I just picked up one of these. Very nice not to have to dig out the TV remote to adjust volume when using the Nexus. Since you are using the original remote too, you don’t give up the non-IR communication to the streamer box.
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I just received my 4 remotes, easy to program
Received my two yesterday, Fire Tv & Roku3. Up and running in minutes. So far, works like a charm.
Love the SideClick. The way you program each button individually to do whatever function you want it to do is my favorite feature.
I like it as well, but it is a little too wide for my hands and so for me with smaller hands, it is not as comfortable to use as other remotes. I had to slide the FireTV remote down in the clip so I can hold it by its base - and I moved the power and volume to the bottom three buttons of the sideclick so I could still reach them. But since I am constantly adjusting the volume as I switch between Tablo and other apps, I am glad I have that functionality in the same place as the FireTV controls.
It is pretty cool, but I still prefer the Harmony platform.
I have an older Harmony too. For a complex system nothing beats them. For my current setup in the living room it is just the TV and the Nexus Player. The Sideclick is a perfect fit for that level.
Harmony is great, but it won’t work for my situation. I do have a Harmony 700 that is not in use, but it is a paperweight now. All my TVs use the FireTV and the harmony stand alone remotes won’t control Bluetooth.
I cannot add the Flirc dongle to convert the FireTV to IR which would allow me to use a Harmony remote because I am using the FireTV’s USB port for a flash drive with extra storage for my kids video games, so that solution was a no-go.
I have the Harmony Hub in the family room with the home theater system and it is great and can control Bluetooth and even has some Echo integration through IFTTT - but it is overkill for the basement pet room where I just have a TV and the FireTV to control. Plus, there is no location where I can put the hub where it is line of sight for IR TV control but where the pet rats won’t be able to reach the cords and chew them up. A hub doesn’t work well in a room where small chewing pets get supervised free range for a few hours every day.
The Sideclick is the first solution I have found that will just add power/vol control for the TV to the FireTV remote. I pre-ordered from Sideclick directly because I was so glad there was finally a product that would work for my situation. If I had larger hands, it would be absolutely perfect, but as is, it works and I am happy for that.
It took me awhile to see if you were talking about kids or actual rats…
I do like the idea of the Sidekick for simpler systems.
I just wish it hadn’t ended up so wide… The early prototypes were much narrower…
Most of the increase in width was due to them coming up with the clip system so they could make ONE Sideclick and use it on multiple remotes via the adapter clips…
From a business stand point this makes perfect sense, a LOT cheaper and you don’t have to re-do the remote every year as the streaming companies change their remotes, you just make new plastic clips… But that added width has made it just too awkward for me…
Even so, I still love the idea and have a perfect use for it for at least one of my setups. I have a projector, on most nights I only need 3 buttons from the HUGE remote. “On” / “Off” / & Input… But then I also need to turn on the sound system and control the volume.
With the Sideclick (as other learning remotes) I can program different buttons for different devices without having to change sources…
Fewer remotes and MUCH simpler.
We have both, so for clarity’s sake - actual pet rats in the basement pet room. The kids are okay with wires and can be trusted around the hub, but the rats will chew through a cord in seconds if you aren’t on the ball - so all cords have to be well out of their reach!
I have three Sideclicks, and I agree with @Vonda_Z that they’re just a little bit too wide, and tough to use because the buttons don’t arrange neatly… (Hard to find the buttons in the dark with your thumb.) I’ve been trying to find a remote I can use for the three TVs around the house so they’re all the same. The one that I like best so far is the RCA model RCRST02GR, sold on Amazon, BestBuy, Walmart, NewEgg, etc… It’s bigger than my Roku remote, but I find that the RCA remote is the one that I reach for first. (TV power, volume, source selection, mute, etc…) It takes a minute to figure out which button is which, but it’s very smooth and natural to operate. (Not RF though, so no headphones. Infra-Red remote only.)
Have purchased 4 of that exact remote. 3 for my parents, 1 for us. I have found the Roku IR receivers are really good, I was at first worried this remote wouldn’t work as I have mounted the Rokus behind the TVs but as long as they are mounted near the edge, the IR works better than the Wifi Roku remote!
Unfortunately for my main TV (Epson Front Projector) no codes exist for that remote to operate it, plus I need separate codes for volume for my surround sound. I looked at 3 device & 4 device versions but they just get bigger and bigger, adding tons more buttons I do NOT need…
If that basic RCA one had an option to “learn” the buttons separately (as the sideclick) does, it would be perfect…
@daniel454, it seems like we have a lot in common… I agree that it would be great to be able to reprogram the buttons on the RCA remote individually. I would especially love to reprogram the colored buttons on the bottom row. Have you figured out what they do in Roku mode?
@jberting Nope, before buying it I had assumed they would direct link to Netflix, Amazon, etc. as a replacement for the direct buttons on the Roku remote. Tried both Roku remote codes in the book and neither do a thing… That is the only disappointment for the RCA one.
On a positive note, otherwise, the implementation is near perfect. I was amazed to find that I don’t have to switch between devices for volume and power. Put the remote on “streaming” and leave it there. Most buttons work the Roku, but volume and power still work the TV.
Awesome! Especially since I picked them up for $7 / ea from Amazon!
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Alas, the Nexus Player uses Bluetooth, not IR, but the TV and soundbar use IR, not BT… So, the Sidekick may be my best option if I want a kluged dual-tech remote device.