Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote

The on/off button on the remote does not work to turn on/off my PS3 unit. Disappointing! It seems Sony can no longer be relied upon for product quality control. I have been a 40 year Sony product user over competitors products. I will have to rethink my allegence, not sure if another new product {wireless headphones} I just received is working correctly either again disappointing.

Hey... nice to sit back and push buttons from the chair. It connected well and does what it should. Five stars includes Amazons price. It would cost you $5.00 or more anywhere else. Thank you Amazon and Sony!

My review is going to be pretty different from the others, because i actually do not own a PlayStation 3 at all -- i bought this remote to use with my iMac and Remote Buddy ([...]). So please bear that in mind. :)

Firstly, some general comments on the design and functionality of the remote:

1. As others mentioned, it has a ridiculous amount of buttons -- 51 in total. I think if i was using this strictly as a remote control for watching videos, i would find this pretty obnoxious. However, as a remote for controlling your entire COMPUTER, it is quite useful. In fact, the high button count was one of the reasons i went with this remote (the other reasons were Bluetooth support and low price).

2. The remote is pretty lacking in bells and whistles. There are no lights to indicate whether a button has been pressed, whether the battery is dying, &c. No indicators of any kind. There is also no lighting of the keys, not even glow-in-the-dark ink, which would have been nice. However, i find that some of the other reviews have exaggerated the significance of this; i haven't had any issues so far finding any of the buttons in the dark. All the important ones, like play/pause/stop and the direction pad, are quite easy to identify using only your fingers.

3. It is pretty decent-sized, but i guess that's expected since it's got a lot of keys. It is not heavy, however, and it feels OK in your hand. Not perfectly ergonomic, but certainly ergonomic enough for a 20$ remote.

4. The remote uses two AA batteries (which are included). I haven't had it long enough to see how long these last, but a few months seems to be the consensus on the PS3, and i assume it's the same with a computer. (Remote Buddy has the option to disconnect the device after a while to save power, but you don't have to use it if you don't want to.)

5. I agree with some of the other reviews that the order of the play/stop/pause buttons is irritating and non-intuitive. Luckily, you can map these to whatever you like with RB. :)

OK, that's the general stuff. The rest of my review is mainly applicable to the remote's use with Remote Buddy on a Macintosh computer, so if you want this for a PS3 or anything else you can probably ignore it:

1. As i said, the remote has lots of keys (i haven't even found uses for them all yet). And Remote Buddy does support all of them! In fact, it supports not only the 'press' state of each button, but also the 'hold' state, so there are effectively 102 distinct buttons you can use. If button count is a factor in your decision, you won't find a better button:price ratio anywhere else.

2. Pairing with RB is easy; it appears to be the same process you use on the PS3 (you hold the PS button + the Start button). It takes literally 10 seconds, if that. The device is then fully available for use with any RB function.

3. As i also mentioned above, Remote Buddy has a power-saving feature for Bluetooth devices. This feature disconnects the remote control after it's been idle for a while (you can set the time in minutes), and in theory should re-connect it once you press a button on the remote again. However, i have had trouble with this feature in practice; once RB disconnects the remote, i can't get it to re-connect again. Others have mentioned the same problem in the RB support forum, and the developer is looking into it, so hopefully this will be sorted out soon.

4. Probably goes without saying, but since the remote is Bluetooth you do of course have a lot of freedom when it comes to distance and direction. I can control my computer with this from all the way on the other side of my flat. Currently this isn't especially useful to me, but it will be VERY helpful when i buy an AirPort Express -- this will allow me to stream music to other rooms and control that music with a single remote control.

Overall this is one of the best options for use with Remote Buddy. It's cheap, featureful, and fully supported (with the possible minor exception of the Bluetooth power-saving option).

This thing works great. Seems to be made well and fits in your hand nicely. The best thing is that this remote works via blue tooth. Which means you don't have to aim it at the PS3. And it seams to read each and every time.

For enjoying the built in Blu-Ray DVD player, the Sony remote control accessory lets you play those movies with great ease. It combines the regular buttons of our other DVD players with the funky look of the PS3. Great Product.

This remote is a must have if you use your PS3 as a DVD player...which you should. Buttons all work as expected and it's a remote...not sure what else needs to be said. Oh...because its bluetooth, no need for direct line of vision.

Not only does it work great for watching movies, but its great for navigating the main menu page. Don't need your controllers if you're not playing a game.

I've had two and each broke after I dropped it ONCE
on my hard wood floor. This was in the first month
of ownership for the remote.

Great control when it works, but fragile.

Build quality leaves much to be desired.

Me and my husband were looking for an actual remote we can use to watch our blu rays on our playstation 3 and this one is perfect. It works great and i like that you dont have to recharge the battery all the time and its soo much easier to use than the the controllers that come with the console

I like keeping things simple where remotes are concerned. I normally opt for an end-table full of specialized manufacturer remotes over one, more complicated universal remote where, unless I know how to program a computer, it still won't give me all the functions of the original remote or will require flipping through multiple files and folders to find the device I'm wanting to operate. Of course, since the PS3 uses Bluetooth, even the more sophisticated/expensive remotes are less practical to the task. This makes it all the more disappointing that after several years, Sony still hasn't released a better alternative for controlling their most heralded piece of technology.

I can appreciate Sony's design sense in that this remote has the same basic shape as all of our other Sony remotes. Otherwise there really doesn't appear to be much thought or effort that went into the design. After several PS3 updates including a major make-over in the PS3-slim design, what amounts to just slapping all the possible buttons one might ever use into a cheap plastic slab and writing playstation on it is still the only viable alternative for those that don't find the gaming controllers optimal or adequate for BD movie playback. Does Sony not even get that there's a sizable market of people looking for something better? Look at all the after-market devices claiming to be made just for the PS3, but getting very mixed reviews as to their quality, reliability, and performance.

Forget trying to use this remote in the dark or very dim environments most typical of HT; you'll need plenty of light to see what you're pressing, not to mention your reading glasses. Even then the buttons are so small, tightly clustered, and uniformly colored, sized and shaped, you may lose a minute of the movie trying to find the right one, even with the light on. Thank heaven the PS3 is so fast at loading and processing commands. If I accidentally hit "stop" instead of "pause" while fumbling in the dark to answer the phone on my Panasonic BD players remote, not only would I lose my spot in the film, it would take another 2-5 minutes for the disc to reload.

Aside from the remote being rather ugly and unfriendly, as it's just too small for all the dots it tries to connect, we don't like how pressing any botton automatically turns on the PS3. With an end table full of remotes and kids visiting now and then, it's just too easy to activate. And with blue tooth we practically have to carry it to the other end of the house just to lightly dust the remote without issuing who knows what type of commands to the PS3, with the TV off - pointing the remote away from the screen is nolonger an option.

The PS3 is a magnificent piece of engineering that proves that Sony can do much better. This remote neither lives up to expectations for Sony's premium piece of electronics, nor does it compliment its engineering innovation or style. Just adding a backlight and hiding half the keys most will rarely, if ever use under a sliding door like some of their other remotes would go along way toward making this remote more user-friendly and functional. If only they would try.

Great for the wife or kids who dont/wont use the PS3 controller. Does everything you would expect a dvd remote to do. it is great for web browsing as well.

First so glad to buy this remote from Amazon cheaper than buy it in Walmart, Costco or other shops.

Second, I bought this remote control to because it's not convenient to use the controller to control DVDs/ Videos.

That remote control works very well, just it's a bit expensive, and there's no other choice because you can use it with any other universal remote control.

Overall it's recommended you buy that remote control if you use PS3 to watch DVDs/Videos very often.

The PS3 controller would be hard to operate for my wife so got to this. Works well while watching movies. The colored buttons haven't been useful yet. They could've done without them and couple of other ones for sure.
Overall works well with the PlayStation.

This is a good tool if you want to use your PS3 for watching DVDs/BluRays. It's much easier to use, especially for non-gamers (like my parents) than a PS3 controller. It pairs pretty easily and uses Bluetooth technology, just like normal PS3 controllers.

It annoys me that one is limited to using a bluetooth remote, rather than a universal remote on the PS3. I have a Sony TV -- the remote that came with the TV has DVD/Bluray controlling buttons, but the PS3 has no receiver for standard remotes. That said, this isn't a very expensive tool, and probably makes navigating the system easier than any other remote.

I do not know why people are complaining about the small things, I think this is a great remote control.

PROS:
bluetooth - aim doesn't matter
Better remote than the controller. It has buttons you'd expect from a DVD player

CONS:
No lighting on it. Very few tactile hints. Hard to use in a dark room
ANY remote button turns on the PS3. So the PS3 turns on often. The game controllers have just one button that activates the console. Not sure WHY they'd implement this feature.

this remote works great, and really extends the battery life of my other controllers. The batteries last months and I have never had a problem.

I doubt that the gamer's would want this product but it is simpler for us generation that want to use the PS3 for Netflix or watching DVD's.

It helps to use the system for people that do not play games on the PS3 because all the buttons are like a standard blue-ray/dvd player. Easy to link up (1 minute) and batteries last a long time.

Great product plus shipping was very fast. I believe I received it like 4 days after I placed the order. Keep up the good work. 5 stars for me.

The remote is a must have for those who have the PS3 as a BlueRay player.

Its a lot easier for my mom to handle this remote than trying to teach her to use the PS controller when he visits me.
Overall its a good product to have at a reasonable price.

Responsive, well made and can reach a good distance.

A good purchase IMHO

Bought this for use with our PS3. Directions were simple to follow and I had it set up to work with the PS3 in about 10 minutes. The product has worked flawlessly for 7 weeks and the transaction was uneventful. Product is good and seller was good.

This remote is useful for DVD/Blu-Ray playback, but for the price and the brand name, the quality of this product should have been higher.

Pros:
- Nicely shaped and balanced
- Bluetooth-based, which is a huge improvement over IR-based remote

Cons:
- Poor ergonomics: no backlit buttons, no glow-in-dark for button labels, no braille-like bumps to help identify the buttons by feel in the dark.
- Further, buttons are packed very close to one another, which make it easy to reach with a thumb, but also make it very easy to press the wrong button(s)
- "Stop" button is inexplicably sandwiched tightly between the "Play" and "Pause" buttons, making it very easy to press "stop" button by error.

During Sony's glory days (the "Trinitron" era), its remotes were the paragon of ergonomic design and functional elegance. Sony has done a great job with PS3, but this remote falls short in design and execution.

Everyone probably buys this remote for the same reason. We all hate to use the dualshock2 controller to control movies. Especially since the control goes into a sleep mode after some minutes. Anywas this remote has every single button you could need for in a movie. I like using the slow step buttons to catch something in movies I never found before. Anyways everyone that watches a lot of movies in their ps3 definitely has to get one of these remotes.
The only downside to it is that it doesn't let me go through some websites like grooveshark to listen to some music online.

But I was wrong. If you bought your PS3 primarily to watch blu ray films, as I did, then this is a must have, transfering all the functions from the PS3 controllers into an easily recognizable and familiar format.

I wanted a remove control for control of the blueray player and the remote does what it supposed to. Easy to use in my opinion. Can control getting onto the internet also. Bought it on sale with free shipping on Amazon. Cheaper than any store. Great deal.

Not really a must have item but since we use my PS3 to watch DVD and Blu-Ray movies my wife couldn't figure out the controller and ended up pausing when she wanted to fast forward, going to the menu when she wanted to play etc.... Getting this remote solved this problem. I still just use the controller.

Honestly this remote should have come free with PS3 or PS3 should have had a infra red port so that we could have used the normal universal remote (instead of this bluetooth remote). Having said that this is like any other remote when it comes to using PS3 for playing DVDs. Layout is pretty simple but it does look little crowded with all those buttons. I would not use it as a replacement for the controllers.

I am a technophile (I love technology) that has a lot of the latest, cool, tech toys. However, my passion is a fear for my father-in-law who looks at my home entertainment system with a lot of anxiety. Thanks to this remote, he can at least use the PS3 with some confidence and competence for watching movies. Using the PS3 controller for that function was too complicated and not user friendly. Now, he has no trouble at all with clearly marked functions on this remote.

Este control remoto es lo que necesitaba para disfrutar las peliculas BD en mi PS3 Slim ya que el dualshock es muy limitado. Lo recomiendo 100%

I like having this remote for watching movies but I had a terrible time setting the remote up. I tried the sony support number but they were no help and tried to say that my remote needed to be sent back to amazon. I eventually got the controller to work by pairing it while the dual shock 3 controller was connected via USB.

Well, if nothing else its reliable. I've had mine for two years with no isssues, and I've changed the batteries maybe once in that time even despite extensive use.

As a remote though, this thing has long been a thorn in my side. The buttons are small and cumbersome, poorly labeled and laid out. Luckily I'm very familiar with the PS3 so its no sweat for me, but for the non-ps3 members of the family its incredibly complex to describe to someone how to use.

There's NO dedicated power button. EVERY button can turn the PS3 on, but none turn it off. I cant tell you how many hundreds of times ive accidentally turned on the PS3 with accidental button presses, many without my knowledge and wasting electricity because I didnt realize the PS3 was accidentally turned on.

This remote is practically useless with the PS3 web browser...theres no analog control to move the pointer around on the screen so you have to use the controller to navigate around web pages.

The remote times out after a few minutes of non-use so if you need to quickly pause or do something with the remote, you have to press the buttons a few times to 'wake' it up to work again.

And because the PS3 only used bluetooth and has no IR sensor, no reasonably priced universal remote will work with this thing. So you either have to buy an expensive multi sensor remote or get an IR to Bluethooth converter.

Hopefully these issues will be addressed by Sony at some point, but for now I hate this remote but Im stuck with it. Its better than using the PS3 controller but not by much.

Although I love Sony, the Playstation, and Sony products, I fail to see the value in this device. It seems like a waste of money. Basically, you can perform the same functions with the controller. It is too complex for those people who cannot use the controller. So I do not really get the point of it. Plus, a lot of functions you would like to see it perform are not arranged in a logical fashion. I would skip this and just use the controller. For people who cannot master the use of the controller, this remote is too complex.

Stopped working after six months. Thought the batteries had died, so I replaced them. Nope. The effing remote just doesn't work any more. Typical. Everything I've ever had by Sony (cd players, walkmen, etc.) has broken within a year. It's why I won't buy Sony (the PS3 was a gift). Just further reinforces my feelings that Sony = Crap.

The quality of this controller is top notch, the Bluetooth connectivity means that the range is fantastic and you dont have to point it in any particular direction for it to work flawlessly.
The commands work perfect for photo slide shows and putting some back ground music while viewing the family photos. Great for movie viewing and ANYTHING besides gaming. Surfing the web, the PS Store, is all a breeze. Now i turn on my PS3 with the Remote, mess around in the xmb utilities for a while, and when im ready to play a game i pick up the dualshock, other than that this remote ROCKS.
It even has a glossy finish on the face , it matches the piano black on the PS3 nicely.
Highly recommended, the only thing i regret is not buying it sooner.

This was a Christmas gift for my mom. She recently got a ps3 just because it can play bluerays. I saw here try and use the regular remote and it was horrible. She had so many problems using the game control she quit watching movies. I got her this and she is now back in her comfort zone. All the buttons are labeled like a normal remote so you don't have to worry about what box, triangle, circle, X, left trigger, or right trigger do anymore.

It's like any other average remote for this purpose, except it exclusively works for your ps3. It has a few additional uses, like the ability to navigate through the PS3 startup UI. However...using the default PS3 controller is virtually as effective once you know what each button does. The only real benefit I guess is if you have a girlfriend, parent, or so that wants clearly labeled buttons to watch a movie, for example: "PLAY" instead of "X".

I have been using this remote for some time now it it does a good job. Sadly it is not backlit, nor can it send volume/mute commands to your TV via HDMI so you'll still need a second remote.

Without specifically delving into each and every feature here goes my thoughts on the device.

+ Much easier to navigate and manage BD watching experience on the PS3 compared to the controller. This alone is worth buying it for. People who regularly use the PS3 controller for BD movie watching- hats off to you.
+ Consistent with the remote to control a movie watching experience mantra. Feels normal.
+ Good battery life.
+ Does not take up bluetooth port on the PS3 (which is premium in the slim models)
+ Pretty reasonable at $20.
+ works in non-line of sight scenarios. We have a little kid who loves fiddling with our electronics. So we keep the Ps3 inside an entertainment center with wooden doors. All IR remotes fail when the door is closed. Not the Ps3 BT based remote. Props to bluetooth more than anything else.

- Occasionally the BT pairing between the Ps3 and the remote fails and need to be re"pair"ed. Hassle but not very painful.
- Some of the keys dont make much sense honestly.
- This is a knock on the ps3-netflix experience more than anything else but controlling the netflix streamed content is not as intuitive as that of a BD disc. Cant blame the remote but maybe Sony/Netflix will think about a new iteration of the remote with hotkeys for the netflix ps3 user?
- bluetooth means not compatible with other devices and cannot function as a universal remote. So one more remote on your desk.

All in all, worth spending $20 especially if you watch a lot of blu ray movies on your Ps3. For $20, you cant go wrong.

Somehow, pressing the playstation button on the remote to turn on the PS3 causes the link between the two to malfunction. I have had to re-register the remote with the system more than a couple of times. Using any other button to power up is ok.

After some time that you don't use the remote while watching movies, the connection goes in a sort of sleep mode and it takes a second or two for your button press to actually take effect.

So easy to use even the kids can use it with no problems, easy to install

Get this if you use your ps3 for blu ray, its a no brainer. Yes you can use the ps3 controller but its lame to use that. You gotta bring up a menu, do this do that...neh give me this instead its got all the buttons I need right on the remote. Thx, this is gr8.

Given the choice between no remote and this remote, I will still use this one, but it feels like a brick in my hand. Poor to no ergonomic design when in to this. They could learn a great deal from tivo. The button layout is also poor given how much research went in to the PS controller you would think some thought would have gone in to this remotes layout. The biggest problem is the stop button between the play and pause button. That added to the fact that Bluray will not resume were you left off after you hit stop make this an unforgivable flaw.

Love this remote! Now i dont have to get up and try to figure out the wireless controler! HA! It was really fast to hook this remote up using the blue tooth! Awesome product at a great rate! Shipped to me in approx 3days!

Control arrived on time and condition stated by seller. Very helpful and a lot easier to use than PS3 play remote for movie playback.

I recently purchased this blueray remote for my son's PS3 and he really Loves it, and I also got it at a much better price than the local electronics store (Bestbuy)!!!!! Thanks

This remote is a great alternative to using the PS3 controller, since you either have to leave the controller on all the time while watching a movie (draining the battery) or have it set up to shut off after a set period of time (causing you to have to wait 2-3 seconds for the controller to turn on before pushing a button).

Cons: (although minor)
~ I will agree with the other reviewers that it would be nice if the remote were backlit or glowed in the dark, but that is definitely not a deal breaker. (Half star loss)

~ The remote itself is rather large and features several buttons that I never use. (Half star loss)

As for the Stop button's location between the Play and Pause button, I would have to say that it is not a big deal, in that if you are using it in the dark, and need to pause the movie, you know that the Pause button is the bottom-most large button on the remote. My feeling is that it allows you to quickly pause a movie without having to even look at the remote.

Overall, I would definitely buy this remote if you watch a lot of movies on your PS3.

Very easy set-up, user-friendly interface, and doesn't have that cheap "I'm going to break this if I drop it once" feel. Overall, a great product and I recommend it highly.

some review says you will not realize how useful it is until you get it.
For me, it is not true.
Comparing to using the controller, it is harder for me to locate the button i want.

Controller assign the functions to each button so naturally that you do not need to remember. Besides, as you hold it in your hand, you can easily locate any button without moving your eyes off the screen.

I wonder why others like the remote. I don't find it useful.

Too many times I found myself fumbling around with trying to fast forward, rewind or even see what part of a movie I was in with the PS3 controller. This is a true remote control with buttons that just do the job. I find myself using it more than the controller for navigating through the main menus and just using the controller for gaming. Since owning for a brief time, this has made a major difference in my use of the PS3 as a media device. Especially since i also use it for NetFlix streaming.

The only flaw is no backlighting for key buttons like I have on my other remotes. This makes it difficult to use while watching movies with the lights dimmed and is the only reason why it's not 5 stars. Still, this remote is a vast improvement for using the PS3's non-gaming features. I highly recommend.