As I look at my own Audio/Video environment at my house, I suspect that it is hardly different than most Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com! readers.  Along with the satellite receiver, the tuner, CD player and television, there are an equal number of remotes stashed about the room to control these various wonders of technology.  While a single Universal Remote has relegated most of these remotes to a drawer, that single remote can be a challenge to locate at times - especially with two teenagers living at home.  Since my Windows Mobile phone is my primary business line it is often with me and frankly, far easier to find than the remote, having the ability to control my television, DVD player and satellite receiver from my device is a big plus in my life!

While remote control applications have been available for Windows Mobile devices for some time now, many have fallen short when it came to programmability and functionality.  With NoviiRemote Deluxe, these issues have been removed and it is comprehensively the best Universal Remote Control application that I have ever reviewed.  Not only does the application function well, programming it for the wide variety of devices and brands available is simple, fast and accurate, cutting down on end user frustration which has been an issue for many of these types of applications in the past.  If you are like me and want to have your Television Remote with you at all times (man-grunt inserted here), then NoviiRemote Deluxe could be the application for you.

NoviiRemote Deluxe installs on your device via ActiveSync and requires approximately 1.2MB of storage space.  Like many applications, it can be installed either into your devices main memory or onto a Storage Card.  Now in version 4.1, NoviiRemote Deluxe requires Pocket PC 2003, 2003SE or Windows Mobile 5 as well as an Infrared port on your device. 

Once the installation is completed and the application started, you are prompted by NoviiRemote Deluxe what size screen and the location of the IR port on your device is located.  The application uses this information to orient your device's screen so that you can read the display and have the IR port pointed at the device you are wanting to control.

Figure 1:  The Screen Orientation Setup Configuration

Figure 2:  My QTEK 9100 Oriented To Control My TV

The beauty of NoviiRemote Deluxe is the quick and easy setup it has to control a wide range of devices.  Gone are the days of putting in different device codes in hopes that you hit upon the one that works with your television or DVD player.  Configuring this application, literally, is as simple as pointing the device's remote at your Windows Mobile device.  To start, tap the small red menu button which will enable to soft keys at the bottom of the display.  Tap the Options>New Device menu and you are prompted on which action to perform.  NoviiRemote Deluxe comes with a small database of devices already.  This database includes some of the more common brands and devices.  For example, you can choose from Phillips or Sony televisions, Panasonic DVD players and Tivo's.  Many of these work "out-of-the-box" which makes using this application quick and easy. 

Another option that NoviiRemote Deluxe offers is the ability to import your database from a previous version of NoviiRemote or to copy a existing database from another source.  Finally, if the existing database does not have your device brand or is not working properly, you can train NoviiRemote to learn how to control your particular device.

Figure 3:  The Add Device Wizard Makes Controlling Your A/V Device Quick and Easy

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