Bose recently brought 35 members of the press to its headquarters in Framingham, MA (a stone’s throw from ThinkFlood) to introduce a product they have been developing for the last ten years–the Bose VideoWave system, launching October 14.

VideoWave is the audio company’s foray into the visual side of home entertainment–it’s basically Bose’s answer home theater in a box. Comprised of a 46” LCD TV with built-in 5.1 channel audio (What?!), a separate processor, and a unique remote control, the system appears to be a feat of engineering on a number of fronts.

While it’s fascinating that Bose managed to make a flat screen TV with built in speakers feel like surround sound (a point *some* audiophiles may disagree with), we think its FAR OUT controller deserves a bit more attention.

Called the Click Pad, the VideoWave system’s bundled universal remote is  more than a departure from Bose remotes past; it’s a departure from all remotes past.

The Basics
Click Pad is the hand-held universal  remote that controls a Bose TV, its built in Wave audio system, proprietary iPod dock, and up to five different HDMI sources (cable, TiVo, Blu-ray player, Xbox, Apple TV, etc.).

Because it’s an RF remote, everything can be hidden in a cabinet if you like, and it will control additional through an emitter and optional jacks.

Programming disasters will be kept to a minimum since white glove delivery and installation/integration are included in the VideoWave purchase price. Sorry DIY-ers, Bose professional installation is actually mandatory.

The Controller

The Click Pad is extremely simple. In fact,  it almost looks like a prop because a lot of space is given to a small number of traditional buttons, directional keys, and a wheel shaped touch pad for selecting sources and navigating to through an on-the-tv-screen interface.

It is visually soothing, but we are a little concerned that usability may have been sacrificed in the name of simplicity. More on that later…

The Interface
To use the Click Pad to control the VideoWave and multiple audio/video sources, you simply tap the touch pad (Bose calls it a click wheel), which shrinks the picture on the TV screen, and pulls up a border-shaped menu of remote control commands for the selected input.

You then slide a finger around the pad in a circular motion, stopping it once the menu option you want is highlighted; then click to select.

Because the command menus are fixed, once you’re familiar with the location of your favorites (like TV guide and saved programs), you won’t have to glide around the menu. Rather, you’ll tap the touch pad in the spot that corresponds to the location of the menu command on the screen; then click (watch demo).

Simplicity v. Usability

Using the click pad looks it will be fairly easy on the brain. The way you know the positions on the face of a clock without effort, Click Pad users will probably know the wheel/menu location of their favorite commands without effort. Though the interface is innovative, it seems like usability has take a back seat to simplicity.

Sure, it’s nice to look at the clean design of the Click Pad hardware. The problem with having menus instead of buttons for all but a few functions, is that it becomes more difficult to do the things you need to do with your remote.

For example, instead of pushing one button to pull up the TV guide, Click Pad users will need to complete two (or three) actions:  (1) touch the pad, (2) slide your finger to highlight the guide option on the menu, (3) click.

Now imagine having to deal with the Bose on screen interface in addition to the TV guide’s on screen interface.

Or what if you want to jump to channel 273? Instead of pushing three number buttons, users will have to complete at least six actions. And one can only hope that the cable box doesn’t jump to to channel 2 or channel 27 before you finish all six of those actions.

I hate to say it, but a more complicated controller may have been a better solution.

Who cares if your remote looks sleek on the coffee table if it means doing twice the work, and looking at extra junk on the TV screen all the time? Perhaps it would be an okay trade if you never watch TV, but feel like you need one in the house for the sake of completeness…

Installation & Programming Details

The installer will program  your Click Pad by firing a few commands from your existing remotes at the VideoWave’s IR receiver. The system then compares the signals from your remotes to an embedded database of IR command codes to identify what kind of devices you have, and what on-screen menus should be added to your system. Cool, huh?

We were curious about what users would do if their inputs ever changed. The very helpful Bose rep I spoke with yesterday assured me that it would be ridiculously easy for VideoWave owners to modify their inputs and update their remotes without professional assistance.

Though we know the system has an IR receiver that it uses for to identify connected devices, it’s still not clear (to me at least) whether you can use the Click Pad to control a device that isn’t in the embedded database. I wasn’t able to get an answer beyond, “The database is fully updatable.” Whatever that means… (hopefully it doesn’t mean you’ll have to wait for a firmware update).

Final thoughts

Regardless of our opinions on usability, Bose does get points for innovation and simplicity. It’s fun to watch companies get out there and shake things up. Who knows, maybe we’ll test the ClickPad later this month and fall in love.

T minus two weeks. Can’t wait to try it out!

**Learn more about the VideoWave: Bose; Ubergizmo; TWICE; Digital Trends; CrunchGear; Engadget; ZDNet; CNET; PC Magazine; USA TODAY