Run AdGuard, a DNS-based ad blocker Run third party automation engines like NodeRed Turn Home Assistant into a Spotify Connect target EXPLORE ADD-ONS All your smart home data stays local So I wish Devices on the X1 screen could just be hidden entirely. Sad day indeed. With the SofaBaton U1, you have to program all these things yourself, so the URC7880 is actually a little easier to set up in that respect. But lets not mince words here. https://www.sofabaton.com/x1.html Assistant Support: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant Features: With Voice Control Technology: Bluetooth, Infrared (IR) Type: Blu-ray, DVD, TV, Universal Date Listed: 12 hours ago Last Edited: 11 hours ago Condition: New Shipping: Pickup Only Similar Ads WD TV MEDIA PLAYER UNIT (no remote control ) And the setup app requires you to figure out a lot of the advanced programming yourself, which may prove to be too challenging or frustrating for some people. This allows my smart home controller, Home Assistant, to control almost all of it. The full service launched on July 15, 2020. After the remote has already been set up the HUB no longer needs to be connected to WiFi unless you're using WiFi to control one of your devices. Until then, maybe find a used Harmony and wait for Version 2.0! I have since decided to create a dedicated basement HT (in progress) so will use my extra Elite for that set up. All are the same price and there is no clear indication of what the difference between the three are. After searching on the web, I can see that the brand new Sofabaton X1 is the best replacement for Logitech Harmony remotes. If you look at the design accents on the U1 it very much looks like a Harmony Ultimate or Elite handset. I emailed Sofabaton and within 2 weeks, I had working codes for all of my old devices. So this tells me that if you have the Sofabaton in a bright room, you might have the same issues. But, as my editor pointed out, this is normal for new devices. It does consolidate remotes and the hub is great at sending signals. And since the U1 is not locked in to a set of pre-labeled device buttons, it can control multiple models of the same typesay, two media players, two TVs, and two audio systems. With support for eight AV devices, the URC7880 can accommodate a pretty extensive home-theater system. The instructions are the weakest piece here, and I am being generous. Hi noob to this really confused if I give the model number of tv shouldnt the program already assign all buttons without all the intervention of asking what each button should do? Except, it didnt work like that. After obtaining the source configuration of the output device and the source location of the input device(Streaming box, Player), the system can automatically switch to the correct source to enable all associated devices when you start an activity.To do this, follow the steps listed below.Step1: If the device has not configured the source in advance, you need to click to configure when creating an Activity. We have no insider info on what the holdup is. Thankfully, the printed instructions are thorough. I also have a Harmony Companion remote with hub. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. But todays sad truth is that fewer people are buying DIY universal remotes, and this category is nearly dead. It could be they are trying to work out the worst of the bugs, it could be supply chain issues. I'm still kicking myself for not buying a backup Harmony Elite when Best Buy had blowout prices. That is an excellent question. Connects up to 40 devices in your home including TV, DVD, Blu-Ray, TV & cable boxes, gaming consoles, Apple TV, Roku and more. The u1 is limited in functionality but the X1 should fix that with activities, Bluetooth and the hub. Step1: Search or select your device in the list. In the initial review you said the Logitech required 2 IR blasters while the Sofabaton required none. On top of the remote is an off and return button. I had the U1 and I had to stand right in front of my TV to get it to work. Youd THINK, simple! The hub works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home, which is a plus. Logitech discontinued Harmony universal remotes, the now-discontinued (and more expensive) Harmony Companion, Everything You Need to Watch 4K HDR Movies. One For All says you can set up this remote using an app, but the app just lets you add devices. Super easy control - scroll click to switch the different IR & Blu & Wifi devices. Perfect the first time. This improves the user experience by bringing together services that were previously disconnected. If the above method still cannot be used, then please make sure your router has a HomeShield Pro function, which will prevent the HUB from connecting to your network. Hands-free Voice Control: Works with Alexa and Google Assistant to control of your appliances, turn your TV to sports, crank the volume, play and pause the action and so on with voice command. Lastly, I wish you could just hide the Devices menu option entirely. And as I said above, learning functions is nigh impossible. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. The Harmony Companion was one of the more affordable remotes to support Wi-Fi, and it cost $150 or more. And there are no dedicated activity buttons for grouping different devices together to perform tasks like Watch TV or Watch a Movie. You can still create activities and assign them to whatever buttons you choose, but you have to figure out all the programming yourselfand we fear the apps learning curve may be high for someone who has never programmed a universal remote. watch Apple TV) and do 'stuff'. Found 1 Back command which works. UI is an important element of a device and this is where the X1 fails amongst all the other issues, this device has. All I could find was a YouTube video about it. It has a small capacitive touchscreen that makes it easy to use what could be a confusing number of devices. I just ordered a Sofabaton X1 (they should it the Sofaking) on Kickstarter for a hundred bucks. Sure, you could program a game console onto the DVD label and a second TV onto another unused category, but thats not helpful for other people trying to use the remote. For an attractively low price, the SofaBaton U1 Universal Remote Control combines the essential elements of a universal remotea good physical design with the necessary buttons, the ability to control many (and a variety of) devices, and the option to create shortcuts to launch activities (such as Watch a Movie) with a single button press. And if the U1 fails to execute a command, theres no Help button to work out the problem. I am confident that Sofabaton sees the potential of this remote and will eventually solve the problems. There are some very low-budget instructional videos available through the appwith no dialogue, just video of someones hand using the app. After you enter your WiFi password and then pair your remote, you can begin to program devices. The build quality of the Sofabaton X1 and hub is excellent. Let us know what you think. The screen automatically lights up when you pick up the remote. We hope that future firmware updates will allow the wake up button press and command to happen at the same time. But if you set it up for someone, and then teach them about Activities, the Off button, and the Screen Back button, its impressive for a 1st gen. One thing not mentioned in your review: there is no Help button right on the face of the remote like there was on Harmony remotes. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Nor does it support Wi-Fibased smart-home devices, which is not at all surprising for a remote in this price range. Yes, we will open the local API of X1 by providing an API file, but X1 cannot directly add APIs of other products or smart platforms. Sofabaton X1 Universal Remote - One Does For Most All Devices 1. I placed my hub on top of my AV rack in front of my Xbox Series X. I had no issues with it controlling any of my devices, so I didnt have to connect the IR blasters. We all preferred the Flipper over the EasyMote. Super useful! My current Harmony 525 would have become unusable five times over by now if it had a non-replaceable battery. If they're not in the lists, you can manually learning the remote functions to the system via the hub. Unfortunately, it didnt see all my lights. Im in setup mode but not liking flow of setting up. The inclusion of Activity buttons, like Watch TV or Play video games (as described. The good news is that all of the programming and customization has to happen only once (unless you tend to upgrade your AV gear a lot). Sofabaton is one of the few commercial universal remotes that will let you control a generous number of home theater devices, including your TV, DVD player/recorder, Blu-ray player, and more. Eventually, I figured out the quirks with my settings, but I would assume that the novice would get frustrated quickly and give up. Oh wow - I hadn't heard about this yet. So far, I like it. Found 1 Back command which works. Make sure you add a set to your shopping cart. Sofabaton X1 - The Newly Anticipated Replacement For The Logitech Harmony Hub Has Arrived! Sep 2, 2022 #4 There isn't one at the moment, unfortunately. Can I Put My Subwoofer On Top Of Furniture? The frustration lies with the setup process. No matter what brand they are, a universal remote can control all of your audio and video devices. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); As an Amazon Associate, we may earn income when you click on an Amazon link. If you use it with an Alexa device, you can control your home entertainment with your voice. Hopefully by the time that happens (or Logitech stops supporting it) the Sofabaton will have matured a bit and us HT enthusiasts will continue to have a good option without having to spend a ton on something like Control4 and not even be able to program it without a dealers help. I have the harmony 680 or 650 or something and they are starting to get worn out. I am hopeful that they will continue to improve the experience. Select the appropriate option for your device. I have not setup the remote yet (will do when I get home from work) but am pretty excited to try it out. So if Sofabaton can get Google Home integration working, I would be willing to unplug my Harmony Hub and move to the Sofabaton X1 full time! Plus, its a real pain to have to wake up your phone or tablet and wait for the app to reconnect with the system whenever you want to change the channel or the volume. Seems very time consuming vs harmony. Like the Harmony, you enter your brand and model number. Nice review, Andrew! So if this new Activity requires the AVR to be On, it will send the Power On command, because now its aware that the AVR was Off. The Flipper isnt backlit like the EasyMote, but it uses different colors for the power, mute, volume, and channel buttons, which may be more helpful for those with eyesight limitations. Press and hold the button for at least 3s, Received a command fromApp or X1 -Remote. Switching between devices is as easy as scrolling a rollerball and pressing it, and a list of advanced controls for every device can be found with an additional click of the rollerball. It has a lot of buttons that can be programmed to control one or more devices with the push of a button. I have an email in for assistance. Since our last update in May 2021, several universal remotes that we previously tested have been discontinued, including the Caavo Control Center and the Sevenhugs Smart Remote U and Smart Remote X. Logitechs Harmony Companion, Harmony 665, and Harmony Elite were our former picks in this guide, but parent company Logitech discontinued the entire line. IMPORTANT: Your first post will be checked for appropriate content. Anywho, so here we are, and Harmony is no more. More on that later. Visit our corporate site. Connects up to 40 devices in your home including TV, DVD, Blu-Ray, TV & cable boxes, gaming consoles, Apple TV, Roku and more. Make sure that this fits by entering your model number. No hub, so you have to point directly at IR devices. Sofabaton x1 comes with a wireless hub,ultra-universal remote control for all your entertainment and home devices. If youve never programmed a universal remote before, or youre used to the Harmony setup software that figures out the main steps for you, the learning curve for a more complex AV system will be high. Assistant Director of Communications Primary Care APP Needed in Along Beautiful Coast Oregon-4/10s Schedule JOB-2778565. When will it be available? They have a looong way to go to catch up to Logitech! There are no options for brightness (yet), so its a one-size-fits-all solution. Details optimization 2. The Sofabaton looks to me like it's the same team that created the Harmony remotes, or at least there's something going on there. This may take a bit of time. Lastly, the remote is tough. So I am not going to lie; I was very disappointed when Logitech finally announced it was killing the Harmony line of remotes and hubs. UI is an important element of a device and this is where the X1 fails amongst all the other issues, this device has. Shouldn't the Voices Only Come from My Center Speaker? SofaBaton X1 remote is universally compatible with virtually all brands of audi and video equipment. Sure, you can still find a ton of low-end replacement remotesmodels whose primary purpose is to replace the one the dog chewed up and do little else. All signals are sent from the HUB, and the remote control communicates with the HUB via RF. Anyone with experience using the Softbaton with an Xi6-T? Not sure if both of those cables can be used at the same time, but I would guess not. Just below its screen is a small scroll wheel that lets you switch between activities and devices. SofaBaton X1 Universal Remote Control with Hub & APP, Smart Remote with One-Touch Activities, Works with Alexa/Google Assistant for Voice Control, Control up to 60 Entertainment IR/Bluetooth Devices $249.99 Special offers and product promotions Amazon Business Canada Business-only pricing, quantity discounts and free shipping across Canada. The hub is also where you can teach the system to learn commands for devices not currently in the database. It has some notable flaws, but this model can control a wider variety of home-entertainment devices, and it has a better physical design than its competitors. Without belaboring the point, you are on your own if you need help with anything aside from programming the hub. To program the U1, you need to use the free SofaBaton app for iOS and Android. The remote feels solidly made, and the fit and finish are superb. And dont expect much help from the SofaBaton literature; the setup guide is poorly written and says nothing about macros. You use the wheel to scroll through your devices, and then you click the wheel to select either On or Off, or to select an Input. But, I could see this being a deal-breaker for someone who uses the number pad for TV channel input vs. the on-screen menus. Download the app, place the hub, power it up, and follow the on-screen instructions. It does control the most basic functions of my Denon AV receiver. AKA Richard46 Sony OLED KE48A9BU; Yamaha RX A2A; MA Bronze BX2 & Radius 225; SVS 3000 Micro;; Goodmans Maxim2; Sony BDP-S1100; Manhattan T3-R 1TB. So I was pretty impressed with the Sofabaton X1 because my Harmony hub needed two blasters to control devices, not the Sofabaton! You can read more about it here. I have returned, one month later, to give some updates and give my impressions after using it exclusively for a solid month. But I noted that the instructions had smaller print, so they might be harder to read. The steps are straightforward. FREE Delivery Across Mauritius. For example, when you need to learn a command, the Sofabaton will direct you to point the IR sensor of your devices remote at the circular icon on the top of the hub and press the button for 3-5 seconds. Some remote manufactuers with very well maintained code databases already have the toggle commands built in when you select those specific models of cable boxes. I like that the Flipper gives you three ways to program the remote (versus only two for the EasyMote) to help ensure compatibility. As soon as Logitech announced they were killing Harmony I bought an extra Elite from Best Buy which is still unopened. Thanks for the review Andrew. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Seems very time consuming vs harmony. With most devices, you can reassign any button on the U1 to perform any task from any device that youve loaded into your system configuration. Step2: Make sure your phone's Bluetooth is on and the phone is connected to your home Wi-Fi. I had been having trouble getting the older remote to consistently operate my TV and Apple TV. You would THINK that would send a command, similar to Harmonys Help button. I tested both remotes using the internal TV tuners in my Samsung and LG TVs. But I manage to configure a new remote from scratch through command testing. Now that there arent as many of them, the price can only go up. We liked that the X1s edges were smooth and rounded, and that its buttons had just the right amount of resistance and feedback when pressed. I will say that setting your WiFi and Bluetooth devices with the Sofabaton X1 is the simplest I have encountered to date. Editors Note: If you own a Harmony and have IR blasters on hand, they work with the Sofabaton X1. Devices can be set up by searching online IR code database or directly learning from original physical remotes. The app uses Bluetooth signal to communicate with the Sofabaton remote control, giving access to the full database of IR code for home entertainment devices, such as TV's, SoundBar's, DVD's, etc. As with any product, not everyone will have the same experience. You can search SofaBatons database for the models of your devices, and if theyre there, it only takes one tap to add them. You can also share a hotspot with another mobile phone, use this hotspot as a router, connect both the HUB and the mobile phone to this hotspot, and then see if the HUB can be found. If the user is someone who just wants to choose one Device at a time to control, theyd be better off with Sofabatons other, cheaper remote, the U1. After that you need to click on the '+' icon. But, unlike the Harmony, the Sofabaton X1 does not offer suggestions if the model number is not correct. We independently review everything we recommend. Finally, the One For All setup app does have one helpful feature: a remote finder. 2. It found my Hub and connected it in 30 seconds. *At the time of publishing, the price was $40. SofaBaton centralizes command of all your devices by controlling them with IR, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth wireless signals within 10 meters 390 inches no need to worry about the device disconnected. I will be honest and say that I could not get this to work for me. Shipped by Newegg. Lets discuss. And it controlled their two devices perfectly. You started your Watch TV Activity, but your AV Receiver didnt turn on? Makes me wonder what the issue with the previous two versions is. SofaBaton U1 Universal Remote Control Good features and performance for the price The U1 can control up to 15 AV devices and supports Bluetooth control. When you press it again, it sends a different code. Anything on top is just not working as it should. Do universal remotes work on all TV brands? We recommend the best displays, sources, and accessories for watching 4K HDR movies and TV shows at home. Im pretty sure you and I are in agreement about pretty much everything with this remote. Step5: Fill in the Activity name This will complete the activity creation process. But a growing number of devices, especially game consoles (like the Sony PlayStation 4) and streaming media devices (like some Nvidia Shield TV and Chromecast products), are controlled via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, so youll need a universal remote that supports those technologies. So the setup of the actual hub is a breeze. Finally, the U1 remote can pair with only one Bluetooth device at a time. It will be an absolute non-starter at the "$200 retail" they advertise; if they think they can rob everyone blind after the Harmony exit, I believe they're in for a surprise. If you have a deep custom requirement, you can contact our customer services for an API file after receiving the product. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvCGN_Bmmf4. I have the SofaBaton X1 and I am trying to add a Bluetooth remote and I am having a problem with the directions, I just cannot figure them out. For those enthusiasts that are willing to put in the time, this is about the only universal remote option left. Highly recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. The pronounced scroll wheel is easy to find, so the lack of an accelerometer to activate the backlight is not a deal-breaker. I currently purchase this SofaBaton X1 to replace my Logitech Universal Remote with Hub, I was very impressed when I unboxed this remote. Figure if I download code it would know if you choose that device that off button is off. The remote should be generally easy to program. Plus, a press-and-hold of the red power button serves as an all-off for each activity. - The no-longer-cheap price - heck, my 525 was LESS than the X1 on KS now; the U1 got the price right, but the features wrong - but the X1's price is starting to sting. *Sofabaton is a hilarious name, but very apt imo. If, on the other hand, your home-entertainment system is built around an AV receiver and multiple source components, and sitting down to watch a movie or play a video game requires shuffling among several remotes to switch inputs and control multiple components simultaneously, a universal remote is exactly what you need. Its not really a universal remote because it can control just one or two devices: a TV and a set-top box. And the fact that the remotes programming mode times out after a few seconds means you must act quickly and deliberately. Although theres a lot we like about the SofaBaton U1, it has a few significant drawbackssome are expected for a remote in this price range, and some are just unfortunate design choices. We prefer brands that offer setup software, via either computer or app, and keep a database of manufacturer codes. Yes, we will open the local API of X1 by providing an API file, but X1 cannot directly add APIs of other products or smart platforms. Had the blasters been necessary, it would have just been a matter of affixing them by the IR sensor of the device I needed to reach and then plugging it into the back of the hub. Setup is done using an Android or iOS app on your phone or tablet. But do I recommend it right now? With a universal remote control, television, music listening and video games can be handled better, as several remote controls are combined into one. Supported brands and devices are subject to change without, After creating an Activity, it is not recommended to switch the power supply of the device or switch the source position in the device model, to avoid an error with the information recorded in the Activity setting, as well as potential confusion of func. (If youre not sure how your device is controlled, try this: Point the remote at the ground in the opposite direction from the device its supposed to control, and then press a button. Last updated March 28, 2022 www.sofabaton.com NekoFever. I have the Harmony Elite and I too was getting the ad on FB. Was a Kickstarter buyer figured, what the heck. This new X1 does not appear to offer the ability to accept separate IR flashers making the thing next to useless. Once upon a time, companies made third-party universal remotes that worked with a lot of different devices and let you control them all with one magic wand. I find this troublesome because it assumes that everyone will intuitively know where to put the hub to reach your IR devices or where to place blasters. But when I tried to use it, it was not at all intuitive! I think this would be a nice product if you had a simple system, like a smart TV and a sound bar.