Universal Remote Controls

[rccarguy]

I am fully aware of the concept of a universal remote control, but they are never as good as using the correct remote controls for each item, and are a compromise at best.

Absolute nonsense. Quite the opposite.

I could put all the supplied remotes on the table, good luck figuring out which to use. 20+ remotes

 

[rccarguy]

This thread was started by people who want to do something with the WiiM that they can already do with literally thousands of other home devices. We can already change the volume on the WiiM by phone, tablet, hdmi arc, a Fire Stick remote, manually OR by using the supplied WiiM remote. Having the ability to do it with universal remote controls would surely only be of benefit to WiiM's reputation for usability.

Yup I use this, fantastic remotes.

The stock Wiim remote is lousy, I chucked it in the parts box.

The IR squeezebox remotes are MUCH better

Pardon our interruption...

 

[QuarryHunslet]

Absolute nonsense. Quite the opposite.

I could put all the supplied remotes on the table, good luck figuring out which to use. 20+ remotes

You are entitled to your opinion.

I have never had any difficulty with remote controls, and when I have had more than one of the same type in use in one room, I have simply added a small label to each one, so I knew which device it worked.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

The stock Wiim remote is lousy, I chucked it in the parts box.

The WiiM remote control is excellent.

 

[rccarguy]

You are entitled to your opinion.

I have never had any difficulty with remote controls, and when I have had more than one of the same type in use in one room, I have simply added a small label to each one, so I knew which device it worked.

That's because you never had a good universal.

The WiiM remote control is excellent.

Nah it's rubbish. Squeezebox one is much better. See the link above

 

[rccarguy]

You are entitled to your opinion.

I have never had any difficulty with remote controls, and when I have had more than one of the same type in use in one room, I have simply added a small label to each one, so I knew which device it worked.

How many remotes do you have to pickup, put down, button presses for the following

Switch on bias light
Switch on the TV, switch it to input 2
Switch on the AVR, switch it to HDMI input 1
Switch on BD player
Navigate BD menu
Adjust volume on the AVR

One remote does all that the steps involved is one button press, and I can do the bottom two things without switch menus.

Can you do all that in the dark without looking for each specific remote, and each specific button

 

[QuarryHunslet]

That's because you never had a good universal.

I had a Logitech universal remote control, and hated everything about it. I only got it to work a Topfield PVR using a different set of codes to my other Topfield PVR in the same room.

I did set a few other devices to use it, but the experience was so bad that I ended up using it only with the Topfield.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

How many remotes do you have to pickup, put down, button presses for the following

Switch on bias light
Switch on the TV, switch it to input 2
Switch on the AVR, switch it to HDMI input 1
Switch on BD player
Navigate BD menu
Adjust volume on the AVR

One remote does all that the steps involved is one button press, and I can do the bottom two things without switch menus.

Can you do all that in the dark without looking for each specific remote, and each specific button

I have no requirement to do most of those things, and if I did, I certainly wouldn't be doing them in the dark.

 

[rccarguy]

I have no requirement to do most of those things, and if I did, I certainly wouldn't be doing them in the dark.

You don't watch movies?

 

[rccarguy]

I had a Logitech universal remote control, and hated everything about it. I only got it to work a Topfield PVR using a different set of codes to my other Topfield PVR in the same room.

I did set a few other devices to use it, but the experience was so bad that I ended up using it only with the Topfield.

Yeah those were pretty crap. I had one for a while - got rid of it.

My universals control three rooms, each room specific source/amp/display, so they're setup with ease of each system. Phones do replace streamer remotes for most things but Wiim devices should have IR receiver window and provide IR codes to upload. Or the remotes are dual IR/BT.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

You don't watch movies?

I very rarely watch films, and if I did, it would be in a room with the light on.

I used to have a Denon 5.1 surround system, with an additional 2.1 speaker system connected for additional rear surround.
This didn't get used very much, and lay idle for many years, and has recently been given away to a friend, although I have kept, and am currently using the subwoofer with my Ultra.

 

[rccarguy]

Deleting my posts hmmm

 

[QuarryHunslet]

Deleting my posts hmmm

No, moving the discussion out from the feature request thread.

 

[Danny Linguini]

I very rarely watch films, and if I did, it would be in a room with the light on.

I used to have a Denon 5.1 surround system, with an additional 2.1 speaker system connected for additional rear surround.
This didn't get used very much, and lay idle for many years, and has recently been given away to a friend, although I have kept, and am currently using the subwoofer with my Ultra.

Are you my twin brother from another mother??

I had (have) almost the same situation. Had a decent 5.1 system - my wife used it more when her kids had friends over than I ever did. After the kids grew up and moved out, it sat idle for years. I ended up replacing it with a Bose soundbar and sub a few years ago, which greatly improved sound for everyday watching and still provides suitable punch for the occasional loud movie (without having to switch anything!), but kinda sucked at music. That’s why WiiM Amp Pro (now Amp Ultra) and paradigm floorstanders just for music. And I am a happy camper.

Anyway - to the point of this thread … some years back I also tried a Logitech ‘universal’ remote (the one with a little display screen) that was supposed to be the best of the day, and hated everything about it. Setting it up to do the basic TV input switching that the (then) cable remote did easily was an exercise in futility. I simply could not get it to do all the functions I needed to regularly perform. That whole experience was almost singularly responsible for turning me off to the whole home theater scene, especially DVD’s. Well, that, a very badly behaved HDMI interface on my 5.1 receiver, and new living room furniture that made good placement of the surround speakers nearly impossible. Everything has since gotten cut down and simplified so all of my watching is controlled with the Apple TV remote (if it ain’t on one of my subscribed streaming services, I don’t watch it), and my iPhone for music. Hell, my DVD player doesn’t even play BD’s. All it does now is keep the dust off a little square of my TV stand. That’s what getting old does for you.