Review: Thinkflood`s Redeye: A True iPhone Infrared Remote

16 posts / 0 new

Tue, 02/02/2010 - 11:07am

tigerstyl

Offline

Joined: 3 Dec 2006

Review: Thinkflood`s Redeye: A True iPhone Infrared Remote

This is actually a pretty neat idea. It would be nice if someone came out with a solution like this for WinMo phones. I could finally use a small device that has a keyboard and could do all the features my Harmony can (kind of). Maybe Logitech should release something like this instead of a new remote (since they don't seem to be adding a keyboard to their remotes anytime soon).

How was the response time? I've set my cell up for wireless control using webguide before, but the delay time sucked. It was like 2-3 seconds from the time I hit a button to the time it happened on the TV.

Tue, 02/02/2010 - 1:09pm

bbig119

Offline

Joined: 21 Jan 2007

Very cool device, but I suspect that it won't be long before they have competition and the price starts to drop. Just yesterday I downloaded and installed the free logitech software that allows you to control PCs or Macs with an iphone of ipod touch over wifi simulating a touchpad and keyboard. I was amazed at how responsive and how well it works. I know Hipporemote is a similar product geared towards controlling specific apps on a PC.

Tue, 02/02/2010 - 1:58pm

David Norman

Offline

Joined: 6 Sep 2009

the response time was good. similar to my Logitech Harmony 890 RF remote

My dual purpose livingroom/theater
http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=198&topic=3343.msg25122#new

Tue, 02/02/2010 - 4:19pm

Matt

Offline

Joined: 30 Sep 2006

Nice scoop, I remember being interested in this when it was announced recently.

I notice that it claims to be able to communicate with more base stations, I assume that would be the only way to make gear that was split up (projector in one room, A/V equipment in another) work since they didn't allow for IR blasting.

Tue, 02/02/2010 - 11:04pm

David Norman

Offline

Joined: 6 Sep 2009

yeah that would work.

the app can control multiple RedEyes, but it would be hard to set and activity that turned on a PJ in one room and an avr in the other because.... at the moment.... the activity screen is nested inside the Room screen. Thus limiting the devices for an activity to being in the same "Room"

if that makes sense. I could be wrong, as I only have 1 to review and not multiples.

My dual purpose livingroom/theater
http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=198&topic=3343.msg25122#new

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 12:28am

Matt

Offline

Joined: 30 Sep 2006

Adidas4275 wrote:

yeah that would work.

if that makes sense. I could be wrong, as I only have 1 to review and not multiples.

I see, well that's a rather silly limitation (the room and activities always being bound together). I agree with you that really the answer is to put in a few IR blaster jacks that can be run from it.

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 9:56am

Meester.Rip

Offline

Joined: 3 Oct 2006

I must be missing something, what is the purpose of the base unit? If the app is on the phone why doesn't the phone's infrared port send out the signals.

And why does the phone dock in the device. In the picture I don't see a cord to the device, so what lights up the LED?

I guess I don't see what this does that my 50 dollar logitech remote doesn't do other than set me up to either lose my phone in the couch. Or everyone in the house requiring their own Iphone to synch up with this to control components when I am not around.

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 12:09pm

jennyfur

Offline

Joined: 5 Oct 2006

Meester.Rip wrote:

I must be missing something, what is the purpose of the base unit? If the app is on the phone why doesn't the phone's infrared port send out the signals.

The phone doesn't have an infrared port as far as I know. In fact I can't think of any smartphone out right now that hasn't already ditched that in favor of bluetooth or wifi. The last phone I had that had it was a Palm from like 4yrs ago.

I'd imagine the phone's power lights up the LED.

7MC - Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650 - Avermedia M780 - Dvico Fusion HDTV7 - Terk HDTVa - Xbox 360 S - Logitech Harmony 650 - Panasonic V10 - Onkyo HT-RC160

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 1:03pm

Meester.Rip

Offline

Joined: 3 Oct 2006

My Palm Treo Pro has IR I jsut assumed most smart phones still kept it. I click contact send beam and it goes. For BT I would have to go to settings and turn it on and then off after transferring.

So the base is just a wireless IR transmitter. I still don't see why tieing it to a phone is better than a dedicated 1\3 the price remote. What do the rest of the people use in the house when the phone is not there. It must be an Apple user thing. I saw apost at DT the other day and was amazed at how many people will buy any apple product sight unseen as long as Steve Jobs puts his approval on it.

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 1:47pm

#10

jennyfur

Offline

Joined: 5 Oct 2006

Meester.Rip wrote:

It must be an Apple user thing. I saw apost at DT the other day and was amazed at how many people will buy any apple product sight unseen as long as Steve Jobs puts his approval on it.

Yeah I think a good percentage of Apple fanboys are just blindly buying this crap. I really see no point in this device when a cheaper remote does the job just fine. Just like I don't see the point in the iPad.

And FYI I'm typing this post on a MacBook Pro.

7MC - Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650 - Avermedia M780 - Dvico Fusion HDTV7 - Terk HDTVa - Xbox 360 S - Logitech Harmony 650 - Panasonic V10 - Onkyo HT-RC160

Thu, 02/04/2010 - 12:37am

#11

David Norman

Offline

Joined: 6 Sep 2009

this product allows the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to emit IR commands.....

whether or not you want it there are many people looking for a good way to intigrate the iPad into a home automation scenario where it is your touch remote control.

this will allow that to happen in a nice way. also touch IR remote controls that integrate well with H/A systems like creston or control4 are $1500 to $2000....

This is not a replacement for a $50 remote, nor is it suppose to.

It does have its limitations, like no IR emitter jacks and no other devices can access it.

My dual purpose livingroom/theater
http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=198&topic=3343.msg25122#new

Thu, 02/04/2010 - 1:12am

#12

Matt

Offline

Joined: 30 Sep 2006

Meester.Rip wrote:

My Palm Treo Pro has IR I jsut assumed most smart phones still kept it. I click contact send beam and it goes.

IrDA has pretty much given way to Bluetooth for personal area networking.

Also something to consider: consumer IR (remotes) and IrDA (PC data transmit/recieve IR protocol) are incompatible and many transmitters made for only IrDA cannot be used as a universal remote. It just so hapens that the Palm Treo and kin can theoretically be used as a consumer IR remote, but since the IR port was made with close proximity (IrDA use) in mind it actually needs a booster.
http://www.novii.tv/palm/blaster/

Meester.Rip wrote:

I still don't see why tieing it to a phone is better than a dedicated 1\3 the price remote. What do the rest of the people use in the house when the phone is not there.

Agreed. I don't think you would use it (solely) with an iPhone. I would get the cheapest iPod Touch for dedicated use. Which as Adidas pointed out is still considerably cheaper than other touch screen remotes.

Wed, 02/24/2010 - 10:50pm

#13

mabrown

Offline

Joined: 23 Feb 2010

I was really excited when I first saw this product announced, but I too have my HT equipment in a rack (also my projector 10' away) so with no external IR blasters it's not going to work for me, otherwise I'd be all over it.

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 12:59pm

#14

jennyfur

Offline

Joined: 5 Oct 2006

Looks like it didn't take them long to greatly improve this product (as well as the price):
RedEye Mini

7MC - Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650 - Avermedia M780 - Dvico Fusion HDTV7 - Terk HDTVa - Xbox 360 S - Logitech Harmony 650 - Panasonic V10 - Onkyo HT-RC160

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 1:59pm

#15

Matt

Offline

Joined: 30 Sep 2006

jennyfur wrote:

Looks like it didn't take them long to greatly improve this product (as well as the price):
RedEye Mini

Sort of... price is better, but it looks goofy and it only can do one room...

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 2:17pm

#16

Daniel Schoerner

Offline

Joined: 27 Dec 2006

Ehh...I kind of liked the original idea better, but just add IR blasters to it so that you can make sure it's getting a signal to everything properly. That made it a mini whole house type of solution.

I'd lose the little IR dongle in about a week (just like my super tiny 8GB USB drive). And where would I keep it? I'm not going to carry the IR device around in my pocket all day.

My Home Theater, XLobbyMC
To Do: Finish Re-ripping my music collection - While Playing FF XIV

Review: Thinkflood`s Redeye: A True iPhone Infrared Remote

Recent Activity

Featured Guides

Popular Content

Today's:

All time:

Last viewed:

More Guides

More Blogs

More Reviews