It works like mouse or scroll wheel for faster navigation in various situations. There are a few cases where it is necessary to access a feature - The F1TV app requires a "swipe left" to bring out the stream selection (F1 or International coverage) for example.
I know the others have hubs, etc available too for in-cabinet set-ups and things like that. My main point was that the Remote Two simply does not have an IR emitter on it at all. It relies entirely on an IP connection via wifi to it's hub to control things by IR. Not the end of the world, but somewhat backwards from how I would normally set up a remote and station.
Not entirely true. I've been programming my own MX-980 remotes for 20 years now. I am not a vendor or authorized service tech for URC, just a home user.
That being said... No, it's not like setting up a Harmony (or even an Unfolded OS device). Definitely more nitty-gritty in the details. Also more flexible if you need it.
I don't actually remember as it has been several years now, and the initial pre-order was a year or two before that too. I want to say $399 US (I seem to recall it cost me $500-$600 CAD) but prices may have come down since then as it was the initial launch. Pricey, but at the time URC was being a pain about software access (since resolved), Harmony was no longer an option and I expected to need a new remote within the next year or so. It turns out that my current remote has been able to stay much longer than expected (long story, won't get into it) so I haven't really needed to revisit the Remote Two yet.
Yes. I know the above makes it a waste. That wasn't my intention the the Remote Two has sort of been a victim of circumstances so far. Don't take it as a criticism of the remote itself or software. I'm sure I would have been much more invested in setting it up and using it if I hadn't been able to keep the one MX-980 in place yet and required special sequences to accommodate a couple extra-clueless users.
I have used AppleTVs, just don't own them. Usually use a uni remote for the system since the wheel wasn't absolutely necessary. Was asking more about how you use(d) it.
WRT IR from the remote, are you sure about it not having that? The website shows "built-in IR LED" on the pages for the 2 and 3.
If you have been programming your MX980 for 20 years, you shouldn't have gotten the software from the dealer and the company definitely wouldn't send it to you unless you convinced them that you were a dealer. Part of the dealer agreement refers to us not allowing end users having it- this is specfically to prevent their tech support being overloaded with calls and because it's proprietary, so they don't want people digging into their stuff.
Not sure I would call it a waste- maybe you can have some dialog with the company about your likes/dislikes and if you sound to them like someone who knows something about this kind of thing, they may let you into their Inner Sanctum.
If your remote still works after you expected it to not work, that's great- I'm about the last person who wants to see equipment die early or because of some BS like COVID, a buyout (Denon/Marantz, etc) or being parted out and closed very soon after buyout (far too many to list).
My curiosity would force me to want to find out what the Unfolded can do- Harmony told me that I couldn't do certain things with the H1000, but I found ways. Then, they needed to replace that with the H1100 because of software problems and what do you know? The empty button spaces at the sides of the display were suddenly available for custom commands, as I (and probably others) had requested. If Unfolded is interested in bettering their remotes, they should be responsive to suggestions.
How did you access their command library? Or, did you enter a code, to bring up the commands they had (similar to more simple brands & models)?
If you want a good ex of cluless- one customer was in his early-60s at the time and I set up a Harmony 880 for the basement TV but after he complained about the rubber ring, I replaced it with a different model. He was too cheap to boot the CRT TV that came with the condo and it not only had a toggling power command, the inputs scrolled on the TV and there were no direct commands. I came up with a way to get it to work WHEN I USED IT and I told him that as long as the green LED was flashing, he needed to aim the remote near the TV. If it had taken 6 months for him to stop lowering his hand as soon a he pressed the activity buttons, it would be a miracle. The problem- he was standing behind a sofa and that blocked the IR being sent by the remote. Even if he wasn't behind the sofa, the carpet stopped it reaching the IR repeater.
As a contrast, I was programming an H1000 not long after the equipment had been installed in another house and as I worked at my laptop, the homeowner's daughter sat next to me on the love seat and wanted to watch a DVD. Not a word was said, but she looked at the remote, pressed the Watch DVD button, looed at the V and then pressed Play when the buttons appeared along the bottom edge. The movie started and she sat back to watch. She had turned 3 a few months before.
Not long after, I was at that house to discuss something with her dad and she went to him, to say something. He chuckled and when I asked what he was laughing at, he said "She told me that she doesn't like going to her cousin's house because she doesn't like the way their system works".
