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Right then, you’ve dimmed the lights, popped the corn and poured out your favourite beverage — and you’re all set to start watching that blockbuster on your fancy home theatre system. You’re in the thick of the action, and then your phone rings. Welcome to remote control hell.
Even with a modest home theatre set-up like mine, I’m left with juggling between one of four remotes — TV, DVD, satellite TV and audio system. And at times like these, the nearest remote is almost always the one I didn’t need.
Logitech’s had reasonable success with their Harmony line of universal all-in-one remote controls in the past, and with the launch of the new Harmony One, they’re staking claim to it being the One — the ultimate universal remote.
Designwise, the One scores high, both in the looks department and in sheer ergonomics. Buttons are differentiated well in terms of size and shape, so you can navigate blind (by feel) without looking down at the remote — at least while doing simple stuff like changing channels, volume, and pausing the action.
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Switch on the lights, and you’re bound to notice the buttons are divided into five zones of operation, based on function. Not only is the 2.1-in LCD brighter and sharper than previous models, it’s also touch-enabled.
Couple this with the touch-sensitive buttons on each side, and you have an extremely responsive solution to quickly toggle between options, various devices and what Logitech calls activities — a set of operations performed together, like switching on the TV, DVD and audio system together to start a movie.
And it’s got the small touches as well — a motion sensor that switches the LCD on, and a recharging dock with dual benefits — it recharges the battery when the remote is in the cradle, and plus, you’ll know where to find the remote! Programming the remote is now a Harmony standard — connect to a PC and download the codes for all your devices, though you may have to fine-tune your selection for any Chinese-origin electronics you own.
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The only trouble with this device is that the only way you could justify this expense is if your home theatre set-up costs upwards of a couple of lakhs — any less and it’d be a deal-breaker.
Now, if you’re one of the home theater PC geeks who’s rigged up a big TV with your high-end multimedia computer, the One may be too much remote for your needs. I’d seriously recommend dumping the wireless mouse and keyboard combo and giving the Logitech diNovo Mini a dekko.
What Logitech has managed to achieve in the Mini’s diminutive 5.98in x 3.5in x 1.08in clamshell form-factor is quite possibly the panacea for home theatre PC (HTPC) control. No longer will you need a full-size keyboard, or a flat surface to navigate your mouse — the Mini includes a 63-key backlit keyboard and a control pad designed to work much like the track pad on your laptop.
Flick a switch though, and it changes from analog, touch-pad-style control, to directional up-down-left-right controls. It makes sense — you could operate your HTPC in touchpad mode (like a mouse) for navigating a Web page or selecting something on your Windows desktop, but the directional controls are better for working your way through a set of up-down menus, such as those in Windows Media Centre. The backlighting also changes from orange or green, depending on the mode of the control pad.
The big question — it may well operate your PC from the comfort of your couch (it connects easily over Bluetooth, and includes a receiver), but how good is it to type stuff on?
If you’re a Blackberry addict, you’re ready — thumb typing is the way to go on the Mini, and it’s perfect for casual stuff like checking e-mail, instant messaging and the occasional web search. It’s seriously HTPC-oriented, so get yourself a real keyboard if you’re looking to type out that project report — rather obvious, right?
Honestly, if you’re looking at a remote control for your HTPC, nothing even comes close to the Mini. It’s unbeatable for its niche — it looks good, is living room- friendly and is intuitive to work with. Plus it plays well with the Sony Playstation 3 as well. It lacks infra-red support to control other components like your TV, quite possibly the only con in an otherwise near-perfect device.
Quick Specs:
Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote Control
Price: Rs 18,495
Rating: 8/10
One-touch access to your entertainment, replaces upto 15 remotes
Full-colour touchscreen and sculpted, backlit buttons
Guided online set-up, with support for upto 225,000 devices
Package contents: Harmony One remote control, charging station, USB cable, AC adapter, Lithium-ion battery, installation CD, installation guide, 2-year limited hardware warranty
Logitech diNoVo Mini
Price: Rs 9,495
Rating: 9/10
Palm-sized mini-keyboard with backlighting, with integrated, dual-purpose ClickPad (63 backlit keys, with dedicated Windows Media Centre button)
Rechargeable Li-ion batteries, Bluetooth 2.0 (10m range), ambient light sensor
Package contents: Logitech diNovo Mini, USB mini- receiver, power adapter, CD with software, comfort guidelines and help centre, user’s guide, cleaning cloth, three-year limited hardware warranty
URL:http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/home/&cl=in,en
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PC punch
Think all-in-one PCs and I’m sure the iMac springs to mind. No
surprise then that comparisons are rife when Sony launched the VAIO JS1, their version of the all-in-one(der)!
Powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 processor with 3GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, 1.3-megapixel webcam and WiFi b/g/, the JS1’s crowning glory is a 20.1-in 1680 x 1050 X-black display. Audio capabilities also aim to impress, with Dolby virtual surround sound and Sony’s own Sound Reality chip that can play, record and edit CD audio. Blu-ray is an option as well.
Price: $1,449 (Blu-ray option)
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Musical touch
Given the proliferation of touchscreen phones in the past year, isn’t it rather surprising that Nokia’s 5800 XpressMusic, a.k.a the Tube is its first touchscreen Symbian Series 60 phone? It’s rather well-equipped, with a 640 x 360 touchscreen with haptic (vibration) response, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, 3G, 3.2MP camera with Zeiss lens, and an 8GB microSD card for music in the box.
What makes it even more tempting is Comes with Music, Nokia’s unlimited, free (at first) music service that allows you to download unlimited amounts of music for a full year, and legally own them thereafter! Watch this space!
Price: To be announced
