Anyone try this Denon RC-7000 remote yet?

Feedback would be very welcomed. :)

Anyone try this Denon RC-7000 remote yet?

Feedback would be very welcomed. :)

I am looking at these as well and also looking for feedback. Would be great if any of the forumers who use these would share their experience!

I have the RC7000 with RF base station. So far the interface and is attractive and ergonomics are good. The major issue is that the RF range appears to be terrible. I'm still trying to figure out a solution. I may even break down and call tech support to see if they have any input.

The cables are too short to move the base a long way from the AV rack to minimize interference. I have tried shutting down my 2.4GHz WiFi WAP to see if it's interference is the cause. Currently I can't use the RF function in any other room except the actual media room due to loss of signal. My goal was to be able to use it anywhere in the house or garden.

I am using the two way interface with the AVR-5308CI and when in range it's pretty sweet being able to browse MP3 lists directly from the remote. Setup and customization of the universal functions is easy and well implemented.

I certainly want to see some much improved range if I'm going to keep this $500 remote/base combo.

Spoke to Denon tech support today. They said they are aware of the range issue with the RC7000 and that they are working on a solution. So we'll see what happens in coming months.

Jesse.

Thanks, Jesse. Keep us posted.

Hi Jesse,

Can you describe how programming is done on the Denon remote? I'm interested in getting one to use with a 4308CI. I'm coming from a Harmony 880, so I'm wondering how all non-Denon devices are setup in the remote and if there is an Activity-like function.

Thanks

Jesse,

Just wondering how the RC 7000 was working out for you. Don't know how the RF (radio) range could be improved without a hardware change......anyway if you have anymore info that would be nice. :)

I recently bought the RC7000 and RC7001.

The set up experience was, to say the least, very frustrating! Four (yes 4!) RC 7000s were bricked when trying to use the PC based RC 7000 Editor. Each one was returned to the dealer. On the fourth RC 7000 the dealer actually was able to connect to the RC7000 using the RC 7000 PC Editor on the dealer's computer. However, when I tried to do the same when I got home, the same RC 7000 got bricked.

For a while I thought I was doing something wrong. The dealer was excellent and said that he will check what the problem is with the local Denon distributor's technical centre (I live in Singapore where Denon does its own distribution). Three days later, I was told that the matter was referred to Denon Japan and another seven days later, the dealer informed me that Denon Japan had air freighted another unit. I picked it up and connected it to the PC using the PC Editor and it worked just fine! Quite clearly the RC7000 inventory with my dealer (all 5 of them) had a bug in the firmware which could only be fixed by Denon in Japan (i.e. it could not be fixed online because it could not get connected to the PC!).

The remote is very configurable- or at least will be when I figure out how to configure it! There is ZERO guidance in the operating manual on how to configure the remote using the PC Editor. I have emailed Denon Singapore three times in the last week, with zero response, for guidance on how to use the PC Editor. May be they either cannot read english or they themselves are trying to figure out how the software interface works.

The RF range sucks. It is no more than 10 meters with one wall in between. The RC7001 comes with something called dual and single IR blasters (I think that is what they are called) with absolutely no guidance in the manual on their usage- go figure!

Having said all of that, the 2 way remote interface is very cool- particularly if you are in another room and cannot see the display on the Denon RF connected equipment (I connect it to a Denon AVP A1HD pre-pro).

The built in database is extensive- all my equipment except an ADB cable box customised for the local cable operator was found. Apparently it is possible to go online and get additional IR codes- I would not know as I am still trying to figure out how the online/pc interface is supposed to work!

By the way, the PC Editor is rated to work only on Windows XP. I dare not try it on Windows Vista lest I brick the fifth RC7000.

All in all, I must conclude that this RC and the RF interface are not really ready for primetime and are best a work in progress. It can be a terrific RF remote but Denon has, imho, to do a lot more work on all three- the RC, the RF inter face and the PC editor software- to make them bug free and much more user friendly.

Stephen,

Thank you very much for taking the time to post this info for the many of us out there looking at this remote/RF base. I think I will call my dealer today and cancel the RC 7000. Maybe later when they get things sorted out.

Stephen,

Thank you very much for taking the time to post this info for the many of us out there looking at this remote/RF base. I think I will call my dealer today and cancel the RC 7000. Maybe later when they get things sorted out.

You are welcome. I am glad you found it helpful.

Thanks so much!

Thanks so much!

You are welcome!

I recently bought the RC7000 and RC7001.

The set up experience was, to say the least, very frustrating! Four (yes 4!) RC 7000s were bricked when trying to use the PC based RC 7000 Editor. Each one was returned to the dealer. On the fourth RC 7000 the dealer actually was able to connect to the RC7000 using the RC 7000 PC Editor on the dealer's computer. However, when I tried to do the same when I got home, the same RC 7000 got bricked.

For a while I thought I was doing something wrong. The dealer was excellent and said that he will check what the problem is with the local Denon distributor's technical centre (I live in Singapore where Denon does its own distribution). Three days later, I was told that the matter was referred to Denon Japan and another seven days later, the dealer informed me that Denon Japan had air freighted another unit. I picked it up and connected it to the PC using the PC Editor and it worked just fine! Quite clearly the RC7000 inventory with my dealer (all 5 of them) had a bug in the firmware which could only be fixed by Denon in Japan (i.e. it could not be fixed online because it could not get connected to the PC!).

The remote is very configurable- or at least will be when I figure out how to configure it! There is ZERO guidance in the operating manual on how to configure the remote using the PC Editor. I have emailed Denon Singapore three times in the last week, with zero response, for guidance on how to use the PC Editor. May be they either cannot read english or they themselves are trying to figure out how the software interface works.

The RF range sucks. It is no more than 10 meters with one wall in between. The RC7001 comes with something called dual and single IR blasters (I think that is what they are called) with absolutely no guidance in the manual on their usage- go figure!

Having said all of that, the 2 way remote interface is very cool- particularly if you are in another room and cannot see the display on the Denon RF connected equipment (I connect it to a Denon AVP A1HD pre-pro).

The built in database is extensive- all my equipment except an ADB cable box customised for the local cable operator was found. Apparently it is possible to go online and get additional IR codes- I would not know as I am still trying to figure out how the online/pc interface is supposed to work!

By the way, the PC Editor is rated to work only on Windows XP. I dare not try it on Windows Vista lest I brick the fifth RC7000.

All in all, I must conclude that this RC and the RF interface are not really ready for primetime and are best a work in progress. It can be a terrific RF remote but Denon has, imho, to do a lot more work on all three- the RC, the RF inter face and the PC editor software- to make them bug free and much more user friendly.

According to your experience, could you tell me if this remote control would be an ideal replacement to the crappy onces supplied with the A1HDCI?
Thank you

According to your experience, could you tell me if this remote control would be an ideal replacement to the crappy onces supplied with the A1HDCI?
Thank you

Hi,

I tried out this remote for a couple of days at my dealers request. I am pretty good at programming remotes. The RC 7000/7001 combo is the worst remote I have laid my hands on. I called Denon Canada and was told it was mainly for installers. :( Well, no installer would take the time and effort to use such "Archaic" software or remote. I sent it back to the dealer and told he would never find a happy customer for this product.

The remote that came with the 5308 is more capable than the RC7000.....That's not saying much. :) I am looking at the Philips TSU 9400 (http://www.pronto.philips.com/index.cfm?id=1457)or Nevo Q50 (http://www.mynevo.com/html.php?page_id=345) remote.

Hi,

I tried out this remote for a couple of days at my dealers request. I am pretty good at programming remotes. The RC 7000/7001 combo is the worst remote I have laid my hands on. I called Denon Canada and was told it was mainly for installers. :( Well, no installer would take the time and effort to use such "Archaic" software or remote. I sent it back to the dealer and told he would never find a happy customer for this product.

The remote that came with the 5308 is more capable than the RC7000.....That's not saying much. :) I am looking at the Philips TSU 9400 (http://www.pronto.philips.com/index.cfm?id=1457)or Nevo Q50 (http://www.mynevo.com/html.php?page_id=345) remote.

I am not so sure I would go as far as RickS. Admittedly, the firmware is very problematic (you may not believe me if I told you that I have bricked 6- yes 6- units and am now waiting for the 7th). The software is also not at all user friendly and there is zero instruction on how to program the remote.

I am waiting for the 7th unit promised for next week which I am told has both new firmware and new software)!

So why do I persist? One, I need an RF remote due to the layout of my room and equipment. Two, it does work as a universal remote when it does- I used the 6th unit for more than a month before it got bricked during a programming session and it does get rid of all the other remotes that I have otherwise to keep. Three, the two way communication feature is very cool!

The coming 7th unit will be my last- if this gets bricked again then I am finished with this equipment!

Stephen,

I found that after a few buttons froze during programming and with a right click a pop up window said refer to manual, that was the end of the humor. That's when it got packed up. :) Anyway, the Nevo Q50 is on its way. I’m looking forward to a few hours of new programming going in the right direction. You have a lot more patience than I do.....that is for sure!!! :)

Stephen,

I found that after a few buttons froze during programming and with a right click a pop up window said refer to manual, that was the end of the humor. That's when it got packed up. :) Anyway, the Nevo Q50 is on its way. I’m looking forward to a few hours of new programming going in the right direction. You have a lot more patience than I do.....that is for sure!!! :)

Rick

I really wonder what Denon was thinking when they launched this product:confused:! It is clearly not ready for prime time. The story that it is meant for installers also does not make sense because, as you have indicated, no installer would put up with the rubbish.

Anyways, I am now at the end of my patience- one last try and if it causes problems again, then I am done:mad:!!

Stephen

I recently bought the unit, but somehow it failed to ship with the installation CD. Could
StephenBishop or Jesse (or anyone else who has a copy) please post the installation CD contents? Thanks.

Sounds to me like StephenBishop broke the CD in frustration, and then sold the remote unit on eBay to yyctony. :D

I would have given you a copy if I still had that remote. But, it is long gone back to Denon........I wouldn't even list that thing on ebay and cause some fellow HT member the grief. :)

Rick

I really wonder what Denon was thinking when they launched this product:confused:! It is clearly not ready for prime time. The story that it is meant for installers also does not make sense because, as you have indicated, no installer would put up with the rubbish.

Anyways, I am now at the end of my patience- one last try and if it causes problems again, then I am done:mad:!!

Stephen

Well guys I have to admit that I have enjoyed reading all of the posts on this remote! Reason is, I thought that the 7000 remote that I was installing for a customer was a lemon. I just received the second remote and receiver (the first one went haywire) and started setting it up today. So far so good, but as you guys know without any programming guidance for this remote it could take many attemps to program if it stays together long enough! And Stephen I feel the same about the 2 way feedback, it is very cool! I will let you guys know how it ends up.

diversifiedesi,

Well, I hope the second one doesn't lock up on your customer.:) I have done a lot of Marantz & Pronto programming and just finished a Nevo Q50. It seems that some software is better than others but, even though the program was sort of working on the RC7000 after the unit locks up it was done. I really do like the Nevo Q50 software and remote.....very nice!!! I do agree the RS232 two way communication is a great idea.......if it works! :D

diversifiedesi,

Well, I hope the second one doesn't lock up on your customer.:) I have done a lot of Marantz & Pronto programming and just finished a Nevo Q50. It seems that some software is better than others but, even though the program was sort of working on the RC7000 after the unit locks up it was done. I really do like the Nevo Q50 software and remote.....very nice!!! I do agree the RS232 two way communication is a great idea.......if it works! :D

2-way communication on the RC7000 isn't RS232; I think he's referring to the remote's ability to determine if a code has been accepted by a unit's sensor, i.e. the remote receives info from the unit. I've read it's Zigbee-based, or Z-wave, or some such standard. The 2-way communication allows you to see info on the remote's LCD screen that it receives from the component unit (song title, status, etc), similar to the 2-way communication of RS232.

However, my experience with RS232 control is zero, so I may just be passing along misinformation. :rolleyes:

Neurorad,

Well, I might be mistaken! I thought since the RC7001 base plugged into the RS-232C port of the 5308 it was using that for communication. :confused:

I am not so sure I would go as far as RickS. Admittedly, the firmware is very problematic (you may not believe me if I told you that I have bricked 6- yes 6- units and am now waiting for the 7th). The software is also not at all user friendly and there is zero instruction on how to program the remote.

I am waiting for the 7th unit promised for next week which I am told has both new firmware and new software)!

So why do I persist? One, I need an RF remote due to the layout of my room and equipment. Two, it does work as a universal remote when it does- I used the 6th unit for more than a month before it got bricked during a programming session and it does get rid of all the other remotes that I have otherwise to keep. Three, the two way communication feature is very cool!

The coming 7th unit will be my last- if this gets bricked again then I am finished with this equipment!

Well, I have been using the 7th unit for a few weeks now- so far so good.

It turns out that there were problems with both the firmware as well as the software interface. Fwiw, the software I am now using is Vista compatible (which actually is very helpful given that I would otherwise have to use my wife's XP laptop!). I am also told the firmware has been fixed as well- and not a moment too soon.

I was asked to post an image of the installation cd. Not sure how to do that. If someone would let me know, would be happy to.

Well guys I have to admit that I have enjoyed reading all of the posts on this remote! Reason is, I thought that the 7000 remote that I was installing for a customer was a lemon. I just received the second remote and receiver (the first one went haywire) and started setting it up today. So far so good, but as you guys know without any programming guidance for this remote it could take many attemps to program if it stays together long enough! And Stephen I feel the same about the 2 way feedback, it is very cool! I will let you guys know how it ends up.

So how are you configuring the RC? Trial and error? Really weird that there is zero guidance on configuaration using PC Editor- 3 emails to Denon Singapore have gone unanswered- I think they do not know either!!

Sorry for the delayed response, I've been very busy. So busy that I've only found time to program the remote from the remote itself. I have not bothered with the PC software (yet).

First of all, the manuals are truly pitiful in their content. That said I had no problems configuring the remote. I was easily able to navigate the menus to find brands/device types and thus add new devices. The database was comprehensive. I found codes for everything in my rack (including a 15 yr old cassette deck, VCR & MD player). I will ultimately want to configure it on the PC as this is usually the only way to really create customized shortcut menus etc. BTW - I should mention for the record that I managed to configure the RC8000 that came with the AVR-5803a which did not exactly win awards for ease of use nor ergonomics. However, after a little persistence I achieved a configuration that worked really well and that I barely changed over the 4 years I used it. Since the setup is not a regular activity I am not too fussed about efficiency/archaic interfaces as long as they work and the item is reliable.

For me, I really was not shopping around for alternate remotes as I own an AVR-5308CI and this combination gives me two-way communication with a small LCD on the remote. My goal is to sit by the pool and be able to navigate my MP3 archive using the LCD on the remote. No going inside, no changing CDs, no pre-configuring massive playlists....

So far everything works perfectly, except the range.

A previous post mentioned the IR blasters. They are very simple, plug them in and point them at each of your devices. You don't need to configure or activate them. They just seem to broadcast all messages. I can now use RF to control all my IR devices to.

Denon - if you are reading this.....FIX THE RANGE ISSUE. I can't even leave the room...... =( For $500 I ought to be able to stand half-way down the road and still expect it to function (like I can with my Plantronics headset CS-50 with HL-10 lifter).

+1 on the rage issue... IT SUCKS DONKEY BALLS!

Dear afflicted RC-7000 owners,

please let me know, whether anybody has experiences on bringing together ONE RC-7000CI with TWO RC-7001RCI (one on a 4308 and one on a AVC-A1HD = 5308).

I become desperate, really desperate...

I can't manage the two receivers to be registered on the RC-7000CI, not as "remote" and not as "other = repeater", not on the RC itself, and not with the software.

The manual s*cks, it is definitely wrong (sometimes it says, that the LED should be red, sometimes should be green - blinking or steady...).

Can anybody help me?

And yes - the range is also in Germany VERY low ;-))

Regards

Jochen

Any update on a fix to the range issue? I see in the manual that you can use multiple 7001s as the previous post mentioned. The units form a network and send commands to other units? I am also wondering if plugging another 7001 on another floor might help solve the range issue and allow the remote to be used in that area.

any news on range yet? I am wanting this remote, but if it won't work out by my pool, its will be of no use.

any range updates?

I asked Denon tech support about using a remote in another room of the house. They recommended the RC7000/7001. They told me that I would put the base unit in the room that i want to send my second zone to... This would resolve the range issue, but the IR Blaster wouldn't be much help to anyone wanting the IR-blaster feature and the "remote" feature. Sounds like the cable is pretty short, so extending it may make the base not function also...

You could look into a RF harmony. They make a repeater that will sit in your equipment rack and can connect to your receiver directly or control other components via IR blasters. I am considering the 890 pro but I think the 1000 is RF as well.

Not sure what you mean about the IR-blaster and the remote feature.

I have yet to read one positive thing about this remote.

You could look into a RF harmony. They make a repeater that will sit in your equipment rack and can connect to your receiver directly or control other components via IR blasters. I am considering the 890 pro but I think the 1000 is RF as well.

Not sure what you mean about the IR-blaster and the remote feature.
I am using the Harmony remotes, both the 520 and 659. I have installed the Next Generation Remote extender in both of these units and have a range of over 35 feet through at least 4 walls and the floor. It also works with the large Denon remote though I haven't gotten it to work with the small second room remote. Units are under $40 and additional transmitters are about twenty.

The receiver is ugly, looks like a spaceship with an antenna but it works great.. I even use it in the same room as my equipment with my Harmony 659. The buttons for controlling the DVR are in the wrong place so with the RF feature I don't pick it up I just push the buttons. No aiming or anything.

I have yet to read one positive thing about this remote.

I'm able to control my cabinet mounted 2309CI and PS3 from one remote :shrugs: