The Crestron Cevo Mini Remote, one of the Best New Hardware winners at the CEDIA Smart Home Awards Americas 2026, is a Wi-Fi handheld that runs the TV, sound, lights and shades of a single room on a Crestron Home system. Before ordering one for a house in Dublin or Cork, check three things: the processor, the Wi-Fi in that room and where the remote will charge.
Why the Crestron Cevo Mini Remote is in the news
CE Pro published the winners of the CEDIA Smart Home Awards Americas 2026 on 8 September 2026, and the Cevo Mini is on the Best New Hardware list with ten other products. The winners were revealed during CEDIA Expo 2026, the trade show where Crestron also previewed the lighting modules, touch screen and shade fabrics covered elsewhere on this blog.
The remote had been announced a year earlier. In Crestron's press release of 2 September 2025, Michael Short, the company's VP of residential marketing, said: "No other major control company has a product like this available today." That is Crestron's own claim, not ours. What we can say is that a small, button led remote fills a gap between the wall touch screen and the phone app, and that the awards judges rated it.
The checklist: three things a Cevo Mini needs
- The right processor.Crestron's product page for the HR-CV-MINI lists it as compatible with Crestron Home OS on Version 2 hardware and with custom programmed 4-Series systems, and states that there is no 3-Series support. If your system is older than that, our Dublin Crestron upgrade post shows what moving to Crestron Home involves, and the control systems section of our shop lists the current processors.
- Wi-Fi at the couch. The remote has no wired link. It uses 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi on either 2.4 or 5 GHz, and Crestron gives a range of up to 15 m, subject to conditions on site. In a block built house or a cinema room behind a heavy door, test the signal where you will actually be sitting. Our guide to how many Wi-Fi access points a Dublin or Cork home needs covers what to do if it falls short.
- Somewhere to charge. A USB-C cable is in the box, and Crestron lists a three hour charge time, but no wall plug is supplied. The neater answer is the HR-CV-MINI-DS wireless table dock, which is a separate item: it charges by Qi and holds the remote with three magnets, so the remote has a home on the coffee table.
The specification at a glance
These figures are from Crestron's own product page.
| Feature | What Crestron lists |
|---|---|
| Display buttons | 7, programmable, with custom text or icons |
| Fixed buttons | 14, for functions including voice, home, mute, menu, exit and play, plus a power button and a five way navigation pad |
| Voice | Built in microphone for voice commands |
| Battery | 770 mAh lithium ion, 10 days of normal use per charge |
| Wake and brightness | Wakes on movement; an ambient light sensor sets the brightness of the display buttons |
| Size and weight | About 157 mm long, 46 mm wide and 14 mm deep; 0.13 kg |
| Controls | Audio, video, lighting and shades |
Crestron's announcement also makes a point of what was left off: "The reduced button count eliminates clutter without sacrificing capability."
Who it suits, room by room
- The sitting room. The room where the TV is on most evenings is the obvious first place. Everyone in the house can pick up a remote without being shown how, which is not always true of an app.
- A cinema room. In a dedicated cinema in Dublin or Cork, a display button can start a scene that brings the lights down as the film starts, so nobody has to stand up to reach a keypad.
- The main bedroom. A small remote on the locker handles the TV and the shades last thing at night and first thing in the morning.
- A guest room or granny flat. Visitors will not have your app. A handheld remote with clearly labelled buttons is the simplest thing to leave them.
Where it is less useful is a room with no screen. A kitchen or hall is still better served by a keypad at the door or a wall panel such as the 15 inch TSW-1580.
What it means for your home in Dublin or Cork
The Cevo Mini is in our Crestron shop as the HR-CV-MINI, with the other touch screens and remotes. The price is on request, because Crestron asks its dealers to share prices directly instead of publishing them online.
The remote is configured as part of the Crestron Home system, so it is added on a visit. The display buttons are labelled for your sources and scenes, and the result is tested from the seat you will use. Our installation rate is €440 plus VAT for a 4 hour visit, with extra time at €110 an hour plus VAT. Adding a remote to a healthy, up to date system is a small part of a visit like that, so it is worth combining with any other changes on your list.
1Install is a Crestron Elite Partner, and our founder, Kieran McGuire, holds every Crestron certification. We supply, set up and support Crestron Home systems from our Dublin and Cork offices, and Crestron Home projects are now set up in Configure Pro, itself one of the Best New Software winners at the same awards.
Questions we are often asked
Can I buy a Cevo Mini and set it up myself?
No. It is configured as part of a Crestron system by a Crestron dealer, so it is supplied and set up together.
Is the charging dock included?
No. The remote comes with a USB-C cable, and the HR-CV-MINI-DS wireless table dock is sold separately.
What if my Crestron system is an older one?
Crestron lists the remote for Crestron Home OS on Version 2 hardware and for custom programmed 4-Series systems only, so an older system would need a processor upgrade first, which we can assess on a visit.
Does it replace the touch screen or the app?
No. It is a simpler way to run one room, and the touch screens, keypads and the Crestron Home app carry on working alongside it.
When did the Cevo Mini come out?
Crestron announced it in September 2025, and it was named among the Best New Hardware winners at the CEDIA Smart Home Awards Americas in September 2026.
Book a consultation or call Dublin on 01 906 9326 or Cork on 021 202 8107.
- Log in to post comments