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A/V remote control systems

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by Pascal, Apr 17, 2026.

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  1. Pascal, Apr 17, 2026
    #1
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Wondering what you guys use to handle A/V systems on boats. At home I don’t mind having two or three remotes but on a boat with guests I need one touch remote which will automatically select the right devices, set the inputs etc.

    we used to have Control 4 system which was obsolete and require complete replacement… insane cost.

    I used Logitech Harmony on the previous boat which was pretty nice but is now discontinued.

    I m currently using SofaBaton … what a goofy name… which is works pretty well and is reasonably cheap. The app to set up each room is pretty user friendly and doesn’t require a pro like control 4. We have 7 or 8 systems between staterooms , salons etc.

    What else should I look at ?
  2. wiredup, Aug 18, 2026 at 12:20 PM
    #2
    wiredup

    wiredup Member

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    Those are the only real options. Have gone through the same options you mentioned on each boat I have had. Am using Control 4 now on a new Riviera. I have gotten logitech harmony hubs on ebay.
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2026 at 12:41 PM
  3. ychtcptn, Aug 19, 2026 at 8:06 AM
    #3
    ychtcptn

    ychtcptn Senior Member

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    Honestly, rip out all the legacy stuff and put a smart TV (I like FireTV) and a sound bar.
  4. wiredup, Aug 19, 2026 at 8:16 AM
    #4
    wiredup

    wiredup Member

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    That doesn't help if want a universal control to handle not only, for example in the salon, the TV, stereo, TV riser, etc. For staterooms, just putting a smart tv in makes sense.
  5. Pascal, Aug 19, 2026 at 9:04 AM
    #5
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Miami, FL
    In many cases directTV is still needed so that’s one remote for the tv, one for the soundbar, one for directTV and one for smart box like AppleTV.

    AppleTV is the best choice compared to built smart TVs with more apps and features.

    So far for us SofaBaton has been working good, I ve added AppleTVs and Safabatons to all the staterooms

    as mentioned originally I got rid of control4, it wasn’t user friendly, required professional programming everytime we added or replaced a component and control tv is one of these companies that believes in not supporting their stuff after a few years requiring expensive upgrades