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Even though it could be considered a tabletop remote with a footprint of nearly 5 by 7 inches, the AV2100 also functions well on a lap-top or couch armrest. The base, angled from 1 3/4" in height to 7/8" for table-top use, also tapers widthwise to a size comfortable for folks with moderately large hands. Accompanying finger ridges provide solid grip. Two small rubber feet work remarkably well at preventing the remote from skidding off a slick table surface.
Shades of iridescent blue...
One of the largest battery consumers (yet also the most important feature) is the LCD backlight, which wisely has remained unchanged. It thus maintains a strong lead over the new 2-way remote control units. The AV2100 includes the same smooth vivid blue electroluminescent (EL) backlight panel as the previous model, with the same two brightness settings – bright and very bright. Backlight auto-power-off may be adjusted between ten and ninety seconds. One welcomed improvement is that the accompanying audible "whine" that goes hand-in-hand with the backlight voltage boosting circuitry has been reduced, by about one third at the bright setting and one quarter at the dim setting.
The 4" wide and 2" high LCD panel has a fairly good contrast ratio, though it is not user adjustable. Automatic power-off may be set between ten and ninety minutes or disabled completely so the remote’s display never shuts off. Since the power requirements for an LCD panel without backlight are very low, battery life should still be reasonable with the unlimited setting. The remote is extremely easy to see in any lighting condition with the backlight enabled – it could practically be used to read by in a dark room. Two minor nuances are that the backlight does not automatically activate when a key is hit or a component selected, nor will the LCD turn on when it is tapped – it’s a good thing the timeout periods are so long!
Changing any feature on the AV2100 involves pressing a key combination, followed by entering or modifying settings on the LCD display and pressing the OFF button to save it. Other than the somewhat convoluted key combinations, configuring the remote is remarkably easy. Everything is simple and straight-forward with good on-screen indications of what you’re doing. No blinking lights to count or mysterious unexplained settings here.
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