PS3 Blu-Link Universal Remote Control Review

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(More customer reviews)Before I get into my thoughts on the Blu-Link remote, I'll start by saying that I've purchased and returned two Logitech Harmony universal remotes.The Harmony Xbox 360 remote and the almighty Harmony One to be precise.These are the only products I've ever returned on Amazon.com.They were nice enough remotes to look at, and the computerized setup was convenient.I just couldn't get past the delay in button presses.No matter how you set the inter-device or inter-key delay for the remote, there is a noticeable delay between pressing a button and seeing the result.(For example: Holding down the volume button for an A/V receiver for a few seconds would result in about 3-4 extra commands after you let go of the button. Annoying)I am far from the only user to be bothered by this, as a quick Google search can yield innumerable results on the topic.

The Blu-Link remote doesn't have a computerized setup, a display, or a charging station.I give it 5 stars nonetheless.It does what it's supposed to do, and does it at a reasonable price.Using the supplied codes, I had my PS3, Samsung TV, Onkyo A/V receiver, and DirecTV HD-DVR up and running MOST of the way within a couple of minutes.I then spent 5, count 'em, 5 minutes using the remote's "learning" feature to fill in the remaining functionality.Notably, I ran into the same problem that another reviewer had with my A/V receiver, in that it would power it on, but not off.Teaching the Blu-Link the Onkyo remote's power code directly alleviated this problem.Various other commands were learned from my old Onkyo remote, but the DVR and TV were good to go using only the supplied codes.The volume master feature works as it should, sending all volume commands to the AUX input, the Onkyo receiver.The manual also explains how to set up a master volume device, but to also be able to control the TV's volume when you're on the TV input.(I mention this after seeing another reviewer's frustration with trying to do that)

Now, for the reason I was so excited about this remote in the first place:The ability to control the PS3.I can tell you that it works flawlessly.Power on, power off, video/music playback, menu navigation, just about everything you can do with the PS3 controller can be done with the Blu-Link remote.To power on, you simply hit the PS3 input selector.To power off, you hold the "Home" button, just like you would on a PS3 controller, and select "Power off device".Simple!The only ommission I've seen is the lack of "L" and "R" buttons.The only use I would have for them is webpage back/forward keys, (which is still easily done by hitting "triangle" and selecting it from the menu) but since I don't do much web browsing on the PS3 it's not a big deal.

The finish of the remote is very attractive, and I find the button layout to be very comfortable.Be aware that the buttons are quite small, namely the number keys and transport buttons. (FF, RW, etc.)Those with large hands may have problems.

I spent less than 10 minutes setting up this remote to control all of my components, and have been loving it in the time since.Yes, I have to manually adjust inputs when watching a movie instead of hitting a singular "Activity" key, but I also don't have to deal with the delays present in Logitech remotes.The PS3 control is fantastic, and you can get the Blu-Link remote for $10 less than the price of the Logitech PS3 adapter alone!

If you're unhappy with Harmony remotes, and you're a PS3 owner, this is a no-brainer.Buy it now!

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Product Description:
The first remote control to use both Bluetooth to control the PS3 and Infrared to control the other devices in your entertainment center. Built-In Bluetooth radio for controlling Sony PlayStation3. Built-In IR for controlling numerous models of TVs, VCRs, DVDs, DVRs, surround sound systems, cable, satellite and set top boxes. Replace up to six different remote controls. Pre-programmed to support numerous models of TVs, VCRs, DVDs, DVRs, surround sound systems, cable, satellite and set top boxes. Learn codes from other remote controls

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Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote Review

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(More customer reviews)I did not think I needed yet another remote control because I thought the six-axis had everything it needed for movie playing on the PS3 and, yet, I bought one. There were 2 initial reasons:

- my wife was missing a 'magic wand' shaped remote for playing movies
- Amazon had it at a great price in one of them lightning deals

I ended up using it myself and, in fact, using it for more than just movie playing - see below.

But, let's do a quick inventory of features:

= It's blue-tooth enabled and, therefore, it's not taking any ports on your PS3. This is probably important for anyone who has a "2-USB ports console".
= It's wand-shaped, allowing the non-gamers to control their movie-watching activities while holding a familiar-shaped device in their hand.
= It maps ALL the six-axis buttons and performs everything a six-axis would do, except for the joystick features of R3 and L3 (but you do have the push-down or 'click' abilities for them).
= 2 AA battery powered (still with the original Sony batteries after 4 months of use)
= Includes additional buttons that the movie-only users would expect on a remote such as:
+ a number pad
+ eject
+ red, green, blue, yellow buttons
+ play, stop, pause
+ slow(step), scan(left/right), prev/next
+ display, top menu, pop up menu, return
+ subtitles, angle, audioWhat is interesting about this remote is that you can use it for much more than movie-playing. Given that it has all the six-axis buttons, guess what? You can use it, and I do use it to:

- surf the web
- play music
- shop at the PSN store
- play certain games such as Sudoku
- turn the PS3 on/off when your six-axis controllers are in the charger and I am playing GT5 that is using a racing wheel

And, yes, you CAN turn the PS3 on and off with this remote. Turning it on is easy - you simply press the PlayStation button and the PS3 turns itself on. To turn it off, you either go as far to the left on the X-bar and all the way up and press Enter (the turn-off PlayStation icon will be highlighted) or you simply hold the PlayStation button pressed for a few seconds and then select 'yes' and press the X button a couple of times.

Overall: I am happy with this peripheral. Yes, it's one more remote control but it's a pretty good one, for the reasons I stated above.

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Notes - Aug 29, 2009, after 16 months of use

I find that I'm using the remote more and more, not only for playing movies but for navigating the XMB and at the PSN Store, also when playing music or slideshows. Due to its very convenient arrows wheel with an 'enter' button in the middle, navigating the PS3 and doing just about anything other than playing games is a lot easier than using the PS3 game controller. Unlike the controller which normally requires two hands to hold, this is basically a one-hand operation where you hold the remote in one hand and operate the wheel with your thumb. And because it's Bluetooth, not IR (Infrared), you don't even need to point it at the PS3.

And, one word on battery life. After about 15-16 months of operation, this is probably the third set of batteries so I'd estimate battery life to be about 4-6 months. Not too bad.

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Product Description:
The PlayStation 3 Blu-ray remote control enables users streamlined access to the PlayStation 3 system's disc features. Unlike standard infrared remotes, the Blu-ray remote control uses Bluetooth technology so it can be used without having to point directly at the PlayStation 3 system.

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