Hi Guy's, I have been enjoying using my new Foxsat HDR box and find it very good, but one thing I am most unhappy with at 78 and with far from the best eyesight, is the Remote.
Now who in their right mind, would make a remote like that, with all black keys on an all black body? Not only so, but a lot of the buttons are so tiny into the bargain.

I bought a flat screen LCD tv and was happy in the knowledge that it was saving energy, but thats blown away by the fact of having to have the lights on whilst I am viewing.
If I don't have the lights on I cannot see the tiny black buttons on the black background. Using the record and playback set is almost impossible seeing as they are even smaller.

Is there any chance that a third party manufacturer might make a nice colourful, large button remote for this machine?
Do Foxsat know the difficulties that older users have with this configuration? I bet they all have 20/20 vision and fingers like a chinese Geisha. Hope someone knows of a better replacement. Regards Walt.

I use a Logitech Harmony and, although the buttons are not big and colourful, they are intelligently designed with different shapes so that you very quickly become familiar with the device and don't need to look at it to use it.

I think any remote that uses different shapes and sizes of buttons and is well laid out to enable users to navigate by using the patterns of shapes will suit you as far as finding the buttons goes.


(BTW, clever name. )

Don't know how long you have had it it but the common buttons can be learnt through usage by their relation to the big central navigation rocker.

If you have the lights off (better for the eyes to have low level ambient lighting anyway) then that usually means you are really into watching a film or drama or whatever and would not be fiddling with the remote anyway. As long as you can find Pause and Play for loo / tea breaks that should be enough.

I agree with gomezz, making use of the tactile buttons (5 and pause) means it's not necessary to look at the remote to operate it. Button 5 is located in the centre of the array of numbered buttons so channel changes are performed relatively easily. The pause button sits within the small cluster or transport buttons, again with regular use these buttons can be operated easily after a period of familiarity.

A Harmony 600 will solve your problem, it's easy to use and program, but the best bit is the buttons light up.

Just the job for us wrinklies with not so good eyesight.