Home Theater Nirvana
Filed under Gadgets, HDTV, Reviews
I bought a new super remote: the Nevo Q50.
What I like:
- Don’t have to aim remote (uses RF to talk to Nevo Connect, which is connected to my devices via IR Emitters)
- Can use remote in any room
- No number pad (those keys are wasted on me)
- Almost everything can be done via 31 hard buttons
- Four hard buttons that use the remote’s screen for labeling
- One-handed operation
- Voltage sensor for devices that do not have discreet on/off codes (like the PS3)
- Completely customizable color, 320x240 touch screen
- NevoStudio Pro 2.0 - really good/easy software for programming
- You can get the screens to look *exactly* like you want. For example, I just took an image from the manual for my PS3 controller and made that a screen. Then I placed hotspots on the buttons that mapped to the actual IR remote output for a PS3 (via IR2BT).
What I don’t like:
- Has to be charged approximately every three days
- Software only runs on 32 bit Vista (not 64 bit Windows 7, which is what I normally run)
- You get obsessed wanting to customize the screens to look perfect…and you are never finished
- Resistive screen doesn’t work well with fingers (fingernails work better)
I bought the Nevo Q50 Remote, Nevo Connect, and NevoStudio Pro 2.0 software for about $550 on eBay from a merchant called “jdm-cafe.” Normally, you buy this remote from a home theater installer that will do all the programming for you…but what fun is that? I think this remote is more than a $1000 if you buy it from an installer.
I bought a voltage sensor (for my PS3) and 6 IR emitters from Remote Shoppe for about $140.
To figure out when my PS3 is powered on, I connected the voltage sensor to the power lines on a USB cable I plugged into the PS3. I learned about this technique for detecting the power state of a PS3 here.
I’m really happy with how slick this setup works. *NOW*, everything just works. Press the “PS3” button and…
- TV turns on
- TV switches to HDMI for PS3
- Receiver turns on
- Receiver switches to PS3 digital audio
- PS3 powers on (if it isn’t already on)
- Remote switches to PS3 control, with volume keys controlling the receiver
And when I’m done, I press “Power Down System”…
- TV turns off
- Receiver turns off
- PS3 is sent a macro for turning off (if it is currently on)
Mmmmmmm…home theater nirvana! This makes me *really* happy. :)