CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

redcorvette_85 · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:47 am Post subject: Which Remote control????

I am curious to hear some opinions of others on some universal remotes that are available now. Heres my situation, I currently have 2 sony rm-av3000 remotes one in the bedroom and one in my HT. I have used them for several years and have been pretty much happy with them, but my wife cant stand them and can never remember how to use them (which in turn I frequently hear about). Also the new stuff that has been coming out lately that are computer updatable/customizable is really interesting to me because of the key labeling ability and being able to get discrete remote codes. So with that in mind what have you guys used that you are happy with? I going to try and stay under 200 a piece and will probably just buy one to start with. I tried a harmony 520 and ended up returning it, because of the small size of the lcd and it wasn't near as powerful as my sony remote and would often not turn on a device or something in the macros. Besides that it would be perfect for me and the wife with the simple macros, help button and internet programmability. I've been thinking seriously of getting a harmony 880, but wanted to hear some other opinions first of what else is out there

Thanks

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1173

I love my Harmony 659 which I bought new for $99 from Walmart online.

The LCD is small but it's not used so often as the regular button which are real push buttons that have some space between them. I don't like the buttons on the 880 which all kind of run togeather.

The LCD on the 880 is pretty and all but in my HT there's no lights and I rely more on actual buttons. The "Activity Based" control setup leads to all the buttons working like they are labeled.

-Brian

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

I've got a harmony 550 and i dont like it.

Buttons are small and feels kinda flimsy.

I like theater master remotes better.

Chuck27 · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:16 pm Post subject:

I am convinced there is no such thing as a programmable touch-screen remote that has a WAF in excess of 0.002. Shocked

I have a Pronto TSU 7000 for which I have had to write a 7-page "this is what to do if you want to...." manual Rolling Eyes

for those occasions when I have to drive the team into town. And then I come home to find all the original remotes scattered all over because the universal was still too hard for any other family member to use. Except for Boomer, my trusty Golden. Razz

Chuck

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Chuck, i think something is wrong.

If you have a properly programmed pronto pro. Anyone should be able to use it after 5 min of instruction.

I think your remote isnt set up properly, i'd take it to a pro shop and pay them the 75- 100 bucks to program it for you.

It should eliminate the WAF issue.

Z-Photo · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:31 pm Post subject:

have you ever though of getting a new wife???

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

I'm a Home Theater Master guy and both the one in the theater and the one downstairs are set up pretty easy. My wife never has problems with them although she thinks it could be a little easier. I also like the HTMs because the one downstairs is an IR/RF one so she can have the remote in any room and control the CD player pumpting into the whole house system. There is nothing you can program via computer on the HTM that you can program using the remote. So, if you can handle programming the remote, you can get a used MX-500 for $50 (IR only) or a new MX-600 kit with base station (IR/RF with blasters) for less than $140.

The Harmony are definately the chick remote--in fact, I'm convinced they were specifically targeted at making women happy. I think they have a little less power than the HTM, but they are idiot proof. For instance, if my wife executes the macro to turn everything on and the TV doesn't turn on, she has to be smart enough to go to the page on the remote with the TV power button and push it, then return to her activity page. On the Harmony, if the TV didn't turn on, she would push "help" and the remote would ask "Is the cable box on?" she pushes "Yes", "Is the TV on?", "No", it then fires the power on code, etc.

Harmony has no IR/RF remotes though so it you want/need the functionality to control devices from a different room, they are out.

Dave

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

Z-Photo · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:23 pm Post subject:

Jim Shonk · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 149 Location: Zanesville Ohio

I am still using my Marantz RC2000 from 1998, I just can’t part with it. Great learning remote, with macro’s and a decent LCD, It does like the batteries a bit too much, I see them on eBay from time to time for a decent price.

papalek · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1536 Location: Longs SC

Can you set up that Marantz from a PC or only learn function?

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

* It's always taken me longer than 20 minutes.
* If the remote loses its mind, it's easy to re-train it.
* With many remotes (e.g. JP1) you can download codes even if you don't have the original remote to train it with.
* It's just so ubergeeky. Smile

I have a URC9910, which cost me all of $30 for a PC-programmable remote with RF and an RF-based IR repeater. Unfortunately it has no LCD or other nifty "activity-based" stuff, but it's a damsite better than the original remotes it replaced...

papalek · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1536 Location: Longs SC

Each remote that I use have about 10 buttons I want to use. I have about 6 remotes,so that is 60 buttons to learn into the proper positions.
Some of the remotes all you do is go to their websight pick your equipment and it downloads and it is all done at once.

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

papalek · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1536 Location: Longs SC

In my case I would really like to have one that will do the Ampro codes. Wink

I have the original sensor but not the remote. Sad

The wired one just does not work well for being on the arm of the couch. Confused

Chuck27 · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:40 pm Post subject:

Nah, nothing's wrong with the remote....I have it programmed so that it makes sense to me, and it ought to make sense to anyone else, but it only works that way when I'm in the house. It's when I go out that the Evil or Very Mad

gremlins

take it over and re-do all the programming to make it incomprehensible to the rest of the family, and then they switch it back as I'm coming down the lane.

It seems it's all too easy when something doesn't work as it ought to, to just go back to the tried-and-true, i.e., the original remote.

And I'm already on #2, Pete. If I was still stuck with the first one, I wouldn't even have a home theatre, a pickup truck, a place in the country, a Harley or a set of Taylormades much less a CRT projector. 8)

Chuck

mack1 · Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 494 Location: SARNIA

Thats OK Chuck we all started out in life with nothing.

and I still got 1/2 of that Mr. Green

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX