Monster Home Theater Controller 100

Manufacturer: Monster Cable Part number: MCC AV100

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$144.70 - $302.82 at 6 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 9 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: The Monster Home Theater Controller 100 universal remote arguably offers a superior design to competing models from Logitech and Harman Kardon, but it's comparatively pricey.

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CNET editors' review

Monster Home Theater Controller 100

price range: $144.70 - $302.82

Reviewed by: David Carnoy
Edited by: John P. Falcone
Reviewed on: 10/04/2006
Released on: 07/15/2006

The good: Monster's Home Theater Controller 100 universal remote is powered by a modified version of Logitech's highly regarded Harmony software that makes programming it relatively easy. It features a well-designed button layout and a rechargeable battery with a docking station. The remote also supports multiroom setups.

The bad: First, the Monster Controller 100 is overpriced. Second, even though the remote is generally user-friendly, if you do have a multiroom system, setup can be a challenge and frustrating at times as you must continually test and refine your settings. And at this price, we'd like to see RF functionality included.

The bottom line: The Monster Home Theater Controller 100 universal remote arguably offers a superior design to competing models from Logitech and Harman Kardon, but it's comparatively pricey.

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Ever since Logitech started licensing out its highly regarded PC-based Harmony universal remote software, a handful of Harmony clones have gradually trickled onto the market. Some, such as the Harman Kardon TC 30, look very similar to their Logitech counterparts and are essentially rebranded products. But Monster's Harmony-powered remotes offer completely new designs that keep them from being designated as true clones.

Both of Monster's 2006 universal remotes feature color screens, but the Monster Home Theater Controller 100 ($350) is IR only, while the step-up Monster Home Theater and Lighting Controller 300 ($600) comes with both infrared (IR) and radio-frequency (RF) capabilities, the latter being useful for components hidden behind cabinets or doors. The Monster 300 is also able to control lights in your home using the optional IlluminEssence lighting modules, which work on the Z-Wave wireless technology standard.

Like Logitech's current crop of color-screen remotes, the Monster Home Theater Controller 100 (a.k.a. the MCC AV100) comes with a docking station for recharging the removable lithium-ion battery. While we don't think the design of the Monster remote is particularly slick, we do like its button design and layout better than that of the Logitech Harmony 720 and the Harman Kardon TC 30 (though, as with all such subjective calls, your opinion may vary). The remote feels pretty comfortable in hand, and the buttons are more thoughtfully laid out and more tactile. We particularly like the raised Select button in the center of the remote and the raised/angled transport buttons (play, pause, skip forward/back) buttons that surround it. The rockerlike buttons for volume control and channel up/down are also well placed and easy to get to by feel alone using your thumb. The remote offers a good amount of blue backlighting that makes the keys fairly easy to distinguish in the dark.

Measuring 8.1 inches long by 2.4 inches wide by 0.75 inch deep and weighing 6 ounces (with battery installed), the AV 100 isn't exactly svelte, but it's not really a monster. In addition to the screen's color capabilities, the LCD is larger than those of Logitech's monochrome Harmony models. The increased screen real estate offers room for a total of eight activity-based icons that correspond to adjacent hard buttons.

We were a little disappointed by the low-resolution (read: early Palm color screen) 128x160 color display. With the Monster's high price tag, we were hoping it'd be a little sharper. Monster uses its own more text-based, activity-based icons, and while they're not superclean looking, they're at least easier to read than those on the Logitech remote. One item for the wish list: it'd be nice if you could create custom-labeled icons simply by typing in the text to describe the activity you want to assign the button to.

As noted, the Monster 100 comes with a tabletop charging station for juicing up the included rechargeable lithium-ion battery; you simply lay the remote down in its cradle. Not only is this nice for saving dough on batteries, if you're good about leaving the remote in its cradle, you'll always know where it is when you need it.

The Monster 100 has a built-in motion sensor so that when you pick up the remote, it automatically turns on (this feature is now available in other, less expensive Harmony remotes). You can add your own digital images as backgrounds and screensavers--there's a slide-show feature--though we found that we had to crop our images into vertical shots or they'd appear hideously stretched on the screen. And it really wasn't a good idea to have a picture as a background because it made the icons difficult to read; stick with the default blue background.

In terms of programming the remote, the Monster 100 works the same way that other Harmony remotes do, but it comes with its own special flavor of Harmony desktop software, as well as a Monster-modified interface on the remote itself. As we noted in our earlier reviews, programming a universal remote can be a frustrating and time-consuming process, involving punching a series of multidigit codes for each component in your A/V system. By contrast, Harmony remotes are programmed by connecting them to your Internet-connected Windows PC or Mac with the supplied USB cable, installing the model-specific version of Harmony software (in this case, Monster software), and following a fairly straightforward wizard.

You choose your home-theater components from a list; explain how they're connected; and define their roles in activity-based functions, such as Watch TV, Watch DVD, and Listen To Music. For each function, you specify which devices and inputs the remote must enable. You can also choose which keypad functions will punch through to which specific devices--always having the channel buttons control the cable box or the volume controls dedicated to the TV, for instance. After you've completed the setup, the software uploads all the relevant control codes to the Monster 100. Depending on the system, sometimes setup is a snap, other times it isn't.

One advantage of the Monster software is that it does a better job guiding you through multiroom setups. We actually set up the remote to work in three rooms in our house, and there's a dedicated A/B Sys button at the bottom of the remote that's a shortcut to controlling multiple systems for multiple rooms.

Once you finish setting everything up in the Web-based software wizard, it's easy to toggle between rooms on the remote, but it's not necessarily the most elegant solution since you're left with activity-based icons that read Watch TV2 and Watch TV3 for your second and third rooms. On the plus side, you can add advanced, macro-style options for delay times, multistep commands, and other functions. Also, the remote's Help key aids in troubleshooting by asking natural-language questions on the LCD. For instance, the screen might read, "Is the digital set-top box on?"

Even as user-friendly as the remote generally is, you will probably encounter a few snags. And as one might expect, the more rooms and components you have, the more time you can expect to invest in getting everything to work properly. A certain amount of trial and error is involved. You must verify that the commands work with your equipment as intended, then modify them as necessary. This can get a little tedious as you run through the software wizard, connect and reconnect the remote to the USB cable, then wait for the remote to update itself.

If you're pairing this remote to only one system, you can conceivably set it up in less than an hour. It's also worth pointing out that Monster, like Logitech, will continue to offer updates to the desktop software and firmware upgrades to your hardware. This should improve the user experience with time.

As for battery life, Monster says you should be able to go a few weeks without recharging, but obviously, if you leave the unit in its cradle, the battery will remain fully juiced. It's also worth noting that the battery is replaceable, so when it eventually wears out--and it will--you'll be able swap in a new one.

When all is said and done, the Monster Home Theater Controller 100's slightly superior design (from the standpoint of button design and placement) give it an edge over the similarly featured Logitech Harmony 720 and Harman Kardon TC 30, which is why we gave it the high score we did. That said, some buyers may prefer the sleeker look of those competing remotes and more certainly, their much lower price tags. In other words, we'd be willing to pay a small premium to own this model, but not a big one--and you shouldn't either.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 9 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 9 out of 9

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6 stars

Owned for a week

by bwahaha on April 8, 2007

Pros: Easy to program

Cons: Joystick; A, B, no C; Buttons feel cheap

Summary: I purchased this remote for a new home theatre system in my house. I am a little biased, since I already have an MX-800 for one system and a MX ...

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Summary: I purchased this remote for a new home theatre system in my house. I am a little biased, since I already have an MX-800 for one system and a MX 3000 for a different one. For this room, I wanted to go for a remote that did not have professional installation requirements. I programmed the remote without a problem for all units (Panasonic plasma, Sony DVD, Scientific Atlanta HD Cable Box, Onkyo Receiver). The remote worked perfectly in terms of controlling all the devices, including the activity based controls.

Now time for the cons. I had an issue with the battery. As soon as I took it off the cradle after initial charging, it dropped one battery bar. Then, after being off the charger for one day, it dropped another bar. Note that there are only 3 battery bars on this remote.

In addition, I was not too pleased with some of the controls. I think that the joystick control. I personally would prefer buttons as opposed to the joystick. In addition, my cable box has an A, B, and C button. This remote has hard buttons for A and B, but no C. The C appears in the LCD area, but it is annoying to have 2 out of 3 in one spot, while the third is in a different location.

Finally, the buttons felt cheap. When pressing anything in the number pad, all buttons move. Same goes for the row above the number pad and below the volume/channel up/down controls.

Overall, the remote did as promised, however I would prefer a remote with a sturdier feel.

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4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

"Novice Easy" setup

by dmsprague on October 18, 2007

Pros: Ease of setup even for first time owner of Universal Control. Charging cradle very stable. Buttons are well-built and easy to use. Layout feels very intuitive.

Cons: None to even note

Summary: First time purchase of a universal control. Though a bit leery, I chose the AV100 over Harmony's due to company reputation and so-so reviews on the Harmony models, particularly ...

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Summary: First time purchase of a universal control. Though a bit leery, I chose the AV100 over Harmony's due to company reputation and so-so reviews on the Harmony models, particularly dealing with the Harmony charging cradle.

I couldn't be more pleased. Recharging cradle is very sturdy and reliably did the initial charging. Setup even for a novice was very smooth. Any glitches were easily fixed with the remote's Help Button. Customizing for my preferences was a breeze.

Would have rated a "10" but have yet to determine the SAF (Spousal Acceptance Factor)! But my best guess is that she'll love it too!

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 stars

used for 6 weeks and my wife hates it.

by gus279 on January 4, 2007

Pros: recharger base

Cons: web site problems durring programing, no manual

Summary: had problems programing originaly.. couldnt download manual, got it working and hid other remotes for a few weeks but my wife , who is normaly good about figuring these thing out ...

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Summary: had problems programing originaly.. couldnt download manual, got it working and hid other remotes for a few weeks but my wife , who is normaly good about figuring these thing out hated it and demanded the stack of original remotes back. I had trouble finding the correct buttons, the one button feature worked fine for turning the sysytem on/off but after that it was confusing to operate individual components . I tried setting this up on a friends system today ( trying to get rid of it) and I cant log in to the website or open new account?
bought a Sony RMAX4000 for half the money and my wife loves it.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Does the job for me perfectly

by krisztoforo on December 5, 2006

Pros: Easy setup, one button operation, wife-friendly

Cons: Screen could have higher resolution, no RF

Summary: Basic setup is a breeze, I was done with it in 15 minutes and had true 1 button functionality to control my whole setup (major wife pleaser). You need to ...

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Summary: Basic setup is a breeze, I was done with it in 15 minutes and had true 1 button functionality to control my whole setup (major wife pleaser). You need to spend much more time to customize it though if needed (but again, no remote will ever guess everybody's custom preferences). I was debating between the Logitech 880, HK TC30 and this remote, ultimately I chose this because the button layout seemed more intuitive than those other 2.
I don't have an overly complicated setup (TV, AV receiver, DVD/CD player, Cable box with HD, XM radio) but the remote just does its job perfectly for me.
All my devices were in Monster's database (even some functionality that's missing from my original remotes, e.g. my TVs original remote doesn't have an option to select an input, Monster's database had) so there was no need to teach new codes to this remote.
I wish the screen had higher resolution though. Also, it doesn't have RF capability (if you don't know what it is you probably don't need it).
Price seems a bit high, but everything's relative, the other 2 remotes I mentioned are somewhat cheaper.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Capable, good value, easy set up

by Don-FL on July 23, 2006

Pros: Easy web based set up (PC and Mac), one button control of multiple components

Cons: Database on AV Receiver did not include codes for Zones 2 & 3, just the primary Zone 1

Summary: Overall I?m very satisfied with the remote capabilities, and relative ease in setup.

The remote is used to control a plasma monitor, AV Receiver, digital HD cable box with

...

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Summary: Overall I?m very satisfied with the remote capabilities, and relative ease in setup.

The remote is used to control a plasma monitor, AV Receiver, digital HD cable box with DVR, DVD, and DVD/VCR combo unit. The multiple remotes were driving my wife crazy (and me too). The AV equipment I have is of good quality but I could not bring myself to buy one of the high end remotes, for about $400, and then have to pay an additional $400 to have someone program it. Future changes would still depend on someone doing the programming and cost more money. The Monster controller was a good solution. It has one-button capabilities and was something that I could set up and modify.

The basic setup went pretty smoothly. Monster?s web based ?set up wizard? was easy to use, and the component database with the various codes seemed extensive. The user guide included with the remote however was about as minimalist as possible. There is a user manual that can be downloaded from Monster?s web site but all I received was a web site error message when I tried. Maybe if I had the user manual, I would have better understood the relationship between the ?activities? and the related components. Once I got the basic system working, it took a lot of experimenting with the setting to customize the remote. The component and activity settings are buried a number of screens deep on the web site. It was confusing to decide whether to use the trouble shooting screen or the activities screen.

After setting up the cable box and the TV, I went to use the cable guide to pick a station. I could not figure out how to move up and down or side to side within the guide. I felt like an idiot when, by accident, I realized that the Monster remote select button also functioned as a mini joystick. It moves up and down within the guide. I am sure that information was in the user guide that I was not able to download but I did not see this information on the web site or anywhere else.

The remote advertising indicated that the remote?s surround mode button would access the surround sound and DSP modes. I have a Yamaha RX V1500 receiver and none of the surround sound buttons appear when I use the surround mode. I will have to set them up or have to use the remote?s component control button to access the buttons for the AV receiver (all 14 pages worth).

Another issue relates to the AV receiver and its multiple zone capability. The receiver?s primary zone is used for the cable/TV/DVD in the family room. I have zone 2 powering speakers outside, and zone 3 powering speakers in one of my rooms. The receiver can play the cable/TV in zone 1 and in zone 2 use the receiver?s turner to play FM. The codes for the Monster remote do not recognize the other zones. I needed to use the learn code function to get zone 2 to work. I still haven?t figured out how to control the volume in zone 2. This is a major pain for people with AV receivers with multiple zones and needs to be fixed.

I am still having problems switching the monitor?s inputs (AV1 to AV2) when I start an activity. Even though the activity says to switch to AV2, the monitor does not recognize the command. I am still playing with time delays in sending the codes but do not have a solution yet.

The last gripe that I have is that Monster?s web site has a download titled ?Setting up your monster controller? and it indicates a 24hr turnaround on contacts to their customer service. I used their web site for the contact and three contacts later am still waiting for an answer to any of my requests. This is a problem since Monster sets the expectation of a quick turn around and then does not deliver.

Problems aside, I still think that this controller was the way to go. It truly has one button capability and allows me to make changes to the remote?s functionality. Most of the issues I have will not be a problem for the majority people. Monster?s support is still a little rough around the edges. I am confident that I will get the remote to handle my needs.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Thrilled with this remote

by mphiggins on July 20, 2006

Pros: Easy set up, nice buttons, even my six year old can use it

Cons: Not much - remote assistant not of much use

Summary: I bought this remote to replace my old Sony Commander. My Sony worked OK, but basically drove everyone nuts but me. There was no way for my young son to ...

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Summary: I bought this remote to replace my old Sony Commander. My Sony worked OK, but basically drove everyone nuts but me. There was no way for my young son to use it, my wife put up with it, my in laws hated it.

Enter the Monster. I read the reviews of the Logitach Harmonys and decided to take a chance on Monster based on the mixed reviews of Harmony. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the decision. I own a Hitachi 50V500, Scientific Atlanta cable box with PVR, Sony reciever, XBox, and a Toshiba VCR/DVD combo.

The Monster software had all of these components working with correct audio outputs within 15 minutes of me answering questions using the software. The only adjustment I had to make was to customize the "page up" and "page down" inputs to the PVR for skipping through channels in the on screen menu 5 at a time. You can tell Monster made a bog investment in the software to input your components and establish functions.

The other thinh I love is that the Monster remote senses when my components are on or off. My Sony could never do this (or I could not figure out how) and constantly would shut components off when I used the memorized commands (for example it would shut off my reciever when I swtiched from watching to TV to watching a DVD). I knew how to get around this, but nobody else in my house did.

All in all a very positive experience with a product that I think is very hard to get correct. Congrats to Monster on a very high quality product.

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1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 stars

Would repeat the purchase.

by kenscanuck on January 31, 2008

Pros: Accessible support

Cons: Experienced conflict with Vista Home Edition. Dislay reverts to "basic" mode until program is physically exited

Summary: Great product, but could not determine how to stop the setup program from auomatically booting up and running in the background, since it apparently conflicts with my Vista operating system. ...

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Summary: Great product, but could not determine how to stop the setup program from auomatically booting up and running in the background, since it apparently conflicts with my Vista operating system. Wanted to retain the program since I am contemplating acquiring more devices. Will re-download later.

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1 stars

Im tired of monster's overpriced BS!

by urimind on October 15, 2006

Pros: Its shiny and big.

Cons: Highway Robbery

Summary: I Have had it up to my chin with monster and their crazy prices. Monster is the definition of Highway Robbery. I cant believe monster. Terrible, Just terrible.

Summary: I Have had it up to my chin with monster and their crazy prices. Monster is the definition of Highway Robbery. I cant believe monster. Terrible, Just terrible.

0 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 stars

More Overpriced Crap from Monster

by popstand on October 9, 2006

Pros: Harmony Software

Cons: Fugly, Ridiculous Price

Summary: Buy a Harmony remote instead. Can we please put Monster out of business already?

Summary: Buy a Harmony remote instead. Can we please put Monster out of business already?

1 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.

Showing opinion 1 to 9 out of 9

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Monster Cable
Part number: MCC AV100
Description: The name Monster Cable is so synonymous with high quality and high performance. Monster Cable products are indispensable components for music lovers, audiophiles, recording studios, sound professionals, musicians, custom-installers and home theater enthusiasts. PRODUCT FEATURES: 2.3" color display with customizable backgrounds; "Wide Field" IR capability for maximum AV control range and flexibility; Dedicated Surround Button for control of sound modes in the receiver; Tabletop charging station and rechargeable lithium - ion battery for longer - lasting power; "One Touch" activity based control of AV Components; Integrates and controls up to 15 AV components; Simple online, question - based setup of AV components and lighting through Monster Central website; Dedicated Picture Button provides Smart PIP and optimal control for aspect ratio.

General
Device Type Universal remote control
Remote Control
Connectivity Technology Infrared
Supported Device Qty 15
Supported Devices Plasma panel, LD player, Amplifier, Projector, VCR, PC multimedia, DVR, Satellite TV system, TV, DVD player, AV receiver, Cable box
Input Device Keypad
Features Back-lit buttons, Programmable, PIP function

Miscellaneous
Included Accessories Remote control charging stand
Power
Battery Remote control unit battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion
Included Qty 1

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