Sadly Don't Have Capacity

CodZero wrote:

To be fair, they've put out nearly 30 firmware updates since December, so the idea it's been unsupported is just nonsense. The remote has been sold out consistently, and they decided to do R3 to add in iterative hardware changes and improvements (but have offered the same upgrades to R2 owners at very reduced cost). Apple or Samsung don't offer that, and nobody complains when they do all annual upgrade!

You know yourself that the loudest people are the ones complaining, and quite often they're also wrong, as per the comment you posted.

I honestly don't see the point in competitors in the field badmouthing each other, competition is good for everyone 🤷🏻
 

I don't disagree with most of what you're saying, but if we're being really honest the reason it has been consistently sold out is because UC decided months ago to not produce any more R2's after their initial kickstarter inventory ran out. Rather than focusing on fulfilling existing reservations they pivoted to designing the R3 and left everyone on the reserve list endlessly waiting for something that they had zero intention of making good on.

I understand why they did that....addressing shortcomings of the R2 hardware, raising additional capital, etc. But not letting anyone know the current state of play has been a bit of a slap in the face. You know that I was the one in line right at the moment when they ran out of inventory, and since then I've been patiently waiting for over 6 months only to find out that I have to wait yet another 6 months. This means that in the best possible scenario from the moment I originally signed up to the earliest moment I might actually have something tangible in hand is 2 1/2 years. The whole situation has been more than a bit of a clownshow.

To be clear, my R3 pledge has been placed and I'm still in. This is it though, no more chances and no more waiting. I still need to work out the logistics with them but I expect to be at the front of the line or it's getting cancelled (not that they'll care lol). I can have the patience of a saint but there comes a point where even I will cut bait.

To Allonis's massive credit they delivered on time and have been responsive to my questions as I worked through the learning curve. I can't begin to express how much I appreciate that. I'm not saying the SmartRemote is perfect. I have a few minor gripes and one major one that have yet to be addressed, if they even can be addressed. There's a reason I'm still hedging my bets but based on my experiences so far I still have high hopes that this will go from a very good remote to an absolutely amazing one.

It's a bummer that you never got to compare the two systems against one another. I was greatly looking forward to your thoughts on that. Regardless, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other in the UC Discord! I still check it every day for updated info.

Hey Nillaz. I was under the impression they had still been putting out R2s in small batches. I certainly got mine well after the Kickstarter ended, as I didn't pledge during the Kickstarter.

There's definitely been issues, like I said before, and there could've been much more communication, certainly in the Discord, but I'm also aware that they are a very small team, and were consistently putting out software updates.

I've got nothing bad to say about Allonis either, and I think I made that clear. I just don't need the capabilities of the SmartRemote, all my equipment that's not linked into Home Assistant is in one room.

Plus I just don't currently have the time to wade through the documentation or learn the programming required to get the best out of the SmartRemote, and it's a waste just sitting in it's box.

I've been really impressed by the stuff you've posted here on how you've got the SmartRemote running, was looking at your videos of the animations you've got running in it, very smart.

I will also say that from my personal experience to date, other companies could learn a thing about engaging and responding from the Allonis people here, particularly where they've been dealing with people not accustomed to this sort of system. Definitely appear to have gone above and beyond.

CodZero wrote:

Hey Nillaz. I was under the impression they had still been putting out R2s in small batches. I certainly got mine well after the Kickstarter ended, as I didn't pledge during the Kickstarter.

There's definitely been issues, like I said before, and there could've been much more communication, certainly in the Discord, but I'm also aware that they are a very small team, and were consistently putting out software updates.

I've got nothing bad to say about Allonis either, and I think I made that clear. I just don't need the capabilities of the SmartRemote, all my equipment that's not linked into Home Assistant is in one room.

Plus I just don't currently have the time to wade through the documentation or learn the programming required to get the best out of the SmartRemote, and it's a waste just sitting in it's box.

I've been really impressed by the stuff you've posted here on how you've got the SmartRemote running, was looking at your videos of the animations you've got running in it, very smart.
 

Apologies if I came off as attacking UC. I am admittedly frustrated as all get out with them but that really wasn't my intention. What Allonis and UC are attempting is a monumental task and I have nothing but respect for both of them even going down this path in the first place.

It's entirely possible that they have released more remotes in small batches but as far as I am aware no one has received an order invitation since my order was cut off last December. I have definitely not received another invite despite being told that my place in line was saved for when more became available.

I totally get it about not needing the horsepower of the SmartRemote and the time commitment in getting it set up to your liking. The basic setup isn't especially difficult and can probably be done with a few hours of learning for a moderately complicated system provided that directions are correctly followed, but really getting into the nitty gritty of customization can be a bit of a rabbit hole if you want to see just how far you can take things. It really is crazy powerful but not everyone needs this much flexibility. I'm glad you're trying to find someone who can benefit from what it has to offer rather than just let it collect dust.

I appreciate the kind words about my system! Things were a bit rough at first but overall I've greatly enjoyed the process of refining things as I've learned! I've come to treat it as a bit of a hobby and while I'm certainly not a professional UI designer I find the creative aspect therapeutic. lol

I've really wanted to do a full Youtube video on the SmartRemote like a few people have done with the R2 but I've been holding off for months now. Something more put together and comprehensive than just a few random UI clips shot by hand with my cellphone camera. As far as I am aware no one has done this yet. I would have liked to compare it against the Harmony Elite and the R2, but obviously I don't have the R2 and the lack of a working backlight in the SmartRemote is a huge con vs. the Elite that can possibly still be addressed. At some point I'm eventually just going to say screw it and get it done though. I can always create a follow up later if/when doing so is warranted.

Thanx for the positives on support!
You really should spend a few hours with the documentation and myServer and get some basics going. You don't have to go overboard. You just can if you want to. We have tried to get "out of the box" stuff working while protecting for total customization. Early on it was more challenging. Now we are seeing people get going in a couple of hours.
We are here if you need us.