Sony's BD Remote control for PS3
by Thomas Ricker 
posted Oct 3rd 2006 at 9:41AM
P.S. -Oh, Sony released pricing on the PS1/2 memory reader and the SIXAXIS, as well: ¥1,500 and ¥5,000, respectively ($12.75 and $42.45).
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Peripherals
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
theo944 @ Feb 13th 2008 5:19PM
Does this remot also work with the tv
mooo0 @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:14AM
Arn't all the Logitech Harmony universal remotes IR only and no good for replacing the Sony BT one? Would really like a Harmony but wont bother until they release a BT and IR.
Alex Outten @ Sep 4th 2009 3:57PM
Shame they didn't have the forethought to put a coupl of macro buttons on the PS3 BD remote control to Turn the system off and adjust the volume directly.
I use it a lot to play music change tracks from other rooms, but cannot adjust the volume unless looking at the TV/monitor :(
Deluxe @ Oct 3rd 2006 9:48AM
Dedicated Play, Pause, Stop etc buttons are so much better than remotes that use the 4-way for both navigation and play control. I like.
Although I dont think I'll ever get the hang of using optical media fastforward-rewind speeds -_-, I always endup either rewinding it to the beginning of the movie or it going so slowly that it takes me longer to control it than watch it.
Justin @ Oct 3rd 2006 9:53AM
As console producers try to drive their platform as an important part of the home theater.. having remotes, etc will be necessary.
At first glance:
1. It looks to have everything you would need to function..
2. The design isn't innovative and to me the size is larger than it should be.
Justin
http://hatchedeggs.blogspot.com
theChad @ Oct 3rd 2006 9:54AM
For such a sexy console that remote is ugly as hell.
Axel Aguado @ Oct 3rd 2006 11:20AM
I agree. It is absolutely hideous.
NorCal05 @ Oct 3rd 2006 2:07PM
I think the console is pretty ugly as well...From overhead it looks very nice, but from the front it looks like an electric wok or hibachi
Voltron80 @ Oct 3rd 2006 9:55AM
Hmm... so the controlers look the same. The remote looks the same, and the console looks quite similar. Sony must have not have had money left over design after coming up with the cell and the blue ray.
Wuju @ Oct 3rd 2006 9:57AM
Surely the pricing is off and it should read 3600 ($31) and not 36,000
You'd think that for about 600 bucks they'd include it with the PS3 as a 'freebie'...
Samuel McConnell @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:00AM
Ooh, a Bluetooth remote for just $30. I could definately see using this for my Linux Media Center as a cheap RF remote.
Tom @ Oct 3rd 2006 9:57AM
It doesn't bother me that the remote is coming out later. the wirelss bluethooth controler is essentially a wireless remote as well
joeschmoe353 @ Oct 3rd 2006 9:59AM
Very ugly, looks cheap (which is won't be), too big, buttons too small.
Tom @ Oct 3rd 2006 9:58AM
It doesn't bother me that the remote is coming out later. the wirelss bluethooth controler is essentially a wireless remote as well
Evelyn @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:03AM
Anyone notice that its the same remote that the VAIO computer thats down the list, same everything, except black and says SONY instead of VAIO and Playstation 3 on the top.
Bruno @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:10AM
Great Sony. Another master stroke! A remote with poor industrial and tactile design like every other remote you've made in the past 30 years. And Bluetooth! How Y2K of you. This of course just ensured that the PS3 can't be controlled by standard IR devices and that this remote will not be able to be used for anything else. Brilliant.
Matt @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:28AM
Wow, well it's a good thing Sony labelled the coloured buttons. Imagine how confused I would have been searching for the 'yellow' button had it not been labelled?
wii-mote forever!
Andir3.0 @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:46AM
"Wow, well it's a good thing Sony labelled the coloured buttons. Imagine how confused I would have been searching for the 'yellow' button had it not been labelled?"
You apparently have never met anyone that is color blind.
Daniel @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:14AM
I sure as hell hope you can turn the console on/off with this thing, cuz I don't see a power button. Hopefully by holding the "PS" button??
anyone have any details on that?
also, kinda too bad it's bluetooth + not simply IR. I'm gonna need a IR-->BT adapter for it to work with my Harmony remote...
NorCal05 @ Oct 3rd 2006 2:13PM
The Xbox 360 is power cycled through the center xbox button, it will definitely be the same for the PS3
jzzder @ Dec 25th 2007 10:11AM
Hi Daniel. Did you ever get the PS3 to work with your Harmony remote? I'm looking at doing the same thing. I have a Harmony 880. I need it to control the PS3. Any input from you would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Patty @ Jan 26th 2008 11:53AM
Daniel, where do you find an IR - BT adaptor so that this remote will work with your Harmony remote? We have the same problem. I'd be interested in such an adaptor. Thanks in advance for your reply!
Jeremy @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:15AM
The fact that it's not shipping immediately is not a big deal. Just like the PS2, it will be pretty easy to navigate a DVD through the PS controller.
Looks pretty nice. Not sure I'll need it, but it surely helps polish the unit as a BD player with one.
Alex Padilla @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:16AM
A fully functioning remote is necessary, especially since Sony is pushing their Blu-ray technology to be incorporated into consumers' home theaters. What would've been nice, though, is if they would've put motion sensitivity into the remote, so it'd be like their SIXAXIS controllers.
TheWorkz @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:29AM
Anyone else notice that they are launching the remote on Pearl Harbor memorial date? Coincidence? Maybe! It does seem a little fishy that they can't get a remote out on the shelves the same day as the PS3 Launch. This is also by far one of the ugliest remotes I have seen for a next gen product. Microsoft's is pretty sexy, and even when you go universal remote shopping, the remotes out there look much better than this. A pitty..
Rishard @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:35AM
Another $30 sony is getting from people. I was wondering when they were going to finally announce this.
Marcos @ Oct 3rd 2006 12:14PM
A Bluetooth controller for ~$30 sounds pretty good to me. I hope it can be paired up with devices other than the PS3 (FrontRow anyone?)
Micheal Overton @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:42AM
When following the link to http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20061003/sce.htm I noticed that they are also making a memory card adapter which hooks up bia USB.
Tom Pacyk @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:57AM
Now with 30% more useless plastic towards the bottom!
Nate @ Oct 3rd 2006 11:04AM
I wouldn't say useless plastic, it gives you something to grip when pressing the lower buttons, otherwise you've got to some pretty crazy gymnastics with your thumb, plus you need space for the batteries somewhere.
As for the rest of the design, well it looks good, it has enough butons to be useful, while having the (now mandatory on any remote) arcane button or two (red?, yellow?).
Anyhow, should I ever get a PS3 I'll never get the remote, as long as the controls are as good as the PS2's I'll have no problem navigating with the standard controller
Billy Bob @ Oct 3rd 2006 11:40AM
I am sorry but I hate the spiderman font. I don't think I will ever get used to it...
As far as the actual remote, I am hoping Logitec gets all the codes right away so I can easily program it into my Harmony 360.
So far I really like the Harmany 360 and I like the tactile feedback way better than the 880 for all of you dorks who are going to say thats better.
I have every game console and will get a ps3 and wii next month. I can't wait! (Seriously I can't wait in line for 1 day, im going to pay some homeless dude to stand in line for me) Rest assured I will have one on launch day.
Matt Malone @ Oct 3rd 2006 11:51AM
The eighties called: they want their remote back.
That looks like the remote off my cousins telly, which is like 90000000000 years old.
Its too big.
and bluetooth?!?! WTF?!?!?! if you aren't in line of site of the tv, and you are trying to do something like pause, you are an idiot. Whats wrong with infrared? Its reliable, cheap, doesnt use much energy, not very complicated. Bluetooth remotes are lame, except for maybe a mega high-end stereo, cos then you could leave the room and change tracks, but for a blu-ray player/ornament, theres no point. waste of money.
Bruno @ Oct 3rd 2006 12:04PM
You can't leave the room with BlueTooth. That's another problem. The range is a fraction of IR, even with obstacles. A high powered IR remote with multiple diodes can be pointed anywhere and still reach its target.
Sean D. @ Oct 3rd 2006 12:05PM
That looks like every other crappy Sony remote.
Hey Engadget, why didn't you mention the USB-to-PS2 Memory Card adapter also pictured on that web page with the remote? That looks a bit more useful to me, coming from a PS2 and not caring about playing movies from my game console...
Korexz @ Oct 3rd 2006 12:26PM
OH, by the way... you have to buy the premium PS3 to use your PS2 saves, because there is no media card slot on the base PS3...
BACKWARDS compatibility.... ?!?
no, just backwards!
Trooper @ Oct 3rd 2006 12:02PM
Not only is there no power button, but unless I am just missing it, there is no volume button either. Is that right?
Temple @ Nov 2nd 2006 12:47PM
>>You can't leave the room with BlueTooth. That's another problem. The range is a fraction of IR, even with obstacles. A high powered IR remote with multiple diodes can be pointed anywhere and still reach its target.
Yes, you can leave the room, BT can go up to ~100 meters. It depends on what class BT you are using, class 1 is ~1M, but class 2 is ~10M, and class 3 is ~100m. I'm sure for a remote it'll be Class 2 or Class 3 due to the fact it uses little power requirements to change channels and only transmits in short bursts. IR has a lot of line-of-sight problems, BT will be worlds better then IR.
Korexz @ Oct 3rd 2006 12:23PM
Hey look kids, something ELSE Sony is shoving down your throat. So does this mean that I can control the volume and such from my PS3? I don't see a volume button... or will bluetooth remotes be available for the new Sony HD (1080p) televisions that you have to own to enjoy the "benefits" of Blu-Ray?
This is looking more like beta every day... and MiniDisc... and HD-MD... and ATRAC... and ATRAC-3... and the PSP... and UMD... and... need I go on?
OH WAIT XCP... there, almost forgot that one...
VHS,CD,MP3,DVD,DS...Wii
eRAD @ Oct 3rd 2006 3:13PM
>Korexz @ Oct 3rd 2006 12:25PM
>
>OH, by the way... you have to buy the premium PS3 to use your PS2 saves, because >there is no media card slot on the base PS3...
You don't need the premium system. All you need is a USB port and both models have it. Check the link below for specs.
http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/specs.html
Twist @ Oct 3rd 2006 1:24PM
And it still looks as if it isn't a universal remote. Yea just what I need another remote that only controls one device. An since it is Blutooth and not IR there is little chance of using some other universal remote to control the PS3. Great design Sony, seriously awesome work.
Daniel @ Oct 3rd 2006 1:58PM
"You can't leave the room with BlueTooth. That's another problem. The range is a fraction of IR, even with obstacles. A high powered IR remote with multiple diodes can be pointed anywhere and still reach its target."
wow, you couldn't be more wrong about that.
EdZ @ Oct 3rd 2006 2:13PM
I'm not sure why everyone is ragging on the design. I don't give a pair of foetid dingo's kidneys about flashy curves or touch sensitivity or chrome or whatnot. It has buttons. They work. It has a good layout (shift your hand up for the menu, down for playback, and use your other hand to operate the fine controls (numeric pad). It looks to be weighted towards the bottom (So it sits in the heel of your palm. Though a little moot as you don't have to point it at the TV anyway, but it'll still be comfortable to hold). If it's one thing Sony's got right throughout the years it's remote control design.
Plus if it's anything like Sony's other remotes, they'll bring out TVs with bluetooth controls, and they'll be interoperable (Plus it's freakin bluetooth! Eminantly hackable!).
Adam Pflug @ Oct 3rd 2006 2:39PM
And I shall call it the thrii-mote.
Veritas II @ Oct 3rd 2006 2:58PM
Any article on Engadget mentioning Sony = The Two Minute Hate
Alex @ Oct 3rd 2006 3:21PM
one problem.... it says hd-dvd at the bottom.... i thought they were blu-ray
_habit_ @ Oct 3rd 2006 3:30PM
XD Adam Pflung is right!
That is just plain messed up...
_habit_ @ Oct 3rd 2006 3:31PM
Whoops, I somehow managed to go back 1 too many pages, then saw his name, thinking it was Alex's post.
Kyle @ Oct 3rd 2006 4:40PM
Mmmm...over-priced remote to go with the over-priced system. Perfect.
Drew @ Oct 3rd 2006 5:56PM
You know you're in a Sony thread when people bring up Betamax even when the article is irrelevant to Sony formats! Yeesh.
And it's ugly? What do you expect from a basic remote control? You're expecting Harmony-remote features? You're not forced to buy it, just use your wireless controllers or wait for a 3rd party solution. Problem solved.
npChaos @ Oct 3rd 2006 6:47PM
LOL, scary how much that resembles the remote for a sony VCR I had once...