I Used The Best Universal Remote of 2024 - Goodbye Logitech! (YIO Remote) 

I have two Logitech Harmony remotes, their data base is insane! Something like 270,000 different devices.

Logitech WAS amazing. Emphasis on the word WAS, they are out of the universal remote game. I have a 665 and I love it. It does everything under the sun so of course they stopped making it! Everything about that remote is perfect, programming, database of devices, ease of use you name it. WHY LOGITECH WHY!!!!

@@davstinthere’s still plenty of harmony remotes online to buy. Used ones are cheap, new ones a bit pricier. I bought 1 used and 1 new they both work perfectly. I ordered 2 new replacement batteries too. You actually only need the remote, not the charging base. If you buy the replacement batteries, they come with a wall charger.

@@CxClips Yeah there are plenty of the 665 remotes which originally sold for $69 now on sale new for $283. and used for around $159 with no guarantees or returns. That sounds great.

This one does look good, Sofabaton U2 is good for basic setups. Since logitech moved out of the way is nice too see others rise up and fill the void.

I haven't been able to reactivate my Harmony and assumed it was b/c they no longer make them. I'm not paying $450 just to watch TV, however, I've gone back to the Roku remote and decided to dump the receiver in lieu of a sound bar and will pull out the bluray remote when needed. The funny thing is that the Harmony hub still works as I can tell Alexa to turn off the TV. I just can't control anything with the remote itself.

@@markkempton4579 My Remotes and hub still work but if I unplug everything for some reason not sure it will re start. I hear a lot of comments about hubs just shutting down.

Compair it to the beoremote one and I know which I would get for the money 😅

I was thinking of something roundabout 200€ - more than double my initial expectation really is crazy

I agree, especially in AUD :) Its simply an amazing remote, but at that price, I'll juggle 3 remotes and a PS5 controller for now. Maybe if I get my own designer home and have inbuilt automation options on light switches etc I may go for this, but right now, too expensive.

It's been like 20 years, but I'm still using my Phillips Pronto Pro TSU7000 and I'm pretty sure it was $600.

​@@TanquenThings had less complex parts 20 years ago. A remote with a screen is going to get banged up, the software will become obsolete, and the built in battery (which can be replaced but let's face it most consumers won't) will die.

agreed, work in progress is very accurate. hopefully in time it'll be able to do everything and you wont need the harmony hub, the hub still phones home every now then, so when logitech turn of the cloud service the hub goes too :(

This uses OLED. Not LCD.

@@PSYCHOV3N0M Accurate critique, but not a meaningful difference in terms of the actual complaint being made.

@hurricane1951 Progressive lenses FTW

We agree. We added the most common buttons on the SmartRemote, and most all buttons can be programmed for Short / Long press to double the programmable functions each button can do. Completely customizable by the end user. And of course the touchscreen UI is also completely customizable. We include "out of the box" functionality to get going quickly. Then the end user can modify from there.

Except it is missing the most important buttons for a termite to control a TV, that is the 0-9 buttons to select channels. With cable, satellite, and fiber systems offering hundreds if not thousands of channels now, an up/down button is not going to cut it. I’m not about to hit up/down 400-600 times on average to change between any two random channels that I might want to check to see what is on. Sure I can store a couple as a macro, but I have probably 100-150 that I will frequently watch and another 50-100 that I will occasionally watch. Remapping the other physical buttons is a non-starter because good luck teaching someone else “Oh, yeah, you need to do XYZ and the chicken dance while standing on one foot to be able to have it input a 0-9 key” to someone like say my parents or grandparents… I mean are you kidding me? This is why Logitech failed and shutdown their harmony remote devision. They removed the 0-9 keys from all the remotes that they had left on the market and then wondered why no one was buying them anymore, while thousands of potential customers where literally screaming at them at the top of their lungs that they wanted their remotes to have physical 0-9 buttons for the very reason I just pointed out.

I’m still using my TSU-9400. Bits and pieces are loose. But still fully functional, aside from the rotary buttons. Using Windows 7 via VMware on my Mac.

Allonis's SmartRemote uses a capacitive touchscreen and the user interface design tool (myDesigner 6) you can design webpages that have PAN feature (like to slide a large floorplan across the small touchscreen user interface).

It is going to be that way for a lot of people, it is a serious investment, but a lot of people now have to replace their Harmony Elites which where $350 at launch. You should never have to replace this, and the parts are mostly wildly available so it's user serviceable. Maybe the price can come down in future, hopefully, but it is probably going to stay where it is for a while.

You’re just not the target audience. I think it’s reasonable and about what I’ve paid for similar things, like the much more basic BeoRemote One.

Yea you’re not the target audience. My Control4 remotes were $900+ a pop

@@bboi Wow so cool

Cool so youre essentially saying you have more money than common sense. 😂 ​@bboi

One reason I’m still using a URC MX700 to this day with some used ones on hand for parts.

I totally get what you mean about missing the tactile feel of physical buttons, personally i think this has enough, of course I would happily take more, The trend towards touchscreens isn't for everyone (or me). having a touchscreens as an added bonus, sure i'll take it, but the main input should always be physical buttons. Also, the IR database limitation is a valid concern, but hope fully that will improve

That remote is beast, i love it.

100% agree. I hate my elite. my 890 was my best remote.

Personally the Harmony 650 was the best they made, to my mind. Only a little on the screen, very tactile button layout, and uses AA batteries so I can just rotate in rechargables and never have to worry about keeping the remote on a charger somewhere. This one looks promising, but needs more buttons. (and a lower cost option, perhaps with a smaller screen?)

It does have IR in both the Remote and the Dock, The remote side isn't switched on yet, but will be in future update

@@BuzStringer How does it handle IR equipment that is hidden away in a media cabinet? My Harmopny handles that very well with the hub in the cabinet and external IR blasters connected outside the cabinet

There are 2 ports for external blasters, it also comes with 2 blasters. Because the dock is is also the charger, that does make a bit more tricky, you could either buy a second dock for the cabinet or run the extenders to the inside of the cabinet. no price on extra docks yet, probably wont see those until they ship to everyone on the reserve list

What kind of batteries does it use?

How do Logitech remotes charge again?Pretty sure every model has a dock or some method of charging. At least the high-end models..

Similar to an air mouse? i think i has a gryo so it might be possible in the future, although i should just be a motion sensor. so maybe, but defiantly not for a long time :(

That's actually a good idea, like the Gameboy cases. ideally a small phone.

yes and no. so you can't activate commands directly via the web interface yet (i'm sure that will come at some point) but there is a Home assistant plugin someone has made, so you can use HA to send commands, and /or add those commands to voice assistants via HA. you can also use the API to send commands if know what you are doing there.

@@BuzStringer thanks. I went ahead and ordered this week. I’ll have to see what I can make it do for me. Thanks!

I'd like to see improvements here too, i have some more videos coming about some other devices, and DIY-ing a local universal remote

Allonis's SmartRemote / myServer has the "HAGateway" driver to enable control over most any HomeAssistant device via myServer's custom user interfaces (SmartRemote / Smartphone / Tablet / PC - any browser equipped device).

Pretty much exactly what i did, but with the NVIDIA Shield and Fire TVs instead. The Living room is a little more complicated because we have 3 Consoles and a Gaming PC in there.

I haven't used a digit on a remote in nearly a decade. Why waste real estate on them? TV channels are rather antiquated concepts at this point, and I can't remember anything else those were used for. That said, I'll agree that the remote is rather large. The entire remote for my Harmony Hub is roughly the size of the touch screen on this one, and thinner too. The battery has lasted a couple of years so far (not "3 days"!).

what would a digit pad even be for lol

@@cashnelson2306 I use the numeric buttons to select the U-verse channel to watch.

That sounds pretty cool, I haven't had the opportunity to test any integrated services. I've only really seen demos of control4, I get the need for them, if you don't want to do it yourself and have a support line, but they are too rich for my blood. But they do make really nice hardware, it's a shame it's not easy to buy separately, but I get it, the money isn't in the hardware for them. Come back and let us know how you got on with the AVA

Would love to know the contact, so that I can buy one as well.

Would love the contact too

There is so much potential here, it's a very small team. and the more they sell the more of their time is used in support (their support is very good via Discord.) i'd say after 24 months this will be very polished. This year it should be feature complete.

you can add whatever you like to the screen, (including numbers) and have as many pages as you like. you can also add button on the screen to type a series of numbers for you via a macro :)

Thanks :) i'll keep trying

Waiting is valid choice, i'll be posting major updates, battery improvements etc when they happen.

I don't have any exact dates, but I believe they have nearly all been shipped to the Kickstarter backers, then they'll contact people on the reserve list, then it'll be generally available. My guess is probably 4-6 months. But I have no idea how long that reserve list is. Yes! They will be selling parts, right now they are using them to build remotes, but I have seen them send replacement parts to people who managed to break their remotes somehow. :)

yep a more polish and price drop would be great,

It's a Kickstarter. Google "remote two unfolded circle" and it will be the first link. They used to be named YIO (you're input/output) but everyone pronounced it differently so they changed it recently.

sofabaton只是一个影音遥控器，和smarthome几乎没有关系。

I feel your pain, Hopefully, the reserve list moves quickly, and you get yours soon!

I hate Internal batteries as well and it is a major issue. 5 years is generous for an internal battery, but they have said almost everything is user replaceable, I haven't tried a battery swap yet so I can't confirm how easy or difficult it is.

I also put it in the drawer. My biggest complaint is disastrous battery life and also docking station sometimes didnt want to start charging. Very dissapointed.

Yeah, This isn't for everyone, it's way too overkill if you just a few remotes, But if you want to control thing like lights or Mult-room audio, or multiple setups in different rooms. that's where it shine. My setup requires 3 different remotes to get to the right HDMI input (TV, HDMI Switch, Soundbar) i can't dealing with that.

It's my good understanding that the NEEO team is now working for Control4 (for the most part) and the YIO team is completely independent group.

As Soon as a company mentions Native Home Assistant i am paying attention. So many companies actively try to stop you using your stuff with other stuff.

Depending on what device you are using KODI on, when the bluetooth is switch on that should work without having to wait for dedicated KODI control, although KODI does make it very easy for 3rd party remotes to control it over the network, which would be better.

You’re right it is expensive, but the price is in line with other devices, like the Harmony Elite launched for $350 in 2015, So the 3 has serval improvement over the 2, and is cheaper, I have a video on the 3 coming soon. You could get something like a Galaxy A25 for $250, but there’s no physical buttons, and no IR, adding IR will probably cost about $50 with one of the Broadlink devices, and you have to setup everything yourself, which is fine, but will cost you some hours.

I have a video in the works about customizing the Shields interface, probably end of Feb. They do launch the the Console, The PS5 and PC buttons turn them on it uses home assistant in the background to do that. the N Switch doesn't let you turn it on, because Nintendo 😂

@BuzStringer thank you for the reply!! That sounds amazing!! I was interesting in doing something like this as it looks so clean 👌🏽. Looking forward to the vid when it comes out. 🙌🏽

i'm sure that will come in time, it's pretty trivial to do that now. but I think that will come after the long list of bug fixes they have...

I think so, i don't have an Apple TV, so i'll check and let you know

It does come with a docking and does the IR-signals for now. He explained it in the video. If you look at the specs on the website, you'll see where to hook them up.

Yes, but doesnt work (yet)

Most yes, agreed. some of us did push the Logitech remotes to do what they wasn't designed to do, like talk to Home assistant

Us guys like real buttons, and having anyone in the be able to be able to control stuff without having to sign up to 3 apps just to switch to HDMI 2 and put the sound on night mode. Plus unlocking your phone and opening an app to pause or mute the TV takes too long. We are lazy, but we want to be lazy quickly.

Yes, so the Dock is blaster and you add extenders or get additional docks.

@@BuzStringer Thanks! So just to confirm how many extenders will the dock support and if I buy an additional dock does it simply sync with the 'main dock' ?

It does have this, previously wake up time was a little slow so I turned it off, but with more recent firmware updates wake up time is a lot faster :)

Congratulations ... Human. You have passed the test. There will be Cake. For other Humans who also like to be tested, Portal Revolution drops in 3 days! www.portalrevolution.com/ no affiliation just really excited