RC User Reviews: Sony RM-AV3000 Remote Control (7)

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User reviews for the Sony RM-AV3000 from Sony Electronics.

Ratings	Reviews	MSRP (USD)
Average: 3.72/5.00 Median: 4.00/5.00	102	$199

As Sony's top-of-the-line remote control, the powerful RM-AV3000 features control of 18 devices, 45 macros, full learning capabilities, timers, a large LCD touchscreen and a good complement of hard buttons.

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the Sony RM-AV3000 remote.

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Written by JoeT from MD.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 3-6 months.

Review 60 made on Thursday July 24, 2003 at 2:42 PM.

Strengths:

Great macro support
Looks great
Bright screen
Great remote for the price

Weaknesses:

Documentation
Finger prints on the screen
Unable to change labels on the screen
No backlighting of hard buttons
No configuration/backup of remote on a PC

Review:

After much research on this site (both reviews and the user forums), I decided to take the plunge and buy the AV3000. I almost went for the Crisp Solution 626, but backed out at the last minute when I realized that the 626 only had 12 buttons available on each screen for a particular device. That would force me to constanly switch screens while changing channels with my DirecTV receiver.

Anyway, the Sony is a great remote for the price. I've been able to get all of my components (HDTV, DVD, stereo, VCR, satellite receiver) working flawlessly. My only complaints on programming are due to some of my components not being able to utilize discrete codes for power and inputs on my TV. Definitely not the remote's problem.

The remote looks great. My wife and kids can push 1 button to turn the entire system on or off, and change between watching TV, DVD, VCR, or listening to the radio or CD's by using the macros on the component buttons. It's pretty much idiot proof.

My only complaints are listed above. I would love to be able to use my PC to configure and back up my settings (like the Crisp). The ability to change the labels on the LCD screen would also be great. Your fingers get used to the hard buttons in the dark, but a great remote like this deserves backlit hard buttons (like my $10 Radio Shack remote).

As for the documentation, I agree with all other users, it's the pits. Use the directions posted in the Sony forum and you won't go wrong. Those folks know what they are doing, and are VERY willing to help.

All in all, I'm very happy with this choice. $125 well spent!

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Written by Bill Bateman from Calgary, AB, Canada.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 59 made on Friday July 18, 2003 at 11:56 PM.

Strengths:

Love the versatiliy in learning new infrared devices.

Weaknesses:

Why Sony created a product that doesn't support some of it's own AMP/Receivers is beyond me.

Review:

When I called the support line when I couldn't get my STR-DE675 receiver to work with it, after reading the "manual", the support person told me they we check with the techs. After 2 seconds, she came back and said that my SONY receiver doesn't work with the remote. I saw on the website that some don't but mine wasn't listed there. I reset every feature in the remote and it worked! But not until after I few hours trying to decide whether to take it back or not.

This is a true geeks remote - a cross between a palm and a remote. Very good device - very BAD support staff and documentation.

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Written by James from Phoenix, Az.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 58 made on Friday July 11, 2003 at 8:03 PM.

Strengths:

Looks, that's about it.

Weaknesses:

Cannot handle in one hand like traditional remote, frustrating set up, many to mention.

Review:

You are better off figuring how to program your components with this remote than by reading the manual. It is very frustrating, and I only had it for 1 week. I can go on and on, but I won't. It is bulky and looks like a piece of equipment on the Enterprise's console. I just got the Home Theater Master MX-500 and I am very pleased with it. I suggest you read reviews of the MX-500 before purchasing this Sony piece of doo-doo.

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Written by Don Klos from Toledo, Ohio.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 57 made on Friday July 4, 2003 at 11:27 AM.

Strengths:

Worked right out of the box on most of my Sony equipment. I was even able to teach it to run my 10 year old Panasonic steno system. My wife loves the macro that turns everything on with one button.

Weaknesses:

Documentation sucks. Appears to be written by a Japanese person in there second year of English. But if you are even half a geek, you can get by this obstacle.

Review:

Love it!! Works with the TV, DVD, VCR, Home Theater Amp, and an old Panasonic stereo system. All other remotes have vanished from the end table. The documentation defiantly needs an overhaul. It took me a couple of hours to delete the factory settings from one of the keys. I accidentally stumbled across the directions for this in the documentation after I had moved on to another area. Aside from that, the programming was easy. One button turns on the TV, DVD, and Home Theater with all the right settings.

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Written by Derek Nobriga from Virginia Beach, VA.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 56 made on Thursday June 19, 2003 at 10:45 AM.

Strengths:

Flexibility
Signal Strength
Easy Set-up for Sony products and others
Size and Style

Weaknesses:

Needs more user creatable labels per page

Review:

Basically the remote choice seems to come down to; hard buttons or LCD. All the reviews I have read basically split into these two camps. I have both and this remote is simply the best for me. I am thoroughly impressed with what I can do and how easy it is to do. The signal strength is great, it basically has to face in a wide arc toward the device and it works (better than the original remotes!)

The three main issues people have with this remote have not been apparent to me.
1) Difficult to read - yes in a darker room during day time it can be hard to read (yes I adjusted the contrast) but this is easily fixed by setting the back light to come one with all buttons. Yes the batteries might not last as long but if you spend this much on a remote then the price of frequent battery replacement should not be an issue. (Buy a big box at Costco and they are always at hand)
Also others complained that they had to actually look at the remote to make adjustments, well I have to this anyway. I haven't memorized my hard button remotes beyond channel and volume (which is really easy with this one as well) and I don't plan to either. I will always look at the remote whether LCD or original small square buttons.
2) Memory issues - Haven't seem them (maybe the others had bad units?) I even set a few things and then changed batteries just to make sure I would not waste my time. Not only did it retain the memory, I did not even have to reset the clock with the manual says you have to do with each battery replacement.
3) Not enough user created labels - this was only an issue with my Reciever. There is an easy work around though, simply put the 12 most used buttons on the main component button's screen and the create a second component button for the same unit and get another 12. I then added things like On-screen menu and test tone to the secondary component button, its not like I use these every day.

Basically I can't recommend this remote enough and for the prices you can buy this for on-line you can't go wrong. Just make the decision whether you want a hard button single hand remote or this one.

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Written by Darrell Fichtl from Sun City West, AZ.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 55 made on Saturday June 14, 2003 at 2:05 PM.

Strengths:

Great looks, terrific versatility

Weaknesses:

The manual was written by a sadistic monk for those in hell. They could use that as the key to Fort Knox and give you the manual. You'd NEVER GET A DIME!

Review:

I purchased four new components and what do you know - none of the "Universal controls" were universal. The Sony RM-AV3000 seems to have fixed all of that. Aside from the A/V which has 16 different speaker settings for various simulations everything works. I can turn the Yamaha A/V on and off and chage inputs but to change the speaker simulations I have to go back to the Yamaha control.
I wish that they had made the smaller LCD buttons changeable but unfortunately they are fixed (at least I haven't figured out how to change them)
Believe me, the manual is terrible. I've got a IQ of 136 and frankly some of it was baffeling. Mostly because Sony didn't clearly reveal the definitions of what they were pointing too. Plan on a good afternoon to figure it all out unless you can use the presets.

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Written by Andreas Delp from Germany.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 54 made on Sunday June 1, 2003 at 10:58 AM.

Strengths:

Great looking.
Nice and easy to read display.
Very comfortable hard keys.

Weaknesses:

Locks up on certain IR-signal and can't figure out why.
Only small build-in database.

Review:

I bought this very modern styled SONY remote to use it with my home theatre. One can use it directly out of the box with Sony components. It has a build-in database with remote codes of only a few brands. No european brands are included now. But the SONY RM-AV 3000 will learn IR-signals of every remote every easily. It is nice to hold or to use it standing on the table. So far so good. But what this thing make it not worth to buy is a bug, which let the remote lock on various IR-commands. And there is no other way to reset it as taking out the batteries. Then you have to set the clock again and continue to use it. Every second time I sent a command, this crap locked up and got stuck. I can not use a remote, which is not working as a remote. So I returned the SONY to the dealer only after one day of frustrating use. I bought a MARANTZ RC 5000i and I am satisfied to the bones. There is no better remote than the Pronto or MARANTZ RC 5000i. The SONY RM-AV3000 is not recommended to buy.

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