June 20, 2008

ESPN's Ultimate Remote Gets Reviewed-Ultimately Not So Ultimate

0,1425,sz=1&i=186965,00(2).jpg Despite the claim by ESPN that its Ultimate Remote is just that, the reviewers over at PC Mag think otherwise. First of all though, what makes the Ultimate Remote so different from the rest? It features 802.11g WiFi compatibility so you can surf the web and check your email from your home theater. Great, definitely a handy feature and it's pretty cool looking too and that really makes a difference. However, take a closer look and you'll see clustered buttons that aren't "finger-friendly", and once you actually press the buttons when it comes time to configure the remote to your home theater setup, you'll find the usual list of codes that make remote setup's a pain in the ass.

Once it is all setup it does have some useful features such as a learning mode that remembers button sequences for certain tasks you may perform and you can also program the remote to perform multiple button tasks with one button push. The problem is, devices such as the Logitech Harmony One are much easier to setup, better designed and, perhaps most importantly, cheaper. In fact, PC Mag says the Harmony One still reigns as the ultimate remote. Time for a name change ESPN.

Buy the ESPN Ultimate Remote or Logitech Harmony One From Amazon

Via PC Mag