Hands-on with a bunch of SideShow remotes

Throw out your Harmony, kick your Pronto to the curb, and say goodbye to the old One4All: SideShow-powered remotes are about to take the home theater by storm. Much more than hunks of plastic and silicon used to control your gear, these remotes offer all sorts of widgety-goodness, delivering stock quotes, RSS feeds, and even an electronic program guide right to the palm of your hand (because, you know, using the guide on your TV is so 2006). We got to peep several upcoming models from Microsoft, Interlink, Sixik, and some unnamed manufacturer (the branding was taped over, but we suspect LG is the culprit here), and have been converted to true, unwavering SideShow disciples. Most of these bad boys will be released around the same time as Vista, so start saving your pennies and preparing your current remote for its inevitable disposal. Hands-on pictures are in the gallery below, and if we do say so ourselves, we make a mighty fine hand model (as do the cheerful booth reps who helped us out with some of the more challenging shots).

Hands-on with a bunch of SideShow remotes

[Tech^Cellfish @ Jan 9th 2007 8:01AM]

But will it control all my devices and will it be as easy to configure as my Harmony?

/off to click the "Read" link

[blankoboy @ Jan 9th 2007 8:02AM]

I think Sidebar will take off just as well as the whole tablet PC fiasco. I have no use for it and I carry my notebook (Dell D420 running Vista Enterprise) to and from the office everyday. It seems like such an unnecessary tacked on feature IMO.

Who knows though, perhaps they can prove me wrong.

[torpedo20 @ Jan 9th 2007 8:41AM]

You Can Pry My Harmony880 From My Cold, Cold, Hands.

[Charlie999 @ Jan 9th 2007 8:48AM]

blankoboy - have some vision - sideshow on your alarm clock so you can see traffic/weather/news RSS or your emails etc all without having to get the laptop out. Thats one great use before you've even had breakfast!

[Simon @ Jan 9th 2007 8:55AM]

Most of those controllers look nasty!

I can't wait to view a tv schedule on a 1.5" screen! - NOT

[fnj @ Jan 9th 2007 9:42AM]

These just look dumb. Clunky too. Why Microsoft doesn't have the xBox 360 hardware folks design all of their hardware is beyond me.

Speaking of dumb, the sight of the windows logo on our remote will strike fear into my wife's heart. My Harmony is as foolproof as a McDonald's cash register.

[toptekjon @ Jan 9th 2007 11:29AM]

I don't see how that will replace my harmony. There are no number buttons, is everything controlled on the screen? Is it touch screen? I like the slideshow idea, but it would have to be BETTER than my Harmony AND have all these other features.

[Hygeinitor @ Jan 9th 2007 7:40PM]

I'm not sure what's nastier, the remotes, or the fingernails of the guy holding them!

[Craig @ Jan 10th 2007 4:07PM]

Man, I love my Pronto. These look pretty beastly.

[01 @ Jan 10th 2007 5:29PM]

As a machead, I have to say I was a little jeleous when the Sideshow devises were first talked about. After the photos I have to say I suprised at how bulky they look....of course, these are first gen, but I'd expect to see a huge drop in size before these became anywhere near the place M$ wants them.

[drewkkake @ Jan 10th 2007 7:30PM]

Just got my Harman Kardon TC-30 for $125 shipped - don't know how that can be topped...

[rantanamo @ Feb 1st 2007 12:43AM]

I don't understand what's bulky about them. I hope they never go micro as these are full fledged HT products. As a person with larger than average hands, I hate the tiny keychain remotes. They are cute for just a couple of functions, but not ideal when you're talking about full command of a multi-media center. Keep them big.

[rantanamo @ Feb 1st 2007 12:45AM]

For those into Home theater, this would be a perfect technology to turn a Tablet PC into a full-fledge media center control panel. I know many here aren't really getting what the big deal is, but this is indeed a big deal. As big of a deal as the xbox's becoming extenders. Explore the functionality of different things on your PC. Most gadget or widget type clocks have complex alarm functioning. I have one that plays several alarms at different volumes to different songs, stations, etc in MCE 2005. Imagine that being beamed to your alarm clock with full functionality, giving you your email, flashing headlines, giving you access to your full MP3 library, etc in one small device. Think of it beaming to an oven, giving complex alarm ability, music, over cooking alarms, recipes, etc. I think its very revolutionary for the march towards total home integration. Its not just some stupid M$ tech that's useless. It may be the most useful tech to come out in a long long time.