If you think touch screen remote or tablets (android, ipad, whatever) are the future that we are all looking at, I have an experiment for you to try. Drink a half a fifth of bottle of vodka (OK, match the quantity to your own tolerance. I prefer Blue Label Smirnoff.) and try to use a touch screen to watch TV.

At one point I would have accepted your challenge, it's been a long time since I could drink half off a fifth and be efficient at making it to bed without waking up the house let aloe deal with a touch screen. :). Oh to have a 21 year old,liver again. Any more than four drinks these days and I asking for a hangover.

I learned a version of your point while sober one day. I had a Marantz RC5200 programmed to run my home system. I was skipping through an ad on my DirecTV DVR with my thumb hoveing over the PLAY button so I could stop the FF when I wanted to.

When the ad finished, I pushed down my thumb.

Nothing. The DVR gleefully skipped ahead.

I looked at the remote, and a dropdown menu had, well, dropped down.

I had positioned the PLAY button very close to the DEVICE button, and my thumb had moved slightly while I looked away from my thumb at the TV, sort of necessary to know when the ad was over, and BECAUSE THERE WAS NO TACTILE FEEDBACK FROM A REAL BUTTON, because I could not rest my thumb on the screen, I had no idea that my thumb had moved that little bit.

Next day I bought myself a remote with lots of buttons that I could gently touch, and learn to touch without looking. I've never looked back.

Touchscreen remotes DEMAND that you look away from the display. Most require two hands. You cannot learn anything by feel on a touchscreen. You're cutting off one sense by using a touchscreen.

Touchscreens are great in a boardroom, or for guests, where usage is so seldom and far between that the person has to look at the remote anyway. You can put all sorts of information on a touchscreen so A PERSON WHO DOES NOT USE THE SYSTEM EVERY DAY can look and see what to do. If you are going to use that remote often enough that you have a possibility of learning buttons by position, you DO NOT want a touchscreen -- you want a remote that has positions with distinctive feels, that is, buttons.

Touchscreens are a step backwards for anyone familiar with their system. Don't get me wrong -- they're cool for the first fifteen minutes you use them! But keep them out of my house.

Those damn newfangled automobiles will never replace my old gray mare!

Old man Davy, your starting to show your age. Better get in training for Cedia 2013 Denver, I challenge you to a Friday night drink-a-thon :)

This thread delivers wisdom.

Oh, and the T2-c+ is still the best remote out there, and the new T2x should be dynamite as long as you use it 1-way RF.

Ernie's is an excellent sell point too....if you miss the play command or have a glip in the wifi/etc when fast forwarding you may spoil the game/movie.

Multi-room audio - touch screens are great.
Watching TV - give me a button remote.

Another reason why gestures are so important. You don't have to look at the remote if it is done right.

Mike

Okay, but can the TV really tell just which finger you've extended at it?

Put me in this camp.

I TRY to spec a hybrid (button+ touchscreen) remote for each main tv watching area. Back it (and the house audio) up with an Ipad. Perfect combo IMO.

Overall designwise, I think the RTI T2C is the perfect combo of touchscreen flexibility and conventional buttons.

Personally, I am still rocking the MX850 that I picked up 7-8 years ago.

I am an old T1 guy.
Love that remote when used with Crestron.
T1B is just not the same (dammit).

I really like the feel of the T1B. I hope Crestron continues to improve their handhelds. I like the MLX3 a lot.

This afternoon when I finally came to, I found the TV still on, the remote but no picture or sound (I didnt check to see if the AVR was still on). Drunks need hard power buttons

I need to get toasted like you. I never take the time to get wasted anymore.