» ESPN "The Ultimate Remote" Universal Remote

ESPN "The Ultimate Remote" Universal Remote Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Ultimate? Probably Not
Comment: I don't know if I'll agree wholeheartedly that this is the ultimate universal remote. It comes close, but there are too many issues with it that I believe I'll stay with my Logitech universal remote.
The setup is easy enough, but not really as easy as with Logitech. The ability to browse the web is nice, but the window size really limits much viewing and the agent technology used is, I believe, the same kind as on a PDA or a telephone which also limits capability.

One part of the setup which was indeed easier than with Logitech is that I didn't need to connect up to a PC for initial setup, but that may mean I will not be able to update the device at a later date. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm quite satisfied with my Logitech Harmony One.

A 3 star effort.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: ESPN - The Ultimate Remote - Great For Sports Junkies, Not So Much For Home Theatre Junkies
Comment:
The ESPN "The Ultimate Remote" Universal Remote is a great unit for sports junkies and puts a lot of information at your fingertips. But AV and universal remote junkies are not going to be satisfied with the manual setup process and will be better served getting the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote or another remote in the harmony lineup. For my needs this is a good unit that will hopefully continue to improve with firmware updates.

Pros:
+ The screen is attractive and functional for basic surfing and TV listings
+ Nice backlight for buttons and remote functions
+ Great content integration for sports fans and information junkies
+ Nice extras like texting and emailing from the remote
+ WiFi performance is good and customizable for secure wireless
+ Great software design allows for frequent updates
+ The nice mix of functions will allow me to use my laptop and cell phone less

Cons:
- Pricing is somewhat high
- The remote buttons are busy and require manually learning some functions
- Hard plastic buttons are less functional than rubber buttons
- The directional pad and second 4-way pad are redundant and should be combined
- Setup is painful and requires a long manual process for most devices
- Remote logic requires some work
- No RF and Blue Tooth capabilities
- Lacks a touch screen which some people prefer
- Battery life seems weak
- Poor product packaging
- The device database seems difficult to navigate and incomplete
- Alternatives like the Harmony lineup offer more maturity for AV remote junkies

Device Setup

Removing the remote from the package is a chore. Normally I wouldn't even mention that, but removing this packaging is literally dangerous and time consuming. Scissors alone will not be the best option.

The instructions imply that you need to fully charge the unit before setup, but my unit was ready to go before charging. Setup starts with wireless networking, which will auto discover broadcasting wireless access points but will allow you to enter your WEP/WPA password for secured networks. After entering your location data, you must register your remote to activate the web features.

Device setup is the weak point of the device. You have to set-up each component by manufacturer and search through codes for the specific models. This is a terrible process for most devices because getting the exact code will require tons of luck and way too much time. The auto-discover feature is basically useless because it will identify devices based upon the power function alone. You will think you've found the right one when the power button works, only to discover that other functions do not. Some other methods to find the codes exist, but this basic method is a huge con. The option to manually learn the additional functions is also less than ideal.

Setting up activities like "Watch TV" or "Watch a DVD" is also a weakness. Users must manually map out functions and program them. The questionnaire that the remote uses to walk you through this setup is bare-bones and not very helpful, leaving much of the manual configuration to the user. Follow all this up with trial-and-error testing, and you've got a very long process ahead of you. Again, contrasted against the simple PC application that the Harmony uses to intuitively set up its activities, the ESPN Ultimate really falls short in the ease and flexibility departments.

Looks

The LCD display looks good, but is not designed for full web browsing. It's just a very convenient way to get sports scores, weather, etc. True, I normally always have my laptop with me. But having this will allow me to use my laptop less. And being able to get channel listings without stopping a DVD is also an unpredicted convenience I am very happy about.

The buttons are back-lit, but I'm not crazy about the solid plastic feel of the unit. Standard soft remote buttons would have been better in my opinion.

Performance

As a remote, the ESPN Ultimate is good but doesn't include RF and Blue Tooth, which are necessary for certain next gen devices. I know that won't be a deal breaker for everybody, but basic IR requires line-of-sight to work and is a definite weakness.

Having to switch your device to perform basic functions is also annoying. When you're watching cable and go to change the volume, it automatically adjusts the cable volume instead of the TV volume. You have to switch to the TV or AV device and then change the volume. A simple example of something even my stock remote does better out of the box.

Another basic TV function that was annoying was that this remote didn't automatically understand the difference between the info button and guide button for scrolling through TV listings.

However, the excellent feature of TV listings on the remote's screen more than makes up for that. You can see the channel guide and directly select right off the remote.

The web surfing feature is very good. I already am familiar with the differences in mobile web sites versus the regular web, and this is the same web that my old cell phone uses. ESPN is probably one of the few mobile sites that's well designed, and there are also links for Yahoo news, WSJ.com and Amazon.com.

The unit seems to lose battery power much quicker than I would like. Plan on docking this thing in the charger nightly. Only two days without docking will result in a low battery indicator.

Conclusion

The web browsing capabilities are the saving grace of the unit and will probably be in competing devices before long. The remote control functions are not the best in class, but they are adequate once you invest the time in setting everything up. Areas for improvement include adding PC setup capability, improving activity logic, and improving the feel of the remote.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Once you get past the packaging obstacle, a surprisingly good and useful remote. On screen guide knocks it out of the park.
Comment: Here's a product that would have brought sports fans sobbing to their knees 10-15 years ago. Easy access to relevant game and player stats, an intuitive interface allowing one to find broadcasts quickly and easily. Reasonably quick and easy set-up. Attractive aesthetically, even if Michigan Wolverine fans might disagree (that red and silver may be casually confused for scarlet and gray, by those with the proper eye). This is not, of course, to suggest that the remote is not relevant today, just that an increasing number of homes have laptops or phones with mobile broadband, and much of the same information may be accessed, and often in deeper and more attractive form, through those devices.

So I came into this product thinking: (1) I have to program it the "old" way, giving it product codes and hoping for the best, not doing it through my computer. (2) Why do I care about its connectivity and access to stats and info when my laptop is always handy? (3) Setting those considerations and its unique features aside, can it stand up in terms of convenience and use against other modern universals?

Before I was able to really tackle any of these questions, I had to contact my local heavy equipment rental outlet in order to procure a chainsaw, high temperature torch, and the jaws of life. Once these arrived and I was able to extract the remote, the charging stand, and documents from their sealed plastic tomb, I was well on my way. No initial charge, no wasting a day getting ready to go, the remote was on before I intended, and I started playing right away. The programming process took longer than I would have liked, having (as many other reviewers here have) programmed the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote I did feel like I was taking a technological step backwards by going the old "match the hardware to the code" route, but it went smoothly and I was controlling my components without any problems before long. Over the next few weeks, I used this exclusively, putting the Harmony One out of casual and easy reach, and it really grew on me. It's comfortable, attractive, intuitive, and (little surprise) easy access to data through the remote is quicker and easier than dragging the old laptop out, turning it on, and loading up a site like ESPiN. The remote does indeed stand up to its peers, like them, it could certainly use a little more polish, but that can come (as it can for most devices these days) through software upgrades.

I will be going back to the Harmony One, but this will certainly be put into use in another room. It's now my second string remote. It seems to me that the ESPN Universal Remote may be a better gift than a buy, one of those things where a sports fan will love to have it, but might be less enthusiastic about laying down the rather high (but comparable with its peers) price -- but when is that not true? This remote really grew on me, and it's on a shortlist of gift ideas for certain family members.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Can't Compete with the Competition
Comment: You can't blame the ESPN "The Ultimate Remote" Universal Remote for not being the Harmony One from Logitech. But the comparisons are inevitable. When a remote claims to be "the ultimate" it begs comparison to the top of the class. And, unfortunately for "The Ultimate," it falls short.

My first impression of the remote, as I removed it from the package, is that it doesn't look as nice in real life as it does in the pictures. It seems both thicker, wider and more square. Still, it's not a bad-looking remote and, if you care about such things, you can be sure that people will notice it. Before you can use it, you'll need to plug it in to a USB port to charge the battery. Why they chose to make it charge via USB rather than a standard plug is beyond me. I suppose many TVs do have a USB port now, but it seems a rather strange decision. I also noticed that there was no manual included (beyond a small quick setup guide). This is not an easy device to setup! Once you register at the web site you'll find some online documentation, but it is spread over many different HTML files and is not nearly as helpful as a printed manual would be. So figuring out the remote is likely to be a bit of a chore.

As with all remotes of this kind, you will need to spend a good bit of time doing setup. You'll want to configure the remote to access your wireless internet connection and then setup each of your devices. And this is where the Ultimate Remote falls furthest behind the Harmony One. The process of adding devices is long, tiresome, time-consuming and confusing. You will have to add each device manually and then have the remote search for the proper code set for your equipement (hoping that it has the proper code set in its database). You may need to go so far as to check each key one-by-one to ensure it works properly with your device. Logitech's PC-based solution is far more elegant and is really superior in every way in its power, its ease-of-use, and its available database of devices.

Once you have all your devices properly setup, you'll find that the remote works quite well. It responds quickly (and maybe even a tad better than the Logitech in some cases). However, you'll also note that the remote is not very well built. Many of the keys are "shaky" (the number keys, most notably) while others are "spongy" requiring too much effort to press. The remote is not very comfortable in the hand--it is heavy and wide. It certainly lacks the comfortable, tapered feel of the Harmony One.

Really the only benefits this product offers over the Harmony One are the gimmicky ones. Do you really need to see TV listings on the little LCD screen? Why not just look at the listings in a bigger and more convenient format on your TV screen? Sure this remote offers the ability to send text-messages, but are you really going to do this? Do you really need to check the sports scores from your remote and do you really want to surf the web on this little screen? These are all interesting functions, but I doubt too many people will use them on a regular basis.

This remote is a step in the wrong direction. It is ground-breaking for 2006, perhaps, but when going head-to-head with the Harmony One, it loses out on just about every comparison. I can't think of any good reason to recommend this over Logitech's far superior remote. It's not that this remote is so terrible--it's just that there are better products available for less money. So why would you bother with this one?

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Customer Rating:
Summary: So far not bad
Comment: Yes I agree that this is a monster to program, something I left my boyfriend with when it arrived but it was mostly for him so I figured it would be okay to let him bond with it properly! He'd the sports maven, I mostly resort to basketball so it's a fun gadget, I don't even know how he finds time to always check scores, must be a man thing : ) but he no longer has to get up from the tv to see that his favorite teams are battling some sort of a frustratingly tight score to beat...

Remote is relatively easy to use and even though I still use the Harmony one ( which broke after few months - just random act of anger from the Electronic Gods) whenever it feels like cooperating but I like the way this looks and feels. They keys don't make noise and the remote looks cool. I will update the review if it starts to disappoint but so far so good and the remote works well - the signal always reaches the tv and I no longer have to waive my hands around for the channel or volume to change!

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