[dogdoctor]

I'm sure all of you with a PS3 are familir with it's BT control. And those of you with home theaters and universal remotes realize it can be a double edged sword. On one hand you can have the controller talk to the device from 30ft away and no line of sight, but you lose universal control with IR unless you get an IR to BT converter. Which for those of you that don't have one, you should get one. They are great.

But I was perusing CNN yesterday, and it appears that there will be another CE device coming with BT and it carries a pretty big following much like the PS3. Tivo will be introducing BT with The TiVo Premiere . I'll be curious to see the non-PS3 oriented public opinion on that one will be. I for one am all for it.

Thoughts?

 

[YoMaMa84]

Yea, I love the fact that I could use the PS3 controller to change the song playing when I'm not in the room with the PS3. If all my equipments used BT and a harmony that uses BT, it'd be great. Even though thats what RF is for.....but then no need for any RF adapters.

 

[t-ray]

My basement has poor heating/cooling. So in the winter months I'm bundled up under blankets, and I love the BT remote just for those times.


And I've never understood the appeal of universal remotes, even the harmony line. I change electronics often enough that maintaining such a remote becomes a chore. At least it was when I owned one.

 

[dogdoctor]

Well it looks like CNN might be mistaken. Others have gotten back to me in the BD player thread, that most likely the Tivo will ship with IR and BT as a USB add on for the QWERTY keyboard. But who really knows at this time I guess.

 

[KingShorty]

I don't have a problem with using multiple remotes. As far as I'm concerned, the more remotes I have, the less my wife is actually going to try and use my equipment. She has her own TV with her own PS3 so she stays away from my stuff unless I'm around.

 

[steven975]

There is such a thing as RF control. I think more should use it.


I'm not a big fan of BT as a remote control tech. The fact that devices have to be paired means a universal remote could need several BT chips, and software to tie it all together is needlessly complex. With RF, a device can just listen for specific pulse and do what it's supposed to.

 

[moothemagiccow]

My problem with multiple remotes is finding the right one when I need it

I'm glad the PS3 does so many things and has HDMI-CEC so most of the time I only need one remote.

 

[Valence01]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steven975 /forum/post/18252993


There is such a thing as RF control. I think more should use it.


I'm not a big fan of BT as a remote control tech. The fact that devices have to be paired means a universal remote could need several BT chips, and software to tie it all together is needlessly complex. With RF, a device can just listen for specific pulse and do what it's supposed to.

Not to split hairs here, but last time I checked, BT is transmitted via RF. Perhaps when you refer to RF, you mean the OOK (on/off keyed) morse code like pitiful protocols used by most non-BT RF remotes. My experience with those, is that they're very interference prone both in the traditional RF EMI sense and from neighbors with the same type of RF remote.


I disagree with the claim that a universal remote would need several BT chips. I have a BT capable phone that is paired with multiple computers and I routinely communicate with them without any issue. A universal BT capable remote just has to keep track of which device to send which commands to.


P.J.

 

[YoMaMa84]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steven975 /forum/post/18252993


There is such a thing as RF control. I think more should use it.


I'm not a big fan of BT as a remote control tech. The fact that devices have to be paired means a universal remote could need several BT chips, and software to tie it all together is needlessly complex. With RF, a device can just listen for specific pulse and do what it's supposed to.

well no......as far as I know (and i could be wrong about the specifics) 1 bluetooth module (chip) can be paired to 8 different devices for whatever purpose.


Now say you had a universal remote that had bluetooth, and all your devices had bluetooth. It would be awesome if you could control everything with the remote, plus stream whatever is playing through the receiver to the remote (Audio and/or video) if you wanna go to the kitchen (while being in 30ft of the reciever ofcourse) and dont wanna miss the game.


Bluetooth can be connected to all bluetooth (as long as both BT reciever have a profile for whatever you wanna do) thats why you can connect basically everything BT to a computer that as BT.

 

[Suntan]

I dislike comapnies that think their **** is so special that they need to use a technology that isn't common with the rest of the industry. I could see TiVo thinking as highly of themselves as Sony does. Thinking that their component is the only one anyone would ever want to use a remote for. If they do include IR support as a standard feature, then I don't have a gripe (except that adding blutooth functionality to something like a Tivo wastes money.)


For better or worse, the industry has stuck with IR and all comanies should at least make their products compatible with it. To do any less is pure hubris on their part.


That said, I highly value the capability to use the DSIII gamepad completely wirelessly and enjoy the fact that it runs effortlessly via BT. I just think Sony should have added a $.20 IR receiver to the thing.

Quote:
My experience with those, is that they're very interference prone both in the traditional RF EMI sense and from neighbors with the same type of RF remote.

Then you really need to look at trying better quality universal remotes with RF support. There are ones out there that work, and work well.


-Suntan

 

[number1laing]



Quote:
except that adding blutooth functionality to something like a Tivo wastes money.)

I think at the time the PS3 came out, it was so damn expensive to build that Sony probably felt the IR receiver wasted money, when they could do everything via BT.

 

[Suntan]



Quote:
Originally Posted by number1laing /forum/post/18255696


I think at the time the PS3 came out, it was so damn expensive to build that Sony probably felt the IR receiver wasted money, when they could do everything via BT.

Well, my point in the comment that you quoted me on, was that something like a TiVo does not need bluetooth. IR will work just fine (you're not going to be pointing your gamepad at the TiVo and constantly mashing buttons all night while you are using it.)


Whereas, having Bluetooth (or any other RF tech that conveys gamepad inputs faithfully) on the PS3 does make sense. However, the ability to easily integrate the control of your PS3 into your HT setup for movie watching (seeing as they spent a lot of effort to tell people how good of a Blu Ray/DVD player it would be when it came out) would have been a nice feature.


-Suntan

 

[moothemagiccow]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Suntan /forum/post/18255623


I dislike comapnies that think their **** is so special that they need to use a technology that isn't common with the rest of the industry.

Isn't that called progress? Bluray was uncommon and that worked out OK.

 

[steven975]



Quote:
Originally Posted by moothemagiccow /forum/post/18256434


Isn't that called progress? Bluray was uncommon and that worked out OK.

that's really different. IMO, BT for remotes is just plain stupid. It's a huge waste of money obtaining licenses and managing their implementation when there is something that does it just as well that already exists (be it IR or RF). 2.4Ghz RF would work just as well as BT would.

 

[Suntan]

If it is such a good thing, why hasn’t Sony switched over to BT control for all of their TV sets, receivers, regular BR players, etc. etc.? If a person (with a sad case of "Sony-only") could buy a full livingroom of Sony products and then control all of them with one BT remote, I could see your argument that Sony is pushing for progress. That isn't what sony has done though.


Advancements in the consumer electronics areas occur when a number of the large companies agree on a common standard (…followed by a protracted fight with other companies that have agreed to a competing standard, ultimately leading to one left standing amongst the rotting corpses of the failed standards…) and then proceed to put all their new product releases behind the standard. Right now the standard for wireless control endorsed by almost all CE devices is the NEC IR standard, and one or two oddballs just cause hassle for people wanting to control everything from one remote.


Advancements don’t come about when one large company (and now one small, boutique company) makes a unique control interface on one lone, darling machine just to distinguish it as something they think is “special.”


-Suntan

 

[pcweber111]

I've heard of random cases where a command from an rf remote gets mixed up every once in awhile but it's such a proven technology that I see no reason to move away from it. For those with whole-house control including outside would BT even be viable? I see no reason to switch away from standard 2.4ghz rf and neither does the majority of the industry from all observations. It would be nice for rf to be equipped on all devices but eh that's not that big a deal, it gives excuses for the accessory industry to be there.


I always thought it was short sided of Sony to not include standard ir on their console, especially after including it in the revised PS2. It just looks from my standpoint that they did it because they could and because it stood out more and offered connectivity options for wireless headsets, etc.. I like the fact that 3rd parties have come up with solutions but as far as I know Logitech is the only one to be offered official status. It seems counterproductive to require 3rd party assistance for a machine claimed as the only entertainment media hub needed in your house. Besides, like what was said above the fact that Sony has not gone full-bore on including BT in all their devices to me shows the unneeded expense it is.


Just my .02