Marton, is this what you’ve been doing with your time instead of making the R2’s software stable and functional? Do you have any idea how offensive it is for us to find out you’re working on a new product when we who have spent hundreds still don’t have a fully functional remote are left in the dust?
I’m sure you’ll try to soothe your conscience by rationalizing that other companies release new products all the time, but not when the existing product is still so badly flawed. You should be working to deliver on the promise of the R2 for current owners, not making our investment obsolete.
So, as my R2 is basically unusable ATM due to its lack of IR power and Bluetooth and IP integrations, I’m assuming the R3 will not help as it will be just as unusable for me as well.
Listen, I’m not mad that you’re updating the hardware to achieve:
better economies of scale
reduce construction complexity
or add features requested by users.
However, it’s profoundly obvious that there are major issues with IR command strength on the remote two docks–enhanced IP integrations are great, but the # of IR devices far exceed the number of IP.
Frankly, I’m flabbergasted that an official solution—whether it be buying the new R3 dock, creating additional IR-only hardware, or backing open-source solutions—wasn’t announced for R2 backers. To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement.
Furthermore, documentation is still weak and thus far, offers from the community (at the very least, me) to help improve on that documentation have been rejected. Will improved documentation be available before the launch of R3?
I want to see UC succeed, and in a non-subscription model, hardware is the best way to build capital.
However, with as many sources online reporting on IR issues, I don’t see how you’ll be able to convince people to throw down more money for hardware.
When there are IP integrations for LG TV and FireTV Stick, I can replace my Harmony Elite. Because the IR is too weak, I still use the Harmony and the Remote Two is gathering dust. To be honest, I don’t want to control devices via IR anymore and I’m hoping that everything will soon be done via IP.
Regarding the Remote 3, I don’t think it’s so bad that there’s a new version. It’s good that the existing weak points are being improved. Thanks to the same platform, the firmware should run on both remote controls. The increased RAM will probably only mean that more integrations can run at the same time.
There is an LG TV integration developed by @albator . After we have relesed the Bluetooth support (that probably works with FireTV) we’re going to work on allowing external integrations to be uploaded to the remote. That way the LG TV integration can work there as well.
Since IR on the R2 is so weak, I need IP and/or Bluetooth integrations for:
Sky Q TV box
LG TV
Pioneer (Onkyo) AVR
Nvidia Shield 2019 Pro (the existing integration is poor). The Harmony communicates to it via Bluetooth which works well.
Also, loading the integrations to the remote is essential. I will not use another computer to host them. That would make too many points of failure with too much maintenance and extra power consumption.
I have retired my Harmony Elite as it was developing reliability issues. I now use a Sofabaton X1 and control things via IR as the Sofabaton hub’s IR blaster is so strong, it reaches all my media gear faultlessly. I have also created an IR receiver that communicates to Home Assistant via ESPHome, so I can control my IOT devices with the Sofabaton.
But I would really like to ditch IR altogether. I wanted to replace my Elite with the R2, but the only way right now is to rely on IR. My wife will not let me trail IR extenders round the media cabinet. And she’s the boss.
Why you dropped OLED? All devices have nowadays OLED and now you release a new product and built it with an LCD instead of oled… Are you kidding?
Sorry for the harsh words but I can’t understand it… You want to build premium device - built one. I really want to get one and support your campaign (I missed the kickstarter of remote 2)… Maybe you should overthink your OLED decision….
I’m not sure I “get it” with regard to the dock. PoE support and 3.5mm output for IR commands… NICE! That will go great in racks!
But… wait… it’s a charging stand? How is that supposed to go into a rack then? Of course the product pictures don’t show a power cord, but I guess the thinking here is that I put it in the rack? Or should I put it near my couch and power it with PoE there?
It feels like the remote should just have Qi2 charging built in. Let us charge it wherever we already charge our phones wirelessly… and then let us stick that dock into our cabinets / racks.
Keeping the dock near the user is a problem as the IR is so weak. If the dock was independent (like Harmony and Sofabaton), it could be positioned in the most advantageous place.
The R3 has build in wireless charging. But I would have preferred an additional simple USB-C connector on the remote to be able to charge the remote while using it.
Pathetic - an absolute joke and disgraceful behaviour.
Whats makes you think people here would support the purchase of new hardware
So soon after the release of Remote Two
While Remote Two has severe limitations which make it fall so far below the standard that was promised in the Kickstarter.
I would like to know what your refund policy is on products that are sold by you but not fit for purpose - you understand in some countries such as Australia (where I am based) this is a Consumer Right upheld by law?
There seem to be a number of negative comments on the new release from existing users and whilst as an existing R2 owner/ user I can understand the frustrations with the current version and desire to get these resolved, I don’t see the R3 as a negative move towards existing users when you consider that the software development (which is all that R2 users can expect) is still just as applicable for the R2 as it is the R3. I’ve not seen anyone say this yet, so let me be the first … I am an existing R2 user and will be ordering an R3 on 21st June. Whilst I’d rather not have to spend more on the remote than my existing investment I think the product has lots of potential but for me the main limitation on usage for the R2 is the weak IR signal, so the fact this has been addressed is enough for me to change. With the R2, I have only effectively been able to use it to control my Apple TV and all other devices I continue to control with my Harmony Elite…
In a time when so many improvements can be made simply with software upgrades I had hoped there was a chance that something may improve IR capability in R2, but am assuming this was not possible so accept the requirement to upgrade and I accepted the risk with R2 when I purchased as I only purchased this year and was already aware of feedback re poor IR but wanted to try out myself and am glad I did.
It could be argued that time spent on new hardware is time taken away from software development, but I think as has already been stated by others that particularly for a non-subscription service it is completely reasonable to be working on both and it is ultimately best for the future of the product and therefore the users and company for both active software and hardware development. I’m hoping that additional revenue from new launch and what sounds like either expanded production capacity and/ or more efficient production will lead to further investment into the product, perhaps including a bigger team so that faster progress can be made with future developments/ bug fixes.
I am also hoping that the new software release will be available sooner than R3 production run, given I will obviously have to wait a while before I can get an R3.
Let me also add as feedback for UC, I agree with some of the other comments I’ve seen on this site (partly in this thread and in others) that communication could be improved, particularly as a small company you have an opportunity to engage further with the community here (and it’s great to see responses from you on this thread to some of the questions/ feedback). Unfortunately it’s an area where no company can get this 100% right all the time, but particularly notable failures do seem to be with comms regarding status on reservation list (hopefully this can be improved for R3) and for documentation regarding remote usage and configuration. I would have got nowhere if it wasn’t for user content and direct user help on this site. I should add that i have picked up that you are also sometimes active on Discord and have not attempted to engage on there, so all comments are based purely on comms on this site.