The remote control is slender but really too long. Only amateur magicians can singlehandedly manage this wand-like device. We certainly could not.

The aluminum finish looks classy and has the heft of a quality build, despite Pioneer's contemptuous resort to plastic for the unit's rear side.

The shape of the buttons is too uniform, but the most important ones glow an elegant blue at the touch of a button, which is helpful - and easy on the eyes - in a darkened home-theater. What irritated us, however, is that program switching uses a separate rocker switch. We instinctively tried to change channels using the prominent silver navigation cross.