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The x10 iconRemote is one of the newer controllers on the market and at $129 it just may be the remote control you’ve been waiting for – at least according to their web site! The iconRemote is available from the same X10 that is infamous for their guerilla marketing, e-mail promotions, and infomercial-designed web site – but what does that say about the new iconRemote? Is it really the remote control you’ve been waiting for? Let’s find out.

Unlike the other reviews you’ll read here at RemoteShoppe.com I’m going to save the Pros and Cons and feature overview of the iconRemote for the end. Instead, let’s sort through the bold red text and flashy graphics on x10iconremote.com one at a time.

Obviously this is an exaggerated claim by nature but if you consider it objectively you’ll realize that this is based on the fact that the iconRemote does have the ability to learn IR commands. This means that if your equipment is not already in the IR database you should still be able to learn the command from your original controller into the iconRemote. There is also a mini-USB port on the back side of the remote underneath the battery cover. Although this connection serves no purpose for us at this time the fact that it is there makes it possible for X10 themselves to upgrade the firmware on the controller or allow us to utilize this port ourselves in the future.

ONE REMOTE TO RULE THEM ALL

If “Them All” refers to 10 devices in your AV system the X10 iconRemote is up to the task. In the set-up menu you may program a TV, VCR, Cable Box, Satellite Receiver, DVR, DVD Player, Audio Receiver, CD Player and two Aux devices. This is more than enough to replace the “mound of controllers” in the average home and if you combine the learning capability mentioned above with the 10 soft buttons located next to the remote’s vivid LCD display I simply can’t think of any configuration that would prevent you from adding all of your commands to the iconRemote.

FROM CBS TO PBS WITH NO BS. THE ICONREMOTE REMEMBERS WHICH CHANNELS YOU LIKE.

The first feature that caught my eye on the iconRemote the Favorite channel screens with sharp, bright color channel logos. As far as I know the iconRemote is the first controller on the market that allows you to add these 4-color logos for your favorite channels without programming the remote with a PC. The iconRemote comes pre-installed with a library of more than 260 channel logos plus almost 20 more generic icons for quick and easy programming. You can select any combination of up to 90 of these icons to quickly pop-up when you hit either the “His” or "Hers” buttons at the top of the remote or add them to any one of the other 8 favorite groups for the kids, babysitter, etc. The most difficult part of programming these groups is finding the channel number for your Cable or Satellite provider to add to the corresponding logo. The advantage of the iconRemote is that now you’ll only need to do find the channel number once and then finding the channel you like is as easy as selecting it by its logo. I was especially impressed by the fact that the iconRemote’s logo library includes the different variations of the HBO, Showtime, Encore and other popular channels groups.

NO REMOTE CODES NEEDED. PROGRAMMING IS AS EASY AS POPPING POPCORN. FIVE MINUTE SET-UP.

Okay. This is where we get them and call them out the Marketing Department on their bluff. There is absolutely no way that this remote is going to be programmed to control my TV, Cable + DVR, DVD Player, VCR and Audio Receiver in less than 5 minutes. In fact, I was so sure of this that I even went to the sports store to buy a stopwatch to prove them wrong. Well, I’m writing this with egg on my face because I programmed the iconRemote to control all of the equipment mentioned above in just 2 minutes and 19 seconds – less than half the time promised – and I didn’t even read the directions.

Once you install 3 AA batteries into the iconRemote a SETUP WIZARD launches to configure each device in your room, starting with the TV. The iconRemote asks you to choose the manufacturer of your device and the first page of choices is listed in popularity order with the subsequent pages listed alphabetically. This method allows the majority of users to find the manufacturer they need on page one while the rest of you can quickly scan through the pages to get to the manufacturer you need. Once you make your selection you just hit the power button on the iconRemote until it operates your device and then save your work. In my set-up 3 of my 5 devices responded immediately to the first code option while my Pioneer DVD Writer/Player didn’t respond until the 4^th of 7 codes and my 6 year old JVC receiver responded to the second of 7, and I was worried this receiver would not even be in the database. Again, I think it’s worth repeating, I did all this in just 2:19!

Once the devices were all properly configured the next step was to set-up my favorite pages. For kicks I turned on the stop watch again and programmed approximately 30 different favorite channel icons each in three separate groups (His, Hers and Kids). It took just over 3 minutes to program these 90 channels and a good part of that time was spent trying to find the channel numbers for the Kids and my wife’s favorite channels. At least I knew my favorite channels (including 4 ESPNs and 3 HBOs) off the top of my head. You can make this much easier by preparing yourself a quick cheat sheet before you even begin setting up the remote. In fact, that would be a great way to pass the time while you’re waiting for your new iconRemote to arrive at your door.

COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZABLE

If you’ve been impressed by the Logitech Harmony remotes but don’t like the idea of using a PC for programming you should definitely check out the new iconRemote. I personally used the customizable macros to add “Watch TV” “Watch DVD” and other macros to the LCD screen on the iconRemote. I also used the punchthrough options for even further customization. With the equipment I listed my iconRemote stays in the Cable mode for TV viewing and we use the Watch TV button to start up the system. The volume controls the audio receiver, channel controls the cable box, transport keys control the DVR and we never need to switch to other devices.

I must admit that I haven’t been this impressed by an affordable remote control since I reviewed the Harmony 688 from Intrigue (before they were purchased by Logitech). Like the original Harmony remotes the X10 iconRemote is truly revolutionary in its approach. It’s simply amazing what this remote is capable of without needing a PC.

• Price – great deal at just $129
• Vivid color LCD screen with 10 “soft” buttons
• Extensive channel logo library
• Large buttons
• Learning, Macro & Punchthough capability
• Fast and easy set-up
• KidSafe option requires password for operation

• Screen backlights but hard buttons do not
• Backlight may only be activated by pressing a functional button. No tilt sensor or dedicated backlight key.
• No use of USB port for advanced programming capability.

If you’re looking to condense your original controllers to one device and make channel surfing easier the x10 iconRemote is a highly recommended solution. It’s also perfect for you if you’ve been considering one of the Logitech Harmony remotes but you don’t want to use a PC to set-up your new controller.

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