Basic 4-1-1:

It takes a collection of many components to assemble a nice home theater or multiroom A/V system. However, in today's world, one device offers consumers the ability to control all of their components with the touch of a button: a universal-remote control.

Universal remotes have come a long way in a short time and the beneficiary of the category's rapid evolution is the modern homeowner who can easily control music, video TV, lights and automatic shades without leaving the couch.

Not all remotes are created equally. A basic aftermarket remote control can be found within the electronics aisle of every major retailer for anywhere from $15 to $50. Generally, however, these products are poorly designed for use on an everyday basis, and are better used as a simple replacement for a dead, factory-supplied remote control.

Moving up the price ladder, remotes offer users a better interface experience, backlighting (meaning the buttons and display window light up), increased memory, the ability to control more components, RF options to allow users to control products in separate rooms and easier programming procedures. For simplicity's sake, the remote control category can be broken down into three sub-categories: retail, custom retail and custom installation.

Pluses/Minuses 4-1-1:

A good remote control is one product that can be taken for granted. A well-designed remote that's properly programmed can execute a series of commands called macros to turn on the audio, cable box, television and dim the lights with the press of a button. Once a homeowner becomes comfortable with the many capabilities of his remote it's easy to forget all of the technology that's in use behind the scenes to activate all of those commands.

A powerful remote control needs about a half hour of programming to enable its many functions. This programming necessitates training, software and a PC to facilitate the programming, and the companion equipment it's controlling on hand in order to verify the programming before its presented to the homeowner.

These facts require resellers to coordinate the installation of equipment around the programming of the system. A good example of this coordination may be the day before an A/V system is to be installed into a home, the programmer gathers the system to program and verify the functions. Most installation professionals prefer this procedure rather than the programming of a system in front of a client because it eliminates certain variables that are easier to deal within their office environment.

All of the preplanning, programming and other related labor does add costs onto the price of the remote, and like anything else the more feature-laden the remote is, the more it's going to cost.

Installation 4-1-1:

It's already been noted that the average customizable-remote control needs about 30 minutes worth of programming before it should be delivered to a homeowner.

In cases where a homeowner already has an existing electronics system, a reseller can also meet that homeowner's needs through the use of a learning-remote control. Usually any of the programmable remotes offer learning features, which allow them to learn the commands of an existing, factory-supplied remote. The learning process in this scenario can take up to a half hour or more depending on the amount of commands needed to be programmed, and if the homeowner wants macro functions to be included with the new remote.

Profit 4-1-1:

The remote-control category offers resellers a reliable upgrade path to fuel attachment sales. Once a reseller moves beyond the mass-market retail products, the category provides solid margin of more than 50 points for the hardware and additional revenues for the programming of the products. In most cases a remote intended for the retail market sells for about $50 to $200, while a remote designed for the custom-installation industry costs anywhere from $300 to $1,500.

Warranties 4-1-1:

In most cases, universal-remote manufacturers cover their products with a one-year parts and labor warranty as long as the remote is purchased from an authorized reseller.

More 4-1-1:

Additional information can be found at these Web sites:
www.electronichouse.com
www.cepro.com
www.remotecentral.com