New York – An
Android app that turns a smartphone into a Wi-Fi touchscreen remote to control
home-audio components has arrived from Pioneer, and a similar app from Onkyo is
on the way in August to control its products.
Both companies’
apps are free.
The
Android
version of Pioneer’s iControlAV2 App
for iPod Touches, iPhones and iPads is
now available to control the functions of networked Pioneer and Pioneer Elite-series
A/V receivers (AVRs). Controllable functions include volume, bass, balance and
room settings; selection of Internet radio stations via the AVRs’ Internet
radio feature; and control of Pioneer Blu-ray players. The app also selects
audio content from a networked PC or network-attached storage device for
playback through Pioneer’s networked AVRs.
Compatible Pioneer
and Elite series AVRs for the U.S. market are the VSX-1021, VSX-1121, VSX-50,
VSX-51, VSX-52 and VSX-53. Compatible Blu-ray players for the U.S. and Canada
are the BDP-330, BDP-31FD, BDP-33FD, BDP-430, BDP-41FD and BDP-43FD.
For its part,
Onkyo plans August availability of the Onkyo Remote app for all of the networked
AVRs that it released this year and with the TX-8050 networked stereo receiver.
One key Onkyo app
feature is the ability to stream music stored on an Android device to a
networked Onkyo network audio system, the company said. Users will also be able
to browse networked content from their Android phone’s display.
The Onkyo app will
control such AVR functions as selecting input sources, adjusting volume and tone,
and controlling the output of individual zones in a multi-room audio installation.
With the apps,
control signals are sent over Wi-Fi to a wireless network router and then
transferred to the audio components via wired Ethernet.
