If you're reading this review, it's likely for one of two reasons. One, you're a Doctor Who fan who loves the idea of your own sonic screwdriver to control your home theater. Two, you're not familiar with Doctor Who and don't know what a sonic screwdriver is. If you're in the latter group, I can save you the time and tell you this: You probably don't want this product. The Wand Company's Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control ($99.95, available at ThinkGeek.com)?is less a remote control,?and more a prop that happens to control your HDTV. That said, it's a very convincing prop that any fez-and-bow-tie-wearing nerd would love to keep on his coffee table.
The 8.7- by 1.2-inch, 9.9-ounce cylindrical remote control is modeled after the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver, and it's the most accurate replica I've handled. It doesn't have a pop-out claw like the toy version, but its die-cast parts, chrome finish, and much more solid plastics make it look and feel more like a prop than a toy or a remote control. That's because, despite its remote functions, it is more of a prop than a remote control. The "corset" around the middle is a soft plastic and not leather like the molded stitching implies, but otherwise the screwdriver feels very solid and real in the hand. The tip lights up green when sending a signal, just like the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.?It even comes with a nice and detailed, albeit plastic, display stand with a clear cover.?
The sonic screwdriver has four modes, each accessible by pressing the hidden button on the butt of the screwdriver (the only mechanical control on the device). Practice Mode lets you test the remote gestures, Command Mode lets you use remote control functions with sound effects for each gesture, Silent Command Mode nixes the sound effects, and FX Mode disables the remote control and turns the remote into a pure Doctor Who prop, making various sound effects with different gestures.
The Practice Mode should give you a big hint about how useful the sonic screwdriver is as an actual remote. Everything (except a double-press on the button) is gesture-based, and those gestures are so finicky that you really need a practice mode. The gestures include flicking the screwdriver up, down, right, or left; tapping the screwdriver up, down, right or left; rotating the screwdriver clockwise or counter-clockwise; and pushing or pulling the screwdriver. Almost every gesture registers as a flick or a tap, and I had problems getting the remote to even recognize if I was turning, pushing, or pulling it. Worse yet, the flick and tap directions aren't particularly accurate, and the remote regularly thought I was gesturing horizontally instead of vertically.
Each gesture has to be manually programmed by making the gesture you want to assign a command, listening to the built-in voice that says what you just did, pointing a regular remote at it, and pressing the desired button to teach that command to the screwdriver. It's a simple but tedious task, made more frustrating because of the tricky gestures. The remote has three different memory banks for commands, giving you 39 slots for remote control settings (three sets of 13). However, it's so unpredictable that I found myself using only three or four commands because their gestures were the only ones I could consistently master.
For Doctor Who fans, the useless remote aspect is saved by the incredibly fun FX Mode. Each gesture activates a different sound effect, including the sounds of four sonic screwdriver models from the Doctor's past, three of the Doctor's other gadgets, and six words of the inhuman language of the Foamasi from the Fourth Doctor serial The Leisure Hive. While you still need to practice the gestures to get the sound effects you want, it's a lot of fun just waving the sonic screwdriver like a magic wand and pretending you're the Doctor. It's a far better prop for your Comic-Con or Halloween costume than the regular toy sonic screwdriver.
Still, it's a $100 remote control that doesn't really work as a remote control. The Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control is a fantastic, albeit expensive, prop that goes perfectly with your bow tie, fez or Stetson, and jacket, but you don't want to use this for your main home theater remote. While it's a great product for fans, it isn't for general users. Of course, that's the point of it; you're buying a Doctor Who prop that just happens to have an awkward remote control built inside.
More Home Theater Product Reviews:
??? Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote
??? Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 710HD
??? Sony KDL-55HX750
??? Sony KDL-46HX750
??? LG 50PM9700
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/4onMTpnbQzc/0,2817,2409860,00.asp
game change own stacy francis tournament brackets 2012 ncaa basketball tournament walt what time is it
No comments:
Post a Comment