MULTIMEDIA

Buyer’s Guide: Home Theatre Accessories (Part 2) - Rii Touch N7, Harmony 650, Logitech X-350

7/1/2013 9:07:37 AM

Rii Touch N7

Rii Touch N7

When building and running an HTPC, one of the most vexing issues falls around the question of how you’re going to control it from your preferred seat. A wired keyboard and mouse is impractical, and remote controls are good for media but lack some the refinement of a full-size keyboard. The most popular choice by some distance is a wireless keyboard, but these can still be inelegant and bulky. The Rii Touch N7, however, manages to combine the best qualities of keyboards and remote controls without replicating their most common failings.

For a start, the Rii Touch N7 is about the size of a remote control but crams on a 79-key backlit keyboard in QWERTY configuration as well as a touchpad. Its 2.4GHz wireless transmitter supports a 100ft range, whether line of sight is restricted or not and it has support for all major operating system for all major operating systems and hardware lines- even the Xbox and PS3! A mini-USB cable plugs a concealed port on the base of the unit, meaning you can easily recharge its battery from any free port (not that you need to do so often).

One particularly nice feature allows you to rotate the touchpad’s orientation to work whether you’re pointing the device ‘forward’ (like a remote control) or holding it sideways (like a keyboard). Strictly speaking, there’s no reason it should support this orientation (there’s no IR sensor involved, after all), but as a nod to familiarity and comfort, it’s representative of the attention to detail that makes this such a great keyboard for HTPCs.

“It has support for all major operating systems and hardware lines”

As well as the alphanumeric and a selection of media-controlling function keys, the remote also has some initially odd inclusions which, on closer inspection, show how it’s aimed at HTPC users: a PrintScreen key, and a Ctrl-Alt-Del shortcut key. The frame of the touchpad is even a set of disguised cursor keys. As keyboards go, you won’t be writing any novels on it, but it’s big enough to use comfortably with your thumb or thumbs, depending on whether you prefer one hand or two.

Worth considering for any HTPC owner, whether you’re a seasoned operator or a beginner

Worth considering for any HTPC owner, whether you’re a seasoned operator or a beginner

If it sounds like we’re being overly encouraging, it’s because there are almost no drawbacks. If you’re looking for a way to control an HTPC but don’t’ want a full size keyboard propped permanently against the sofa, you’ll find few better choices than this.

Details

·         Price: $40.75

·         Manufacturer: Loftek

·         Device type: Wireless keyboard

·         Technologies: Radio wireless

Ratings

·         Features: 8/10

·         Value: 8/10

·         Overall: 8/10

 

Harmony 650

Harmony 650

If you’re more interested in using a genuinely powerful remote control with your HTPC than a thinly disguised keyboard, Logitech’s ‘Harmony’ line is a deservedly popular choice. Of course, most of them cost well over $151 and are therefore too expensive to legitimately recommend to any casual HTPC owner, but the ‘budget’ Harmony 650 mode is just about affordable enough to be worth investigating. An RRP of $105.68 means it can be picked up for just north of $75.5 if you shop around.

While Harmony remotes tend to be difficult to set up, they’re widely considered to be worth the effort. Properly configured the Harmony 650 can operate five devices – so maybe an HTPC, TV, speaker system, DVD player, and more. An LCD touch-screen allows you to alter the profile of the remote at the touch of a button. Better still, macro-style ‘activity’ buttons can be configured so that selecting ‘watch DVD’ will automatically set your TV to the right AV input, alter the volume to the right level and wake up your DVD player in a single press. Thereafter, subsequent key presses immediately communicate with the correct device (i.e. volume controls the speaker system, playback buttons control the DVD). The more complex your setup is, the greater the rewards for using Harmony remote controls the speaker system, playback buttons control the DVD). The more complex your setup is, the greater the rewards for using a Harmony remote become.

 
Objectively great, but the high price and complexity limit its appeal

Objectively great, but the high price and complexity limit its appeal

The only feature that’s really missing in terms of HTPC operation is the ability to control the mouse cursor. That omission will doubtlessly be a deal breaker for some, but it’s something that you can address using Windows software. Meanwhile, if you’re aiming to keep you PC’s operation transparent through the use of hotkeys and shortcuts, the remote’s capabilities will be sufficient.

“The super-customizable nature of the Harmony 650 makes it a great choice”

Although popular with HTPC users, it’s worth noting that the Harmony remote will require a separate IR sensor to be plugged into the system in order to operate a PC. If you don’t’ have one, USB infrared dongles can be picked up online without much difficulty and their compatibility with the Harmony line can (and should) be checked online. Aside from that one extra purchase, the super-customizable nature of the Harmony 650 makes it a great choice of HTPC owners who want a more familiar control method at their fingertips.

Details

·         Price: $105.55

·         Manufacturer: Logitech

·         Device type: Universal remote

·         Technology: Infra-red

Ratings:

·         Features: 9/10

·         Value: 5/10

·         Overall: 6/10

Logitech X-350

Logitech X-350

It’s important to pay attention to the way HTPCs sound as much as how they look, so if you’re trying to accessories your home theatre system, a good set of speakers is invaluable. At $105.7, Logitech’s X-530 5.1 system is about as cheap a full surround system as you can buy, but they’re also substantially better than any integrated speakers could hope to be. So how do they perform?

Unsurprisingly, given Logitech’s recent form, they’re great. The surround sound effects are as close to perfect as you could want. Once cranked up, the subwoofer is loud enough to bring any explosions to life, but still clear enough to enhance even the subtlest noises. Mid-range sound is clean and detailed, and although the higher pitches aren’t fantastic, you’ll struggle to notice in any real-world situation. Setup is very simple, utilizing a system of color-coded cables which is in practice, about as idiot-proof as these things get.

Unusually for a 5.1 system, there’ no separate decoder or master unit, and the controls are found on one of the X-530’s main speakers rather than the subwoofer. The advantage of this is that the power/volume control and headphone sockets are easy to reach, but it also means that are always a lot of cables trailing around and, naturally, you can forget about remote control activation.

“It’s a smart idea for Logitech to have put audio fidelity first”

 It’s not a huge problem, but it does give the feeling that the 5.1 system is definitely at the low end of the market. There are also few design oddities, such as a bass control being located on the rear of the subwoofer, and a total lack of nay treble control. If you’re planning to wall-mount the speakers, you’re also out of luck, because there’ no way to tweak the volume if you can’t reach the speaker.

Much like some of Logitech’s cheapest speakers, the quality is substantially better than you’d expected for the price. However, in a part of the field where designs are normally developed with enthusiasts in mind, it’s clear these speakers have been produced on the cheap. It’s a smart idea for Logitech to have put audio fidelity first, though, because it means that such flaws are much easier to forgive if you’re on a budge. Poor sound would be much harder to live with than poor design, and frankly, once they’re up and running, you’re not going to care.

Worth as shot. You won’t  find surround sound this good nay cheaper.

Details

·         Price: $105.55

·         Manufacturer: Logitech

·         Device type: speaker system

·         Technology: 5.1 surround

Ratings

·         Features: 6/10

·         Value: 8/10

·         Overall: 8/10

 

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