12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Nice univeral remote, but pales to competition
Date of Review: Aug 3, 2007
The Bottom Line: If you have all Sony electronics, it might be decent, but it doesn't play well with others.
I purchased the Sony Remote Commander AX1400 about three months ago in an effort to streamline the ever growing collection of remotes for my small home theater system. I have mixed feelings about the remote, but I have to admit it has helped somewhat.
FUNCTIONALITY:
The remote has clearly labeled buttons that are easy to use, and an attractive blue backlight for darkened rooms. The OLED screen is very bright and crisp, and should not be a problem for anyone unless you have major vision problems, in which case a larger buttoned remote may be needed. Although these buttons are easy to see and use, the remote itself is not as intuitive as described by Sony. It does not consistently perform the same functions when you use the exact same macro button, and it's "sync-up" feature is lacking in comparison to it's competition, the Logitech Harmony's "help" feature. The remote seems to have a limited IR range, and must be directly aimed at some electronics for it to function with them at all.
PROGRAMMING:
This remote is neither simple nor enjoyable to program advanced functions into. I have been told that if all your electronics are Sony devices, it is easier, but with my system it has been difficult to program functional macros, impossible to make it perform certain basic functions on my Panasonic receiver, and the actual programming software can be difficult to use due to unclear instructions and inconsistent learning functions on the remote itself.
FLEXIBILITY:
For a so-called universal remote, the unit lacks basic DVD remote functions, like "skip" and "disc menu". I had to program the A,B,C,and D buttons to perform basic functions like skip, and open tray on my DVD player, and you have to memorize each button, since the OLED screen does not display any information about them. This makes it next to impossible for someone unfamiliar with the programming of the unit to sit down and even watch a movie without doing basic functions on the front of the DVD player. Another irritation is that the OLED screen is not customizable. Although there is an unused center button with most devices, you cannot program it and label it on the screen to perform a programmed function.
OVERALL:
This is not a terrible remote if you use all Sony devices and do not expect someone else to use the remote, but for someone wanting a fully functional multimedia universal remote, as Sony claims this is, the Logitech Harmony would be a far better choice for a similar price. I have since upgraded to the Harmony, but have not sold this one as I just decided to use it with a more basic system in one of the bedrooms. I would not recommend this unit to anyone needing advanced functionality, DVD controls, or someone with a non Sony theater system.
