I was hoping the author would mention what remote they was coming from. I assume a Harmony since they were best in class before logitech left the market and the kind of person who would do this was probably using a harmony. I'm still using 2 harmony hubs with 1 backup I bought on ebay. I keep watching this space for alternatives and this is very promising (especially since I use HA).

No product on the market quite fits the harmony hub + remote setup I have. The remote lasts at least 9 months on 1 battery and it's the best remote I've ever used (you can use it without looking at it which is more than I can say for plenty of newer remotes, especially universal remotes, I hate screens on a remote).

Cmon...why wouldn't you use a volume dial? We all know rotary knobs are the ultimate in volume control. Especially if you can push to mute.