The only drawback to this is that if you turn something on or off with another remote or if you do it manually, or if a component fails to receive the power signal from the AX1400 when sent, then the remote is out of sync with the situation. However, if this does happen, there is a button labeled "Sync-Up" on the remote that is designed specifically to resolve this type of situation.
In summary, if you are a technophile that actually enjoys meeting the challenge of learning how to operate gadgets, you should be thankful that most people cannot figure out how to get this one to work and use the ridiculously low price as an excuse to buy several of them!
Amazing Remote, Great Value! October 19, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Read all the reviews, but for $21, said WTH and was prepared for the worst. Loaded the software on the laptop in front of the TV, gathered up all the remotes. Except for 1 remote, Onkyo HTS, RM-AX1400 had the codes. However, on the Sony DVD player, only the basic functions worked and I ended up assigning around 10 keys. It took about an hour to set up all the functions but afterwards, I was a happy camper. Xpress functions are awesome, I love the ability to customize macros endlessly.
I suppose for those without the original remote, things would not go as easily. My wife doesn't appreciate it, of course, but it's a guy thing. Overall, extremely satisfied with the product. As some have mentioned, it is a lot bigger than most remotes, but not unruly,and it feels like an expensive product.
I love this remote November 27, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I got it for $10 and with all the bad reviews I figured it was worth a shot. Well I found that it didn't have the codes for all of my devices, but with a little bit of effort I was able to program the individual buttons to the device. It's now my primary remote. That said, I definitely wouldn't pay a whole lot for this remote. It does take a bit of effort to set up and if you don't have a computer near the TV then programming this can be inconvenient.
Excellent Device January 30, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
For the money, this is probably the best remote control out there. Easy to setup with your computer, program up to 8 devices. It controls virtually everything, even my Playstation. However, there are some flaws: not all buttons are illuminated, hard to read the letters, some buttons are too small. Overall, this is a great product.
If you love control this is what you need ! February 21, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
But with great power comes great responsibility. This will give you absolute control over all your Audio Video components, Home Theater PC and other lighting controls if you can handle programming logic and computer interface. I love this and it work flawlessly and reliably. If it does not it is because you have done a mistake in programming. It does exactly what you tell it to do. If you are familiar with Learning remotes and macro programming you don't even need to look at the manual or help text. Computer interface is so neat I had so much fun programming this. It is so easy if you use your laptop to program in front of the home theater setup. Program let you test every step for accuracy right from the computer. I love its ability to switch from one activity to another without switching off everything first. Do not forget to insert delay after power on command as some equipments take few seconds to power up.
Sony makes excellent remotes. I upgraded from SONY RM-VL600 remote which is another excellent remote I used for few years. That is less expensive and much more simple to program and if you do not need this much control and not computer savvy RM-VL600 is the best choice for you.
|
|
|
| |
