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Specifications:
● LCD viewscreen design with joystick
control
● Controls up to 10 components
● Preprogrammed with over 1,000 A/V codes
● Learns up to 530 functions via your infrared remotes
● Extensive Macro Control and Punch Through Operations
● 26 Pages LCD screens with customized text
● Backlit LCD screen and GemStone™ buttons
● MSRP USA $189
Universal Remote
http://www.universalremote.com
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Introduction
As our group's designated control freak, it came to me, Home Theater
Master's MX-500 universal remote control that is. To be honest, as I work
with AMX and Crestron systems on a daily basis, a handheld remote that spits
out IR codes one at a time in a fixed sequence at its best isn't something
that really gets me excited. I've become spoiled by two-way RF
communication, logic capabilities limited more by the creativity of the
programmer than the programming language, and the ability to talk to A/V
equipment as fast as the equipment can listen, and in some cases reply.
When
I pick up an IR remote, it's usually just to copy and modify the codes
(strip the carrier for example) if need be. If I have the option, I'd prefer
to run everything without a command ever seeing open air, where infrared
noise from halogen lamps, florescent lights, or sunlight can make operation
less than guaranteed. For most, my control requirements are extreme.
The toys I play with during my day job are only suitable for commercial
applications or as luxury items for the severely rich. I think they're worth
the thousands to tens of thousands that the control portion requires, but
it's still pricey for those that haven't done extremely well for themselves
or as in my case, have the opportunity to take such work home with
them. The equipment isn't only expensive, but the installation and
programming required is usually extensive. For the "rest of us," a
relatively simple all in one product like the MX-500 is the best solution to
a coffee table of separate remotes.
The MX-500 can learn up to 530 different IR commands, expected battery life
is 6 months with average use, and it can accommodate up to ten different
components. While there's no guarantee that the MX-500 will work with
absolutely everything, it claims to be able to operate anything that takes InfraRed codes, and so long as the remote isn't using some strange
arrangement of difficult data or an off-standard carrier frequency, it
can probably operate everything in a typical home theater, including IR-controlled
lighting systems, such as Lutron's Graphic Eye.
It also has a built-in library of preprogrammed devices. That is, you tell
it what you've got, and it'll assign a set of IR codes to corresponding
functions. This is handy if you don't have the original remotes, or just
don't want to take the time to capture codes from your own remotes. You can
either enter a number referenced in the manual for the brand and type of
equipment you want to control, or scroll through all of the devices stored
in the remote until you find one that works, apparent because it'll turn off
the device in question.
The second option is really handy if you lose the
manual, but then you still need to remember how to get into that programming
mode, which isn't extensive, but difficult if you've completely forgotten
that pressing down the "Main" button and the "Enter" button for a long time
gets you into the setup menu. From there, it's intuitive enough to
eventually figure out, but I recommend not losing manuals of equipment in
general. There is a catch to this that I just recently discovered while
indisposed.
Using the preprogrammed IR codes requires a simple process. One of these
steps is to select a table from which the IR codes can be selected from, for
example, a CD player table, or a Tape Deck table. If the first thing you do
is enter the pre-programmed codes, this isn't a problem, as the display
shows you the table type choices. However, as the MX-500's display is
editable, including the components displayed on the Main Menu page, and the
Main Menu text is displayed on the table selection section, if you edit the
text on the Main Menu, you edit the text on the table selection page.
However,
the respective tables don't change for those buttons, and so if you happen
to change the types of devices associated with those buttons from the Main
Menu and the text to suit their description, you best look at the manual and
the original text labels to find out which buttons access which tables.
All in all, the preprogrammed IR codes can be convenient. The negative of
using the preprogrammed IR codes is that while it very well might work fine,
these days, it's common for many devices to have non-standard commands, or
at least functions that have very different names, particularly with DSS
receivers and devices such as TiVos, Replay TVs, etc. Learning the commands
yourself lets you put things were you want them, and you know it from the
get go.
Something worth considering is initially setting up the remote with
the preprogrammed route, testing each code to verify that it does what you
think it should, and modifying the setup by learning individual buttons as you
like. You save time, and get what you want. If you want to use the
preprogrammed method, also keep in mind that the ID associated with your
make and device may not be what it's supposed to be.
For example, I tried the MX-500 with my parents' AV system, and the IR code
ID designated for my parents Quasar TV wasn't under Quasar, but Panasonic. I
happened to know by the TV's setup menu that the TV was a Panasonic OEM, but
this could be potentially frustrating, although the scrolling ID search,
designated as "Auto Scan," provided by the MX-500 would let you try every
model with relatively little effort, even if the time might be excessive. In
that case, though, it might be less frustrating to learn the codes manually.
In my parents' scenario, the preprogrammed "Input" function did nothing, but
the "T/V" function performed the input toggle. Many IR codes taken from a
generic source may not work. On the other hand, you might just luck into a
particularly useful code, such as a discrete input command that the
original remote didn't have.
In terms of how to operate your system with the MX-500, once you've got the
IR codes into each respective component section, you're ready to roll if all
you need is less table clutter. From the Main Menu, select the component you
wish to control via the buttons next to the LCD display, and remote
functions are now as if you were holding that component's remote control,
with buttons next to the LCD display performing their described task. For
each component, there is a second page, accessible by pressing the "Page"
button, to store ten more commands within the LCD side buttons. That means
that in addition to the "hard" buttons such as the cursor, numeric keypad,
etc., each component can store 20 IR commands with names you can customize
with LCD text. Not bad for the asking price. It's not as flexible as a
full-blown touch screen, although I must admit that most of what you'll ever
need you can put on the hard buttons, and the more standard buttons for
channel up and down, volume control, menu navigation, etc., are far easier to
use than the most elaborate touch screen if you don't want to have to take
your eyes off the television. Sometimes a lame sitcom really is that
important. While fancier touch panels are nifty, in that they allow you to
have any interface you can dream of in terms of functions and layout, there
is a very real value in tactile feedback.
Pressing the "Favorite" button allows the user to access programmable
channel presets. For instance, the Fav button pressed from the DSS component
menu will bring up pages for your favorite channels, and pressing the LCD
side buttons will execute a key sequence to bring up the desired channel,
for instance "2", "0", "2", "Enter."
This is quite handy if you've got a bunch of
channels. There is a 10 command limit to these sequences, which should be
fine for most applications. To exit the "Favorites" section, press the
"Main" button. To then return to the main menu, press again. The favorite
stations themselves are global. For instance, if you've got CNN, you've got
that label on every favorites page, be it accessed through the DSS or the
tuner on your VCR. The key sequences, however, are device specific, so that
your VCR can go to cable channel whatever, and your DSS can dial into a
different numeric sequence.
One thing that I thought some people might be interested in is the
robustness of the IR output. I bounced the IR codes off my booklet, into the
wall behind me, and then back at the TV 20 feet away, and it worked without
failure. Keep in mind that the range will vary with the receiving device,
but the manual specs a range of roughly 40-60 feet. I didn't have 40-60
feet, but I did my best.
MACROS!
No, not Robotech. Ideally, an A/V system can be turned on and set up for use
with the press of a single button, and completely shut down with the same
amount of effort. This is the primary goal of most macro use. A macro in
this context is simply a sequence of events triggered by one, particularly a
button press or hold when it comes to the MX-500. The "Favorites" functions
are macros with up to 10 commands. The Macros referred to in the MX-500
documentation as such are just bigger and more extensive than the favorite
channel key sequences.
With the MX-500, macros can incorporate up to 20 steps. Steps include every
button press, be it a command, or a button press to navigate back to a
control section. Delay, incremented in 0.2 seconds per step, can also be
applied. This can be useful if the equipment needs a little time between
commands to make sense of it, but should the macro require substantial
delay, such as 4 seconds after the TV is turned on to select the appropriate
input, the steps required will exceed the 20 step limit quickly, so that
macros will have to be broken into sections. If discrete (non-toggling)
power and input codes aren't available for the controlled equipment, and
there's no work around, some manual operation will always be required. With
my Crestron or AMX systems (costing much, much more), should we lack
the discrete codes, we can tell the processor to check to see if a VCR is
sending a video sync, or if a TV is drawing more than X amount of current, to
make a decision as to whether sending a power code is appropriate for the
task at hand. In this case, and all products of this kind, you may still
have to use your noodle, just a little bit.
The "M1," M2," "M3," "Power," and "System OFF" buttons will access a macro
immediately, though I recommend NOT using the "Power" button to access a
macro unless you then have no need to use that button to operate the on/off
status directly of each component, as any macro stored on the “Power” button
will override the individual command. These macros can be applied however
you like. The MX-500 can also perform ten other macros, accessed by holding
down one of the component selection LCD buttons for a couple of seconds.
All of the LCD text display pages - be it the Main page, the component
control pages, or the Favorites pages - can be edited, much like using the
numeric keypad on a cell phone. I found it a bit tedious, but if you only
did this kind of thing occasionally, or were a poor typist anyway, I can see
putting up with it.
A feature I thought pretty cool for a remote in this category was what they
called "Punch Through" functions. That is, you can selectively make certain
buttons- the volume control, Ch+/Ch-, and transport functions, operate to
control a particular component, such as an A/V receiver, even if it's on the
page of a different device, such as a DVD player, but leave it as is when it
comes to the TV. This is invaluable if you don't want to have to navigate
back and forth through the remote options just to navigate a source and make
a few audio adjustments.
There's also a feature on the MX-500 to clone it's programming to another
remote. Most users won't get any real value out of this, unless they've got
multiple identical systems or just want redundant remotes. The custom
installer, however, can make great use of this if they deal with more or
less very similar systems, programming the "master" remote for themselves to
accommodate the largest, most extensive scenario they commonly implement.
They can then clone a copy for the customer, make minor modifications to
meet the specific needs of the client, and hand it off with a minimum of
fuss. I didn't have two remotes, but the manual claims 7 steps and about 40
seconds are all it takes.
A button on the side of the remote provides a backlight of the hard buttons,
as well as an inverted glow of the LCD characters, allowing a user to make
adjustments after the feature presentation has already begun. The time out
for the light is adjustable, as is the contrast of the LCD display. I very
much did like the way the remote used the backlight. Easy to see, but not a
spotlight to distract the rest of the audience.
And we're done!
Well, I know that a remote isn't exactly the most exciting toy to an A/V
enthusiast. We generally obsess about silly things like equipment, and in
the extreme circles, tweaks and accessories to leach out every aspect of
audio or video performance. However, something like the MX-500 can be of
great benefit when it comes to enjoying your system. Many of these setups
can get fairly complicated, and control is essential for those who actually
want to use these wonderful toys housed in various boxes. If it's not easy,
it can very easily lose any fun factor, particularly if others in the family
don't know how to use every remote, don't want to learn, and hold you
accountable.
In terms of practical answers to such ordeals, the MX-500 is a valid
contender. It's not going to challenge serious control systems anytime soon,
but could just as easily be used as part of one by learning particular IR
codes, at which point the ergonomic design of the MX-500 makes it a winning
interface. The Macro capabilities, by themselves, are a little limited when
it comes to implementing longer delays, but dividing macros into groups,
such as a Macro to power up the system, and a separate Macro to select a
source and get it going, can get around that problem should the need arise,
and some components will wake up and set their inputs with a single command,
such as some of the newer Sony A/V receivers. The "Favorite" pages are
pretty convenient (my dad likes it for multiple sports games, as he doesn't
have PIP), a feature I hadn't seen on units in this price range before,
though to be fair, I don't normally look at anything this inexpensive, so
there may be others that offer similar functionality.
As I mentioned before,
ergonomically, I think the MX-500 is a champ. It fits nicely in the hand, and the most
common buttons are located within easy access of the thumb. The LCD buttons
allow labeling unique functions, and the backlight feature makes their use
feasible in the dark.
While I don't think that the MX-500 will put me out of a job as an
integrator, it's a practical and potentially very convenient alternative to
an array of plastic clickers. It might even improve the SAF of an A/V system
to the extent that when it comes to choosing components, you can get what
YOU want. I'm an optimist }>)
I shouldn't imply that the capabilities need end with the A/V system. You
can use it for lighting or with some IR accessories, such as a Xantech IR
repeating system and a Xantech CC-12 IR controllable relay, your sprinklers
as an example. Next time the neighbor's dog gets into your back yard, you
can zap him from the couch without missing a subtitle.
I give it a well-deserved "Way to go!"
- Colin
Miller -
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