Acoustic Research ARRX18G XSight 18-Device Universal Learning Remote Control with Touchscreen Color Display Review

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(More customer reviews)I had researched high-end universal remotes for a week or two prior to settling on this one. Amazon was selling it for $149 which was $100 off of the local retailer's price. I also purchased the IR extender for around $60 from Amazon. The packages arrived and I opened them and had the extender plugged in, the remote turned on and programmed to my TV, Blue Ray, and cable box within 5 minutes. It was that easy using the on-remote touch screen programming functions without even getting the instruction manual out of the box.
I did get the manual out later that evening to us my PC to finish programming all of the more advance functions. That process too was pretty simple. I spent around 45 minutes adding in 60 favorite channels, creating favorite channel profiles for myself, my wife, and son. I also created 3 different sequence activities like watch TV, Watch a movie, and turn off and on every component in the system.
I had recently purchased an inexpensive IR repeater with a IR sensor that sat below the TV and had a 10 cord running into my AV cabinet. It was very inconsistent and frustrating. This remote along with the RF/IR repeater worked perfectly and needs no sensor sitting anywhere visible. Everything is sitting behind closed cabinet doors and the remote works from just about anywhere in the entire house perfectly every time without delay.
This remote is the bee's knees.

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Xsight Touch Universal Remote

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Logitech Harmony IR Extender System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am using this IR extender with various remotes and am very happy with the performance. But my road to satisfaction had a bump I can help you avoid. I, like most folks, like to test things out to see if they work before I invest much time in installation. Installation is minimal in this case, just running some wires and making room to plug the device in on a pretty full UPS, but I wanted to test it out none the less. So I plugged everything in, moved the receiver around the corner, pointed the stylish blaster at the devices (an ATT Uverse box, TV and DVD player) and .... nothing happened. Added a mini blaster and ... I got very erratic transmission. Moved them closer, farther away ... still awful performance. I could see the lights responding on the blaster. I read the instructions again, which are very brief because the product is so simple, and still could not figure it out.
So, I called Logitech support, got escalated a level and then got an answer to my blunder. I am now appropriately humbled. I was pointing the shinny rounded edge toward the electronics. It is the side with the wires coming out that needs to be pointed in the general direction of the devices to be controlled. It makes total sense for when you install the blasters. They were designed to sit on a shelf slightly in front of any equipment with their wires extending toward the back of the shelf. But, when I was testing from in front of the equipment, I did not think to turn the blaster around so the side with all of the wires attached was pointing at the electronics.
Once over this bump in the road I created, the product worked well with all of my remotes. Of note, the IR receiver - the only part that sits out in the open - has a cord that is 8 feet in length and ends in what looks just like a 3.5mm audio jack. That should cover most applications. However, if additional length is needed, a headphone cord extender would fit - I just do not know of the signal would travel the additional length.


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The Logitech Harmony IR Extender System lets you control your home-entertainment devices hidden inside a closed cabinet with most infrared remotes.

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