Monster Remote Control Reviewed

I harshed on the Monster Remote Control back in November, criticising it for the vast quantity of confusing buttons and the fact that it would likely give a non-geek a coronary if faced with trying to merely start a DVD playing, but RemoteShoppe decided to give it – and the rest of Monster's "Central Control" HA system – a try.  Consisting of a variety of plug-in and replacement switch lighting controls, which communicate wirelessly with the main automation hub, a software interface walks you through setting up the hardware and then detailing presets and macros. 

Control works either by line-of-sight IR or by RF, using an AVL300 RF to IR adaptor box of which six can be supported in each network.  RemoteShoppe's opinion was a glowing one; aside from some minor niggles about advanced users perhaps finding the macro options a little limited, they concluded that the $600 Monster package is ideal for anyone looking to control both their high-end home entertainment equipment and their lighting.  To that, I'd add my own personal caveat: think about your target audience.  While you yourself might not mind getting to grips with the huge remote, your family might be slightly more reluctant.

RemoteShoppe [via Engadget]