URC MX-6000: The $1,500 touch-screen universal remote

Don't expect to see Universal Remote Control's MX-6000 on the shelf at Circuit City or Best Buy--it's strictly intended as part of a custom solution that a professional installer would set up. Thankfully, the $1,500 touch-screen unit does offer quite a few bells and whistles that take it beyond mainstream consumer remotes such as the $200 Logitech Harmony One.

An update to URC's previous touch-screen model, the MX-3000, the MX-6000 is the company's first wide-screen (480x272) remote. Beyond standard device control (infrared and RF control), the MX-6000 adds Wi-Fi to the mix for access to networked PC home entertainment--according to the company, cover art, artist name, and other metadata will be aggregated from your combined media libraries and displayed on the remote's wide-screen display. It also includes built-in modules that when connected to the Internet can display personalized weather reports, stocks, and news, which can be customized within the remote's interface. Also of interest to digital media fans is the companion PSX-1, a networked iPod dock that the MX-6000 can control--dial up iPod-based music and videos on the remote, and have the content play back on your receiver or HDTV (the PSX-1 has component video output for optimal video quality).

So what do you think: If you had unlimited funds, would you be interested in a $1,500 touch-screen remote? Or is this sort of product overkill, even for the Rolls Royce crowd?