One For All XSight Colour

Over the past 30 years, the number of electronic devices in most homes has increased a huge amount and with this has come the clutter of a pile of remote controls.

Several companies make their own universal remote controls that can, in theory, replace them all with one, of which the XSight Colour is the latest.

Slightly longer than a sheet of A4 paper and with a width that is comfortable to hold, the XSight Colour feels solid in the hand. The control has 47 plastic and rubber keys that are highlighted by a blue backlight, and an excellent 2in colour screen.

Before we had installed the software from the CD onto a PC, the XSight had learned all of the functions of our test television. After installing it and creating an account on the associated website, we were then able to update the remote control with the codes for items such as the hi-fi and video recorder and even lighting and fridge controls. A notable omission from the list, however, was the games console.

Where a driver for a device is not available, the XSight can learn the individual keys using the existing remote control with a simple routine, which was useful for handling an obscure 10-year-old cable television box.

One function that was especially useful was the ability to create 'activities' – multiple instructions stored on a single button that can be programmed to work across several devices. By spending a few minutes on the EZ-RC website we created a routine to shut down both the cable box and television set and another to switch them both on and go to a particular channel. Personal profiles can also be created, meaning that several members of a family can have their own activities and device settings.

Two versions of the XSight are available – the Colour and the Touch – the substantial difference between them being that the Touch has a touch-sensitive screen.

The XSight Colour is expensive but it is extremely versatile and it will develop with you as you buy and replace entertainment devices. The only problem remaining is where to put the pile of old remote controls.