SlashGear

Dropping $500+ on a universal remote control looks a bit crazy, but there are always going to be the home-cinema obsessed who will readily invest both the initial outlay and then the time required to set it all up for the privilege of having a relatively straightforward system.

In the past I’ve been critical to the point of dismissive about oversized remotes that pack in so many buttons you may as well just mash your fingers against every individual control you have.  Universal Electronics’ NevoSL doesn’t seem to suffer too much from that – a touchscreen, seventeen front-panel buttons and scroll-wheel is neither overkill nor minimalism.

RemoteShoppe’s Jim Bask sat down with the NevoSL – which communicates via WiFi and an ActiveSync link with your PC – and got to grips with programming it, only to be pleasantly surprised at the ease of setup and, occasionally tetchy touchscreen aside, general use.

At the end of the day, your reaction to a product like this will be very much dependent on your financial situation and your attitude to home entertainment.  The average family doesn’t have a massive TV or separate projector and drop-down screen for movie use, doesn’t have six dozen sources to control and certainly doesn’t have $500 to drop on what you could harshly describe as a cut-down PDA.

If, however, you fancy going with a semi-pro installation and aren’t afraid of investing in some initial fettling time, perhaps the NevoSL is the remote for you.

Review: Universal Electronics NevoSL [RemoteShoppe]