Customer Reviews

Monster MCC AVL300-S Home Theater and Lighting Controller with Omnilink

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

I purchased this remote recently after comparing this one to the Harmony 890. I have since had a chance to use the Harmony and as such will provide a bit of comparison.

Pros: Wide ranging support of devices, good button ergonomics, good lighting support, flexible configuration

Cons: Clumsy and slow customization interface

Overall I am very happy with this purchase. The remote controls all of my devices (including a DVD player purchased in Japan) and has the flexibility to allow me to control them in the way I want.

The configuration software provided is very poor. It is essentially a limited web browser used to connect to www.myremotesetup.com. I assume they use the client to allow seamless updates to the remote via the USB interface, but it is very slow and cumbersome. I have found that using the web site directly with a browser is much faster, and you can then use the software simply to perform the update to the remote.

While the customization interface is poor, its functionality is quite good. I have been able to define a number of "Activities" (think macros or series of button pushes) which involve all of my entertainment components. The Activities set up both your components and your remote for a given purpose, for example "Watch Cable" or "Watch DVD". For each Activity, you have the ability to "punch through" buttons. That is, you can map any command to each button, for example, the Channel Up button might change the channel on your cable box while the Volume Up button changes the volume on your receiver.

An important feature is that the remote is aware of the state of any given device that it controls. This is very helpful when switching between Activities. For example, say there is an Activity for "Watch Cable" that turns on the TV when you start it, and turns off the TV when you go to another Activity called "Play CD". If you were to click "Watch Cable" and then press the button for "Play DVD", you do not need to worry about the TV being turned off first (as it stops "Watch Cable") and then turned on again (as it starts "Play DVD"). The remote knows that the TV was on because you were using "Watch Cable" and simply leaves it on for "Play DVD".


Comparison to Harmony 890

To compare this remote to the Harmony 890 is fairly straightforward. The only item that is not well-known is that there are two versions of the Harmony, the 890 and the 890 Pro. The former is the version that is most commonly purchased. The "Pro" version is exactly the same as the 890, but it has better support for the Z-Wave protocol used by many light controllers. As a result, it has slightly better features for controlling outlets and light switches. For controlling regular entertainment devices (TVs, DVD players, etc) they are identical.

The Monster remote is based on the Harmony 890 Pro, so it has better support of the Z-Wave protocol. If that is something you care about, it is worth noting. The rest of the differences are primarily cosmetic. The Monster remote is a bit heavier, with more of it's weight above it's centerline, it is also a bit wider, owing to its rectangular, rather than peanut, shape. As a result, for those with smaller hands, it may not be quite as comfortable to use. The button arrangement is very similar, but there are slight differences.

The Monster remote is centered on a joystick which has the same functions as the "D-pad" style on the Harmony 890. However, surrounding the joystick are the Pause, Play, Fast Forward, Rewind, Stop and Record buttons. On the Harmony, the D-Pad is surrounded by the volume and channel controls as well as Page Up/Down. For those who make significant use of the former set of buttons, this setup is much more convenient. For those who don't use those buttons as often, they are still available on the Harmony, but are located two rows down from the center (under buttons such as Guide, Info, Menu and Exit).

Finally, the software for customizing the Harmony 890 is faster, more responsive and easier to follow than the software for the Monster. That said, it has exactly the same functionality and, in fact, uses the same web site to retrieve and store data.

Hi, let me preface this by saying I also have a Phillips Pronto Pro TSU6000 remote. It is a similar but more expensive unit than the Monster. Many of my opinions are based on comparing the two devices. They differ considerably with both having strengths and weaknesses. I've owned both of them for over six months now. I suspect a lot of the people saying this is the 'best remote ever' have not tried anything else in the same price range.

Overall I'm pleased with the AVL300. It is very feature rich. The inclusion of an RF module is an example. With the Pronto RF is an expensive option.

The physical size is also nice. The Pronto is much bulkier and cannot be operated with one hand. It also slips out of your hand easily and you shudder when the $600 device hits the floor. Conversely the Monster is easy to grip and many of the functions can be accessed using only one hand.

The Pronto makes extensive use of 'soft' keys whereas the Monster does not. By 'soft keys' I mean the touch screen rather than actual buttons. It sounds cool and high tech but is over rated. Pressing the touch screen is by nature imprecise. You don't get any tactile feedback so you often miss the key you want and hit the wrong one. The Monster uses true buttons AKA 'hard keys'. It's much easier to tell when your finger is on the button and far less error prone.

The software for programming the two devices is vastly different. I won't try to go into all the details here but here are some highlights.

The Pronto software is very powerful but requires considerable technical savvy. You have to create the entire user interface for the touch screen buttons and panels from scratch. You also have to manually create all the macros to turn on groups of devices. It takes days to setup a moderately complicated home theater. On the bright side there is a big user community that shares what they have created. That can give you a big head start.

The Monster software is wizard based and guides you through the process. The basic setup is pretty straight forward and easy. While it still requires time and technical savvy it's nothing like the Pronto. Fine tunning things is more challenging. Also, the list of home theater components they support is remarkably extensive. They have the codes for just about everything it seems. They have game systems, lighting controllers, stereo components and even had the codes for my Escient Fireball media server. Not having to learn codes from the original remotes saves so much time. One disappointment is they don't take full advantage of discrete codes. These are special codes for A/V devices that typically can't be accessed via the OEM remote but do exist. The discrete codes are huge assets when controlling home theaters.

The software is not without issues. First, it is very slow and clumsy. For example when you click the forward and back button in the wizard there is a noticeable delay before anything happens. Also, you frequently have to go back to the very beginning when configuring multiple settings and devices. It gets tedious. The software could be more intuitive as well. Worst of all you always must have a live internet connection and login to their site to configure the remote. What the heck is that for?? You can't even change the text label on a button without logging into the web. Maybe that's why it's so sluggish going through the wizard.

I hate the charging base for the remote. The remote doesn't snap into the charger it just lays loosely on top. It's very easy to not get it seated properly, or knock it out of position. When that happens obviously it doesn't charge. Many people have reported problems with it.

As compared to the Pronto Pro I would say the biggest strength of the Monster is the hardware. The greatest weakness is the software. It needs more customization capability and an 'advanced mode' so that I don't have to go through the wizard all the time.

Last but not least I have to mention that my unit broke. It recently decided it was not going to charge at all anymore. The support people at Monster were very helpful and I'm in the process of getting it replaced.

Happy remote controlling!

I'm amazed... simply amazed. The price is way out there... and this obviously isn't for everyone... but it does everything it says... well.

Set up is super smooth, get the manufacturer and model number, type it in during set up on your computer, and it is done. Thats it.

I do have multiple lighting and heating controls and it is a snap to set up as well. And then you can have the remote send the setup information to other controllers as well.

Tip: Don't buy their lighting controls... WAY over priced. Anything that is Z-Wave will work... Leviton sells a line for 1/3 of the price.

Okay, I'll try to keep this short and simple as I can but I'll probably fail...

I had a Logitech Harmony One. Loved it. Broke it by accident. Needed a replacement. Didn't want to spend too much for it.

I came across the Monster MCC-AVL300-S on Amazon. Very cheap compared to MSRP. Saw reviews were okay but not great. Most complained about ease of use. That didn't deter me since I'm kind of a techy guy.

Okay, so I chanced it and bought the Monster. First impressions ... nice packaging, feels substantial, looks good! And it was cheap compared to the Harmony One.

Then the initial setup began. I can see how people are complaining about ease of use.

Installing the software was straightforward but I ran into other problems.

The Monster software may not like your anti-virus/firewall software, even if you allow the Monster software access through your firewall. I have to disable my firewall everytime I use the Monster software or I will end up with random Monster software freezes. I use McAfee. Yes I know it sucks. Don't tell me about it.

The accounts you create can become corrupted (like when I created a new account and the Monster software froze on me during the initial setup). You'll end up receiving weird errors. Just create a new account and start over.

Monster uses the same software as Logitech but it has its own look and feel. It isn't as intuitive as Logitech's but it is relatively similiar. Some people say Monster's software is slower than Logitech. I disagree. They both are equally slow.

Other comparisons-

Pros:
* I like the (8) physical buttons for the customized display screen rather than using Logitech's (6) touch screen buttons. I have fat thumbs and always ended up pressing the wrong button using the Harmony One. Much easier to use the customized buttons compared to Logitech.
* Yup, 8 customized buttons on the display compared to Harmony One's 6 customized buttons.
* Has the ability to use RF or infrared signals.
* Can control lights and switches (although I don't use it).

Cons:
* Like everyone says, the remote charger sucks. You have to carefully place and align the remote into the little charger for it to charge, otherwise it's not doing anything.
* The Monster remote is nowhere near as ergonomic as Logitech's. I especially loathe the close placement of the numerical keys. The 12 keys feel like one huge key to me.
* The little directional joystick I feel is prone to breakage one day. I'd rather have a directional pad.
* While the display can handle 8 customized buttons, the display itself is ugly. The resolution is very low compared to the Harmony One and most commands shown are abbreviated because it can usually only display 4 to 5 characters per line.
* Monster doesn't update it's software nearly as often as Logitech.

In the end, the Monster remote does pretty much everything the Logitech Harmony One can and more. I have over 12 devices and they are all controlled the same way as the Logitech did. And for the price I paid, almost half off the Logitech, that is a pretty good deal!

I'd give it a 5-star rating but I have to deduct a star for the ergonomics, the charger, the ugly display and the buggy software. Why only one star? Because this remote control is CHEAP compared to the Harmony One.

A 4-star rating it is!

As mentioned in other reviews, you get the remote, which can be programmed for ANYTHING, and it send both IR and RF signals. You also get the lighting controls, a feature which should not be underrated - very cool to run ALL electronics and electrics from one location. But, the package also comes with an Omni Remote, which is a signal repeater. Basically, you can configure the Omni to repeat signals to your other components, then hide them all in a cabinet or another room. The Monster Remote send the Omni a command over RF, the Omni converts it to IR, then beams it to *the proper component*. Another obscure feature is the ability to chain remotes, and have them all know the state of the system. So your remote upstairs knows the TV is still on, even if you haven't been near it. When you go upstairs, just hit "system off" - it sends the command to the remote downstairs in view of the TV, and the other remote picks up the command and sends it. Very cool. So, for the money you're getting more than a universal remote, you're getting an integrated command network. Mine has worked well since the get go, and I just added lighting controls. So easy, both my wife and visiting mother swear by the thing. My Mom wants one now...

I've had a number of universal remotes over the years and each has had pluses and minuses to offer. The monster remote is a very effective universal remote on all accounts but there is ONE thing that stands out here above all the other remotes. Wireless control over lighting. I replaced my dimmers and switches with the Monster dimmers and switches and now I can control every light in my house. Monster really doesn't talk much about this feature but being able to hit "ALL OFF" at night on my way to bed and have the remote turn off all the house lights is killer. You can even map ligthing scenes to activities. If you hit watch a movie it can turn down the ligths at the same time. Really cool. Good job monster.

Pairing Monster Light Modules/Omnilink with the MCC AVL300 Remote

1- Login to your account
2- Select "Modify Settings"
3- Select "Modify" Lights
4- Select "Pair Z-Wave Devices"
5- Ensure Remote is connected to the USB Cable
6- Select "Next"
7- After the remote updates you will get a screen with instructions to pair control net lights. Disconnect the Remote from the USB Cable.
8- Take Remote to Omnilink, Ensure that the Omnilink has power.
9- Select "Next" on Monster Remote
10- If you have lights then follow steps 11-15
11- Select individual light.
12- Walk to light Module select "Add"
13- Press and hold button on module
14- You should get the message at "added" on the Remote screen
15- Please follow steps 11-13 to pair all the light modules
16- Press "Done" once all the light modules have been paired
17- You will get a message as "You need to Add RF-Extender to the network"
18- Walk up to the Omnilink then select "Add"
19- Press and hold "Connect" on Omnilink for 3-4 seconds
20- You should get RF Extender Added
21- Connect remote to USB and select "Next"
22- After the remote Data is transferred you should have Green Check mark on all light modules and Omnilink as paired.
23- From the Home page run a final update on the Omnilink and the Remote

Now I'm using this remote for 3 months and considering to buy another one. I have also a Harmony remote 650, so I can provide some comparisons.

First, I've saw some reviews to buy Harmony one instead of this remote. Harmony one don't have the Light Modules /Omnilink capability, so you'll have to compare with Harmony 900 (in fact this Monster Remote is based on Harmony 850)

So what's BAD compared to Harmony

1) Design - Harmony is more beautiful and anatomic.
2) Screen Resolution - Harmony have a Hi-Res screen (but this is ONLY cosmetic - you'll NOT watch anything in this screen)
3) Missing instructions on how use correctly the Omnilink capability (but you can find it over the internet or in reviews here)

What's is the same:
1) Software - SAME software as Harmony with some minor modifications. Yes, I can say because I have both on my computer. YOU HAVE to allow you some time to learn how the software works then you're ok!
2) Overall functions - this remote (and you can see on the back) is based on Harmony tech, so they have pretty much the same way of working: devices, activities, help button, etc. I've NOT SEEN any advantage (or stability) on Harmony vs this MONSTER.

What is BETTER:
1) PRICE: This is a HUGE FACTOR. For the price of this product you will buy a entry-level Harmony with NO SCREEN and ONLY 4 devices. To buy a Harmony-equivalent device you'll have to spent 5 TIMES more $$$

2) ALMOST no LIMIT on the number of DEVICES you can control: even the TOP Harmony can control only 15 devices (that should be ok for 99% of users) but this can control OVER
60 devices. This is useful for adding a lot of control over lights, etc...

3) IR Extender INCLUDED with the remote.

SO my VEREDICT: I would BUY another one of these. It's a great remote control, maybe not so beautiful as Harmony, but with a unbeatable PRICE. I'm more than happy with it!

Previously I used a Harmony H659 remote. Even though all of my AV equipment is outside of cabinets and generally in the line of site for use of a conventional IR remote such as the H659, I would occasionally get the equpment out of sync with the remote. So I bought the AVL300 more for the RF capability.

Monster apparently licenses Logitech's software so I expected setup to be simialr to the Harmony. However, I spent several frustrating hours last weekend and could not get the remote to work properly. No help from "help" on the software or Monster's web site. On monday called Monster. There tech support was excellent. I was only on hold 2-3 minutes before getting someone. Since the software is web-based and all remote settings are stored on their server, he was able to see exactly what I
was doing. Turns out, the Monster software was conflicting with the Harmony software that was still on my PC. Once I deleted that (and turned off my firewall and ant-virus) everything worked perfectly. I was able program the remote easily.

My major complaint is the lack of good online help. I would have had a less frustrating weekend if Monster had simply stated somewhere in their help or FAQ that you need to do these things. The tech support guy knew immediately what the problem was so it can't be that rare. In addition, there is very little little documentation for the software so you basically have to play with it for a while in order to figure out how to work all the features. But the good side of this is that the software is very intuitive and helpful.

I especially like the ability to program macros (which wasn't available on the H659). For instance, I have a macro soft key that goes through a series of steps to turn closed captioning on and off (normally requires 5 steps on my cable box). I am going to program in soft keys for my favorite channels. Next step is to get some light controllers.

In summary this is one cool remote. Some frustration initially but Monster's telephone support was excellent. I chose it over the Harmony 890 because I liked the styling and button size and layout better and over the Harmony 1000 because I prefer to have more hard keys and the conventional look and feel.

Well, in all fairness, I did not have the chance to find out how "brilliant" or otherwise, how inept is this product. I purchased it based on the "reviews" that I read and everyone rated it 3+ stars.

I did everything that I was supposed to do, programmed my remote, and got all excited. It is important for me to mention that I do not have a fancy or complicated system. All I have is a Sony TV Bravia XBR9,a Sony Blue-Ray and a Sony HT-S100 sub-woofer with 5 mini speakers. So, I thought, this should be a piece of cake...Yeah, right!

Well,I pushed the tv button to test my "universal" one does it all remote: Nothing!

Went back to the Monster site, started from scratch, went to the "troubleshot" section, updated the remote,veryfied my connections: Nothing!

Sent an email to Monster, and waited for two weeks: Nothing! Sent another email: Waited for one week: Nothing!

Called Monster: Waited for 30 minutes before someone answer. I explained everythnig to the customer service representative. He asked me to do basically everything that I have already done twice: Nothing!

After one hour and fifteen minutes on the phone, he said: I am sorry but I am going to have to trasfer you to the "Code Two" department. They are trained to solve this type of problem. I cannot do it for you. He put me on hold, I waited listening to their annoying recordings of various singers and musicians and then, I got disconnected!

I called back and I was surprised someone answered the phone right away! But then, the girl told me that she will have someone call me back within 30 minutes. I have no choice then, I waited, and waited and waited and guess what: Nothing!

So, I decided that I did not really wanted a product that does not offer ANY customer service. I do not care how fantastic the product is, you need someone that if you have a problem, they can solve it for you. I returned the damn thing and asked for a refund.

So, I guess if you do not have any problems and everything works fine then, you can consider yourself lucky. I just happy that I did not "upgrade" and ordered their light controls system.