[natethomas]

Shame linux support is only planned. Wanted to pre-order one but won't until that happens, "planned linux support" doesn't exactly have a high-degree of actually happening for KS projects.

Heh, perfectly understandable. Given Flirc's dedication and support to open source (#1 donor to Kodi all-time), our track record with open source support is pretty good, but we're certainly limited by the number devs we have that can handle things like porting, so it's hard to give any kind of accurate timeline for something like that.

[Dumyat]

 

This is correct. The Flirc USB actually has a profile specifically set up for Nvidia Shields that people have been using with their harmony remotes for a long time. Using that with a Skip 1s should eventually be a matter of a few clicks.

Great stuff. Many thanks for the info.

[Stophammer]

People who want a remote with a screen may be interested in this: YIO Remote Two, it hasn't been released yet, it's significantly more expensive than the Skip 1s, and it's dependent on programmers adding devices to it, although KODI is listed under "planned support".

[noggin]

People who want a remote with a screen may be interested in this: YIO Remote Two, it hasn't been released yet, it's significantly more expensive than the Skip 1s, and it's dependent on programmers adding devices to it, although KODI is listed under "planned support".

It looks gorgeous - but that >US$400 price tag is going to put it out of bounds for a lot of people.

[calev]

This thing looks absolutely amazing. 

It's awful how few remote solutions are available to us when it's such a simple technology. 

The problem is it doesn't look like 42$ amazing.

A universal remote at walmart is between 5 and 12$. Seems like a better strategy would just have multiple cheaper remotes. 

If it was like 25$ 30$ (on the high end) I would buy one for every room in the house. 

There is pretty good cheap  options.

Looking at the competition, there are some remotes with smart phone apps for 49$ and are available now. 

Feels like we should have a raspberry pi pico kit to put one together ourselves.

[Eldar3333]

We've played with various remotes over the years--picked up a Harmony a year or two ago, but don't use it much (poor response on too many buttons--keep it as a backup when a regular remote fails).  I really like the thought behind the Skip 1s, and was very tempted to back it, but given our htpc is windows-based, having an air mouse has become a must-have--is it possible that it could be added in a future version? (Skip 2s?)

[jjd-uk]

The problem is it doesn't look like 42$ amazing.

A universal remote at walmart is between 5 and 12$. Seems like a better strategy would just have multiple cheaper remotes. 

If it was like 25$ 30$ (on the high end) I would buy one for every room in the house. 

Those cheap remotes don't have proper activity support and don't have user friendly software to program them. As stated in the description this is meant as a replacement for the cheap end of the Harmony range which started off at around $50.

[calev]

The problem is it doesn't look like 42$ amazing.

A universal remote at walmart is between 5 and 12$. Seems like a better strategy would just have multiple cheaper remotes. 

If it was like 25$ 30$ (on the high end) I would buy one for every room in the house. 

Those cheap remotes don't have proper activity support and don't have user friendly software to program them. As stated in the description this is meant as a replacement for the cheap end of the Harmony range which started off at around $50.

The harmony 200 had a starting price of 20$. I bought two of them at the time. I think this is more like the 200 model than the other models because it doesn't have a screen.  

While the user friendly software is nice it's probably not 35$ extra nice though.

[natethomas]

The problem is it doesn't look like 42$ amazing.

A universal remote at walmart is between 5 and 12$. Seems like a better strategy would just have multiple cheaper remotes. 

If it was like 25$ 30$ (on the high end) I would buy one for every room in the house. 

Those cheap remotes don't have proper activity support and don't have user friendly software to program them. As stated in the description this is meant as a replacement for the cheap end of the Harmony range which started off at around $50.

The harmony 200 had a starting price of 20$. I bought two of them at the time. I think this is more like the 200 model than the other models because it doesn't have a screen.  

While the user friendly software is nice it's probably not 35$ extra nice though.

You mean this remote that's selling for $49? https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-...B005O81U9S

I don't have a ton of experience with the 200 model, but the limitation to only emulating 3 remotes, macro support on only one button instead of all of them, and evidently complete lack of activity support (?) makes it pretty antiquated by today's standards. 

You're welcome to buy or not buy whatever you want, but it's important to understand that a screen doesn't define what makes a good remote.

[calev]

Those cheap remotes don't have proper activity support and don't have user friendly software to program them. As stated in the description this is meant as a replacement for the cheap end of the Harmony range which started off at around $50.

The harmony 200 had a starting price of 20$. I bought two of them at the time. I think this is more like the 200 model than the other models because it doesn't have a screen.  

While the user friendly software is nice it's probably not 35$ extra nice though.

You mean this remote that's selling for $49? https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-...B005O81U9S

I don't have a ton of experience with the 200 model, but the limitation to only emulating 3 remotes, macro support on only one button instead of all of them, and evidently complete lack of activity support (?) makes it pretty antiquated by today's standards. 

You're welcome to buy or not buy whatever you want, but it's important to understand that a screen doesn't define what makes a good remote.

Yes that one that sold for 20$ when it was new and not discontinued.

[jjd-uk]

Yep after the announcement of Harmony remotes being discontinued, the prices of Harmony remotes shot up as people sought to snap them up while stock existed. I mentioned $50 as that was the rrp of the Harmony 650, which at the time of the announcement was the current bottom of the range remote.

[jbinkley60]

Yep after the announcement of Harmony remotes being discontinued, the prices of Harmony remotes shot up as people sought to snap them up while stock existed. I mentioned $50 as that was the rrp of the Harmony 650, which at the time of the announcement was the current bottom of the range remote.

I have one spare 650 in reserve in case one of my main ones break.  I looked and they are going for $115 renewed or $180 new on Amazon.


Jeff

[bossanova808]

The reason the price shot up was that programmable remote users knew that despite the (many, substantial) flaws - Harmony really were the best/only reasonably priced solution that was genuinely really good. 

If you hung out on remote forums over the last 20 years, there's always been nice options in the expensive custom install market - but they are not DIY, and cost a bomb.  There was a very big market for an in-between product, combining enough hard buttons (which remote users always want so as to use in the dark etc) - with a programmable component with a 'live-labelling' system - i.e. a screen.  MX etc had options, but overall, Harmony had for years and years the best solution, despite the awful software, and sluggish performance etc.  There's no question, they were the absolute kings of the market and ignoring what made them successful (despite their flaws) - is a risk.

This new option looks to solve one issue (the software improvements) and as a basic V1 model might suffice for some, but it's as yet missing the boat (frankly it's not even on the dock) - to the mid price DIY market that Harmony really nailed.  I think that Flirc have convinced themselves that ease of use was the primary issue - and it certainly was a big issue, but I am not yet convinced folks looking for a programmable remote solution will accept such a big step back in hardware at the same time.  But product design etc is seriously hard and I wish them every luck and I presume/hope they've done enough research to do well with this.  Other Flirc products I have bought have been very good.  Fingers crossed that they do well with this, but also listen to feedback, and as a next step release a real Harmony 650 killer (5+ devices, and a screen, being absolutely key to that, and ideally IR and bluetooth both).  Because those things sold in ridiculous numbers...so there's definitely a market there.

(If only Logitech did not kill of great things like Squeezeboxes and Harmony....they are simply the wrong parent company for more complex devices with higher customer service requirements....sigh)

[natethomas]

But product design etc is seriously hard and I wish them every luck and I presume/hope they've done enough research to do well with this.  Other Flirc products I have bought have been very good.  Fingers crossed that they do well with this, but also listen to feedback, and as a next step release a real Harmony 650 killer (5+ devices, and a screen, being absolutely key to that, and ideally IR and bluetooth both).  Because those things sold in ridiculous numbers...so there's definitely a market there.

For a little look behind the curtain, to some extent the Skip 1s is positioned against the current market as is. Which means looking at existing offerings and trying to figure out where the greatest need is and where the Skip 1s compares with the offerings that are attempting to meet that need. Since Harmony isn't in the game, that means we're competing against things like RCA remotes, the ultra expensive YIO (or however you spell it), and a few products coming out of China. There are zero new remotes out there selling for $20 that are also smart remotes. There are a few of the RCA programming ones where you have to look up codes, and they'll only emulate one remote unless you re-program them, effectively making them more like replacement remotes than true universal remotes.

Given that environment we think the Skip 1s is in a pretty good position as an entry level device. We'd have loved to include bluetooth, but getting through the regulatory hurdles and pain of matching up with all the bluetooth implementations out there would have added WAY too much time for a launch. But bluetooth is certainly planned for the next remote, assuming this does well. Aside from bluetooth though, having 3 activities which each can handle up to 8 devices, with a planned software update (after feedback from prospective users) to at least double total allowable activities to 6 (meaning you can theoretically control as many as 48 devices with one remote), with buttons that are all capable of macros (and eventually long press) seems like a pretty decent entry level offering, even setting aside the focus on improving software and making a more durable and long lasting remote generally.

I'm not saying there will never be a Skip with a screen. I'm just saying we feel pretty good about starting out the product line with the Skip 1s.

[natethomas]

I made a test Streaming activity that included a full 8 devices, and it was just as silly as I imagined. I'm sure there will be people who absolutely will love this functionality and will use it all the time, but personally I just can't imagine ever needing more that 4 or 5 devices in a single activity. I know I'm not everybody though, so better to allow for a lot.

(Honestly, as you can see from my other two activities, I rarely need more than 2 or 3. My Vizio TV includes a Fire TV stick, but since I control that with HDMI-CEC, I'm happy with just two devices on that activity.)