Personal experiences with the Monster Cable MCC AVL300 Remote Control System.

This is an advanced system that is advertised with the ability to do many things; control all of your audio/video components, and even turn on/off/dim your enabled lights. The technology it uses are: zwave from Zensys(R), Harmony from Logitech(R), and switches/controls made by Monster/Leviton(R).

First off, this remote is not to be attempted by the non-technical person. It requires programming using a computer with a high speed internet connection and hours upon hours of dedicated set-up time. Basic systems might be simple for the average person to set-up. However, more advanced systems can be painfully excruciating to get to work properly. There is virtually zero documentation provided by the manufacturers, and what little there is, is proprietary steering you to only using their branded components--which in some cases are advertised as being available--but are not (omnilink).

I consider myself very technically competent with computerized electronic gizmos, and this remote took me 2 full days of set-up and several days of fine-tuning to get it close to being right (granted, I have several remotes, several rooms, and a medium/large size home theater with 10 audio/visual components and 8 lighting controls). As a side note, my father is fairly technical as well, and he has a close sibling to this remote, the Harmony 890 (Monster uses their technology) --he fussed with it unsuccessfully on a fairly easy set-up (Flat screen TV, HD satellite, DVD player, and two light controls. He finally gave up on it and paid a professional installer to set it up for him--his still is not right, and the installer has returned several times to attempt to correct it. 

Purchasers should be aware that the learning curve on this remote is extremely high--and do not expect any help from the brief manual that comes with it--it is one of those books with 30 pages; only 15 of which are in english--and of those, 5 pages are those dumb warnings (don't stand in the shower while holding an electrical cord and try to use your remote kind of stuff) and warranty info; on 2 pages the president of monster tells us how great he is,....only 4 pages have steps 1-9 with little drawings to set-up the remote (would have all fit on a small sticker on the back of the remote). Supposedly, the remote "magically" sets up itself--but when things go wrong, there is nothing to tell you how to correct it. 

As for the remote, when it is set-up correctly, it works awesome. The "activity based" iconic user interface is very-well thought out and is simple to use. The remote has a 2.3" LCD screen surrounded with 8 buttons coordinating with "Activity Icons". The "Activities" are user defined by the equipment you enter on initial set-up. For instance; I have mine programmed for "Watch DVD", "Watch TV", "Listen to CD" "Sing Karaoke", "Listen to Cassette", "Watch VCR", ect... All of these show up in the LCD screen as an Icon and when you push the associated button along side the Icon, the remote is smart enough to know which components to turn on, which inputs/outputs to set the receivers, satellites, and overhead projector to, and will automatically raise and lower the projector screen and control the lighting (provided you have the optional zwave RF switches). From there, the remote has standard "hard button" keys familiar to everybody that allow you to control the activity you selected--such as in " Watch DVD" mode, all of the single "Arrow" fast forward/rewind; double "Arrow" Chapter skip forward/reverse; play, stop, pause work with the DVD. The same buttons would control the CD and VCR/Cassette if you selected those activities. In satellite mode, the guide, info, exit, previous, channel up/down all work like the original remote as well as the volume/surround sound from the receiver.

Once you select an activity, the LCD screen displays component specific commands (several pages worth on some equipment). With my high-end receiver, I have 16 pages of commands to control virtually everything my original remote did. One added benefit of this type of remote, is that unexperienced users have a hard time accessing, and thus screwing up, the complicated set-ups for components since most of the functions are nested in pages of commands not immediately available as they are on the original remote. (My live-in mother-in-law (Grandma) has previously screwed up every speaker adjustment, accidentally renamed inputs/outputs, and created "new" surround-sound formats because the original receiver remote had a million buttons that were too easy to access and change things she knew nothing about. More about Grandma in a minute). The remote is also backlighted and all of the button's words/symbols glow--and for those of us that are aging, you can actually read what is on the buttons without glasses--not one of my original remotes has the backlighting and can be used in dim theater lighting.  

The remote functions 3 ways; as a standard infrared (ir) remote; where you point it at the equipment and as long as it has line-of-sight, it controls it. Second; as an (ir) repeater, where the remote broadcasts a Radio Frequency (RF) signal to the Omni-Link, which then converts it back to an ir signal and "blasts" it to the component to be controlled. The RF has the ability to go through walls, ceilings, and cabinets and it does not have to be line-of-sight. It is also more powerful than RF remotes that come with Dish Networks(R) dual satellite receivers--(bear in mind it will not send RF to any components other than its paired Omni-link, and zwave devices--so, if you have an RF remote and you want this one to take its place--it will not work--it only replaces ir remotes for components and controls zwave devices for electrical/lighting control). I know it is more powerful as I have a satellite in my theater and used the dishnetwork RF remote to control satellite 2 (satellite 2 is only RF controlled) by RF from the downstairs bedroom--it was flaky at best and intermittently worked when you could find the ever-changing "sweet spot". When I installed a monster remote, I put the Omni-link on top of the satellite receiver and put the ir blaster on satellite 1 ir lens (satellite 1 is ir controlled), and it works flawless--transmits a stronger RF signal to the Omni-link, and then ir to the satellite.

The zwave transceiver inside the remote is a completely different animal. I have done a lot of research on zwave technology and for those of you familiar with home automation controls, zwave seems to be the wave of the future. It is similiar to X10 in the functions it does--just not in the way it does them. Zwave is a RF network operating at a 900mhz frequency. You could sort of think of it as a wireless ethernet in that each component in the net has a network address (node id). All of the zwave devices are both receivers and transmitters. They not only talk back and forth to the remote, but they act as little independent retransmitters and talk to each other. If one zwave component receives a signal, and the command is not for that device, it retransmits it on down the line. Thus, a signal can hop from one component to the other enabling you to control a device that is quite distant from the original point you sent the command from. The node ids are established by the remote control. It becomes the primary remote and is the only one that can change anything in the system. You can have several remotes, and different components for that matter, all from different manufactures--since zwave is a patented standard that all components bearing the logo have to comply with, all components are supposed to work together--so they say. It has been my experience that they do work together, there is just a lack of instructions to tell you how to do it. Most branded components tell you how to use their components with their components, and then tell you if you use another brand to follow their instructions--which are usually absent.

How zwave works with the monster remote; the normal ir part of the remote and the zwave appear to be completely seperate inside the remote (as far as programming goes). The remote does enable the two to operate together under certain user defined activities--such as "Watch DVD", the remote turns on all of the components, and if you set it to do it, zwave enabled devices could dim the lights, close the blinds, lower a projector screen, etc. The audio/visual components you designate that operate off of ir have all of the codes downloaded from Monster/Harmony, or you can have the remote learn them manually--either way they are all stored on Monster/Harmony's database  under your account (do not lose your ID and password or you cannot make changes to your remote). All zwave codes are set-up in the remote and this information appears to be only in the remote itself. The master remote (the first one you use to set-up the zwave network) assigns each zwave device (switch, thermostat, outlet, dimmer, alarm, etc,) a node ID.

The master remote is the only one that can make changes to the network once you have created it. There are some other options, but they become sort of tricky because the monster remote, by default, always tries to set itself as a master (so if you already have a zwave network established, you have a couple of tricks you have to do to make the monster remote a slave.

Here are some of the considerations when using a monster remote with a zwave enabled network; It is miserably time consuming to set it up by the remote control. You must first access your Monster/Harmony Account and add the new zwave component (s) you want to add. Then, you have to USB plug the Omni-link into your computer and update it, and then update the remote. If you have more than one monster remote, as I do, you have to update all of the omnilinks, and all of the remotes each time you make any change--this takes about 20-30 minutes for two remotes and omnilinks. Once you update the remotes, the master remote tells you to go to the room with the new device to be added, do whatever you are supposed to do to include it (on switches--it is usually nothing more than holding them on for one second, other components are different), the new device then shows up on the remote as being added. You then have to plug the remote back into your computer and re-update all of the omnilinks and remotes again. If you have multiple remotes, you then have to put the master remote into a teach mode, and the slaves (one at a time) into learn mode and transfer the newly included network device node ids to the other remotes. (this only transfers the zwave part to the other remotes--all of the audio/visual components are updated through the Monster/Harmony website).

This process can get a little messy if you forget which switches or devices are which (or you did not give them specific names when you set them up) They will only show up as numbers, and it is difficult to know what device node id 1234567 is or what it is controlling. Give each switch/receptacle/device a specific name that you can always recognize when initially adding them to the network (ie Living Room Fan, Master Bedroom Can Lights, ect)--don't just put ceiling lights if you have multiple rooms on the network (or are considering adding them later).

Another tip; set up the entire zwave network before you add any audio/visual devices--this will save you quite a bit of time. Also, if you have more than 1 remote, set-up the master remote completely first--zwave, then audio/visual equipment, and work out all of the bugs, BEFORE you attempt to program the remaining remotes--my failure to do this simple step cost me at least 8 hours of programming time. Every little change you want to make requires that you update every remote and omnilink in the system, each and everytime, and everytime you do this, the additional remotes double and triple the download times.

I am not completely sure, but I believe the Monster and Leviton brand switches/dimmers store the alpha-numeric name designation you gave them (Living Room ect.). Somehow, these switches seem to be smarter than others and always tell devices what their name is besides what their node id is. These make it easier to always know which switches they are rather than just a bunch of node ids. I may be completely wrong, but in my experience, this is how it "seems" to work. It might just be that since Leviton manufactures the switches that monster puts their name on, these devices are more compatible with the remote. Not completely sure on this one.

It does make a difference in cost. Monster/Leviton switches retail from about $80.00-$150.00 each. Comparable switches from Intermatic(R) cost about $35.00 and functionally work the same. If shopping for zwave compatible devices, consider Leviton Vizia RF switches (not standard Vizia--must say RF and have a part number that begins with RZ--regular Vizias are designed to match the looks of the RF switch but have no zwave capability). Monster IlluminEssense (manufactured by Leviton--and Monster branded--costs more than Leviton and appear virtually identical). Intermatic is another supplier with quite a few reasonably priced zwave devices and their company Intouch(R) appears to market a "higher end" brand of zwave devices. Probably the lowest price out of all are the Intermatic devices--Monster/Levitons are 2 to 3 times the price for a switch that performs the same function. Intouch also has a nice wall-mountable LCD screen controller (at about $200.00) that can be integrated into a network.

Another tip; When you first open your account with monster, use some non-identifying ID name and password. Once you have hard-wired in all of these switches and controls you have a sizeable investment which might add a "gee-whiz" factor to your residence--but not necessarily add to the market value, if you ever move or sell your house, you will either have to change out all of the switches and take them with you, or leave them--and the ID name and password for the new occupants. I have set up networks for others and used their house street address as the ID and password and transferred the account back to them once it was all set-up--that allowed them to reset their own password.

Another tip; Save all documentation that comes with all of your devices. Each switch has special instructions on how to reset, remove/install from network. These are important if you ever need to make changes in the future or transfer them to a new location or to someone else.

Virtually every zwave device I have came in contact with has horrible documentation. It very much reminds me of some of Microsoft's Windows (R) products. You are supposed to put the disc in the computer, and the program then magically does everything by itself. If there is any kind of problem, or you add or remove other programs, you have no clue as to what is what, or how to fix it. When you are programming using only a remote, you are sort of limited--it is sort of like using a telephone keypad to type a long email/text message. 

 With the Monster remote, online documentation is just a repeat of the poorly written in package manual. They do have a cheesy video that barely touches on the key points of set-up, but all information provided lacks the most important answers and troubleshooting necessary to make the remote work properly. They do have a Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ) area that has quite a few important points that should have been written into the operating manual. In my experience, the email support is non-existent as well, as what ever you ask them, they take almost a week to respond just to tell you to call their technical support phone line.

It has been my experience, that if you do call the technical support line, be prepared to wait for a longgggg time to talk to somebody. Out of 4 technical support calls I made, I waited an average of 30 minutes each.  The advice I received was to put both my master bedroom and home theater on the same network--initially, this was believed by me to be an ideal way to be able to use the upstairs remote and downstairs remote on one Omnilink in the theater controlling the satellite going to both areas--as it turns out, omnilinks cannot receive signals from two different remotes--this was recommended as a band-aide fix, because the other omnilink was needed for the master bedroom receiver, and without buying a complete additional monster remote, I cannot get another omnilink.

Here are problems I am still having/or that cannot be resolved because of the limitations of the remote:

My ceiling-mounted Projector is more than 20 feet away from the media closet that stores all of my home theater equipment--and Omnilink. When you are seated, the projector is shrouded from receiving a direct ir signal from the remote. The omnilink blaster cables are too short to reach the projector. Monster tech support recommends that I purchase another Omnilink and install it to control the projector.  My Unauthorized planned fix for my projector is to use a 3rd party extended blaster. I have seen other 5VDC rf blasters marketed with 20 ft cables and 3.5mm jacks on the ends. They are relatively inexpensive and look basically the same as the monster supplied blasters. I cannot believe that monster does not recommend or make these components--I mean, come on now--these are the "cable guys", right?

In my master bedroom on the first floor, the surround sound receiver I use is hidden in an attached closet, as is the HD DVD and other equipment for the "clean installed" flat screen TV on the wall--they cannot receive a direct ir signal. The satellite receiver I use in this bedroom is located in the media closet attached to the theater room on the second floor. There is already an Omnilink in the closet (for the home theater) on the second floor. A limitation of Omnilinks prohibits them from communicating with more than one remote--you supposedly can have several Omnilinks assigned to one remote, but not more than one remote controlling one omnilink. In my set-up, according to monster tech, I need two additional omnilinks; one on my projector, and one on my receiver in the master bedroom. Had I known this was a limitation of this remote, and that additional omnilinks were not available, I probably would have purchased a different manufacturers' remotes. In their advertising, they tell you that you can control multiple components in different rooms--but they fail to mention that you have to buy additional hardware.  In the end, I will probably wind up installing a complete ir repeater system--negating the original reason for purchasing the 2nd monster remote in the first place.

Now, more of the bad

There are numerous flaws in the downloaded equipment codes. The LCD screen is what I call "prime real estate". The front (home) page should have the most needed and used commands visible. Lesser used commands should be on subsequent pages. What almost every piece of equipment downloads from Monster/Harmony's site, has no priority of placement for the commands on the LCD. It is if some retard put them in order. In some cases, never used (I do not even know what they are) commands occupy the front screen, and the most needed commands are 5 or 6 pages behind it, requiring you to scroll, next page, scroll, next page, everytime to use etc, etc. On my DVD player, it has several commands that absolutely do nothing, and again they are on the front page. My projector screen, at first would not work at all, when I tried to teach the remote the only two commands (up/down) the Monster/Harmony program took control and said it had a better program and automatically substituted a program with on, off, stop, down, up. Only the 1st four of these show up on the top page. On, off, stop do absolutely nothing. Down and up function, but since you have to manually stop the screen when it is going down, and the down and up are on different pages, you cannot change the pages fast enough to stop the screen at the proper height for the movie aspect ratio.

It is extremely difficult to change individual commands and put them where you want them. Numerous commands use generic names which do not equate with what your equipment uses, or what you are familiar with. I have had to go through every command to figure out what they do, if they even work at all.  And, again, every change you make takes at minimum about 30 minutes to find, change, download and re-update. Changes require you to physically unplug all of the blasters, power cords, remove the omnilinks from their semi-permanent under shelf mountings, get the remotes, and take them all to your computer to update.

My last words of advice:

If you do not have a very technical understanding of computers and audio/visual equipment--have the knowledge, and or, a friend/electrician to install the electrical switches/dimmers, etc., or lack the desire to spend hours on end researching and trial and error tests, then, this is not a system for you. The preset equipment downloads are so flawed and non-prioritized in order, that paying a professional installer to initially set-up and correct them, would cost more than other far superior and more controllable products offer. Monster's poor documentation and technical support will leave you in despair.

Not to discourage, if you can make it through the learning curve, and get it set-up right,  this is a very powerful remote.

UPDATE: FEB 2009

Since originally writting this guide, some things have changed and are probably worthy of mention.

I actually purchased more of these remotes. I  found them on sale at a major electronics retailer for about half what I paid for the original ones I had. I now have 5 of them. In the set-up of the additional remotes I ran into a problem. On the TV in my second master suite, the remote kept glitching. It was sending the PWR on command, source, and the channel commands too close together causing the TV to come on and always go to the wrong source (it would begin there--and then change to the source that equated with which channel it was supposed to be on). I fiddled with it for hours and finally in despair, I decided to make the phone call to tech support (I dreaded this from my past experience). To my amazement, the call was answered quickly and by an extremely knowledgeable representative that helped me solve the problem. He actually had to go into my account on his end and rewrite coding (Toshiba TVs seem to be the culprit). We were on the phone for quite some time and I asked him every question I could think of. He told me how to do quite a few things that I always wondered if they were posible, but are not explained anywhere--like changing the order of certain functions to a more logical sequence. So as far as the way I hammered their Tech support in my initial posting, I believe they have have really stepped up and fixed this issue. I was impressed.

As far as the  additional omnilinks go, I lost the need for them and quit looking. I used a longer cable on the ir blaster to my overhead projector and it works fine. I merely cut and spliced a piece of Cat6 into the original, extending it over 20 feet. I also installed seperate, built in ir targets in masterbedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, and living room. Now, the entire whole house audio and our security camera system can be controlled from almost any room that has a monster remote, or just a regular remote.

When I added the new remotes and more switches throughout the house, it sort of became a mess when they were all on the same network. Since all of the remotes were on the same network, each was loaded with the other room's equipment. Someone in one in the living room could accidently change the room on that remote and turn on and off lights, change tv channels, etc in other rooms. To rectify and simplify the problem. I removed every component from all remotes, removed every switch from the network, and started over. I then opened up seperate accounts for each room and only programed each remote for the area it was to be used in and set them all up as seperate z-wave networks as their own master. With the in-wall ir targets and blasters, by selectively routing and shielding them from controlling other components they were not supposed to, the system works very nice as a hybrid.

All in all, after a couple of years of usage, I am very impressed with the remotes. I think in changing them all to the same style throughout the house, it has actually made it easier on me since I only have to remember one remote that controls everything and can practically use them with my eyes closed. The Monster is very ergonomic and feels right in your hand. The buttons are located in very well thought out places--right where you think they ought to be. Earlier, I had always wondered if the little center joystick button would actually hold up, or being kind of skinny looking, if it would fail. On my oldest and most used remotes, everything is still functioning perfectly--even the batteries.

In my selection of remotes, I could have used some of the lower, and less costly 100 versions. I have found one reason that I did not. When you are using multiple components, the ir bitstream can get rather long. If you press "Watch DVD" the remote actually is broadcasting that command for several seconds as it turns on the Projector-sets the input, Receiver sets input/output, DVD player, and lowers the Screen, etc. If i were using an ir only remote, I would have to keep the remote pointed directly at the equipment--or the built-in ir targets until the bitstream was finished broadcasting. If I slightly moved off target, possibly one component might not turn on. If you try to "power off" everything and then power on, the one that didn't turn on originally, turns on when you power off. It gets them all out of sync. You can press the help button and it asks a series of questions so that you can resync all of the components, but it is kind of time consuming. When you use the omnilink--it uses radio frequency and does not matter where the remote is pointed--it always works.The omnilink only comes with the 300 series as does the z-wave lighting control.  I think this is kind of important. Even if you do not plan on using the lighting features of the 300, and if you are considering either the lower series monster or possibly one of the Harmonies that do not have an RF control, you might want to step up to this model only for this reason.

Hope this helps