using remote in other rooms

by PommyPete June 1, 2008 10:40 AM

Posted in: EVA 8000

I am a newbie and doing my research to have AV in my home so please excuse me if my conculsions below are incorrect, all advice and corrections welcome.
 
The EVO seems to be what I need. However, I only need a single source, multizoned AV setup. Ie, a single Evo i can switch the output to different audio and video zones using an HDMI splitter and multizoning Amp.
 
The problem I see is the basic remote control. What I need is a wireless remote with a screen which can browse the AV library so i don’t have to be in the same room as the Evo and TV.
 
The EVO is trying to sell a solution for both Video and Audio, Great....because some of my zones won’t have need for a TV...for me the Pool , BBQ, and chill out areas. But is the Evo really achieving this? The 'old school' remote means to change song, movie, pause (anything!) I need an Evo for every zone AND a TV to make my selections. Expensive for a room with just music. And why I ask...do I need an evo in Zone X when I have an Evo sitting idle in Zone Y?!

 I wonder how many people really need independent sources in each Zone? Well, of course we would all like it, but if we are selling to the masses, a lot more will convert for a cheaper basic setup of the same source of AV in every zone and grow it from there (Honey, it would be great to have a second feed so the kids could watch Thomas the Tank Engine while we watch Rambo XXIII).

Sonos has been hugely successful in Australia on the audio side. You can walk around the house and control your system, be it one or 32 zones. Funny though, friends who have this still have Video restricted to the Theatre room...it’s because no one has a remote which can allow us to sit in any other zone to control it. (Well, the solutions I have found so far are vastly more expensive than what I am suggesting here.)

If I had a wireless remote with a basic OS to browse my AV files, for my potential 6 zoned (3 video 3 Audio) house I could have the following (as well as speakers for both):

1 x Evo, 3 x TVs,  1 x multizone Amp, 1 HDMI splitter for 3 rooms. Instead I have

6 x EVO, 6 x TVs, 6 x amps (local to the evo driving the Audio) 

Is my research right? Is it really simply a wireless remote control and a little extra AV switching which can see this huge difference in what I need? I see this and feel I am missing something? I would gladly pay $1000 for a good wireless remote to control my EVO for the savings of needing all these extra Evo’s, TV’s, Amps.

I don’t mind having to get up to change where the AV is being routed too on the HDMI Splitter and Multizone Amp because most likely if I wanting to change zones...I am up and about anyway. Ie, its a nice day we are all outside by the pool, I switch the Zone and spend the arvo by the pool with the remote to change the tunes. Later that day we come in and watch a movie...we switch the Zone. One source, multiple zones.

I look at Evo and think, wow imagine if it had a wireless remote like Sonos. Same price band...we get the Video for free....hello big market share! Maybe Netgear should go talk to them.

Thanks if you read all this, I know I have harped on and I apologise!
Pete

Discussion:

AV_Pro on June 3, 2008 6:10 AM

Sorry to say this is pretty much impossible to do with the EVA. Because the control for the EVA is infared it only has one way communication. Although its easy to control a IR device from other rooms with any of the decent control systems available such as the Philips Pronto, RTI etc. you would still need to see the menus on the EVA to know what you are selecting so therfore need a screen of some sort within the remote room.

Systems such as the Kaleidescape are more designed for what you are trying to achieve but have one hell of a price tag. When combined with AMX or crestron you can display any of the library information on a wireless touch panel so it can still be controlled without a TV.

One option you could go for would be to use a RTI T4 wireless touch panel. Not totally cheap but as it is a WiFi device it does have a built in web browser. You can control the EVA through this. The Philips Pronto RFX9600 also has this feature but unless you are any good at writing Javascript forget trying to programme one of these.

It wouldnt be that hard at all to even program a T4 to control your entire house you could just walk around with it and control everything. including the HDMI routing and AV receivers you need to control.