One For All Xsight Touch review

Although we like the overall feel of the Touch, we aren't crazy about some of the buttons, which are recessed too far and can be hard to press properly. The worst keys are the small option buttons below the screen. That said, it's not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination.

The good
As well as the feel of the controller, we like the price. Setting it up is simple, as long as you're equipment isn't too obscure. If you do have the one remaining Betamax player in Western Europe, you have a couple of options for using the Touch with it. The first is to use the existing infrared remote to program the controller, which is quite time-consuming. The other option is to use the software to update the controller with the correct control codes. Because these codes are updated via the Internet, it means pretty much every device you could hope for is available.

We also like the fact that you can program the remote with logos for your favourite TV channels, and the option to let different family members have different profiles is really handy. It makes the controller feel much more personal, and it makes the built-in display look quite funky too.

The bad
Supplying the software on a CD but not offering a download too is unforgivable. The One For All Web site is a pain to use too, and the Touch seems to live separately from the company's other controllers.

We don't like some of the keys -- they don't feel very positive when you press them, and some of the smaller buttons are recessed too far, making them difficult to press. As with most universal remotes, the physical buttons are often labelled differently to those on the original remote, and they have to be fairly generic as a result. To some extent, the LCD screen makes this less of a problem, but there are still some configuration options that don't appear on-screen. With our Onkyo AV receiver, for example, we couldn't find a way to get into the menu from the remote, but everything else worked brilliantly.

Worth the money?
For £120 or so, we think the One For All Xsight Touch is a good product. It feels pleasant and has loads of built-in codes that should mean you'll be able to control all of your hardware without too much bother. It's also less expensive than most of the competition, and the touchscreen makes it much more useful than One For All's cheaper models. If you've got too many remote controls, it should improve your life.

Edited by Charles Kloet

Update: A previous version of this review stated that the Xsight software couldn't be downloaded from the One For All Web site. The company has since corrected this and we've updated the review to reflect that.