Assassin's Dell/Gyration Media Center M2010 CX071 LCD Remote Review with pictures
This is a review of the Dell/Gyration M2010 CX071 media center remote control.
I set out to find a remote that could meet the following criteria...
- Radiofrequency instead of IR which means no "line of sight" is required
- Green Button for extremely easy operation by my wife and parents
- Built in "mouse" to use if needed
- Backlight for easy night time operation
- Ability to control my other AV equipment
Well, I almost succeeded.
This remote was purchased on ebay for $50 shipped. Shipping took about 7 business days which is what was advertised.
In all this is a REALLY nice remote. I suspect that if you use your HTPC to record live TV then this is the only remote that you would need. It has quick buttons at the bottom to pull up recorded shows quickly and easily.
Installation:
Installation was easy but was NOT plug and play. The drivers are still available on the gyration website and can be downloaded here:
http://www.gyration.com/images/stori...sicService.zip
Otherwise installation was a snap. I bought a 6 foot USB extension so that I could hide the RF receiver in my AV console.
General HTPC Use:
A very good remote overall. I had no issues with putting my HTPC to sleep and waking it up with the remote. The green button launched mediacenter easily and from there its just a few simple moves (up, down, left, right, etc) until you have mediabrowser launched and your media playing. MB interaction was very refined and smooth with this remote --- much more so than the Lenovo remote whose trackball often "overshoots" the file you are trying to play. This is a great remote for general HTPC use although I can't that it smashes something like the $25 rosewill for just general use.
Backlight:
Awesome. No need to say anything else.
Mouse:
Amazingly precise. I was shocked at how responsive it was and was extremely impressed.
Learning Remote:
This was a major let down of this remote and is partly my fault for not researching it further. Unlike the Gyration Air Music (see picture below) this remote can only control two devices --- the HTPC and the TV. In contrast its "brother" the Gyration Air Music can control the HTPC, TV, Cable/Satellite, and one other device. However the Gyration is usually over double the cost of this remote so it may not be worth it. Since this remote was made to be used with a Dell PC I can see why they did not include other options. Still, I wish they had included them and this would have made this remote just about perfect.
Music LCD:
This really caught me by surprise how much I enjoyed it. First let me say that I have a cavernous music collection on my HTPC and have only loaded some of my wife's and my favorites in WMC. So in the WMC folder there is only about 40 or so albums so far. That came in handy because those are the files that this remote searches for to play. By hitting the music button the remote communicates to the HTPC which sends it a catalog of music it can play. Then you can search by artist, album, genre, playlist, etc and hit play to start. What's really cool is that it does this completely in the background of the HTPC and you don't even need to have your TV on to use it.
Last night we had dinner on the back patio and I was able to take the remote out there and listen and control my music through outdoor speakers
while sitting on the patio. Pretty cool.
Conclusion:
So do I recommend this remote? Well it depends but for the most part - yes. For the simple HTPC user it may be a little overkill or overpriced compared to something like the $25 Rosewill. But if you want the backlight, mouse control and music control then it is definitely worth it. The live/recorded TV options seem amazing and I am sure that someone who uses it for that purpose would not be disappointed. If I could have gotten the Gyration version for the same price then this would have been the perfect HTPC remote as it could have controlled the TV, PC, Denon AV receiver and my DirecTV box.
Pros:
- Great range (probably 30 feet) and responsiveness of the RF
- Good build quality
- Accurate mouse
- Good backlight
- Liking the LCD screen for music much more than I envisioned
- High WAF (wife approval factor) and ease of use
Cons:
- Can only control HTPC and TV. No control for AV Receiver or Cable/Satellite box
Unboxing. Remote from this particular ebay seller was shipped very well.
Box contents
Remote and RF receiver
Music LCD with music catalog from my HTPC available to be controlled and played.
Picture of the Gyration version of this remote with the added devices options which this remote does not have (section A, rightmost 2 buttons).
