Sony RM-AX4000 LCD Touchscreen Remote Control

A nice replacement for all your remotes

I purchased the Sony RM AX4000 to replace my existing Sony remote commander, the AV3000. What I really wanted was a way to backup the settings in the AV3000 that worked reliably (via a computer). The AX4000 accomplishes this, although in less-than-ideal manner. The beauty of this is that if someone pulls the batteries out, reloading the settings is a matter of minutes instead of a matter of hours.

Like the AV3000, the AX4000 has two huge selling points for universal remotes - macros and user-defined buttons including a 7-character custom description. The macros are awesome for complex systems where multiple devices need to be powered-on and correctly set to watch or listen to the desired content. For example, I have a macro button called "TV" which turnes on the receiver, the VCR, and the TV, turns the receiver to "VCR1" and sets the audio mode to stereo. The user-defined buttons will be well received by everyone, especially those who have used other "learning" remotes and have toiled over which button to use for special functions based on the descriptions available on the remote, and then trying to remember that later during use.

The AX4000 has two modes for programming - with the remote directly via manufacture codes and head-to-head learning, or through the PC based software. You can't do both, which is unfortunate.

Since I wanted the computer backup functionality, I chose the software method. The software is a bit clumsy and at times counter-intuitive, but functional once you get the hang of it. The wizard is lame and you should get through it as fast as you can (I recommend picking only one dummy device to configure and delete it from the advanced tab when done). The software allows you to quickly select codes for your equipment from pull-down lists. Then, with the remote connected via USB, you can test the codes from your computer with the emulator mode. This is really only useful if your computer is in the same room as your AV system, or you have a laptop you can bring into the room. You can test the codes and if they don't work, try another (there are multiple codes for most manufacturers). Whatever functions do not work or are not available in the standard template can be learned by the software through the remote with head-to-head learning.

I have a somewhat complex arrangement with 10 components to control, and a few that are less common.

Yamaha 3-Zone AV Receiver
P-M TV
Magnavox VCR
Magnavox DVD
Sony 200 CD Jukebox
Omnifi DMS1 MP3 Streamer
Hauppauge MVP Video Streamer
X10 Light Controls

The preset codes worked for quite a few of the components, but the receiver zones 2 and 3 and the Omnifi and Hauppauge units weren't in the list (not surprising), so all of those keys had to be taught. The AX4000 had trouble learning some of these keys, and I had to repeat the learning and test them several times. Numerous times it would say "learning complete", but the function would not work. Varying the distance between remotes as well as the time the button was held seems to be important for some functions. I had little-to-no trouble learning these same functions with my AV3000, so the AX4000 seems to be a step backwards in this category.

I probably spent 3 hours installing the software, putzing with options, and loading the configuration for the above components. I then spent probably another hour or two over the course of a week or so "fixing" the buttons that did not work on the first learn attempt (I didn't test every button initially). I think the only button I haven't been able to make work yet is the eject button for the DVD player.

One of the disadvantages of this unit vs the AV3000 is the loss of the physical component buttons on the remote. These are now on the touchscreen. While this isn't a make-or-break item for me, I definitely preferred the physical buttons.

The screen on the AX4000 is larger than the AV3000, and the image is sharper with better contrast. If the remote is asleep, the backlight and screen comes on when the screen is touched once. The problem is that if the display is still on, it will perform whatever function is under your finger. There is a "light" button, but I haven't become accustomed to using this yet. Like the AV3000, the AX4000 is big. One-handed operation is difficult at best, unless you rest it on the arm of a chair or sofa (that's what I do).

The software has it's share of bugs. The setup wizard is poorly done and should not be used. The user defined buttons within the components cannot be rearranged. The components in the system list can be rearranged with an intuitive drag-and-drop. Seems like that should apply at the component level also. In the learning mode, the software skips some of the user-defined key positions (depending on the component), making these buttons useless. I've found that you can teach the function to an unused key and then 'alias' the user defined key to the defined key, but the original learned key cannot be deleted. For this I've made a "junk" device to keep these learned function without creating confusion during use. Klugey but effective.

I recommend this unit for those who are comfortable figuring out and using new computer software and don't mind spending time getting things setup. Don't expect this to be a 15 minute job or you will be disappointed. The only shot you would have at this is if you have all Sony components which have been on the market for a while.

Pros:
PC Backup of Configuration, reloads in seconds
Big, crisp touch screen
Macros and User-defined keys

Cons:
Clumsy software
Some user-defined buttons can't be taught
Trouble learning some functions