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 There
are many universal remotes available for controlling home theater systems.
However, most have limitations that make full customization difficult.
Seamless integration is not easy and requires a skilled installer who
knows the system components and how they interact with one another. Problems
such as components placed behind cabinet doors make controlling the system
more complex and challenging. Conventional IR remotes (including universal
remotes) require clear line-of-sight to the components, but often this
is not practical from the user's seating location. Remote
Technologies, Incorporated (RTI) addresses all of these issues and
offers a series of advanced control products designed to simplify a complex
entertainment system. We have had some previous experience with RTI's
T3 and T4 remote controllers and love the way they control a complex home
theater system. At that time we came to the conclusion that RTI offers
installers a complete solution for customers needing a fully customizable
remote controller for their system. Fortunately, RTI continues to improve
their remotes and have recently released the new and improved T3-V. The
T3-V is the second generation of the award winning T3 handheld system
controller we reviewed earlier last year. The new contemporary design
looks great with its darker exterior and features a much improved 3.5”
high resolution resolution (480x640) color touchscreen that allows users
to display graphics, photos, and web pages with excellent detail that
was not possible with the earlier T3 design. Something new to the T3-V
is the addition of wireless Ethernet and a built-in web browser allowing
the user to access web pages and IP addressable devices, including IP
control for web based integration applications.
The T3-V
also has buttons with tactile feel that are spaced farther apart than
the earlier design, giving the user better control. In addition, two new
buttons for Power and Info have been added along with an
easy to use three-way rocker switch for scrolling list navigation. The
body of the remote is made from an anti-slip material giving it a nice
feel. Like the original T3, the T3-V works with other RTI automation devices
offering features such as RF transmission through walls and cabinets,
power sensing for reliable operation, and RS-232 communications for advanced
control systems.
 The
Cradle
The T3-V sits in a weighted cradle where two contacts are used to charge
the internal Lithium-Polymer battery. The charge LED indicator on the
docking base illuminates red when the unit is charging and then turns
blue once the battery is fully charged. Compared to the earlier T3 design,
the T3-V base has a diffused power indicator that makes it much less distracting
in the dark. A fully discharged battery will take approximately 2-4 hours
to completely recharge. Users can keep the T3-V in the docking station
indefinitely without worrying about overcharging the battery. The base
comes with a universal switching power supply that provides 5-6V at 2
amps and accepts a wide input voltage from 100-240VAC. The base also includes
a clever design that locks
in the power plug and allows the power cable to exit the back or from
either side of the cradle.
Under
Cover
 The
back cover of the T3-V is much easier to remove than its predecessor.
The battery in the T3-V appears to be the same physical size offered in
the earlier T3 design, but it is very different in both storage technology
as well as capacity. The new battery provides users with a 40% increase
in storage capacity going from a 3.6V/1200mAH Li-Ion to a 3.6V/1700mAH
Li-Polymer. The battery appears to be user replaceable with a pair of
screws and a brace holding it down and a simple two-pin connector providing
the electrical interface. Behind the rear cover is the small USB connector
and the unit's power switch. The USB cable is a standard 5-pin connector
compatible with generic USB cables designed for smaller portable devices.
Under normal conditions, the customer will never have to remove the rear
cover since the unit sits in a recharging cradle. However, the power switch
is used to access the Control Panels for setting up the basic functions
of the TV-3. By holding down the Home button while switching the unit
on, the TV-3 will enter the Control Panel mode.
T3-V
Control Panels
The T3-V has several Control Panels that define how the remote
operates. These screens can also be accessed by assigning a Control
Panel page link to a button using the Integration Designer™
software. Features such as Backlight Level, Time Out, Sound,
Touchscreen Calibration, Tilt Switch, Battery, and
Network Information are accessed through these screens. The following
images are the control panels within the T3-V Controller. Each of the
parameters can be defined by the dealer to suite the needs of the customer.
To return
to the user program, either press Exit or the Home button.
 Integration
Designer™
The real power behind the RTI product line is not only a complete line
of feature-rich controllers and accessories, but a powerful software package
called Integration Designer™ that gives dealers the tools
and flexibility needed to create a powerful control system for their customers.
Integration Designer™ is a Windows®-based software package
that is specifically designed to create and program RTI's Integration
Control Systems. With over tens year of development, Integration Designer™
allows virtually unlimited flexibility in the design and look of the system's
interface and allows dealers to save and leverage from existing designs,
dramatically reducing the time required to implement new designs. Each
screen can be fully customized and a complete set of editing tools are
provided to create custom graphics for the display. Several preloaded
screens and buttons are provided to help the designer create wonderful
looking screens to control the system.
As the user
edits the main LCD screen graphics, the buttons on the screen can also
be defined. Specific IR codes, macros or jumping to another screen can
be linked to any button. The Macro Editor provides a simple user
interface for allowing every button in the system to carry out complex
multi-step actions. In addition, the hard buttons shown in the lower left
corner of the application can also be defined. These buttons can change
their function based on the current screen or be defined so that they
always perform the same function. Integration Designer™ includes
a powerful Infrared Library Manager, which gives dealers access
to a large IR database and allows infrared codes to be read (using IR
PRO) and stored for easy reuse in other RTI systems. Dealers can download
updates from the RTI website as needed.
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Updating
The screens created using the Integration Designer™ software
can be quickly tested using the remote once the configuration is transferred
to the controller. The software includes a basic simulator that will give
designers a good feel for how the controller will work without having
to download the data. Many of the issues can be resolved early with the
exception of the actual IR commands being sent. The picture shows the
screen on the T3-V that was created using the Integration Designer™ application. As you can see the remote screen looks exactly like the software
screen where it was created. Our screen shot shown here represents a portion
of the user interface controls we set up for our Dish Network ViP722 high-definition
DVR. This DVR gives us full control of our recorded content and allows
us to control it with the easy to use T3-V. A single button push on the
channel icon sends a four digit command to the set-top box without needing
clear line-of-sight to the DVR. Navigating through the various menus is
completely user defined and can have as many layers as desired (only limited
by memory, which is quite large). We needed about 7 screens to fully control
our DVR with a single menu for all frequently used controls.
Once the
remote design and setup is complete, a single button in the Integration
Designer™ software sends the latest configuration data to the
remote. A second button sends the data to the controller (in our case
the RP-6). Both units are updated using the included USB cables. The process
only takes seconds and the installer can quickly check to see if the operation
of the system is working correctly. It is easy to spend a long time customizing
every aspect of the system into the remote since the environment allows
an enormous amount of flexibility and control.
 IR
PRO
Capturing IR commands from existing remote controls will become necessary
even with the extensive database provided in the Integration Designer™
software. RTI's IR PRO is designed to sample IR commands from any
existing remote and assigns the unique pattern to a name in the database.
The well constructed and compact IR PRO measures 2.75" x 4.5"
x 1.25" and connects to the computer via a USB cable provided with
the unit. The front left indicator flashes when the unit is receiving
an IR command. The tricolor LED on the right side illuminates green when
the unit is in the capture mode, orange when in the alignment mode and
red when the capture is complete. We used the IR PRO to capture codes
from our Denon AVR-5308CI remote and Mitsubishi HC5500 remote. The IR
PRO is a must for any installation professionals who are serious about
creating a custom databases for the products they sell to their clients.
 RP-6
The RP-6 is an advanced control processor that is designed to interface
to a variety of external devices including IR and RS232 interfaces. RTI
remotes can transmit RF commands to the RP-6 using the external RM-433
RF antenna/receiver. The RP-6 then sends IR or RS232 commands directly
to the connected components through wired connections. We have placed
several IR repeaters in our setup that transmit IR commands directly to
the components. Sometimes it is better to use a wired RS232 interface
for better reliability if the component supports it. Currently our Mitsubishi
HC5500 LCD projector, Denon AVR-5308CI receiver, OPPO OP971H DVD player,
HDMI video switcher and other components make use of wired IR and CM-232
interfaces to the RP-6.
Using the
Integration Designer™ software, the installer can assign each
of the six ports with unique names as well as enable or disable IR passthrough
capability. The
RP-6 can receive IR commands and repeat them to multiple output ports.
These four-conductor output ports are designed to work with RTI modules
and are fully compatible with industry-standard IR flashers. The Integration
Designer™ software can also update the firmware in the RP-6.
Three relay driven outputs are rated for 3 amps @ 30 VDC and can be triggered
and set for normally-open or normally-closed operation. The RP-6 can be
used with multiple RM-433 RF receivers to create a larger coverage area,
allowing customers to have more freedom and reliability with their entertainment
system.
Conclusion
The RTI T3-V is a significant improvement to the original T3 that we highly
praised at the time. The new T3-V tactile buttons work well with the richer
looking LCD display. We like the size of the T3-V even though more powerful
models such as the T4 are available simply because it is easier to use.
What sets RTI apart from other remote companies is the number of accessories
available and the ability for users to expand on their system without
outgrowing it. Devices such as the RP-6 advanced control processor and
RM-433 RF receiver provide reliable RF communication that doesn't have
the limitations of IR-only remotes. In addition, the RS232 and power sensing
interfaces make the product more powerful than most controllers we have
seen. Installers will love the way the Integration Designer™
works and once the time has been invested into the product, other variations
of the remote are simple and easy to update.
The latest
RTI T3-V is a great addition to the RTI family and comes highly recommended
to those needing an easy to use, yet powerful custom remote. Once you
have a chance to experience one of these high-end controllers there is
no going back to the limited capabilities of universal IR remotes. The
controllers are designed to handle a variety of complex systems making
it easy for custom installers to adapt. RTI products are designed for
and sold exclusively to custom installers and the company is committed
to keeping their dealers happy. Based on what we have seen from the company,
this will not be difficult.
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Kevin Nakano | 
