What is needed, in my opinion, is a standard methodology for interactive communications for audio/video electronics. Whether the medium is bluetooth, RF, etc., the data layer could be some XML-like EDI format that both sides (remote and unit) can interpret. This could also enable unit-to-unit communications, i.e. your cd player telling your processor what is playing or telling the remote to go dark when your movie starts playing and to light up when the movie ends.

If the standards are kept open, you could just purchase your favorite "remote" form factor from anywhere you want, perform some sort of "handshake" with the unit, the unit itself could store and send the remote all it needs to know (commands, codes, etc.), and voila! every company that charges $400 to program your remote would be out of business. I said "remote" in quotes because eventually I think we will go to some sort of universal personal electronics device (like an iphone) that would take on any "personality" you want.

I wouldn't be surprised if a company like Sony, who has a reputation for integrating their products in innovative ways, would start something like this.

Something like that. Just partnering with them and allow a little choice, but not the entire line. That certainly would separate them from other manufacturers. I gather they already license some of their products for the current remotes.


Personally I would jump at the MX-880 as an upgrade option.

It's not a bad idea - offer two or three URC (or Harmony) remotes, and toss in an Outlaw-standard setup file for the component it is sold with.

Currently, Outlaw uses UEI remotes for their equipment, but that doesn't mean they couldn't do something separately with another company in parallel with that. They even used a URC remote for the Model 950 (a rebadged SL9000, to be specific), so there is at least some small history between the two companies.

I agree, this would be a great feature. Imagine, just connect your laptop to the processor or receiver and be able to control everything.

This can be done either through TCP/IP or through a bluetooth connection, maybe even a USB connection. Actually, USB will be the easiest - just connect the laptop, start a custom app and you are able to adjust any setting with a click of a mouse.

However, I doubt that the Outlaw team has the resources to develop such an interface.

I think this sort of approach would have the most value if it allowed remote (particularly wireless remote) interface, which probably wouldn't match up well with USB. After all, firmware updates have already proven that very few of us have computers near our systems. From that standpoint, TCP/IP (probably through some sort of web-based interface, since it would be platform agnostic at that point) would seem like the ideal approach. However you slice it, it's a significant development investment (mainly on the software side, as ethernet connectivity is getting easier and cheaper to integrate every year). Balancing that investment (and the associated cost increase the final product would probably experience as a result) with the number of customers who can actually use it is one of those debates that I'm glad I don't have to be part of - there is no right answer, just varying degrees of wrong. At some point, it will probably become an easier thing to justify. Right now, it feels to me like it is sort of on that borderline between "what a cool concept!" and "maybe they should try to include something along these lines?"...

Well if you're going to go that far, you could slap on a few more ethernet ports so it acts as a switch and throw in a wireless card and make it so all your other units can use the pre/pro connection. Then there's no need to hardwire your system. Wireless connection with the ability to connect your blu-ray player and other networked units.

I think building in a switch and wireless repeated is just going to jack up manufacturing costs. Anybody can buy such a device - if they need it - for minimal cost, while some folks will already have one or some comparable solution already in place.

The problem I've seen with many peoples home theater systems is that they don't have a wired jack hooked up. So they need to purchase extra equipment. But a lot of equipment is just coming with an ethernet port. The PS3 has wireless and it makes it simple. Having wiress build in is great. Just seems like a logical step to put in in a reciever or pro-pro with a switch. Instead of buying more equipment to make an extended network.

You can't buy a wireless repeater for this type of system, you'd have to buy an access point client and even then those work with a single piece of equipment which would need to be a router is you wanted it to work with several pieces of equipment.

To achieve what we're talking about (wireless with a switch), they'd be building a wireless access point and a network switch into the processor. It's a lot of work compared to just slapping an ethernet module under the hood, and it will then go unused for folks with no home network (who thus aren't using the ethernet connectivity on any of their equipment anyway) and folks who already have wired or wireless connections in place. When you can get something like this for $40, it's probably hard to justify the expense of building that into a surround processor. There's also the potential headache and support cost associated with providing an interface for configuring the wireless access point (encryption and the rest) through the receiver's user interface and fielding tech support calls related to it.

I guess that if it were me designing it, I'd rather let the customer get whatever they need to best serve their network than try to build a solution in and then support it. Of course, I also pulled four network cables through my attic to my entertainment center a couple of years ago, so my perspective may be clouded by that...

What we are really asking for is what I have heard called a PC home theatre unit. If we were going to design a system for ease of hookup why would we not make a Pre/Pro that only get input from something similiar to a laptop which is wireless for all other components. That way all the other components could output wirelessly into the laptop and it would feed the Pre/Pro which would still output to an amp. Does anyone know of a wireless card which would accept the output from a OPPO BDP-83 and feed to a laptop much like my wireless home network functions now. If you had such a setup you could extend the output from the amp and make wireless speakers each with their own amplifiers. It would completely eliminate the wires and make it possible to use any piece of equipment anywhere in you house and you could set your equipment up in a closet. The remote would be something like a iPhone with wireless access to your home theater. If we look around a little bit I'll bet we can eliminate all of the equipment we now have and replace it with all new stuff that has a whole new set of problems. Anyone know if this equipment already exists. All of this sounds like it could be done right now, kinda like your grand dads system in the 50s when they started the Hi Fi craze, Eh?