SofaBaton X1S Universal Remote Control with Hub, Improved Scroll, Smart Remote All in One with Customize One Touch Activities, Compatible with IR/Bluetooth/WiFi Devices

SofaBaton's X1S is the updated replacement to the X1, which was plagued by some hardware issues (bad scroll wheel, inexplicable losses of connectivity), marring an otherwise excellent product launch.Once setup, the X1S is an attractive, convenient, and dependable alternative to the oddball collection of often misshapen remotes that plague the recliner of every home theater aficionado. It is also an excellent replacement for the Logitech Harmony flagship model - the universal remote by which all others are judged.It's probably a touch pricey for a TV remote, but if you've already spent a fortune on the right 4K TV, premium AV Receiver, premium 4K disc player, and premium streaming box, it's not all that bad. Yeah, you need to JUSTIFY the cost, but at least you CAN.The unit itself is installed and configured entirely through the phone app, which can also be used as a remote on the rare occasions the actual remote is off charging somewhere (USB-C charging connectivity). The remote is comfortable and well-balanced, with a nice matte feel to the plastic that glides in the hand but isn't slippery. The scroll wheel is almost entirely for selecting items on the bright, clear display - either entire activities, the individual devices, commands within those devices, or the settings/functionality of the remote itself. The wheel is up/down only, and has detentes for click-scrolling. It's also a push-button for selecting the highlighted item.The remainder of the buttons are for the usage as a remote, and offer 80/20 functionality - 80% of the things you use a remote for - ever - are usable here. These are the selections you definitely use every day, plus a few you might only use occasionally. All are configurable for press or long press once setup is complete.Setup is... Challenging. That's one of the biggest issues with trying to be everything for everyone - all the configuration options can be daunting. Of particular issue for me is that it prompts you for the TYPE of remote (IR, Bluetooth, etc) first - before getting into identifying and choosing your actual product. This is especially aggravating for Apple TV, which is not exactly a niche product. The Apple is typically setup up with Bluetooth, but WHY WOULD YOU KNOW THAT? You wouldn't. So you go with IR, as the setup recommends, and then try to choose one of the myriad Apple TV offerings. It's only when it doesn't really work perfectly that you dig around online and find a thread on the SofaBaton site or Reddit reminding you that AppleTV uses Bluetooth. Again, this is pointless.After all your devices are loaded and configured for startup, shutdown, buttons, etc, you create your ACTIVITIES. This is where you tell it you want to "Watch Apple TV" or "Watch a BluRay Movie," and configure it to turn each piece of hardware on, choose the proper input/output, and decided which parts of the remote are used by which item. Conveniently, it's very easy to tell it to use my receiver for volume and muting, while controlling the AppleTV with all the other buttons.Once you've got it all configured, there are usually still a few fine-tuning items to get to in order to make it all work seamlessly. But once it does, it's OUTSTANDING. Aside from the hardware issues the X1 had from the beginning, mine performed well and continued to look clean and new for nearly two years - it's well made and durable.In addition to other uses, the app is where the firmware for the hub and remote are downloaded and pushed to the hardware.Pros: Easy to use (once configured), attractive, long battery life with easy recharging, comfortable in the hand, and handles all everyday and most occasional uses for almost any remote. Massive library of compatible products, with user-uploadable section for even more compatibility.Cons: Setup is less intuitive than it should be, a bit pricey (but justifiable)Pics:1. Remote with display on2. Hub with one IR extender attached3. IR extender for better broadcast to my receiver4. Firmware update from phone5. Remote use from phoneVERDICT: You painstakingly assembled your home theater. This is what you need to pull it all together and make it easy. Worth it.

I recently purchased this remote after coming off a Logitech Harmony Elite, which Logitech recently discontinued. I did significant research and found that this was the most comparable remote on the market.I would say I have a moderately complex setup compared to your standard user that simply has a television connected to a media device such as a Roku or Apple TV and maybe a sound bar. I'm connected to a 7.2 surround sound with stand alone receiver, connected to video game systems, media players, and a few other devices so making the jump to a new remote is typically very time consuming and not something I want to do often.Even with my previous Harmony remote, which I loved, it took me about 2 hours to get the setup right and another 2-4 weeks of fine tuning because things were turning on/off in an incorrect order leaving the receiver playing while the TV was off or vice versa under different circumstances.I am happy to say that the SofaBaton X1S, by comparison, was a breeze! There was no need for an outdated PC App that had to pair with the hub and could take some time to test and eventually use. SofaBaton uses a simple app that worked with my Android phone flawlessly. The app lets you use your phone like a remote if you would like to and has suggestions for each device you set up and use for a number of situations.Literally every device I added and every activity I added worked on the first try with the exception of my children's Nintendo, which took a little playing with.The device is light weight, easy to use, easy to reprogram if needed and feels great in your hand. The only real hiccups I ran in to were not due to the device itself but rather my physical setup. My receiver and TV are a distance apart and the IR blasters hard cords that were a bit short to cover the distance (I was about a foot short). Luckily, a quick Amazon trip and I was able to find compatible IR extenders which were fully compatible and fixed my problem with no issues. I would recommend the SofaBaton team offer their own extenders available for an additional purpose to save other users the time - but, again, this was no problem with the product itself.One surprising feature was the battery life. I would estimate my remote gets a good 5x the battery life of my old universal remote. I almost never have to think about charging it on a TV that gets moderate mixed use, daily. Occasionally, I check, thinking its been weeks since my last charge so it "must be due" only to find it has about 60-70% still left. Pretty amazing.Overall, very happy with the purchase and would highly recommend the product.Positives:Best universal remote on the marketEasy to useGreat battery lifeGreat connectivityOption to use your phone as a remoteNegatives:If I had to be picky, I'm not a fan of the "volume" and "channel" placement toward the bottom of the remote, which can be kind of awkward to hold/manipulate. It would be far better served toward the middle of the remote where the device is more balanced in your hand.One last thing - The device has a "blackberry-esque" scroll wheel to flip through activities. Coming from the touch screen on my old Harmony, I didn't think I would like this. I actually found it to be much easier to use, more responsive, and more accurate than the touch screen on the previous device. Also, because of this, I have never *accidentally* switched between screens or activities when I bump the remote like I used to occasionally do with my last. Like everything else, it took a little time to get used to but I find it to be a great setup once you get used to it.