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SofaBaton X2 - Harmony remote replacement?

ipaine

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Ok so with my new tv and soundbar I have a remote for each. Then I have the remote for the telus box and then I have my old harmony that is currently only working for my HTPC. So since Harmony is basically dead and even though I do have the software, it will not work great for what I want to be doing in the future so I have to look for a replacement. Right now the TV and soundbar are just sitting on my old tv stand, but the plan is to wall mount both and on the other side of that wall is my server room and that is where the telus box and htpc will be. This way the wall with the tv will have zero cables since they will be just going through the wall to the equipment on the other side.

So I need something I can use to control all of it, and do it without any type of line of sight. This is when I found the SofaBaton and have been looking at both the X1S and X2.

It looks like both will do what I need, but the X2 does look better and should be able to control many things from it. It also will allow me to control smart lights and such and create activities so like with a button press it could change it to my HTPC and dim the lights and such.

Does anyone here have any experience with the X2 or even the X1S? Cause while they look good, the cost is not cheap at all. Looking at $280 for the X1S and $500 for the X2. Thoughts? Opinions? Wild ranting?
 
What Harmony do you have? Not a model w/ a Hub?

I could never justify that kind of money for a remote. If my Harmony ever loses support, I'll be making my own remote lol.
 
xentr_thread_starter
What Harmony do you have? Not a model w/ a Hub?

I could never justify that kind of money for a remote. If my Harmony ever loses support, I'll be making my own remote lol.
No hub, one of the earlier models. I think it is the 880. I'll have to check when I get back downstairs to look. I know it was not cheap back then, but it was not as pricey as these ones.
 
No hub, one of the earlier models. I think it is the 880. I'll have to check when I get back downstairs to look. I know it was not cheap back then, but it was not as pricey as these ones.
If it's an 880 I believe you are humped. It was one of the models Harmony has quit all support for. You are unable to program it.
 
xentr_thread_starter
I was wrong the 880 was the one I used to have. Current one is the Harmony One.

Still will need to replace it with something that can do what I want.
 
I saw BB had this on sale: https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/produc...-tv-universal-remote-control-urc7966/17858138 which I ordered yesterday, should get it next week. I've only had Harmony 550 and 650 though, which I believe were also around the $99 price point at their time. While my 650 still works, this One for All seems to have BLE for Google TV/Fire TV. $60 is cheap enough to give it a shot.

They do have an E-Ink touchscreen model too for $169 - https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/produc...art-control-pro-touch-remote-control/19446251 but since there's no hub you won't get any of the smart home controls SofaBaton has.
 
I do have a harmony one in the basement, really do like the thing but even now it is a pain to program anymore with the software.

However if you use arc or optical out etc should be able to at least not bother with the sound bar remote for basic operation. Should be able to use the TV remote for volume up/down and have it control the sound bars output.
 
xentr_thread_starter
Well finally had a chance to attempt reprogramming my Harmony. And well soundbar it can do, or at least good enough, but the tv is a no go. It doesn't have it in the database and even picking one that is close didn't work. It also doesn't help training it as that just doesn't work for the tv. So going to have to get something at some point.

Just wish that X2 wasn't so stupid expensive, cause it really is what I want feature wise.
 

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