I am looking to purchase an iPad as a universal remote for my TV and XBMC. I have been looking at the various solutions available and I have been leaning towards a Redeye Mini or a Griffin Beacon.

I would just go with the Griffin Beacon, but it bothers me that the iOS application for it (Dijit) is not a native iPad app and has to be run in 2x mode.

I downloaded the Redeye Mini application for my iPad and tried to fool around with it, but it will not let me test out the remote functionality without actually owning the IR emitter. I honestly would rather have a hockey puck type IR blaster sitting on an end table than the Redeye Mini dongle on the top of my iPad. I see that ebay has them for $17 shipped so I might just buy one and mess with it.

The only iPad native (fullscreen) remote I can find with a remote IR blaster is the Gear4 UnityRemote.

Has anybody tried and or compared these? I see the price-point is a bit higher, but I can cough up the extra money if its good.

i just found this thread while looking for help programming the beacon/dijit.it is to difficult to impossible to program with some equipment and/or all functions of fquipment that it does work with.check out "dijit community" forum.its a hockey puck indeed!i have not tried the others you mentioned.

I've just bought the Gear4 UnityRemote. Early impressions are that it looks good. I love not having to plug a dongle in. It pairs with different iOS devices, so I can use my iPad, or if I left it in the other room, whip out my iPhone, or reach across the coffee table and pick up my iPod Touch to control it. Software seems decent, with the obvious grief of the small screen. Even the iPad app doesn't really make the best use of the screen real estate available to it in all honesty, but it's very customisable (for a native app), and has the ability to learn IR codes that aren't in the database. Although it has done a pretty good job with all my Sony kit (including a home theatre/BD player combo, and a 60 inch Bravia which are only recently out). Even tries to find discrete codes for your devices if it can.

Very early days for me, but so far I would recommend it.