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User reviews for the Sony RM-AV3000 from Sony Electronics.
Ratings
Reviews
MSRP (USD)
Average: 3.72/5.00 Median: 4.00/5.00
102
$199
As Sony's top-of-the-line remote control, the powerful RM-AV3000 features control of 18 devices, 45 macros, full learning capabilities, timers, a large LCD touchscreen and a good complement of hard buttons.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 11 made on Thursday June 27, 2002 at 5:07 PM.
Strengths:
Very easy to set up out of the box but I have all sony products and was a main reason for the purchase. Within 15 minutes I had it working with my Toshiba TV, Sony vcr, Sony CD player, Sony DVD player and Sony receiver. Still haven't found out if there is a code for a Sony T60 Directivo
Weaknesses:
Screen is a bit tough to see, shows fingerprints and man does the instruction book suck..It reminded me of the movie Bettlejuice when they talk about the book of the dead reading like a stereo manual.. this one reads like a bad stereo manual
Review:
Overall it has done the job of cleaning up 5 out of 6 remotes. Hopefully I will get it to accept my Directivo remote and I will be even happier! Definetly buy it online, I paid about $125 shipped and had it in my hands in 2 days..
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 9 made on Sunday June 9, 2002 at 10:49 PM.
Strengths:
More was to control your gear than you can think up. Slick design
Weaknesses:
The most confusing, and cryptic book of instructions. Example: Every sentence runs on and on and on with introductions of features and names without any forewarning. Bad writing!
Review:
If you can make it through the awful instruction book, it’s a great little clicker.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 8 made on Wednesday May 29, 2002 at 10:24 PM.
Strengths:
Programming ease, Nice selection of hard buttons, Beautiful screen, Wide range of etched button names, 12 additional customizable labels per component, Huge number of components, Flamethrower IR transmitter, Wide-range of remote performance configuartions
Weaknesses:
Horribly redundant manual, no backup option to a PC, Can be held with one hand, but Sony could have tweaked its width down some.
Review:
Well, what can I say that hasn't already been said so well? Like most people here, I had this thing working within minutes of taking it out of the box. Since then, I have been extremely impressed with my ability to customize the remote settings and the settings for each of my components.
I will only add that I feel that two of the criticisms leveled here are somewhat unjustified:
1) Etched labels aren't flexible - Yes, but that's what you get with this remote and most people purchase the remote knowing that fact. I have been pleasantly surprised by how many options there are for these labels. Yes, fully customizable would be nice, but get a Pronto for that. The advantage of the etched labels is their clarity at even a relatively small size (which equals more buttons on the screen). They also handle about 90% of my most frequently used commands. The other 10% go on the bottom of the first page of fully customizable labels. I will say that the mechanism to switch between the pages of labels is not intuitive, but is also not difficult. Sony could have done a better job on that function, however.
2) You need a separate remote to enter discrete power codes – Well, yes, but you really need a separate remote to customize any universal remote. The preprogrammed codes cannot possibly address the full range of all manufacturers' remote signals. Like most, I am surprised that the standard Sony TV configuration does not include discrete power on and off settings, but that can easily be resolved if the remote that came with your Sony TV does have those functions. Of course, many Sony remotes do not, but that is more of a criticism of the remotes that come with Sony TVs. I for one just dropped nearly $3000 on a Sony wide screen HDTV that only has a discrete power off (no discrete power on). I am more frustrated by that fact than the fact that the AV3000 doesn't have a code for absolutely every feature on my TV. Yes, this argument doesn't help much if you lost your original remote or if your original remote is lame. In that case you may need to spend another $30 on a Radio Shack model to help configure this remote. I agree that such an additional expense is not welcome, but let's be honest...most of us considering this option are really just tweaking at that point.
In general, I will agree somewhat that the etched labels are a limitation and that the standard definition for the Sony components is lame, but neither of those facts dampens my enthusiasm for this incredibly elegant remote...especially when you pick it up for around $120 online. Browse the Pronto boards and read about how many people paid a premium for the privilege to own a remote that takes a PhD to program and then rewards you by crashing. :-)
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 7 made on Wednesday May 29, 2002 at 1:11 PM.
Strengths:
Simple to setup and program, nice combination of hard buttons and soft buttons.
Weaknesses:
No back up to PC or memory stick option. Manual needs to be rewritten. Getting discrete codes into system requires a separate remote.
Review:
I think this remote is a near perfect combination of hard/soft buttons. It was very simple for me to program and setup for my system. My system includes Sony RPTV, Panasonic DVD, Pioneer CD, Sony Laserdisc, RCA Satellite Box, Integra A/V Receiver. It took my wife one day to fall in love with the thing. I have one System Power On button and one System Power Gff button.
The dot matrix label keys are a great feature, for my STB I programmed in the most common channels (HGTV, MTV, CNN etc). I don't like how you have to hit the "MODE" button to toggle between the different labels within a component. There should have been another hard button to do that. This is not a one handed remote but I found that to be less of a problem than I initially anticipated. It is basically a great combination of features at a good price point that eliminates the learning curve of going through a software interface. The intelligent design results in a very short list of "I wish it had this" complaints.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 6 made on Tuesday May 28, 2002 at 1:15 PM.
Strengths:
Controls all my A/V equipment
Weaknesses:
Does not seem to send the correct signals to control the sound fields of my receiver
Review:
After struggling with 5 remote controls for the past year, I decided to take the plunge and purchase a universal remote. After reading about the different ones out there, I decided to give the Sony AV3000 a try.
I knew that if I wanted one, I should order through the net since the store prices are too high. But, I wanted to try it out first to make sure it was the one for me.
So, I went to Best Buy, bought one for their $199, with the plan to try it out, return it to Best Buy, and order one through the net. Well, after one night with this, I am definitely going to get one through the net and return this.
What a great remote! It works with all of my A/V equipment:
Sony DE845 Receiver Sony DVD player Sony VCR JVC 36D302 television General Instrument Digital Cable receiver Panasonic LD player Sony PS2 (not really controlling it, just controls what TV and Receiver inputs to use)
Now, it's a no brainer to turn everything on and off, go to watch TV, go to watch DVDs, etc. This is definitely worth the money.
BTW, I just ordered it through hypaduio.com for $109 plus a 3-year warranty. Total with shipping was $180, still much less than the $199 plus tax from Best Buy, but with a 3-year warranty to boot!
If you are looking for something to replace a bunch of remotes, I suggest that you do what I did and try it out and then order one.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 5 made on Thursday May 9, 2002 at 3:13 PM.
Strengths:
Great bang for the buck. I can program every button from every remote. Great button design/layout.
Weaknesses:
Touch screen shows too many finger prints and shows too much glare under lights.
Review:
I got this remote home a found the learning function would not work. I read through the forums here and found a couple other people had the same problem. After taking this remote back to the store and exchanging it for a new one, the learning function now works great. This remote is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I programmed every button from every remote I own into the AV3000 and every function works perfectly. I had four remotes programmed into the AV3000 two hours after I opened the box. I think this is very easy to use. My wife even loves this thing (after I programmed it). I highly recommend this remote even considering the apparent lack of quality control at the factory. Even with two trips to the store I can say it was all worth while. At a price of $125 this is well worth every penny.
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