I've had a few days to play around with the
21.0 remote, here is a
Mini-Review (just impressions, not comprehensive):
- Some of the layout changes are good, others not so good.
At this point, with probably 30 million Dish remotes in use (guesstimate), most people are going to be using a 21.0 while still using the 6 series remotes. This layout change is going to cause minor problems, such as hitting the Search button when wanting the DVR button.
- The bigger number key buttons are definitely easier to use than the old tiny ones.
- Banishing the DISH button to the corner can only help. Even better would have been inside the battery compartment.
- The color buttons are the new DISH buttons, in the sense that they are right in the middle and do nothing.
- Evidently Dish thinks that everyone is using DUAL mode, because the PIP buttons were banished to a difficult position below the number keys. I use my HD-DVR in Single Mode, and constantly use the SWAP button to go back and forth between two currently airing programs/channels.
- Having support for new recent TVs like Olevia in the codes (and through learning) is a big plus, but having that also reminded me of a significant flaw in the firmware of both the 21.0 and its predecessors. If you have your TV as the default Volume (in SAT mode), then you can use the AUX mode button to change the volume of your AV receiver.
But, if you have your AV receiver as the default Volume (in SAT mode), then you cannot use the TV button to change the volume of the TV. This makes no sense, and is just an inconvenient oversight. Apparently the remote engineers only use TV or AV receiver with any particular DVR - but around here, people use the TV sound during the day for news, etc. and then use the AV receiver at night for dramas, movies, etc.
- For some reason, the 21.0 is two or maybe three times heavier than the 6.0, and the shape is not as "ergonomic". Perhaps it is not intended to used by holding it for several minutes, as one might do when searching for programming to record for the next week.
Overall: I prefer the previous 6.0 series remote. It is significantly better for Single mode use, it is more comfortable to hold, and I think the new DVR button layout is a small step backwards. I do enjoy owning one, so that I can eventually store all the DVR's setting in the remotes, for whenever I next need to replace it. And I like having a backup for my Olevia remote. But my family is already used to several 6.0 remotes, so putting this one into use would only confuse them, so it will become my new backup remote. New subscribers with no previous remotes, and especially those using DUAL mode, may find it more agreeable.