Acoustic Research XSight Remote - Page 10

I'm worried this is a sign that these remotes aren't long for the world, and when the ez-rc.com web site goes away, we won't be able to program them anymore.

thats an awesome deal... I like it a lot better than the harmony,,, you can do every possible macro and customize it to your needs.

Picked one up on the woot! deal based mostly on the discussion here, and the recent improvements. Hoping it will help my wife (and mother-in-law) to operate things, as well as automating some steps that I can't do with my current remote. Also hoping I can finally put my Oppo Blu-Ray player remote in the drawer, since my current remote was extremely clunky at managing that device.

I have a ARRX15G and haven't changed the programming in over a year. Just got a new TV, want to add it and remove the old TV from the remote. Here's the problem, I added the new TV without issue, added some additional extended keys then went to change my macros & events to use the new set. When I return to the key setup for the new TV, all extended keys are gone ... nothing, not even the default keys which were programmed when I added the device. Now I can redo the keys (click restore default & reenter additional keys) but as soon as I go check the events, to be sure everything is ok before downloading to the remote, then go back & check the extended keys they disappear. I'm back to square one. Anyone else have this problem? Any solutions? Contacted AR & the promised to get back to me "sometime".

Hi everyone,

I am looking at this remote and Rf extenders for theater automation. Mainly b/c the price is so attractive. Does anyone know if the remote will control an epson 8350 projector?

Regards

Probably does, but I don't know for sure. If the epson has an IR remote you can always learn all the commands if you have to. Learns will still work fine with the RF extender.

Awesome, thanks. Do you know if the remote will also work with a Lutron dimmer switch? i will need to run an IR extender over in front of the eye of the switch right?

Should at least work via learning as well. IIRC, the RF base is also a blaster, so it may hit the dimmer without running any wires depending on where you place it.

One of the quirks about this remote that can bite you is you have to remember to upload from the remote to the web site after every learning session or you'll lose them. It makes sense for it to work that way, but it may not be obvious to a new user.

Got it! Would you say this would be a good device to use for a novice like myself?

It's designed to be pretty easy. Not as easy as harmony, but close.

I would like to use one of these remotes to control an HTPC running Win 7 / Media Center and a Sony LCD TV and Blu-ray. Will it work with Media Center?

Do I need the AR RF extender, or will any IR Receiver work for the HTPC? I have an MCE remote that has a few bad buttons, but the IR receiver I got with it still works.

Thanks.

You'll probably have to learn all the commands from the MCE remote, so I suggest you open and clean it to get those bad buttons working if possible. You only need RF if your devices hidden from view or in different rooms. It's no replacement for an HTPC IR receiver.

I just got my Xsight and am staying home just so i can program it . Anyway, I have a htpc, with my logitech I would go to computer / microsoft / and choose mediacenter keyboard . I could then assign the buttons to letters.. A B C --- Z . What do I choose in this remote for those features?

Can you provide more details? I don't know of any IR remote for an HTPC that has a full QWERTY keyboard like that. Is your "logitech" RF by chance? If so, then no universal remote can replicate it or communicate with it's RF receiver.

In any case, if you have an IR interface for your PC, then any IR remote like the Xsight can learn all the commands. As you learn them, assign the commands names like A, B, C, etc. Then upload to save your learns. Then go back into the advanced device setup (I forget the exact name, but it's near the bottom of the list on the config page) and assign each learned function to a soft button on the screen.

Full QWERTY on a remote like this is very impractical to use IMO since you have to page through at least 5 screens to enter each letter. If I were you I'd continue using the logitech for that purpose.

I just got my remote, and I have a few questions regarding the favorites function:

- I am highly confused by the fact that I seem to be limited to 12 favorite channels, and that I can only pick from those 12 for the groups like Kids, Mom, Dad, etc. Those groups seem pointless if I am picking from such a small group.

- For those icons which are missing (seems pretty inexcusable for an internet-programmed remote to be missing some of these channels), like WGN and Comcast SportsNet, does anyone have any recommendation for icons which blend well with the default ones? I tried a few of the ones intended for Harmony remotes, but didn't immediately see any which matched too well.

You make a master list of about 80 channels. Perhaps you didn't go to the next page. Then those can be put in any groups which I believed can be named whatever you like.

I don't know of a way to add your own icons. Perhaps you can send a request to audiovox support.

sigh...

maybe i got spoiled by my harmony 880, but this guy is confusing the heck out of me...

PS3 isnt listed in their DB. not even gonna try xbox or the wii...

i mean, when you pick an activity, i cant seem to keep the volume for the receiver while still working the DVR...

i thought it was a deal from woot... it may just end up in my big pile of crappy remotes...

I'll try it again. I'm hoping the slow and cumbersome setup will be outweighed by good usability for both my wife and I.

You definitely can add your own icons. I did it. I'm just trying to find the ones that best match the stock icons for aesthetics.

On one hand, I was astounded that I had to use the internet setup to even find a TIVO brand DVR. That is bizarre. On the other hand, to my understanding, I think that the blu-ray remote for the PS3 operates by bluetooth, right? So, it doesn't surprise me that it isn't there, as much as I would also love that.

And as for the volume lock, I think that feature is implemented perfectly, better than many other remotes that I've used, in fact. Go into the website and the advanced settings, I believe.

Yep, PS3 is bluetooth so no iR universal can control it without some kind of IR adapter. Same goes for Wii except no adapter exists for it. Xbox will work fine. For PS3 I just plug in a nyko bluwave and use a sony DVD device. Works perfectly. If you have a logitech PS3 adapter just teach the xsight from harmony or JP1 remote. You'll need to make an off macro like logitech uses.

Xsight can be frustrating to harmony users because it works differently.

I missed the woot deal, so I'd love to take it off your hands. PM me if interested.

It's IR. The great thing about it is that I can set up hotkeys in windows to keys like F4 to close mediaportal and open Dirt 3 and F5 to close Dirt3 and open Mediaportal. When I get more free time I will just learn them all, but I guess I should email tech support first.

I was a long time Harmony users, but once you get pass the software of the Xsight, you realize what you were missing with the Harmony brand. I love my Xsight18 and the way I can customize practically everything to my needs.

As long as you have discreet on/off for your equipment (which I do) I agree!

I just got a ARRX18G and am having a issue that I can't seem to over come.

Whenever I click on connect in the web site, I get an error saying that the Broker program crashed and needs to be closed and I cannot connect to the remote.

I know I saw a previous issue in this thread about the same thing but never saw a solution. Does anybody have any ideas as to what might be causing this?

Thanks.

Yes, I kind of like the remote because you can make it work the way you want it to, but it can be a tough job getting there. I just got a new Sharp 70" and tried to program it into my remote. They didn't seem to have anything that worked in their DB, so I had to learn the remote. I too need the discreet on/off, but there was no way to learn those codes because the remote doesn't have them. So I went to remotecentral and got the Pronto codes, pulled out an old laptop who's OS was old enough to support ProntoEdit, programmed the discrete codes into the Pronto and had the Xsight learn the 2 discrete codes from the Pronto. I had to basically program all the codes for my Schmartz PS3IR-1000 into the pronto ( the Pronto codes were included in the Schmartz website) and learn that remote from the Pronto as well.

Does anyone know if there is an easier way to do this?

I ran into the same problem, not being able to find a remote the that would send out keyboard commands. If you are running a HTPC with windows you a can run IR Server Suite a free program from MediaProtal. With IR Server Suite you can send any IR command to your HTPC and once they are received IR Server will output whatever you want. It is a work around, but it works great.

For example I added a Sony TV remote for a TV I don't even have.
I took the 0 button from the Sony device and put it on the Info button on my HTPC device. Then I told IR Server when it receives the Sony 0 command to output I instead (Which is the Info command in XBMC).
You can now use buttons 1-9 for another function.

Hope this helps,

Got mine. Will start configuring tonight, when I get a computer with Windows here. This is my first serious inconvenience with the device: no support at all for Linux or Mac.

For the people looking a good configurable IR receiver for your PCs, you can try Flirc.

PS: I really like the feeling of the remote. My girlfriend, too, se says it feels better than the Harmony 900 I have pending of repair -haha, Logitech repair...-.

BUT

The configuration software is so bad. Worse than Logitech one. I'm using the OS and browser asked, so I hoped to get a decent software. It isn't. For example, my TV, a LG Plasma, is in the database but not the discrete on/off codes for it. I can't add them because the software doesn't accept discrete codes input. Nor the remote in any of the options. So I will have to teach it to another device to teach it to the remote. Thanks God I bought it on offer, for the official retail price

Come on, guys, it is not THAT hard to do a decent software. I'm not even asking a multiplatform, offline software. Just a decent one. Lemme add discrete codes, is good for you to improve your database.

By the way, spanish translation, both in the software and in the device is unprofesionally bad. We can blame Logitech a lot of things, but at least their c#@p makes sense in my language. That is always nice.

Mdavej , what will be the cheapest device I can program discrete codes got from the net to teach them to the Xsight ?

I hoped they will at least add them for you like Logitech does but I'm hitting a wall with support :/

I'd go for an RCA RCRP05B which is $15 at sears and online, $20 most other places. Atlas remotes also work for this purpose and run about $8 shipped from eBay. The drawback with the atlas is it's a bit older and is missing some of the latest codes but still has a good many.

Thanks for the info. Gonna see if I learn how I'm exactly to program the hex codes I have in this devices (JP1 only or can I somewhat enter manually?) and see if there is something similar in Europe -or someone shipping cheap-.

Anyway, I still think it is wrong in the side on OFA not allowing to input codes and refusing to do so from the tech service guys, saying that they can't take responsibility for any function not in the original remote.