Some people will spend more on a remote control than most people will on a television, and for them, there’s the Nevo line of home theater control products. Universal Electronics introduced three new Nevo products at this year’s CEDIA including a remote, base station, and programming software. The clincher: just the remote will set you back $699.
The NevoQ50 hand controller incorporates both a 2.5-inch touch screen and 31 programmable hard buttons, eliminating the complete lack of tactile feedback found on touch-screen-only universal remotes. Since it uses Nevo’s Z-Wave bi-directional RF control, no line of sight is required to operate devices.
The Nevo Connect NC-50 base station makes the RF operation possible by translating the remote’s signals into traditional IR signals that most devices operate on. It essentially acts as a bridge between the remote and all other components. Six ports on the back can be configured to set up individual IR blasters, send a one-way serial signal to compatible equipment, or sense video and power.
With so many options, it takes an entire software package, NevoStudio Pro, to tie all these functions together and make them usable to the end user. Meant for professional installers, NevoStudio Pro allows the entire Nevo system to be tailored to individual preferences with a configuration wizard and drag-and-drop programming.
All three new products will become available in October. Prices for the base station and programming software have not yet been announced.
