Image Design Technology (IDT), distributors of the Harmony remote, have admitted to resellers that the product is incompatible with Foxtel Digital.

In a memo distributed this week, IDT have said that due to the high bit rate transmission utilised by the Foxtel Digital Set Top Box (Pace DS420NF) the Harmony Remote Controls, and most other "Universal Remote Controls" are unable to learn or transmit the Infra-Red commands generated by the Foxtel set top box. The memo goes on to say "This issue cannot be resolved"

The technical director for IDT Nick Beavis said: "We have alerted the manufacturers to this problem. The bottom line is that the manufacturers are going to have to re design the remote for the Australian market."

The memo to resellers says: "We have escalated this within our engineering department. It seems that this digital box company has elected to use a protocol of codes that no universal remote can be used with Foxtel Digital due to the inherent technology used."

Beavis said: "We are planning on contacting Pace the manufacturers of the set top box for Foxtel to see if they can assist us in resolving this problem. For now, there is no solution we can offer other than using the original remote on the Digital box."