Roomie Remote (Review Part II)

 I wrote about the Roomie Remote a short while ago and decided to expand on my review (although there we will be a little bit of overlap for those only reading this article - if you need a basic understanding of the remote, you may want to click on the link above and read my initial article) since I decided to go ahead and add the parts to make the Roomie iOS remote app perfectly functional in my living room and office setups.   I also have some control in my bedroom, but I will need to add a "Global Cache IP2IR iTach Wired TCP/IP to IR" to the room to get the same level of control.
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Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

Last week, I mentioned that the price starts getting expensive when you go "all in" with this remote.   I have purchased the following to get everything up and running:

Global Cache IP2IR iTach Wired TCP/IP to IR - $91 - This is the part you need to control components that can't be directly controlled via ethernet (IP control).  

Roomie Remote for iOS - 9.95 - this is the bare minimum to get the remote up and running with two devices that can be controlled via IP.

Home Theater Pack - $19.99 (in app purchase) - This expands to unlimited devices in unlimited rooms.

Roomie Remote Agent for OSX - $19.99 - This will make it possible to control a Mac and bring it out of sleep/screensaver mode and launch applications.   

Agent Management Pack -  9..99 - provides synchronization and backup for all Roomie devices on your network.  This is really a nice feature since it keeps all devices in sync.  In other words, if one remote is tuned to your DVD player, the other remote (iOS device) will also be synced to the DVD player.  This is one of the main issues with using home theater remotes, one remote usually has know idea what the other remote is doing.  

This comes out to roughy $150 for the entire package.   For me, it was worth it since it controls my main system, makes my office system much more functional, and even adds some control features to my bedroom, kitchen, and sunroom.

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LIVING ROOM

For the main system, I started this process to get more use from the Mac Mini that is hooked up to a Denon 4311CI receiver in the living room.  With the Roomie Remote Agent, I can hit one button on the app and it will turn on the Denon receiver, set the receiver to the correct input, set the receiver to the correct outputs for audio and video, and launch Plex.   With the Remote Agent, you can simply create and "Activity" and tell it the program you want to launch from the "Applications" folder on the Mac.  It works with any program in the Application folder.   With Plex, iTunes, and XBMC, you can control them right from the controls in the Roomie.

For some devices, you have further control.  One of my favorite features is Roku, which gives you the ability to control your apps from the remote:

The DirecTV app is also full featured with a guide and allows control over every function:

The iTunes remote is also full featured with this setup.  You can control Airplay, songs, playlists, albums, iTunes Radio, etc..  I have iTunes setup for each room with an Airplay device, so that I can turn on receivers, put them on the right input, etc.  There is also the ability to autostart a specific Airplay device,  but I have found a lag in that process, so I will probably set them up to allow me to choose the Airplay device manually.

After you choose music and a specific album,  you get a screen similar to the pic below:

If you want to listen to Spotify, you are currently a bit more limited.  I prefer just using the Spotify iOS app and Airplay, but you can also see a super small version of you desktop from inside the Roomie app.  This usually works okay for controlling the mouse on computer screen or TV, but it is a bit too small to be very useful without a larger display. 

With devices that are controlled with the iTach device (this is just a small box with power, an ethernet port, and three inputs for the included infrared repeaters, and included blaster), there isn't the same level of functionality, but you do get access to all of the controls you need for many devices (they have preconfigured remote settings for all of my devices).   

I should mention that my Samsung TV was very particular about where the IR repeater was placed (The Roomie website even mentions that difficulty).   The way I got around this was by sticking  the repeater to the arm of a small lamp I have on my entertainment center (below is an older pic, I don't have a PS3 in this setup anymore, but you can see the lamp on the right side of the console behind the record player):

You could also attach the repeater directly to the TV, but since I already had the lamp sitting there and it hides the wire, I went this route.  I have power behind the TV, so I could buy a wireless iTach or get an IR extension cable and run the cable through the wall.   However, I am just going to get some double sided tape and it will hide the cable completely behind the arm of the lamp.

I also have an Oppo 980H DVD player and an older Panasonic Blu-ray player and use the blaster (which works better for controlling more than one device when they are on the same shelf) for controlling them.  They both work without any issues.  I also have an AppleTV 3rd Gen version on another shelf in the setup and I used the last IR repeater for it. 

THE OFFICE

As you can see in the pic above, I have three monitors and a receiver in my office system.   I have an HDMI feed from the Denon receiver in the living room that feeds the Sony receiver in my office.  I can control everything in the office manually since everything is at arm's length, but I also wanted to control everything from my main system with the Roomie app.   With the Roomie, I can change the audio output on the living room receiver to "TV" so that it sends audio via the HDMI instead of out to my living room speakers.  Also, the Denon 4311CI has two HDMI outputs and I send the second output to the office and the Roomie will allow me to send the signal only to that output from within their activity screens.

So, if I want to watch something on the Blu-ray player that sits in the living room, I have the Roomie setup to send that video and audio to my office (Sony receiver).  I have an HDMI splitter coming out of the Sony, so it sends the audio/video to the display on the left side of the desk and to the Westinghouse HDTV above the iMac.  I can choose which display to watch at that point.   I don't have an iTach in my office, so I still use the Westinghouse and Sony remotes to control those devices.  Below is a photo of the remote screen I have for the office:

BEDROOM

My bedroom setup has changed a bit since I took the picture above, but basically, I use the Roomie to control the receiver and the DirecTV Box.   I don't have an iTach in the room at this point, but for audio and controlling the DirecTV box, the Roomie will come in handy.  One thing I like is that I can use the receiver for music without the iTach IR box.  I have an Airport Express feeding a Little Dot DAC on my nightstand and it feeds audio to the Denon 3808CI in the bedroom.  The Roomie will turn on the Denon to the correct input and control volume.  I can also control the music that is going to the Airport Express with the iTunes interface in the Roomie software.

The Roomie will also control the media app built into the Denon 3808CI.  I can select music from one of my media servers and from the internet radio feature built into the Denon.  It is nice to have control of this feature without needing  to have a TV on:

FINAL WORD

If this review is a bit difficult to follow, you at least get an idea about how difficult it can be to set this up.  I had a Pronto remote, so I am used to setting up macros and making a user friendly remote control device from start to finish.   I found the Roomie much easier to setup than a Pronto, but there is still a lot of tweaking after the fact.    

One cool feature that helps with setup, is that once you set up the Roomie with all of your selections, you can actually back up the settings to Dropbox.  You can then download those settings to another iOS device (or devices) and have the same remote abilities.  I have Roomie on an iPhone and iPad and I simply set it up on the iPad and then downloaded those settings to the iPhone.  Also, with the OSX management software, they stay in sync, so I can have an iPad in hand one minute and an iPhone in hand the next and still have the same control over my setups without missing a beat.

I should mention that the Roomie has more capabilities than I have exploited.  Home automation, like Vera Control, Video Cameras, like Logitech Alert, make it even more useful for some people.  I haven't looked into whether it will work with our cameras and security systems, so that may be an article for another day.

While I am a huge fan of the Roomie app, I wouldn't recommend this setup for everyone.  It is great for managing equipment behind walls and between rooms, but I plan to use it as complimentary device to the Harmony 880s that I have had for years.  The ability to feel buttons rather than looking at a screen is an important feature for me since I use a DVR on a daily basis.   However, it will still get a ton of use with all of my other media devices.   I will also use it alongside the Harmony for TV since it has a fabulous guide built in.   My suggestion for those that are interested would be to try out the $9.99 app before jumping in with both feet.  I found it irresistible at that point, so you should have a great idea whether it is the system for you in a short amount of time.