Although its traditional area of expertise is related to cables (pretty much every type of cable one might think of), it would seem that Monster is keen on expanding its market share, and for this reason, it has just introduced the Model MCC AV50 Home Theater Controller, which is touted as being the world's first tabletop, dual and single-handed universal remote control.

Featuring an ergonomically designed button and navigation layout “similar to that of a portable game console,” as the company puts it, the MCC AV50 makes navigating today's networked TV, games, Blu-ray players and other devices more natural and straightforward. For example, for channel surfing, it's light and ergonomic enough to flip channels and adjust volume with one hand, while its tabletop design makes it a much more natural fit for any living room environment.

Furthermore, the AV50 shares many of the operational qualities as other Monster advanced controllers, in that it makes individual home entertainment components work together rather than separately. For example, the Activity-Based Control sends intelligent commands to all necessary components with the touch of a single button, while users choose simple, plain-English Activities like "Play a DVD" and "Listen to Satellite Radio." The remote then automatically powers the right components, these set all the correct inputs, and adjust themselves to the user's preferences, all from a single button.

Talking about his company's latest product, Noel Lee, the Head Monster, said that "There is a dizzying array of universal remotes on the market these days. Many use the same basic design and it can be hard for the average consumer to see any difference among them. In addition to its unique design, the new MCC AV50 is literally a 'magic bullet' solution that empowers people to immediately make sense of their home entertainment systems and puts all the performance features and functionalities they need right at their fingertips. It brings the ultimate remote to the 21st century couch potato!"

Much to everyone's surprise, the Model MCC AV50 Home Theater Controller is very affordable (as far as the notoriously expensive Monster products are concerned), since it will sell for an estimated 50 US dollars when it arrives in stores over the course of July 2009.


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