My family room system provided some challenges from a usability and control perspective. The first problem was that my TV only has two HDMI inputs and my soundbar only has an optical input. This was an issue, because I want to connect a Roku, a ChromeCast, the 2nd Zone from my main system and possibly a Blu-Ray player. The second was that the low-end Harmony I planned to use to control everything would not work with the new Roku Stick that replaced my dying Roku 3.
Enter the Caavo Control Center.
I hesitate to call this a universal remote, because it is more than that. The Control Center is a box with four HDMI inputs, one HDMI output, an Ethernet port and an outlet for an IR repeater (it comes with two IR blasters). The setup was incredibly easy, thanks to the Control Center carefully walking me through every step. Once everything was hooked up, my Caavo account was set up and the configuration was finished, I was off to the races.
The fact that it is both an HDMI switch and a remote control solved my first problem. The fact that it works a lot like a Harmony Hub in terms of communication protocols solved my second problem. It works very well in both capacities, but that is not what makes it different or special. The Caavo has "deep integration" with a bunch of the most popular streaming services (i.e. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Vudu, HBO Now, YouTube and others). It even works with Plex and my XFinity cable box. This integration allows for true universal search via the voice remote. There are individual streaming boxes that offer something similar, but Caavo's works with more services and seems to get better results.
The real magic is that it can apply universal search across multiple devices. Let's say you have a Roku, an Apple TV, a cable box and a Blu-Ray player. When you set up the configuration, you tell it which device you want to use to access which service. The search will pull up content across all devices and services. When you select the content you want, it automatically switches to that source, launches the app and takes you to the content. It is pretty impressive.
Did I mention that it integrates with both Alexa and Google Assistant?
There is a cost to these features however. The universal search and deep integration only works with a subscription ($2/mo, $20/yr or $50/device lifetime). There is a 45 day trial and I am still deciding if I will use the features enough to justify the cost, given that I only use a single streaming device and that my cable box is not in this system.
The hardware feels very high quality and the box has substantive weight. I have a few quibbles about the remote's design, but it resembles a more robust version of the kind of remote that comes with a streaming box. I only played with it for about an hour, but I'm super impressed so far, especially for the $70 I picked it up for on sale. I am not sure it would work for my main system, because it does not give me an easy way to get into receiver or TV settings the way I can with my Harmony, but I love it for the family room.
Enter the Caavo Control Center.
I hesitate to call this a universal remote, because it is more than that. The Control Center is a box with four HDMI inputs, one HDMI output, an Ethernet port and an outlet for an IR repeater (it comes with two IR blasters). The setup was incredibly easy, thanks to the Control Center carefully walking me through every step. Once everything was hooked up, my Caavo account was set up and the configuration was finished, I was off to the races.
The fact that it is both an HDMI switch and a remote control solved my first problem. The fact that it works a lot like a Harmony Hub in terms of communication protocols solved my second problem. It works very well in both capacities, but that is not what makes it different or special. The Caavo has "deep integration" with a bunch of the most popular streaming services (i.e. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Vudu, HBO Now, YouTube and others). It even works with Plex and my XFinity cable box. This integration allows for true universal search via the voice remote. There are individual streaming boxes that offer something similar, but Caavo's works with more services and seems to get better results.
The real magic is that it can apply universal search across multiple devices. Let's say you have a Roku, an Apple TV, a cable box and a Blu-Ray player. When you set up the configuration, you tell it which device you want to use to access which service. The search will pull up content across all devices and services. When you select the content you want, it automatically switches to that source, launches the app and takes you to the content. It is pretty impressive.
Did I mention that it integrates with both Alexa and Google Assistant?
There is a cost to these features however. The universal search and deep integration only works with a subscription ($2/mo, $20/yr or $50/device lifetime). There is a 45 day trial and I am still deciding if I will use the features enough to justify the cost, given that I only use a single streaming device and that my cable box is not in this system.
The hardware feels very high quality and the box has substantive weight. I have a few quibbles about the remote's design, but it resembles a more robust version of the kind of remote that comes with a streaming box. I only played with it for about an hour, but I'm super impressed so far, especially for the $70 I picked it up for on sale. I am not sure it would work for my main system, because it does not give me an easy way to get into receiver or TV settings the way I can with my Harmony, but I love it for the family room.