WHAM - Couch Potato Software Comparison
| Couch | ||
| Attribute | Potato Pro | WHAM |
| Fixed screen layout | Yes | No |
| User definable screen Layouts (2) | No | Yes |
| Multiple page environments | Yes | Yes |
| Each page can have its own unique Layout | No | Yes |
| User defined page graphics and Layout | No | Yes |
| Generic Functional assignments (1) | Yes | Yes |
| Screen functions are pre-programmed, | Yes | Yes with |
| just select the Gear you have | Template | |
| Gear Setup where one selects the specific | Yes | Yes |
| brands of gear (TVs, Stereos, DVDs, etc) he | ||
| or she has | ||
| Channel Setup where one can assign his | Yes | Yes |
| or hers DSS, Cable, and Local stations | ||
| to channel call letters. One can also assign | ||
| channels to Topics, like Movies, Sports, | ||
| News, etc. | ||
| Be able to assign channel calls as | Yes | Yes |
| assignments. Ie, if 301 was given "HBO" | ||
| in Channel Setup, and then assigned | ||
| to a button named HBO, when "pushed" | ||
| it would automatically send "3" "0" "1". | ||
| A Channel Screen which displays the | Yes | Yes |
| Channel Topics given to it in Channel Setup. | ||
| A user can select a Topic to display the | ||
| Topic's channel choices and then select | ||
| a channel to be viewed. | ||
| Functional assignments can be single | Yes | Yes |
| assignments up to multi-step scripts | ||
| with conditionals. Script Writer can make | ||
| scripts with up to 100 steps. Each step | ||
| can have up to 50 commands | ||
| Scenario Editor for making IF, THEN, ELSE, | Yes | Yes |
| AND, OR type conditionals which can be | ||
| assigned to commands or steps in a script | ||
| Functional assignments can be triggered | Yes | Yes |
| by your voice using a commercially | ||
| available voice recognition package like | ||
| Dragon Dictate | ||
| Functional assignments can be triggered | Yes | Yes |
| from your PC using the mouse | ||
| Functional assignments can be triggered | Yes | No |
| a Palm OS based PDA and our multimedia | ||
| attachment unit, with the Palm screen | ||
| matching the control screens (2) | ||
| Functional assignments can be triggered | No | Yes |
| from any infrared remote control | ||
| Functional assignments can be triggered | No | Yes |
| via X10 power line commands | ||
| Functional assignments can be triggered | No | Yes |
| via dry contact switch input | ||
| Functional assignments can be triggered | Yes | No |
| via any web browser | ||
| Learns IR commands from any remote | Yes | Yes |
| (both carrier and Flash mode) | ||
| Supports IR Master Cybermate's four IR | Yes | Yes |
| Outputs (Three 3.5mm jacks plus Blast) | ||
| Supports up to 64 addressable IR | Yes | Yes |
| Outputs (requires optional SWP Boards) | ||
| IR Master Cybermate's X10 Port support | Yes | Yes |
| for Power Line X10 lighting control including | ||
| Preset Dim and Status Request | ||
| IR Master Cybermate's 3LAN Port | Yes | Yes |
| support for our Sensors (Light, Current, | ||
| Temperature, Flyback, Voltage, A/V) | ||
| IR Master Cybermate's RS485 Port | Yes | No |
| support for Multiple Cybermate | ||
| inter Zone communication | ||
| IR Master Cybermate's SWP Port support | Yes | Yes |
| for up to eight SWP boards. Each SWP | ||
| has 8 addressable IR or switch outputs and | ||
| 8 addressable dry contact closure inputs | ||
| IR Master Cybermate's RS232 Port support | Yes | Yes |
| for a PC communication rate up to 115,200 | ||
| baud | ||
| Time Scheduler | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple Projects | No | Yes |
| "Built in" Web server which serves up the | Yes | No |
| users control pages on any web browser | ||
| Can Download IR Master Cybermate for | Yes | No |
| "Stand-alone" operation (No PC required) | ||
| All functional assignments are transferred to | ||
| Cybermate, All screen pages are | ||
| downloaded to a Palm based PDA or | ||
| to our Couch Commando Remote | ||
| "Tab Around" selection capability | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated CD Jukebox | Yes | No |
| Notes | ||
| (1) When assignments are made or changed, they are generic (ie, they are | ||
| not manufacturer or model specific). For example, assignments made for | ||
| say TV2 apply for any TV assigned to TV2. One simply uses the software's | ||
| Gear Setup to select a TV brand one wishes to be TV2. | ||
| (2) The reason that couch Potato screens are fixed is that | ||
| a) They have a really user friendly look and feel | ||
| b) They are logically and functionally laid out | ||
| c) Because of (a) and (b) they can and are pre-programmed with most | ||
| users functional needs (Of course the programming can be edited to suit) | ||
| d) A PDA is setup to display the screens, and triggering is built in | ||
| e) Screens are easily served up on a web browser | ||
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