R4 Next Gen?
vining
Posts: 4,368
I figured I'd start a new thread since The "Runaway Volume" thread that joe started is drifting this way.
If the powers that be feel that a wi-fi type R4 isn't practical because of the battery requirements there are some other options that could be pursued. I don't know how practical they are but here are some ideas.
1, A blue tooth side kick remote to work along with iPads/Droids. Maybe something to work with next gen AMX TPs.
2, TV/remote overlay. A basic oneway RF remote that pairs with a video overlay device that allows the TV to become the GUI. This box would have the 2-way control while the remote just manipulates the OSD. Pages, pop up would be displayed on the TV. Some pages would be opague while others related to watching TV could be semi-transparent. Now you would have a long battery life and a single visual interface point for control.
If the powers that be feel that a wi-fi type R4 isn't practical because of the battery requirements there are some other options that could be pursued. I don't know how practical they are but here are some ideas.
1, A blue tooth side kick remote to work along with iPads/Droids. Maybe something to work with next gen AMX TPs.
2, TV/remote overlay. A basic oneway RF remote that pairs with a video overlay device that allows the TV to become the GUI. This box would have the 2-way control while the remote just manipulates the OSD. Pages, pop up would be displayed on the TV. Some pages would be opague while others related to watching TV could be semi-transparent. Now you would have a long battery life and a single visual interface point for control.
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I still think there should be a way to make a WiFi version that just doesn't use as much power. Using the managed side of the WAPs could aid in this process.
to me the only real advantage to using WiFi is for downloading to the R4. control and data could be low power/slower data rate on another band.
Another plus with WiFi would be dynamic images, particularly with media servers that dish out cover art or for weather maps.
1. Yes, we've all seen how bulletproof bluetooth is for keyboards....
2. You mean like Control4. Yes, it might be the new missing link, sad to say. The UI would have to have an editor as complete as TPD4 or it would only cause more complaints. Quite an engineering project. Maybe this is what the NXV300 should have been.... of course, it needs to be able to work standalone (as though it were a source to be switched TO on a display input), as well as overlaid, meaning it needs to flawlessly pass through HDMI and Component and maybe Composite without degradation. Tall orders. Just ask Google on their TV project....
2, Control4 stole my idea? Damn them.
HDMI pass through with overlay, AVRs do this all the time so I figure why can't AMX. I think it would be cool and allow us a simple hand held remote but still have large GUI display that's hardwired and capable of everything. Maybe it's a dumb idea but I think it would be the perfect remote/GUI combo. The only downside is the TV would always need to be on to control the system. Not a big deal since if you're in the room it's usually on anyway and now with low power LED sets it would still be greenish. AMX basically has all the companies to pull it off. Breed a NXV-300 with an Inspired Signage box and see what offspings they get. One interface box/remote per set located on the back of the TV or at the video distribution point.
With the future sales of TP looking bleek this could be a salable item that customers can't compare to an iPad. What other direction for UIs does AMX have to go? Just software sales?
edit:
I just googled Control4 and I guess that is sort of what I was thinking but I would keep it based on TPD4 files that were currently use for touch panels. Maybe it's a tall order but isn't this the direction rooms with TVs inevitiably will be going. Either iPads/Droids or on screen GUI's? There will always be a need for fixed in wall TP but those needs will become less and less and AMX has to move in some direction. One common denominator that won't go away for any time soon is the displays. They're going to be the center of our entertainment for a long time to come so why not make them the center of our control system.
We're essentially talking about a device that more or less exists in the form of the TPI Pro DVI. AMX already has the technology, it's just a question of whether they believe there's a business case for them to develop upon it, increase the sales volume and position it at a more realistic price point for high end consumers.
Surely the NXV-300 was developed with output resolutions that were so limited in order to protect the sales of TP's and (more so) TPI's, so we can only hope they can see a market case for new devices based around the TPI Pro with a slightly different feature set.
1.
I would much rather have a WIFI remote than a bluetooth remote. All current smart phones and iPods are able to last at least 12 hours when connected to WIFI and a Cell Network, so Battery Use and WIFI are clearly not the limiting factors.
2.
I have talked to a few people at AMX over the last two years about cost effective on-screen GUIs (the TPI-Pro is not cost effective or competitive in the market), and I have been told that AMX has little to no interest in pursuing this product. Hopefully the R&D department knows something to contradict my AMX contacts.
Even with the obstacles I think it's a logical direction for AMX to go if they want to continue selling GUI hardware in the declining dedicated TP market.
If you look at something like the WDTV Live Plus box, it's a tiny little 4x4x2" box (approx) that can display various formats of 1080P streams for $100.00. Obvisously this isn't the same thing that AMX would need but they should be create a little box modeled with the TPI-DVI technology as mentioned earlier with enough crunching power for overlaying the TPD images and an RF receiver for a basic simple no non-sense remote. The bling, bling can exist on the screen.
Even the iPad and Droids may change in the next few years and be rendered obsolete but a display with an on screen control should have longevity. Plus it's a hardware box that can be updated via firmware for new feature sets and you can update the style / size of the display anytime you want and the control functionality doesn't change.
The blue tooth idea was just as a sidekick remote that would pair with an iPad or Droid. A simple 20(?) button remote to handle routine functions such as power on/off, channel changing, volume, etc. Any thing esle would require you to pick up the iPad or Droid. Most folks would rather have something small for basic channel surfing, etc. Plus if you fall a sleep with the remote on the bed it's no big deal.