New Beyonwiz Backlit Remote Control

[glen]

Was looking at the Beyonwiz products page, seeing if there was any info on the T4 and discovered the BR-TBU https://beyonwiz.com.au/products/beyonw ... e-control/

Does anyone have one? If so can someone post a side of photo, I am keen to see if the buttons are raised or not.

Regards Glen

[prl]

Was looking at the Beyonwiz products page, seeing if there was any info on the T4 and discovered the BR-TBU https://beyonwiz.com.au/products/beyonw ... e-control/

Does anyone have one? If so can someone post a side of photo, I am keen to see if the buttons are raised or not.

Regards Glen

Some beta testers have them.

There's an image of the face of the BR-TBU in MENU>Setup>System>Remote control code settings: it's the Beyonwiz 0x02F2/0x02F3/0x02F4 remotes. There's also an image on the product page, but neither image shows the height of the buttons. If you click on the image in the product page, you get a popup window that has an additional image of the BR-TBU shown at an angle. You can see that the buttons aren't particularly raiesd in that image.

The image in the setup screens doesn't quite match the actual contrast of the lettering and background; the contrast is rather lower on the real remote than in the image. The code set the remote sends can be changed between those three sets using a button sequence on the remote.

A lot about the remote wasn't well received by the beta testers. For the remotes that the beta testers have:

• It's feels large, boxy and clunky to me. It has a squared-off back rather than the rounded back on the T3 remote. It's about 2cm thick, the T3 remote is about 1.7cm.
• Despite the large size, it still uses AAA batteries, not AA.
• The buttons are only slightly more raised than the on the T3 remote.
• It is backlit, but in my opinion in an almost completely useless way - the backlighting comes on only when you press a button. and stays on about 4 sec. In contrast, my Harmony remote's backlighting (and LCD screen) come on in response to a motion sensor switch in the remote - pick it up and the backlighting comes on.
• The backlighting is quite bright, and amber.
• The backlighting is quite uneven. You can immediately pick the location of 8 of the 10 (9?) backlight illumination LEDs. This can be clearly seen in the image of the remote (with backlighting on) on the product page.
• peteru mentioned in the beta forum that the battery life in the BR-TBU is not very good (possibly due to the extra power needed for the backlighting. He had been using Eveready Super Heavy Duty batteries, and said he'd try Varta low self-discharge rechargeables, but never posted about how they went. I haven't used the BR-TBU extensively. We use a Harmony 785 remote for the unit I have set up for our normal TV viewing.
• The button layout is rather different from the T3 remote (compare carefully with the product page image). In particular, the FAV button (now used to bring up the channel list) has lost the prominence it has on the T3 remote.

Apart from code selection, I much prefer the T3 remote to the BR-TBU. For me, the optimum would be a Harmony remote once it can use the three different BR-TBU code sets and the two T3 code sets (0xABCD/0xAE97).

I definitely wouldn't pay $60 for one.

This is based on the test units we received from Beyonwiz. I don't have a BR-TBU from the shop, but Jai (Wiz HQ) said that the shipped remotes would be the same as what we tried out.

[prl]

Here are the instructions that I have to change the codeset on the BR-TBU:

1. Press and hold the [STB] key and [OK] key at the same time until the red LED on [STB] key turns on and then release both keys.
2. Enter the three (3) digit code, "003" or "004"
   [002] = Custom Code "02F2"
   [003] = Custom Code "02F3"
   [004] = Custom Code "02F4"
3. Press [OK] key.
4. When the [OK] key is released, if the code is valid, red LED on [STB] key blinks 3 times.
   The LED doesn't blink if the entered code is invalid.

[glen]

Hi Prl

Thanks for the reply, that is a shame. Oh well.

Glen

[peteru]

peteru mentioned in the beta forum that the battery life in the BR-TBU is not very good (possibly due to the extra power needed for the backlighting. He had been using Eveready Super Heavy Duty batteries, and said he'd try Varta low self-discharge rechargeables, but never posted about how they went.

The Varta batteries have been going rather well. Still no problems after a fair amount of heavy use. I believe Eneloops are also low self-discharge, so they would probably be the ideal batteries for this use.

[prl]

... I believe Eneloops are also low self-discharge, ...

That's my understanding, too.

Jaycar also sell own-brand low self-discharge batteries. I use them for an old camera that doesn't get used much and they hold their charge pretty well. Never tried them in a remote, though (I only have AAs in the Jaycar rechargeables).

[oldcrow]

Hi all

have a harmony 650 (?) programs from internet site. but family do not like different interface, prefer the T3 remote. layout on harmony is pretty awful having to use side scrolling keys at top for some important functions.

as stated though, the mere lifting of the harmony makes it light up and battery life is good. small screen on mine needs specs.

Bought an illuminating one when dropped T3 remote once too often, but must say lack of instructions, coming real soon now according to purchase page in shop (and failure to accept code to change to T3 with above codes) was disappointing Lights came on though so oldies can see it. Also key 5 has the same little pins so you can get oriented on the number pad without looking. support indicated T3 has to update to 4.4 and this fixed it, phew.

+1 for harmony but only by me not family (who cares what I think anyway...)

oldcrow

[Ukind]

I just wish that the back light would stay on longer. It drives me mad in a dark room!

[peteru]

I've got some stats on the battery usage of the T4 remote. I've been using Varta AAA low self discharge batteries, which for all intents and purposes are pretty much about the same as Eneloops. The nominal rating on these batteries is 800mAh. In practice, I put the two pairs of batteries through a high end battery analyser and they have a discharge capacity that varies from 804 mAh down to 726 mAh at 100mA discharge rate.

The useful life I get out of these batteries in a T4 remote is somewhere between 6-10 weeks, depending on the use. This particular remote gets a fair workout, probably a lot more than a typical user would have. The T4 remote battery life is a lot less than the battery life of the T3 remote, but a lot better than something like a Pronto with 4xAA batteries.

[ETA_2016]

Is there a way to turn off the back lighting on the T4 remote, so the batteries last longer?

[prl]

Is there a way to turn off the back lighting on the T4 remote, so the batteries last longer?

Not that I know of. At least, not without using a soldering iron.