I had a Logitech Harmony remote, but that one died and the product line was terminated. I did look at Sofabaton a few years ago, but their library did not have all my devices.
I saw a positive review from channels I trust, and it was on sale, so I tried again.
Today the library of devices is extensive, and the setup was easy. Then came the hard one: my Kodi/Raspberry Pi streamer.
No Kodi was listed, but there was a Bluetooth keyboard. Since Kodi has tons of keyboard shortcuts, I tried it. How Bluetooth switches between setup and device control was confusing at first, but once you trust that Sofabaton does it right and you accept to let it go.. it works. I was impressed. The arrow keys worked right away, so I knew success was in my reach. I quickly understood how to remap the keys, a really easy process with minor quirks. I did not originally plan to use Bluetooth, but I am now glad it is there.
I also tried the learning mode, and was confused at first. After you realize when to use the Sofabaton or when to use the app, it goes well, is quick and easy.
Once I understood how the setup worked, I went for max comfort: how to make the sound level +/- keys always control my AVR (not the selected device) and how to make selection of input really simple.
The smart phone app is _really_ good. Even while the Sofabaton features are not as advanced as the Harmony, I was able to achieve a more satisfying result with less effort. You have to repeat some setup for each devices, but you don't have to commit to hours of programming training like you needed to setup the Harmony.
The Sofabaton is an impressive combination of simple and flexible. In the end you can do what you want thanks to a very user friendly interface.
Some comments refer to Bluetooth not working well. It worked perfectly at first, then I found that it may take one or two touch before it reconnects. A bit annoying but not a huge deal for me.
I feel that Sofabaton could improve the product usability by not disconnecting so early on inactivity.. That might be necessary to save battery usage?
Last but not least, I no longer get the remote desynchronized on sequences commands (multiple devices) like regularly happened with the Harmony (the Logitech process for resynchronizing is a badly designed, lengthy morasse!).
Overall I highly recommend this device.
Sofabaton is a Chinese company: this might be a turn off to some. It is still worth it nonetheless.
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