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The RTI T2C is one of the first handheld controllers on the market to combine a full-function hard button remote with the customization and flexibility of a color touch screen. It is also the latest in an esteemed “T2” family of RTI handheld controllers and the first major upgrade to that series since the T2+ was introduced in the summer of 2004. Believe it or not, the T2C is not a replacement to the T2+ which is still part of the RTI product line today; it’s just the latest handheld remote available for installers to offer yet another option to their customers.

Unlike some of the other remotes reviewed here, RTI remotes are sold exclusively through a network of trained professional integrators and are designed to be part of a complete system. A total RTI control solution may include a combination of handheld & tabletop remotes, in-wall controllers and advanced control processors that make them all work together. The combination of this equipment becomes an easy interface to even the most complex audio and video equipment including whole house control and multi-room audio.

PROS

• High resolution color touch screen plus a robust selection of hard buttons and scroll toggle
• Tilt activated backlight plus hard button to manually turn on backlight
• Excellent tactile feedback on hard buttons
• Ergonomic design in a remote narrow enough to comfortably reach across with your thumb
• Rechargeable battery with docking station
• Full customization & integration with all RTI control products allowing for just about any control option including IR, RF, RS232 and more
• Support from trained professional integrators

CONS

• Longer than the average controller (but then again the RTI T2C is far from the average controller!)
• New tilt sensor for backlight produces an audible click
• No battery meter or time display
• T2C mounted on charging cradle accurately 9 out of 10 times. Sorry guys, just not perfect.

One of the major advantages of any remote with a color touch screen is the ability to customize the remote’s look and feel. If you’re the end user of the RTI T2C this means that you can work with your installer to make your remote do just about anything you can imagine. Some of the standard customizations being done in the industry today are different favorite channel pages for each member of the family with channel logos on buttons for one-click navigation; a customized home screen to impress and wow your friends (i.e. Welcome to the Jones’ Family Home Theater”); and Activity based device control that allows you to initiate complicated macros with the press of a single button like “Watch TV.” In fact, I found that you can get even more creative with the RTI T2C touch screen because hard buttons are already available for most common commands (including numbers, transport keys & navigation controls).

Installers will be happy to know that the T2C uses the same Theater Touch Designer software as other RTI products (of course) and you may continue to use the Bitmap Libraries available from RTI or create your own using any of the popular graphics formats including PNG, JPG or GIF. I was inspired by the Apple iPhone when I began to configure my T2C so I spent some time creating a custom bitmap library based on the iPhone GUI. I just designed some color buttons and used some icon images from vistaicons.com to mimic the iPhone look and feel. I was able to drag and drop these images right onto the T2C layout in Theater Touch Designer.



PROGRAMMING THE RTI T2C
All RTI control products, including the T2C, are programmed with the Theater Touch Designer software which is only available to trained professional integrators. RTI often updates this software with the release of new products and when the T2C was released they added programming support for the revolutionary new scroll list. Just below the touch screen the RTI T2C has a three way rocker switch for scroll list navigation. This is perfect for programming music channel lists, favorite channels (like the one pictured here courtesy of Only One Remote), and even CD/DVD or media server libraries. Just toggle down to scroll down, up to scroll up or depress the center to select the active option.

Another useful tool is the “convert” command that allows you to convert any RTI T3 program to a T2C configuration, or vice versa. This conversion is fast and easy and was extremely helpful to me since I’ve been using the RTI T3 since I reviewed it a year ago. Once the conversion is completed you will need to do some customization. Many of the buttons you programmed on a T3 screen are now available as hard buttons on the T2C which means you’ll now have even more room on the touch screen to get even more creative.

Which to choose? RTI T2+, T2C or RTI T3
Your system integrator will make a lot of the decisions for you and choose most of the components for your RTI control system based on their knowledge, training and experience. However, the handheld controller that you use daily to access your system is a personal decision and you can help your integrator choose the right one for you by knowing a little bit about the differences and your viewing habits.

In my opinion the RTI T2+ is a very nice handheld controller best for the places where you need a simple remote for what may or may not be a simple system, like the bedroom. The T2+ has a one color display and the form factor of a standard controller so it’s definitely the least likely of the RTI options to inspire a “WOW” from your guests. The RTI T3 is just the opposite of that! The T3 features a large touch screen and just a few hard buttons. Like it or not we live in the age of the iPhone and new iTouch… touch screens wow people and the T3 is a touchscreen remote. Last week at CEDIA RTI also announced an updated model of the T3 called the T3V which borrows more of the T2C’s overall design and upgrades the touch screen to a gorgeous full-VGA display. If “WOW” is what you want, the T3-V will have it! If you want that “WOW” with more traditional functionality then T2C may be the best bet.

The T2C is a great option (definitely not a compromise since the RTI control systems all have the same powerful capabilities) if you like to do a lot of channel surfing or if you are a heavy DVR user and like to FF/Play/Pause your way through TV commercials. Finding these buttons quickly is always easier on a hard button remote since you’ll quickly memorize the button locations and just move to the command you need without ever looking down. The T2C offers the best of both worlds by giving you this functionality in an ergonomic design with the buttons well-grouped for blind navigation while still giving you the customization flexibility and WOW of the touch screen. I personally replaced the RTI T3 in my living room with the RTI T2C because my family watches pre-recorder DVr shows almost exclusively in that room. The RTI T3 was shifted to the Family Room where we are more likely to turn on CNN, ESPN or background music and leave it alone for a while. In my home, blind navigation with hard buttons is an awesome feature to have with the T2C in the living room and I love that the T3 gives us access to the Family room system and the same whole house systems controlled by RTI.

click here to read the RemoteShoppe review of the RTI T3


THE INSTALLER’S PERSPECTIVE
RTI installers are a loyal bunch and have a lot of respect for RTI because they gained that respect the old-fashioned way – they earned it! RTI’s C2C Inititiative (Committed to Custom) is their pledge to the channel and Pete Baker, RTI VP of Sales and Marketing proudly describes C2C as simply meaning that:

“We design control solutions that provide affordable and intuitive automation for custom installation applications. These solutions have always been and will continue to be available exclusively through trained professional integrators.”

A reason why the installers I spoke to have quickly become fans of the T2C is because they can now walk into a home of someone that is looking into an entry level custom installation application and offer the advanced capabilities of the RTI family without having to worry about not having a product that doesn’t look as cool as the Logitech Harmony 880/890 remotes found at the local Best Buy/Magnolia stores. Logitech was one of the first companies to introduce a hard button remote with a color screen at the top but the similarities end there. The RTI T2C features a full color touch screen as opposed to just a color screen located next to some buttons and the T2C display is much sharper and higher resolution than the Logitech counterparts currently available. Most importantly, the RTI T2C is just one component in a complete control system solution. I can’t possibly explain the difference between basic IR and RF control vs. RTI’s control systems featuring IR; bullet-proof, narrow band RF; RS232 and relay control and just about anything else you can imagine.

FINALLY, USING THE T2C
I have been using the RTI T2C in my living room for a few weeks now and, like my previous experience with RTI products, the performance is incredible. The IR strength is excellent and the RF capability with the RTI RP-6 processor is bullet proof. (click here for RemoteShoppe's previous review of the RTI RP-6.)

The T2C hard buttons have a firm but comfortable click and are spaced out nicely making the remote nice and easy to use without ever looking down. If you want to look down to see what you’re doing you’ll be pleased by the backlit keys and touchscreen which may be automatically activated by the tilt sensor or manually turned on with a glowing button at the bottom of the remote. If you happen to hear something rolling around in your T2C, relax, there’s probably no problem – it’s just a small ball bearing that activates the backlight. Most remote manufacturers used mercury switches to activate the backlight but these may no longer be used to comply with European ROHS requirements. When RTI designed the T2C to meet these requirements they decided that the automatically activated backlight was a necessary feature and went to great lengths to find a method to make this work. Once you realize that you don’t have a defective remote with something jiggling in it I assure you, you’ll hardly notice the ball-bearing.
Battery life on the T2C is amazing and I used the remote pretty heavily for four straight days before deciding to give it a charge. I found this kind of battery life extremely impressive give that the battery itself is only about the size of a match book. When low, the RTI T2C will display a battery warning but it’s a big pet peeve of mine that RTI remotes will not display battery life or time of day on the screen. I understand that monitoring battery life and displaying accurate time on the display will both reduce the remote’s overall battery performance but it would be great to at least have these displays available if wanted. I have the excellent habit of placing the remote back on it’s battery charger base every night before bed so I would personally sacrifice battery life for these tools.

The RTI T2C charging base holds the remote in a vertical position and has it’s own blue backlight that confirms when a proper connection between the remote and the base is made. The first few times I placed the RTI T2 on the battery charger I had a hard time getting it seated just right but now I’ve discovered that if I put the remote in on a slight angle it will connect perfectly 9 out of 10 times. When it doesn’t connect perfectly it just takes a flick of a finger to get the slight adjustment needed to properly charge the remote.

FINAL IMPRESSIONS: WHO SHOULD BUY THE RTI T2C
If you’re an end-user working with a custom installer who recommends RTI control solutions the T2C is the perfect combination of a traditional hard-button remote with the star-power of a touch screen. WOW your friends and family while controlling your system with ease. The T2C is only available from trained professional integrators and may be installed as just one component in a larger RTI control system for complete IR, RF, RS232 control and more.

If you’re a custom installer, the RTI T2C is finally the controller you’ve been waiting to show your customers who spend too much time shopping at the local big box retailers like Magnolia/Best Buy. Logitech has released some nice Harmony remotes with eye-popping designs and it’s only right that T2C should look more impressive and more powerful – because it is. The RTI T2C, like all RTI products, is programmed with the TheaterTouch Designer software and if fully compatible with all RTI control system components. It’s also backed by AVAD, RTI’s sole distributor, and RTI’s C2C program with dealer-specific training and support.

The RTI T2C has a list price of $899 but is usually sold only as part of a larger, custom installed control system. For more information on the RTI T2C and other RTI control products go to www.rticorp.com