Unboxing & First Look, Initial Impressions

[thrillcat]

The one thing the UCR3 has that the Harmony never did and never will is that fact that it's open source code and anyone can write any integration they want for it. It has bluetooth capability, so perhaps you or someone else could write the perfect PS3 integration for it?

 

[JWort93]

The one thing the UCR3 has that the Harmony never did and never will is that fact that it's open source code and anyone can write any integration they want for it. It has bluetooth capability, so perhaps you or someone else could write the perfect PS3 integration for it?

Agreed, and the fact that everything is run locally on the remote/your local network is awesome too, so if, god forbid, UC were to ever go under (or drop support for older models), there are no server side components they need to maintain to keep things going and support/program new devices, it'll just work the same as before.

Got my UC3 remotes last week as well, and it was pretty simple to backup my UC2 remotes, and restore those backups to the UC3 remotes and keep going. Only thing I had to do is manually re-load the custom integrations I was using as those don't come over in the backup files. Loving the new slightly smaller form factor, and updated button layout. They're awesome remotes!

 

[thrillcat]

Agreed, and the fact that everything is run locally on the remote/your local network is awesome too, so if, got forbid, UC were to ever go under (or drop support for older models), there are no server side components they need to maintain to keep things going and support/program new devices, it'll just work the same as before.

Got my UC3 remotes last week as well, and it was pretty simple to backup my UC2 remotes, and restore those backups to the UC3 remotes and keep going. Only thing I had to do is manually re-load the custom integrations I was using as those don't come over in the backup files. Loving the new slightly smaller form factor, and updated button layout. They're awesome remotes!

I agree. I would've just moved my backup over but wanted to do the video guide to setup, so went that way. I'm also really digging the new form factor. I do wish the button backlighting was a little more powerful, but I'm not complaining. This is the remote to beat.

 

[rafaelsmith]

Thanks for the info.

I really think for a $400+ remote control having to go searching thru google or git to get it to work or having to use something like HA is kinda crazy for the purpose of a universal remote. In my line of work we call that over engineering which is not always a good thing.

That said, of all the "Harmony replacements" that have come and gone this one has peaked my interest. When my Harmony stop working it will definitely be what I lean towards...hopefully by then stuff we be more "out of the box" usable.

While I do have an Elite....to be perfectly honest...I was just as happy with the Companion remote I originally had which was very simplistic but worked and did everything I needed. Sadly my dog also liked it. No fancy screen or anything just buttons I could feel and use in the dark.

 

[thrillcat]

$400 for a remote with the build quality of the UC remotes is a fair deal, considering the cost of the all-plastic Harmony remotes. If you can create a script in your Kaleidescape, you can program the activities and interfaces in the UC remotes. If you can google and find preferred artwork and replace it in your Kaleidescape UI, you can find and add custom integrations for the UC remotes.

By using integrations instead of a massive database of IR protocol, they are creating a MUCH more powerful remote with a greatly improved user experience. Yes, it can do IR, but that should be considered a last resort in 2025.

I felt very much the same when I received my Remote Two. It was confusing. I just wanted it to be easy to setup like the Harmony I was dying to get rid of. It's a somewhat different way of thinking. But once you realize why integrations are better than IR (and easier to setup, frankly), and open your mind to learning a little bit about the process, it's easy.

Harmony had decades to build their database. I bought my first Harmony remote in the mid-2000s and it was a disaster to set up, it never worked right and it didn't charge worth a crap. Over time, they improved. Unfolded Circle is a small, indie company without the backing of a behemoth like Logitech. Yet they're producing a project that makes the Harmony remote look like a single-button, wired clicker from the 70s.

Harmony was lazy, and rather than put in the work, they just quit. There have been several "harmony killers" (I HATE those clickbait video titles - how many iPhone killers have come and gone over the years?) that have hit the market and all have been relative garbage compared to both the Harmony remotes and the Unfolded Circle remotes. The Sofabaton X1S (I have one here) is trash. I have another one here that is essentially dead in the water, and it cost $550 for the remote, requiring an additional $250 server to function. Any of the remotes based on the Android OS are already filled with bloatware sucking resources away from the dedicated functions.

Unfolded Circle has already come a long way in the last year, and with more developers working on the platform just in the last couple months, progress is accelerating. They're not positioning themselves as a Harmony Killer - and why would they when Harmony just gave up? They are creating the next generation Harmony, and they're doing it as open source in order to open it up to the widest audience they can. It is by far the best option out there in a user-programmable smart remote. The only options that come close to being considered "comparable" in user experience and build quality cost several hundred more and require your dealer to configure them for you. No thanks.

 

[rafaelsmith]

$400 for a remote with the build quality of the UC remotes is a fair deal, considering the cost of the all-plastic Harmony remotes. If you can create a script in your Kaleidescape, you can program the activities and interfaces in the UC remotes. If you can google and find preferred artwork and replace it in your Kaleidescape UI, you can find and add integrations for the UC remotes.

By using integrations instead of a massive database of IR protocol, they are creating a MUCH more powerful remote with a greatly improved user experience. Yes, it can do IR, but that should be considered a last resort in 2025.

I felt very much the same when I received my Remote Two. It was confusing. I just wanted it to be easy to setup like the Harmony I was dying to get rid of. It's a somewhat different way of thinking. But once you realize why integrations are better than IR (and easier to setup, frankly), and open your mind to learning a little bit about the process, it's easy.

Harmony had decades to build their database. I bought my first Harmony remote in the mid-2000s and it was a disaster to set up, it never worked right and it didn't charge worth a crap. Over time, they improved. Unfolded Circle is a small, indie company without the backing of a behemoth like Logitech. Yet they're producing a project that makes the Harmony remote look like a single-button, wired clicker from the 70s.

Harmony was lazy, and rather than put in the work, they just quit. There have been several "harmony killers" (I HATE those clickbait video titles - how many iPhone killers have come and gone over the years?) that have hit the market and all have been relative garbage compared to both the Harmony remotes and the Unfolded Circle remotes. The Sofabaton X1S (I have one here) is trash. I have another one here that is essentially dead in the water, and it cost $550 for the remote, requiring an additional $250 server to function. Any of the remotes based on the Android OS are already filled with bloatware sucking resources away from the dedicated functions.

Unfolded Circle has already come a long way in the last year, and with more developers working on the platform just in the last couple months, progress is accelerating. They're not positioning themselves as a Harmony Killer - and why would they when Harmony just gave up? They are creating the next generation Harmony, and they're doing it as open source in order to open it up to the widest audience they can. It is by far the best option out there in a user-programmable smart remote. The only options that come close to being considered "comparable" in user experience and build quality cost several hundred more and require your dealer to configure them for you. No thanks.

As I mentioned the Remote 3 is the first of these that has me interested. I tried the Sofabaton X1S and had to return it...even with my really simple setup it was a piece of garbage that worked maybe 50% of the time. I refuse to even consider remotes that require dealer to setup and maintain....I would actually take the most complicated user programmed remote over something requiring a dealer anyday. Tablet/Phone remotes ...no thanks...I gots to have me some actual buttons.

I will probably get one eventually but only if/when I can just buy it like I would any other device. I never do the "pre-order" to be put in some non deterministic queue stuff with any device or product.

 

[LoveCinema]

I really think for a $400+ remote control having to go searching thru google or git to get it to work or having to use something like HA is kinda crazy for the purpose of a universal remote. In my line of work we call that over engineering which is not always a good thing.

I get that everything is getting pricey, but thought I'd offer some additional perspective:

The Harmony Elite sold for $460 adjusted for inflation. (I still have two of these sitting around.)

The Control4 Halo remotes sell for $500+ (non-touch) and $900+ (touchscreen). This is after you've already invested thousands in the system and pay hundreds a year (for remote access).* Further, you can only configure it yourself if you pay an additional $150 for the software. (On the plus side, it needs no remote-specific configuration. You simply connect it and it can immediately control your whole house.)

It seems like HDMI CEC came along and was just effective enough to work for the vast majority of people's simple setups, sending the more complex setups into a tiny niche where the requirements are high but the audience is low. So, we all have to find our balance of monetary cost and labor cost.

*For those interested in C4, I should point out that they sell single-room controller & remote bundles so it is possible to get in for less than "thousands". However, you still have to have someone else configure the room which is a fair amount of work but a big step towards a whole home automation system. So, it can be viewed as either a rather costly home theater remote or a reasonably priced entry point to a smart home.

 

[rafaelsmith]

The point about home theater remote -vs- whole home automation is very valid and perhaps where I am struggling. They seem like overkill for what I intend to use them for which I guess contributes to their perceived "complexity".

 

[thrillcat]

It's only as complex as you make it.

Until people spend a couple hours with it, it's apparently impossible to grasp that it's not a complex device. It's powerful. It's well-built. And it offers a great user experience.

Like I said, I felt the same way when I got the last version. I can't imagine going back in time to use a harmony again on a daily basis. The thought is excruciating.

 

[Westmd]

Looks really interesting I have to say. Was just wondering if the company is still ‚alive‘ as they published twenty software releases between November 2023 and June 2024 and since then (so for a whole year already) none!

 

[thrillcat]

Looks really interesting I have to say. Was just wondering if the company is still ‚alive‘ as they published twenty software releases between November 2023 and June 2024 and since then (so for a whole year already) none!

There have been many beta versions but they've been busy packing and shipping remotes and haven't moved it to the official release channel yet.

There have been beta updates about every other day since the remotes started landing in people's hands.

 

[Westmd]

Thanks, does anybody have any experience with it yet. A German forum is claiming it to be at the moment very unreliable both in connecting to WiFi as well as remembering the devices

 

[thrillcat]

Thanks, does anybody have any experience with it yet. A German forum is claiming it to be at the moment very unreliable both in connecting to WiFi as well as remembering the devices

I've been using the Remote Two for a year and a half, and the Remote 3 for a few weeks now. They are solid.

There is some funkiness with the wifi in some situations, but I've not seen any issues at all. I think it has to do with specific network configurations - using high channels (11+) on the 2.4ghz band is unstable, I believe. This is the issue they are working on with the beta updates and addressing the wifi connectivity before releasing an official branch of the current software version.

I've had zero problems with is remembering devices and haven't really heard what that might actually be referring to.

 

[artur9]

@thrillcat I'm not understanding the distinction you're making between an "integraton" and IR control.

Sounds like it'll only work with "smart" devices? So, my old IR-only devices are out?

 

[thrillcat]

@thrillcat I'm not understanding the distinction you're making between an "integraton" and IR control.

Sounds like it'll only work with "smart" devices? So, my old IR-only devices are out?

No, it’ll work just fine with most modern IR devices. But an integration has, well, a deeper integration. It’s a 2-way connection instead of just blasting a radio signal into the ether and hoping/assuming the device received it properly.

If you can use integrations, the remote not only sends a signal to begin playback, it receives confirmation from the device that playback has started, it can display artwork and playback status/position on the remote.

 

[Edgar]

I love all this. My Harmony Elite is my last piece of Stone Age equipment in my theater. Problem is that stones work. The UC3 is the first thing since then that also looks like it works. And as you say it has two-way communication and powerful integrations, two things that my Elite wheezes through. I do appreciate that it has the mileage to control everything I have. I also have a PlayStation 5 connected, in my case using a discontinued PS4 blaster for the Harmony, and I’m using the buried Apple BT profile to have seamless control over my AppleTV and including the right BT command to recognize my AirPods Max headphones. And those two were recent updates. It's taken me 10 years to get my Elite dialed in correctly. Those are some pretty unfair standards I have to replace the Elite for a brand new product in a kind of public beta state. But I’m excited for my UC3 to arrive and have it eclipse the long running issues I’ve tolerated from the Elite, like broken Lutron integration. I mean, come on, Stone Ager! I guess I like what I see so far, thanks for the play-by-play, @thrillcat !

 

[artur9]

What's it take to make an integration?
I got a room with a Linn "AVR" in it, and another room with an Arcam in it, neither of which have "pre-built" integrations.

N.B. I write server software for a iiving in go lang running in AWS cloud (ick).

 

[rafaelsmith]

question....One thing I like about the Harmony activities is that there is a Alexa skill that lets me access/trigger them via Alexa voice. This is really nice for the rest of family and works really well. For example I have a Alexa Routine that:

Triggers when someone says: "Alexa, Watch a Movie"

-Triggers the Harmony activity for Kaleidescape which turns on AVR, Projector and Strato.
-Turns on lights
-Turns on AC unit in theater and sets temp, etc.

I am assuming with the Remote 3 this can be recreated?

I searched Alexa skills and could not find one for Unfolded.

 

[rafaelsmith]

question....One thing I like about the Harmony activities is that there is a Alexa skill that lets me access/trigger them via Alexa voice. This is really nice for the rest of family and works really well. For example I have a Alexa Routine that:

Triggers when someone says: "Alexa, Watch a Movie"

-Triggers the Harmony activity for Kaleidescape which turns on AVR, Projector and Strato.
-Turns on lights
-Turns on AC unit in theater and sets temp, etc.

I am assuming with the Remote 3 this can be recreated?

I searched Alexa skills and could not find one for Unfolded.

Since it is becoming obvious I will eventually have to focus more on home assistant I have moved some of the things I was doing with Alexa routines over to HA automation. So now all the Alexa routines do is activate the harmony activities. HA handles lights and ac based on harmony hub being on/off and activity activated. Even setup up harmony activity activation buttons on my HA dashboard....so if/when I move to something like a Remote 3 I think I can just swap those out for the new Remote 3 "activity". Still need to figure out how to do voice activation....while HA can "see" alexa...Alexa really cant trigger things within HA.

Wanted to give @thrillcat a shoutout.. His videos on setting up automations and scenes was very helpful.

 

[josh]

Since it is becoming obvious I will eventually have to focus more on home assistant I have moved some of the things I was doing with Alexa routines over to HA automation. So now all the Alexa routines do is activate the harmony activities. HA handles lights and ac based on harmony hub being on/off and activity activated. Even setup up harmony activity activation buttons on my HA dashboard....so if/when I move to something like a Remote 3 I think I can just swap those out for the new Remote 3 "activity". Still need to figure out how to do voice activation....while HA can "see" alexa...Alexa really cant trigger things within HA.

Wanted to give @thrillcat a shoutout.. His videos on setting up automations and scenes was very helpful.

why not just buy the voice assistant put out by Nabu Case for HA? pretty cheap, worth experimenting with one to see if will do what you want. probably easier than working through Alexa