# Sticky  Remote Control FAQ, Buyer's Guide, and Programming Thread



## bryansj


Here is my attempt to give back to this thread and possibly answer many questions before they are asked. I plan on expanding this in the next few days. Here is what I have now.

How to decide on a remote:
 Number of devices 
 Budget 
 Batteries 
 Interface
Buttons
Touch Screen

 Line-of-sight Issues 
 Programming
Built-in Database
Learning
PC Programming
Logitech Harmony Remotes
URC Remotes
JP1 Remotes
Other



How to control your devices:

 IR Input
Receiver
Direct

 RF Input 
 RS-232 
 WiFi 
 Others
PS3 Bluetooth
Windows Media Center


Programming:

 Built-in Codes 
 Learning 
 PC Programming 
 RF Extender 
 Macros 
 Activities 
 Device Mode 
 Delays
Device
Key
Repeat


"Official" AVS Remote Threads:

Logitech Harmony
 One 
 880 
 900 
 1000 
 1100 
 700 
 720 
 650/600 
 670/676 
 550 
 300 
 200

URC
Professional Series
 MX-980 
 MX-700

Consumer Series
 R50


iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch/Android Devices
 iRule 
 DemoPad 
 Command Fusion iViewer 
 iMasterControl 
 Peel 
 Harmony Link

Others
 Nevo Q50 
 Nevo S70 
 Harmon Kardon TC30 
 Acoustic Research XSight Remote 
 Next Generation IR RF Extender 
 Sony RM-AX4000 
 PS3 Blu-Link Remote 
 Monster MCC AVL300-S


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## bryansj

*Number of devices*


The first thing you should do is determine how many devices you will need to control now and in the near future. Remotes generally can all handle a typical setup such as a TV, AV Receiver, Set Top Box, and Disc Player. In this case, using Logitech Harmony remotes as an example, if you add one more device then you would need to upgrade from the Harmony 300 (with a four device limit) to the Harmony 650 (with a five device limit) at a minimum. So plan out how many devices you think you will have during the life of your remote.


*Budget*

Before you ask “which remote” and list your requirements, make sure you post a budget. There might be a perfect remote out there for you , but if you think spending $50 on a remote is crazy then you will get a bunch of suggestions that would put you into sticker shock. You can get a cheap programmed remote for about $10 or a PC programmable remote for $1000.


* Batteries *


Another separator for remotes is if you want to use standard batteries, which can be alkaline or rechargeable, or have one that uses a rechargeable battery pack. With the battery pack you charge the remote by placing it on a custom cradle or connecting it with a charging cable. The remotes with an LCD screen are typically the ones with the rechargeable battery pack. The time between recharge is dependent on many factors, but at the least they will last a full day and be placed on the charger each night. In my experience I typically get about three days between needing recharged.


* Interface 

* *Buttons*

Everyone is familiar with buttons on a remote. In addition to buttons, some remotes now include a display that contains what can be called soft buttons or soft keys. Depending on the remote, this display can be a touch screen in the case of a Harmony One/900 or have buttons along the side in the case of the Harmony 880/URC MX-880/980. Buttons allow you to use the remote by touch and not have to look away from the TV to turn the volume up or down.
*

Touch Screen*

Touch Screen remote receive their input directly on the screen. This allows for all sorts of customization from button placement to icon styles. Touch Screen remotes do typically have hard buttons in addition to the screen. These buttons are typically for volume +/- and channel +/-. There are now solutions to allow touch screen enabled phones and music players such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android phones to act as your universal remote. Just be away that one of the drawbacks to using a touch screen remote is that you may have to look at the remote to perform the desired action instead of going by feel when using a hard button remote.


* Line-of-Sight Issues *


If you are planning on hiding your devices in a cabinet, in a closet, or even on another floor then you will need to be able to have to remote communicate without line-of-sight. There are a few methods to accomplish this with the most basic being an IR Extender.

*IR Extender*

An IR Extender uses an IR receiver that is typically on the end of a cable. The other end plugs into a distribution block where it emits IR. You have to route the IR receiver so that it has line-of-sight with the IR signal from your remote. The signal is received and passed through to the distribution block and then emitted via IR from the block. The emitted IR signal can be from an IR flasher built into the block itself, from stick-on emitters that are attached to the block with a cable in the same manner as the IR receiver, or sometimes directly from the block into a device such as an AVR. The IR signal is emitted through all ports of an IR Extender. If you have two identical devices then you will not be able to control them independently with an IR Extender.


The emitters have transparent double-sided tape that you place over the device’s IR receiver. (Tip: if the adhesive no longer sticks then you can use a dab of hot glue) The cables are usually 3.5mm male mono or stereo cables. These can be spliced with CAT5 cable if needed by cutting the cable and connecting each wire to a pair of cables on each end of the CAT5 extension.

*RF Extender*

An RF Extender requires the use of an RF remote. The RF remote is typically matched to the same brand of RF extender. If you get a Harmony RF remote then you need to use a Harmony RF extender. If you get a URC RF remote then you need to use one of their RF extenders. In the case of Harmony their RF remote options are the Harmony 890, 900, 1000, and 1100 with the 890 and 900 including the RF extender with the remote.


The RF Extender receives a signal from the RF remote. The RF Extender then emits the correct IR signal to the device. The emitters are similar to those used for the IR Extender (stick-on, flasher, direct IR input). With most RF Extenders you can specify which port to emit the IR signal. With multiple ports you can have multiple of the same device. The IR signal will be routed to that device and not the other devices. This allows you to control multiples of the same device with a single remote.

*Extending IR Emitters and Receivers*

You can extend the length of the IR emitter and receiver cables by using patch cables or splicing into another type of cable. The simplest way to extend the cable is to use a mono male/female with 3.5mm (1/8") connectors, or 2.5mm in the case of the Harmony 900. These cables can be purchased at most places like Radio Shack and Monoprice.


The custom method is to run a cable, such as CAT5, and splice it into an existing IR cable. You simply pick a color from the CAT5 cable and match it on both ends to the wires in the IR cable. Doing this is destructive to the IR cable since you are cutting it in half. A method that I recently used was to connect a female 3.5mm solder type connector to each end of a CAT5 cable. I then used a 3.5mm male/male mono cable to connect the extender to one end of the CAT5 cable's female connector. Then on the other end I simply connected the existing emitter to the other CAT5 cable's female connector. No IR cable was harmed in the process.


I actually took that method one step further since I had a spare Ethernet port located at the source and destination. For my CAT5 cable I used a spare network patch cable and cut it in half. I connected a 3.5mm female connector to the end of each patch cable, I think I used the blue and orange wires. I then simply plugged the patch cable into the existing pair of wall jacks to complete the circuit. If you don't have an existing unused Ethernet port you could still use the method to terminate your CAT5 cables. If you no longer need to route IR then that cable can be reused for your home network.

* Programming *

*Built-in Database*

The most basic form of a universal remote is one with a built-in database of codes. These are accessed by entering a setup mode and entering in a code that corresponds to your device. This is the most limited in that you are stuck with what in already entered into the database.

*Learning*

The learning feature allows you to transmit an IR signal from a remote and learn it into the universal remote. The learned signal is then assigned to a button. A lot universal remotes now include this feature.

*PC Programming*

This is what most users are seeking out and it give a lot of flexibility on the button layout and available codes. The remote will use specific software that is linked to a code database in order to program the remote.

Harmony remotes use an online database with practically any code that you would need. This allows you to program your remote without having to resort to learning codes and it also includes some codes not on the original OEM remote such as discrete codes for power on and off and direct input selection.

URC remotes use a local database that is periodically updated on a server. The software retrieves the updates and stores them on your computer. This allows you to program your remote without needing an internet connection, which is handy for custom installers. However, URC Professional remotes do not ship with the software and it is up to the authorized dealer to provide it to the end user or not.

JP1 remotes can be programmed using a special cable and software. The JP1 remotes are typically very cheap and are sold as only having a built-in database and possibly the learning feature. However, they can be programmed by utilizing a jumper that is located in the battery compartment. Connecting the jumper to a computer with the cable allows you to program the remote using the JP1 software and unlocks the more capability than the remote offers built-in.


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## bryansj

*IR*


IR is the most common way to communicate with your device using a universal remote. IR is also the basis for many of the other solutions such as RF and WiFi.
*

Line-of-Sight IR* Simply pointing the remote at the device and sending the IR signal. If the device can see the signal then it will issue the command.

*Direct IR Input*

Some devices have an IR input jack which is typically a 3.5mm mono female jack. To use this jack you would connect a 3.5mm male/male cable to an IR output jack on another device such as an IR emitter block or RF extender. You can usually find IR input jacks on A/V receivers which can also include an IR output jack as well. You can use this to transmit IR to a hidden device if you are feeding the IR for that device through the AVR.


*RF*


RF allows you to remove the line-of-sight requirement between the remote and the device. RF universal remotes transmit an RF signal that is picked up by an RF base. The RF base (referred to as an RF extender or RF/IR blaster) then sends the correct signal to the destination device. The signal can be sent using various methods depending on the RF extender’s capabilities, but it typically sends IR. The IR out can be routed through an IR flasher, IR stick-on emitters, mini-IR flashers/blasters, or even RS-232.



Note that a universal RF remote is not designed to learn or control other RF devices such as ceiling fans, garage door openers, gas logs, or any other device that has no IR input. In most cases you can assume that if you have an RF device then it either needs to be switched to an IR mode (such as a DirecTV DVR) or you will not be able to control it with anything except for the OEM remote. Think about this when buying that motorized projector screen and curtains!


*RS-232*


RS-232 allows for most functions to be sent directly into a device, typically an AVR, from a computer or RF/WiFi extender. I don’t have much experience with this so I’ll try to add to it later.


*WiFi*


Many newer devices are using WiFi to communicate with an extender. This is most common with the touch screen devices such as the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch and Android phones. The remote sends a signal over WiFi to the WiFi base and it is converted to a code for the device, which is typically IR. There is potential for two-way feedback such that the connected device can transmit information back to the remote so you could see what volume setting you are on or what song is playing in the media player.

*Others* 
*Playstation 3*

The PS3 has been a problem child for universal remotes. The PS3 doesn’t include an IR receiver and is expected to use the game controller or the PS3 Bluetooth remote. The first and cheapest solution was an IR to USB dongle that was based on the PS2 wireless controller. Next was an IR to Bluetooth converter that received an IR signal and transmitted to correct Bluetooth command. The IR to Bluetooth converters cost more, but also do more than the USB dongles. The IR to Bluetooth converters have direct access to all the commands and can power the PS3 on. The IR to USB dongle only has limited commands since it only emulates the game controller and utilizes additional commands from a pop-up menu (triangle button) and is unable to power the PS3 on.

*Computers / Windows Media Center*

To control a computer you will probably want to pick up a USB IR receiver. These range from less than $15 for just the USB receiver to $60 for the USB-UIRT. There are ways to control the PC with WiFi and iOS type devices, but in general most people will want the USB IR receiver. Using this receiver you can transmit IR to the PC and then it will receive the signal and perform the action. In the most common situation that is using the MCE (Media Center Edition) remote codes and controlling Media Center on the HTPC. This can be done out of the box and is plug and play. If programming a Harmony remote with a MCE IR receiver then consider following this guide .


Taking the PC control a step further is using a program such as *EventGhost* to receive the IR signal from the USB IR receiver and then performing an action. I will include more details and some basic templates for EventGhost in the future. Using EG will allow you to send any IR code and trigger pretty much any action on the PC. You are not limited to the MCE codes or Media Center control.


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## bryansj

* Built-in Codes *


The most basic universal remote includes a built-in database of IR codes. These codes are assigned by entering a setup mode and entering in a code that corresponds to a device. There are also methods where you toggle through all the codes while hitting a button such as Power On until the device responds (by turning on in this case). When a remote only includes the built-in database you are left with whatever commands shipped with the remote. The exception to this is if the remote happens to be JP1 compatible.


* Learning Codes *


Some remotes add the ability to learn IR codes from other remotes. When learning these codes you point the OEM remote’s IR transmitter at the universal remotes IR receiver. Entering into a learning setup mode you will assign a key to receive the code and then press the key on the OEM remote. Now the OEM code has been learned into the universal remote. With PC programmable remotes there are various ways to add a learned code and the process is dependent on the remote’s brand.


* PC Programming *


PC programmable remotes after many benefits over remotes with only built-in databases. One of those benefits is access to a large database of IR codes. These code databases also have the benefit of being updateable and also include codes that may not be directly on the OEM remote. Some examples of additional codes would be discrete codes for power on and power off instead of power toggle and also direct input codes instead of an input button that scrolls down the input list. Being able to select HDMI2 directly is much easier to program for instead of hitting the Input button four times if on TV and one time if on HDMI1. Also, being able to send Power ON without needing to know if the device is on or off is a huge advantage over Power Toggle. If the device is already ON and you send Power ON then the command is ignored and the device stays on. If the device is ON and you send Power Toggle then it will shut off. This causes the device state to be unknown and makes macro programming very difficult.


Another benefit to PC programming is the ability to manipulate the location of the codes by selecting from a menu or even dragging and dropping. This allows you to easily assign codes to each key and to visualize its layout.


Finally, once you have everything configured the way you want it you can save the configuration. With a Harmony remote the configuration is saved in their database. With other remotes, such as URC, the configuration can be saved to a file. Saving to a file allows you to experiment with a copy knowing that you can always revert back to a know working configuration by using the original file.


* RF Extender *


RF universal remotes work by sending a trigger using RF to an RF extender. The RF extender translates that trigger to the correct IR command. In any case the RF extender needs to be paired with the RF remote. The process of pairing will depend on the brand of remote. There is usually a pairing function or a way to assign a channel to the remote and extender.


Once paired you can begin mapping the devices to the extender. As an example, the original Harmony RF Extenders that shipped with the Harmony 890 include four addressable IR out ports and the base itself is an IR flasher. In addition to IR from the RF extender, the RF remote itself includes the ability to transmit IR just like a regular remote. This allows for three methods of emitting IR to your devices:
IR from the remote
IR from one or all of the addressable emitter ports
IR from the RF extender’s flasher

When using the addressable emitter ports you can assign duplicate devices to separate ports and control them independently of each other. Since the emitters cover the IR receiver (you can further cover the receiver and emitter as needed with electrical tape or similar) you can eliminate bleed through of the IR signal. Doing this would allow you to control multiple identical TVs or cable boxes in a sports bar using a single remote. With an IR only remote the signal would likely be received by more than one TV.


* Macros *


Macros allow you to automate things that would require multiple button presses and even multiple remotes. A macro is a series of commands assigned to a single button. The most common use for a macro is to turn on and setup your devices in order to perform an activity such as watching TV. Using Watch TV as an example you may have three devices in the chain, a TV, a DVR, and an A/V receiver. In order to watch TV the three devices need to be powered on and the TV and AVR need to be set to the proper input to display the picture and sound. In this example that would be a minimum of five commands if everything is off. Without discrete commands you would need to know if the devices are on or off when sending a power toggle command and how to navigate to the correct input. With discrete commands you can fire off TV Power ON, DVR Power ON, AVR Power ON, TV HDMI1, and AVR HDMI1. You should be left with the TV displaying a picture from the DVR with sound playing through the AVR.


A note about macros on Harmony remotes. Logitech refers to macros as Sequences and are limited to five commands (with the exception of some workarounds). The Harmony 900 and 1100 do not have the ability to create Sequences, but they still use Activities.


* Activities *


Activities are macros that assign your devices to a certain state and leave the remote in a configuration that is best suited to function in that state. In the case of Watch TV the macro will execute to turn on all the devices and switch everything to the proper input. In addition to the macro, the remote’s keys will be configured to control the devices in the assigned state. For example the volume and mute buttons will control the AVR, the transport and channel buttons will control the DVR, and picture mode keys will control the TV. When you then select a Watch a Movie activity the DVR will optionally power off, the Blu-ray player will power on, the TV and AVR will switch inputs as needed, and the transport buttons will be assigned to the Blu-ray player instead of the DVR.


When ready to shut down the system there will be a single button assigned to All Off. It will then send power off to all the devices. In the case of remotes with state tracking it will only send power off to the devices that were turned on in the first place. Harmony remotes have the ability to do state tracking and other remotes can do the same using other methods, such as variables, that I will explain later.


* Device Mode *


In Device mode the intent is to select your TV for example and then all of the keys will be related to only your TV. This is where you would have your less used commands. If you are frequently needing to select a picture mode when watching a Blu-ray, then you should probably assign that key to the Watch a Movie activity. Harmony remotes typically have a separate button for Activities and Devices. Selecting Activities will list all the activities that you have created and selecting Devices will list all the components you have entered into the remote. Other remotes have similar abilities to separate activities and devices from each other. In general you shouldn’t need to enter device mode on a regular basis and the goal of programming the activities would be to remove the need for others to ever have to enter device mode. Again, if you are often entering device mode then that command should more than likely be assigned to an activity.


* Delays *


When creating a macro you may need to create a delay between commands. If your TV takes 8 seconds to power on before it is able to receive a command then you cannot send Power ON and then HDMI1 Input as the next command. In this case you would need to set a delay for eight seconds (8000 ms) after the power command is issued. Programming the delay varies depending on the remote. In the case of a Harmony remote you have to assign the Power Delay within the device. In URC software you simply add a delay command and assign a time.


When setting up delays in a macro for an Activity you may want to consider how they stack. If your TV takes 8 seconds and your AVR takes 5 seconds then you could add a three second delay after TV power, send AVR power, add a five second delay, then switch inputs on the TV and AVR. Doing that would shave off three seconds. With a Harmony remote you can assign the order in with the devices are powered on. You would need to ensure that the TV in this case was the first device in the activity.
*Key Delay*

Key Delay is when the device needs a certain period of time between each command it receives. This is typically very low and not all devices need any special consideration with key delays. If your device is having trouble receiving commands then you may need to increase the key delay.

*Repeats*

Repeats are used for commands such as Volume Up and Down. When you hold down the volume key you expect the device to keep changing the volume until you release the key. Repeats on a universal remote key may need to be tweaked to get the right feel for each device. If you hold the key and nothing happens then you need to change your repeat factor. For commands such as Power On or Play you don’t want them to repeat. These values will be different and in most cases the database already accounts for the repeats.


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## bryansj


Logitech Harmony
 One 
 880 
 900 
 1000 
 1100 
 700 
 720 
 650/600 
 670/676 
 550 
 300 
 200

URC
Professional Series
 MX-980 
 MX-700

Consumer Series
 R50


iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch/Android Devices
 iRule 
 DemoPad 
 Command Fusion iViewer 
 iMasterControl 
 Peel 
 Harmony Link

Others
 Nevo Q50 
 Nevo S70 
 Harmon Kardon TC30 
 Acoustic Research XSight Remote 
 Next Generation IR RF Extender 
 Sony RM-AX4000 
 PS3 Blu-Link Remote 
 Monster MCC AVL300-S


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## bryansj

Reserved 5


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## bryansj

Reserved 6


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## BPlayer

This is a great thread, and it should be made into a "sticky".


You may want to consider including the following:


Supplement to Programming

*Defining multiple commands*

In some situations it may be convenient to have multiple commands assigned to a specific key, and with a variable delay between some of the commands. Pressing the assigned key will execute the defined commands. Some remotes provide this capability which is known as macros or sequences.


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## bryansj

Quote:

Originally Posted by *BPlayer* 
This is a great thread, and it should be made into a "sticky".


You may want to consider including the following:


Supplement to Programming

*Defining multiple commands*

In some situations it may be convenient to have multiple commands assigned to a specific key, and with a variable delay between some of the commands. Pressing the assigned key will execute the defined commands. Some remotes provide this capability which is known as macros or sequences.
I added the programming section today. I think I covered what you mentioned for me to add. I plan on adding a section that discusses punch-thru, variables, if/else, and lighting control.


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## kutlow

I am moving my equipment ( 3 pro audio amps, the crest pro 9200 series and a new Marantz av7005 to a closet in my theater room due to the fan noise.) Can someone tell me what I need to buy to be able to turn the volume up or down on the Marantz or operate the oppo from my seating area? I heard some type of IR remote but I dont know anything at all about it. Could you please list what I need and possably give me a link to the items that I need to buy? Thank you in advance. Oh and I want it to be cheap unless its just a little bit more money for a touch screen. Thanks


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## bryansj




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kutlow* /forum/post/20249745
> 
> 
> I am moving my equipment ( 3 pro audio amps, the crest pro 9200 series and a new Marantz av7005 to a closet in my theater room due to the fan noise.) Can someone tell me what I need to buy to be able to turn the volume up or down on the Marantz or operate the oppo from my seating area? I heard some type of IR remote but I dont know anything at all about it. Could you please list what I need and possably give me a link to the items that I need to buy? Thank you in advance. Oh and I want it to be cheap unless its just a little bit more money for a touch screen. Thanks


 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...?t=1318737#los


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## ivamur

Hi


I am new to the forum and new in home automation. If you can guide me how to deal with this issue, they are very grateful.


As we know, contrloles remote or remotes that we use for our appliances (TVs, DVD, sound,....) emit a pattern that is read by the device. This code changes from team to team and brand to brand.


I need to know these codes, for different orders (turn on / off, volume up ...) No matter what the device or your brand.


I believe I have two choices: get a database with all codes or capture (read) codes issued by an infrared remote control.


Any advice?


Thanks


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## videobruce

It's too bad that URC has such a self serving policy on not releasing their software for programming as I feel it is a better system than using the Internet and someone elses server to store programming for my equipment as opposed to keeping it 'in house' (literally).










Their MX-900 has been my choice, other than the very annoying non feature of _*not*_ having the keypad light automatically from a button push.










BTW, I don't need a remote to turn lights on or off, I'm not that lazy like most Americans seem to be now.


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## bryansj




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *videobruce* /forum/post/20484179
> 
> 
> It's too bad that URC has such a self serving policy on not releasing their software for programming as I feel it is a better system than using the Internet and someone elses server to store programming for my equipment as opposed to keeping it 'in house' (literally).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Their MX-900 has been my choice, other than the very annoying non feature of _*not*_ having the keypad light automatically from a button push.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> BTW, I don't need a remote to turn lights on or off, I'm not that lazy like most Americans seem to be now.



URC does release their software for programming. The problem for the general consumer is that they only sell their remotes to authorized dealers. It is up to the dealers to provide the software to the end user or not. If URC actually marketed their professional line of remotes directly to consumers and didn't provide the software then you would have a valid argument. The way it is now it is the fault of the dealer or an end user selling their dealer programmed remote on eBay/Amazon/craigslist without the software.


What everyone wants is for URC to sell their high-end remotes right next to the Harmony remotes sitting on the shelf at the nearest store, programming software included.


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## videobruce




> Quote:
> If URC actually marketed their professional line of remotes directly to consumers and didn't provide the software then you would have a valid argument. The way it is now it is the fault of the dealer or an end user selling their dealer programmed remote on eBay/Amazon/craigslist without the software.



But, it is within URC's control to specify that dealers should make software available w/o a hassle even if a _*small*_ service charge would be involved.


URS's big push now is remote lighting control.


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## SnoWhite

TV not accepting commands from remote control. Changed batteries twice, reset remote by removing batteries and pushing each button twice. Stand by light no longer alluminated on TV. Tv can be operated by buttons on side. This is Sony Bravia KDL-32L5000. Anyone have any suggestions? I am assuming I need the infrared controller replaced in TV. TV less than 2 years old.


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## willintech

great article


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## bharath23

I am planning on investing on a universal remote to get rid of the remote clutter that I have. Currently I just have 4 devices my TV, Blu-ray player and Apple TV (running xbmc) and my CD changer. I will be adding at least two more devices in the near future a DVR/cable box and a/v receiver. I would like to get a good universal remote which I can program using the computer and would be compatible with my future devices. I was wondering what would be a good remote to get for something around $100.


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## bryansj

If you get a Harmony make sure that it can support at least six devices for your future needs. For less than $100 you can get the XSight from Amazon and you would be able to add an RF extender if needed. The Monster AVL300 is also a lot of bang for the buck and runs under $100.


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## bharath23




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bryansj* /forum/post/20663335
> 
> 
> If you get a Harmony make sure that it can support at least six devices for your future needs. For less than $100 you can get the XSight from Amazon and you would be able to add an RF extender if needed. The Monster AVL300 is also a lot of bang for the buck and runs under $100.



Thank you for the suggestions. Reading the reviews about the remotes seems Monster AVL300 would be a good buy.


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## bryansj




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bharath23* /forum/post/20663701
> 
> 
> Thank you for the suggestions. Reading the reviews about the remotes seems Monster AVL300 would be a good buy.



Just be aware of the crappy version of its software.


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## bharath23




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bryansj* /forum/post/20663749
> 
> 
> Just be aware of the crappy version of its software.



After reading about the software hell and considering that this is a discontinued product I might just pass this and see if I can get a good deal on a harmony one or 900, a refurbished for less $100 if possible.


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## Headroom Tommy

Hello all.


My needs are so simple....


3 devices, line of sight. The only new device is a Panny 110 Bluray player.


I'm just wanting to replace the craptacular remotes from Panny, so ease of use really. Inexpensive would be nice. Doesn't need to be spectacular but if it was cool looking that'd be, well, cool










Any recs?


Tommy


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## Headroom Tommy

No recs?










Tommy


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## bryansj

From what you stated, any universal remote would work for you.


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## Headroom Tommy

Sorry for not being clear. There's 8 million cheap remotes out there, I was hoping for something good quality - why replace one bad remote with another?


Tommy


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## Th3G4mbl3r

Hi...


Great FAQ.


Now that all my equipments have come in and got hooked up, i've at current count 8 remotes without counting my ceiling fan remote. I would like to be able to go up to 12 - 15 devices. Any good universal remotes to suggest based on your usage experience?


Currently, I am considering URC R50 or logitech harmony one. But for R50 i am not sure of what their device database is like and so hesitant as the remote is programmed directly using its built in database within the remote. so once you buy the devices in the databases are the only ones you can program.


But I am actually really interested in something like the MX980. But The more higher end models from URC, the problem is getting hold of the PC programming software. I don't want to keep paying someone exhorbitant prices every time i want to tweak the remote programming.


Logitech harmony one the issue is that it cannot do a lot of complicated activities/macros. It is only able to handle basic activities. This based on the experience of one of my friends who actually has the harmony one. I personally have no experience with any kind of universal remotes.


My budget is around USD 400 for the remote, and any other accessory + software that is needed for making it useful and programmable. Ideally it should be available in SG or through someone who can ship to SG all the items needed. In the case of shipping, then shipping costs need to fall within the USD 400 as well.


regards,

Th3G4mbl3r


----------



## DGF

Great thread - thanks for taking the time to think it through so thoroughly


[One suggested addition: the inclusion of Roomie in the "iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch/Android Devices" section?]


----------



## BPlayer




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Th3G4mbl3r*  /t/1318737/remote-control-faq-buyer-s-guide-and-programming-thread#post_22358924
> 
> 
> Hi...
> 
> Currently, I am considering URC R50 or logitech harmony one. But for R50 i am not sure of what their device database is like and so hesitant as the remote is programmed directly using its built in database within the remote. so once you buy the devices in the databases are the only ones you can program.


Either one is likely a good choice and you need to try and anticipate how their different features will apply to your situation. For example, H1 does "state tracking" which is very nice to have if any of your devices do not have discrete power on/off codes. There are only five standard steps with the H1 sequences (macros) but it is entirely possible that you will not need any.


With the R50 to database is local. If you device is not in it and you have the original remote all the keys can be learned, a bit painful but entirely possible.


Suggest you post follow-up question in the specific remote area.


----------



## mdavej

URC has a great database, but the R50 is several years old and won't be up to date. However, most new devices recycle old codes anyway, so you'll likely have everything you need or can learn the rest as BPlayer said. The R40 is the newer version of the 50 which you may want to check out.


While harmony is always up to date and easy to program, there's something to be said for the simplicity and independence you get with something like the R50. You never have to worry about servers being down, or software problems. It can also be a bit of a black hole. I spend a lot more time tweaking a software based remote than hardware ones. The family came up with a new use case just the other day that's going to require another half hour to design and implement. If we had an R50 on the other hand, I'd just tell them it is what it is and to live with it.


----------



## Mfusick

Great thread !


----------



## ragged

I found that using a Samsung galaxy tab with ir and the touchsquid app is the best.


----------



## kinglm

Hmmm this looks very nice...https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1227115988/neeo-the-thinking-remote


----------



## bryansj

kinglm said:


> Hmmm this looks very nice...https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1227115988/neeo-the-thinking-remote


Hopefully it functions as well as it looks. Can't have too many competitors for best remote so good luck to them. I'm just not holding my breath or pulling out my wallet.


----------



## Kensmith48

Great thread!
I have a URC 980 and a 3000. I have the programming -CCP & the Editor. I've been looking at downloadable graphics from www.Remotecentral. I can program these remotes but I can't figure out how to get what I want from that web site into the CCP or Editor program. Could you give me a step by step on how do this? I also downloaded a lot of icons from a place called Blackman.com. These went into Program Files x86. Any advice appreciated.


----------



## LAVSFV

I'm trying to find a work around to the fact that my new Samsung JS7000 tv cannot output sound through it's speakers and audio out at the same time. I need the audio out to feed an amp and loop for a hearing impaired individual while the hearing person hears via the Tv speakers. 

A partial solution is to feed the loop directly from the satelite box. The down side to this is having no volume control as the Direct TV remote controls only the TV volume and not the volume on its audio out. 

I would like to control the two audio streams in tandem with one remote, would a universal remote enable this?


----------



## gderk

Boston Acoustic Recepter

Need remote code to control old Recepter HS radio with Time Warner cable remote. TWC manual says the code is 447. It is not. Any ideas? Thanks! G


----------



## gderk

gderk said:


> Boston Acoustic Recepter
> 
> Need remote code to control old Recepter HS radio with Time Warner cable remote. TWC manual says the code is 447. It is not. Any ideas? Thanks! G


^^ Recepter HD radio. Sorry, fat fingers.


----------



## RecommendationAppreciated

any suggestion on a remote to control kodi (windows)

how is something like this?


----------



## SeanKosmann

Similar to the post above, Im actually curious now that some of these technologies have been out for awhile, what are people recommending these days? Are these still the big players and if so, which is the best? Demopad seemed to have a strong following but the iRule people have the larger forum.... anyone?


----------



## unknowingwife

*help with christmas gift*

Hi,

I'm trying to buy my husband a universal remote for Christmas for our new theater room. I am clueless and looking for any advise on which brand to go for. I've been looking at the Harmony 650 only because we had a Harmony remote several years ago and he loved it. It finally died after being dropped and the screen broke. Here are the following devices we will be controlling with this new remote:

Epson Projector
Xbox One
Phillips Blue Ray Player
Onkyo Stereo System

Thank you!


----------



## mdavej

650 will work fine. 700 is also often on sale around the holidays and adds rechargeable batteries while the 650 lacks. Biggest drawback with these versus the more expensive Elite is that you have to aim them at the thing your controlling, which could be a problem if the projector is behind you and the stereo/xbox/bluray are in front of you. Elite solves this but is much more expensive.


----------



## jasta

*Remote for computer*

I hate to play back computer files(movies,tv shows, etc)with a keyboard. Is there a remote that would work with Windows Media Player, VLC Player, Tivo, etc? Also, I would like to fast forward through these files with a remote. Can you do things like rename files, etc. with a remote? I know there are cell phone apps for this, but I would prefer a remote.


----------



## mdavej

A remote in lieu of a keyboard for renaming files, etc. is essentially just a smaller, harder to use keyboard. The most practical use of a remote with a PC or any media device is for transport control (play, rewind, etc.), and of course can be done with nearly any universal remote.

So I recommend you try to pinpoint what you dislike about using a keyboard for keyboard related tasks and imagine how this experience would improve if the keyboard were simply smaller, which is what you get with a "remote".

In my experience, playback is 95% of what I use a PC remote for. The few times I need true keyboard/mouse functionality, I use an actual keyboard/mouse or smartphone app. I find this to be the best compromise for overall efficient and simple control of a complex device like a PC.


----------



## julianw

This is great information thanks!


----------



## mamsterla

I have been a Harmony One user for a number of years. My remote is starting to have buttons that are hard to press, so I am looking at either upgrading or finding a replacement.

I have all of my main devices on IP, so one of the questions I have is whether:

1) Get a new(used) Harmony One and be happy (cheapest)
2) Upgrade to the newer Harmony Elite and incorporate the Hub so that I can control from my iPad(s), mobile as well as device
3) Move to another system like the URC and go through a learning curve

My main complaint with the Harmony One is that the line of sight IR does not alway hit every device in my cabinet - I have about 8 devices to control (Pioneer Kuro Plasma, Sony PS4, Oppo 105D, Dish VIP722, Logitech Transporter, Integra DHC-80.3 processor, Xbox 360, Wii, Velodyne DD-15 sub). I do have to hit the "help" button and repoint about 25% of the time. I like the task oriented nature and am pretty happy. I do not have a lot of "smart systems" in my home - no Alexa, no Nest, etc. I will be upgrading a few elements of the system - Anthem AVM60 to replace the Integra DHC-80.3 and possibly an LG OLED screen. 

Any suggestions on approach?


----------



## mdavej

4) Get a new Harmony 700 (cheaper than a One, has row of colored buttons and isn't old, worn out and obsolete. Drawback is screen is smaller (4 buttons per page vs. 6), and charges by cable instead of cradle. 8 device limit, but should be fine for your case)

Elite will solve your LOS issues.

URC learning curve is steep. And URC does not have a product as cheap has Harmony that has phone/tablet app as well. However, URC is far more programmable. If you have any complex macros, URC is much better at that sort of thing.


----------



## mamsterla

mdavej said:


> 4) Get a new Harmony 700 (cheaper than a One, has row of colored buttons and isn't old, worn out and obsolete. Drawback is screen is smaller (4 buttons per page vs. 6), and charges by cable instead of cradle. 8 device limit, but should be fine for your case)
> 
> Elite will solve your LOS issues.
> 
> URC learning curve is steep. And URC does not have a product as cheap has Harmony that has phone/tablet app as well. However, URC is far more programmable. If you have any complex macros, URC is much better at that sort of thing.


Thanks for the info. I am a software engineer, so the programming does not daunt me. I think my gut says to go with the Harmony Elite and eventually to play with IFTTT and Alexa over time. The LOS will win me fans at home. URC seems overkill at the moment and the price is less attractive than the sub $300 street price for the Elite.


----------



## MaestroP

Thank you for making this forum sticky. I have been trying to make sense of universal remote features and this helps a lot.

My confusion (which drew me here) was about IR & RF implementations in universal remote controls. From what I gather here, RF is only used in universal remotes to control IR devices through a repeater and NOT RF devices themselves. 



bryansj said:


> 
> Note that a universal RF remote is not designed to learn or control other RF devices such as ceiling fans, garage door openers, gas logs, or any other device that has no IR input. In most cases you can assume that if you have an RF device then it either needs to be switched to an IR mode (such as a DirecTV DVR) or you will not be able to control it with anything except for the OEM remote.


Since this thread is a several years old, I want to verify that the above is still correct. I've been confused trying to find basic remotes to control a combination of devices that I have (Home theater receiver-IR, Roku Premiere-RF, Samsung 6300 TV-RF, other devices that aren't a big deal). If the above quote is still true, I *CAN NOT* control my Roku & TV with a universal remote because they are RF. Is this still correct?


----------



## bryansj

MaestroP said:


> Thank you for making this forum sticky. I have been trying to make sense of universal remote features and this helps a lot.
> 
> My confusion (which drew me here) was about IR & RF implementations in universal remote controls. From what I gather here, RF is only used in universal remotes to control IR devices through a repeater and NOT RF devices themselves.
> 
> 
> 
> Since this thread is a several years old, I want to verify that the above is still correct. I've been confused trying to find basic remotes to control a combination of devices that I have (Home theater receiver-IR, Roku Premiere-RF, Samsung 6300 TV-RF, other devices that aren't a big deal). If the above quote is still true, I *CAN NOT* control my Roku & TV with a universal remote because they are RF. Is this still correct?


Most RF devices also have an IR input. A Roku has IR, but not the Roku Stick. I'm not sure about your TV, but I'd be surprised if it didn't have an IR input either. It is easy enough to test. Just find any programmable remote (cable box, AVR, Blu-ray) and put in the Samsung codes and test it.


----------



## mdavej

MaestroP said:


> Thank you for making this forum sticky. I have been trying to make sense of universal remote features and this helps a lot.
> 
> My confusion (which drew me here) was about IR & RF implementations in universal remote controls. From what I gather here, RF is only used in universal remotes to control IR devices through a repeater and NOT RF devices themselves.
> 
> 
> 
> Since this thread is a several years old, I want to verify that the above is still correct. I've been confused trying to find basic remotes to control a combination of devices that I have (Home theater receiver-IR, Roku Premiere-RF, Samsung 6300 TV-RF, other devices that aren't a big deal). If the above quote is still true, I *CAN NOT* control my Roku & TV with a universal remote because they are RF. Is this still correct?


Confirming what Bryan said, both your Roku and TV are RF *AND* IR, hence can be control by any IR or RF universal remote. The fact that your Roku and TV come with RF remotes doesn't mean these devices no longer work with IR.

Some newer universals have implemented limited direct "RF" capabilities in the form of wifi and bluetooth. A Harmony hub-based remote, for example will control your Roku via "RF" (wifi or bluetooth) but not your TV. Other smartphone/tablet app remotes will control your TV via wifi.


----------



## mattg3

my roku premiere + works fine with my new harmony 350. its my Oppo-103 that wont for some reason


----------



## jasta

*Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400-remote version?*

Is there a remote that would function like this keyboard, but you could hold in one hand? With a miniature touchpad?


----------



## mrvideo

No discussion thread for the Harmony 890? From from what I can tell, the difference between the 880 and the 890 is that the 890 can control an IR extender box. If so, it will give me the ability to control my 3 Samsung Blu-ray players, by attaching three IR emitters to the front of the players.

I currently have a URC-R50, which turns on all 3 BD players at the same time. After a period of time, the 2 players I'm not using wiill aultimately time out and turn off, which means I can't directly turn off the one that is one. I have to do an eject so that the other two turn back on. Then I can turn them all off at once.


----------



## bryansj

mrvideo said:


> No discussion thread for the Harmony 890? From from what I can tell, the difference between the 880 and the 890 is that the 890 can control an IR extender box. If so, it will give me the ability to control my 3 Samsung Blu-ray players, by attaching three IR emitters to the front of the players.
> 
> I currently have a URC-R50, which turns on all 3 BD players at the same time. After a period of time, the 2 players I'm not using wiill aultimately time out and turn off, which means I can't directly turn off the one that is one. I have to do an eject so that the other two turn back on. Then I can turn them all off at once.


The IR extender for the 890 has four addressable ports.

However, it is a very old remote and has terrible build quality. Mine would break one way or another during the first year. It was phased out for the 900, but that uses a two port extender.

It wouldn't make much sense to start new with such an old and unreliable remote.

URC has addressable multi-port extenders.


----------



## mrvideo

bryansj said:


> However, it is a very old remote and has terrible build quality. Mine would break one way or another during the first year. It was phased out for the 900, but that uses a two port extender.
> 
> It wouldn't make much sense to start new with such an old and unreliable remote.


Thanks for the update on it.


> URC has addressable multi-port extenders.


For my R50?


----------



## bryansj

mrvideo said:


> Thanks for the update on it.
> 
> For my R50?


No. The consumer model with the extender is the RFS200. I was talking more about the Complete Control line of their remotes.


----------



## mrvideo

OK, thanks. Guess I'll stick with what I have.

Unfortunately the MX series of remotes require professional programming. I will not pay someone to do something that I can do myself. Finding the software is not easy.


----------



## dalto

mrvideo said:


> Unfortunately the MX series of remotes require professional programming. I will not pay someone to do something that I can do myself. Finding the software is not easy.


You just need to buy from someone who provides the software.


----------



## mrvideo

dalto said:


> You just need to buy from someone who provides the software.


Which is why I said not so easy.


----------



## mrvideo

dalto said:


> You just need to buy from someone who provides the software.


I bought the software from a seller who had it for his remotes. I have it installed on my XP desktop system and I did a live update. So, I am ready.


----------



## tommyinajar

*multiple ir receivers*

I know this is covered somewhere but I can't find it. I want one cable box hooked up to 4 Tv's & be able to change the channel from the room the screen I'm watching from. I need multiple IR receivers that go to 1 IR transmitter. Does anyone currently sell this? 

Something such as this but I don't have the time to build these and they are oos anyhow. 


IR Remote Control Multidrop Extender : 26 Steps- ww w.instructablesworkshop › home-theater
(sorry can't post actual link)

Anyone? Thnks!


----------



## mdavej

That's called RF. Get one of these or an RF remote.
https://www.amazon.com/Next-Generation-Remote-Control-Extender/dp/B000C1Z0HA


----------



## Tornado Red

Quick questions on the Harmony 650 remote. I bought one at Christmas for my small living room system and am quite happy with it. Now I'm thinking of buying another to replace the 520 in my HT system in the basement. Will there be any issues with one operating devices in the other system (I'm guessing not?, don't have 2 items in both systems that are the same, plus the systems are a floor apart) and is it an issue to plug in through my Mac to set up the new remote using the same user info as when I programmed the other, or when I connect via USB will it recognize that this is not the same remote? Thanks!


----------



## mdavej

No problem with multiple remotes and systems in different rooms. One account can support several remotes and tell them apart.


----------



## rdlohr

I know this is a rather old thread so lets revive it with "what's the remote of choice today", and are there any other new considerations since this thread started.

I have a Harmony 880 that I have had forever. I keep programming it for new equipment and I have no complaints about ease of programming or supported hardware. I don't, however, love the button actions and everything seems too slow. I generally use it to select an "activity" since it configures all my devices, but then I gravitate to my factory remotes because they work/feel so much better. I haven't looked into these for many years so I guess what I am asking is whether universal remotes have caught up with the times and if any new remotes feel as great as the factory remotes.

What is the universal remote of choice these days?


----------



## mdavej

The 950, 700 and 665 are the current models closest to the 880. The Elite is the top of the line and does far more than the 880 ever could. 

It’s tough to make a recommendation without knowing your requirements. My remote of choice only cost $15, is not Harmony and was discontinued nearly a decade ago and is functionally equivalent to the 880 (Nevo in my signature).


----------



## See The Light

*Mute On until desired Volume Level is Reached*

I have a Samsung Series EH5000F (UN46EH5000F XZA UDO3).


I have a Vizio 29" E291-A1, and when I mute that TV, it stays muted as I lower the volume, and then the volume returns when raise the volume. I tested this with a universal remote and it worked the same. So. the ability to do this lies in the TV, and not in the remote.


I know that LG makes a "Magic Remote" that works with some, but not all LG models, that allows you to customize how low the volume goes when you press the volume down button.


So, is there a universal remote that I could get to act like the LG Magic Remote does, as described just above, with my Samsung Series EH5000F?


----------



## WinMod21

Hello & Happy Holidays to all here! We're considering a Harmony 665 or 700 remote, so have a few compatibility w/Sony TV & soundbar questions.

1) Do the Harmony 650/665/700 [$40./$50. @ BB] remotes have a function/button that replaces (or activates) the 'Home' button on recent Sony soundbar [HTNT5] remotes, as well as the 'Home' & 'Action Menu' buttons on Sony TV [X930E & X900E] remotes?

2) And what would be the main advantages to the Harmony 950 [$180. @ BB], or Harmony Companion [that comes w/Hub; $95. @ BB]?... both of which appear to be listed as IR as well.

Thanks very much!


----------



## mdavej

1) Don’t know. But if they’re missing, you can add them yourself and put on any buttons you want. 

2) Hub eliminates need to aim and adds ability to use your phone as a remote. I’m personally not a fan of the Smart due to no screen or IR. 950 is nice but too pricey for me


----------



## WinMod21

mdavej said:


> 1) Don’t know. But if they’re missing, you can add them yourself and put on any buttons you want.
> 
> 2) Hub eliminates need to aim and adds ability to use your phone as a remote. I’m personally not a fan of the Smart due to no screen or IR. 950 is nice but too pricey for me


Thanks very much, mdavej ! Really appreciate your time and feedback. Wife wants to swing by BestBuy tonite so I'm trying to read/research the differences/advantages etc. Wish there weren't so many models. Might just go with the 665 or 700, at $40 or $50. Thanks again!


----------



## WinMod21

mdavej said:


> 1) Don’t know. But if they’re missing, you can add them yourself and put on any buttons you want.
> 2) Hub eliminates need to aim and adds ability to use your phone as a remote. I’m personally not a fan of the Smart due to no screen or IR. 950 is nice but too pricey for me


Picked-up a couple 700's last night, as they only had 3 left, but haven't opened pkg's and of course now considering returning them for one Companion w/Hub.   And according to the BestBuy 'What's Included' description, the Companion does come with an 'IR Mini Blaster.' But wondering if we'd miss or regret not having the touchscreen as well.

Wobblin' on the fence.   Maybe should wait and research more regarding which would best suit our needs.


----------



## mdavej

Like I said, I’m not a fan. I’d much prefer a 700. No IR from the remote means you have to use hub/blasters for everything which can get messy depending on where all your devices are. No screen means all functions that aren’t on a hard button can only be accessed by phone. 

But that’s just me. Some people like it.


----------



## Madmax67

WinMod21 said:


> Ahhh, I think I'm finally starting to get what you're saying.  Thank you again for your explanations, opinions and advise. They're very much appreciated, and have pretty much convinced me against going with the Companion; while yet not fully understanding the technical reasons, I'm understanding enough at this point I think, not to go with the Companion. So thanks again.
> 
> 
> 
> Although earlier today, after reading this CNET review on the Harmony Companion, and this review on the Elite, I decided I was definitely returning the 700's and getting the Companion ($95. @ BestBuy & amazon; but we have $20 in BB rewards so the BB price would be $75), but now I'm back to thinking it's probably worth it —relative to if one really wants the best universal that does the most stuff etc, and is willing to spend $230 (current price this week @ BB & amazon)— to fork out the dough for the Elite.
> 
> 
> 
> Regarding the Companion, this BestBuy reviewer concurs with you! . . .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> *Over Simplified and Poor Reliability*
> 
> _Posted 10 months ago_
> 
> 
> 
> "Summary: unreliable operation, severely limited programmability, and horrendous software leave this a poor choice.
> 
> 
> 
> I bought this on recommendation at the store - I want a simple remote to reduce down all the remotes I have around. If the solution also has "1-touch" features to set the mode on multiple devices, that would be great. Not having to push multiple buttons switching between TV viewing, DVD viewing, etc - would be amazing.
> 
> 
> 
> Bottom line. This remote has 3 programmable buttons, not counting the home device control buttons that are dedicated to advnaced home-controlled lights and outlets. Each can be programmed with 2 features (long press and short press), for a total of 6 programmable inputs.
> 
> Everything else you need the remote to do, it better do out-of-the-box.
> 
> 
> 
> For example, after setting up the 6 programs for watching TV, playing XBOX, viewing DVDs, etc, there's nothing left to program on the remote. Need to sometimes adjust the surround sound mode on the sound system? Or just change the input on that HDMI switch? Reach for the original remote because Harmony Companion won't help!
> 
> 
> 
> Giving up on the multiple-device control, 1-touch features, and using this as an old-fashioned universal remote? There are only 6 programmable button presses! Yeah, presses - three buttons with long vs short pushes. For example - programming 1) Volume Up, 2) Volume Down, 3) Channel Up, 4) Channel down, 5) Menu, 6) Select - that's it. And only 1 device. Yes, the existing volume up and volume down buttons may do the trick for you - but then again, they may not. There is no "switch inputs to another device" setting for this remote.
> 
> 
> 
> Buying this $150 remote, I expected it to incorporate all the features of universal remotes, and then some. It does not.
> 
> Making matters worse, the software to set up this device is terrible. It's hard to use, crashes, and has trouble getting the base unit connected to wifi. In my case, getting the unit working at all involved switching between the Mac software and the iPad software more than once. Reviews and feedback on the web show I'm not alone in this experience.
> 
> 
> 
> Adding insult to injury - once the device is properly configured to perform it's advanced feature - such as setting the sound system and TV to the right mode to watch TV - the functions are performed via IR and are just as unreliable as pressing button remotes. Once the devices are out-of-sync with the program, it becomes challenging to get it back into sync without pulling out the old remotes.
> 
> 
> 
> So, unreliable operation, and hard to recover from problems.
> 
> 
> 
> One last note you may want to consider, if all the above isn't a concern for your setup. The remote control here is split between the hand-held device, which does not send control signals to individual devices, and the base unit that does send control signals to individual devices. This means there's yet another device in your arsenal to setup. And this device needs to have clear line-of-sight access to all devices controlled by the standard, albiet somewhat ancient, IR technology. Mitigating the line-of-sight problem is a mini IR blaster - a small transmitter with a long cable that connects to the base unit. Bottom line, don't bother pointing that new remote at any of your devices. It doesn't do that. Point the new base unit at them instead.
> 
> 
> 
> Finally, someone might want to inform Logitech management how terrible their image becomes in a user's eyes when that user is sitting waiting on terrible software for an extended period of time, reading Poor English! You may think you're saving money by outsourcing, but in reality, you're settling for terrible quality and making customer's wonder, "do they just want my money without doing the honest work?"



First off this dude admitted he paid retail for the Home Companion so that was _not smart move_ number one on his part. Secondly the majority of what he is griping about are things that will be the exact same with the Elite i.e. the software and the Hub . These are the majority of his complaints it seems. Sounds like he didn't read up on what he was actually buying and needed to control more than a receiver/TV and 6 source devices. 

Both the Companion and the Elite remotes are RF remotes meaning there is no line of sight necessary for either other than the positioning of the included IR blasters (1 for the HC/2 for the Elite.) The biggest benefits of the Elite are unlimited Activity access on the remote, syncing of changes wirelessly and up to 15 device capabilities for said activities. Other than that you'll get 3 days or so out of the battery if not recradling the remote each time and some accidental touch screen activations from time to time. I've had maybe one or two minor issues with the Home Companion over the last year or so. Most times they were Hub related and easily fixed with a sync setting. The backlight remote is a big plus for the Elite and other Harmony remotes that have this. The Home Companion does not and it's one of its biggest drawbacks but I've easily memorized the remotes buttons and for anyone who already used a DirecTV remote the changeover is fairly smooth and intuitive. Alexa control also solves some of the BB users complaints about the Companion as well regarding reciever audio setting changes. I've only used the Android Harmony remote app and the Windows Harmony program when physically connecting the Hub and haven't had any real issues with either . Can't speak to the Apple experience. Sounds like his wasn't so hot. Bottom line IMO is he bought less than what he actually wanted and had to call what he didn't want trash but the Elite shares many of the same things he's unhappy about so I doubt he'd be much of an Elite fan either. I do think the Elite is a good deal at their current discounted price though. 2 different remotes for 2 different types of users. I have a full home theater setup in a bedroom with 2 OPPO players, an AV receiver with an external 5 channel power amp, Onkyo 6 disc CD changer, Amazon Firestick, Amazon Echo Dot and a Sony TV. All work well with the Home companion just as they would with the Elite. Its budget vs expectations. Spend more for the former than you think you received with the latter and buyers remorse sets in real quick. I knew exactly what to expect from the Companion and spent an amount commensurate with those expectations so I'm a happy camper. Do the same with the Elite and you will be as well.


----------



## WinMod21

Madmax67 said:


> First off this dude admitted he paid retail for the Home Companion so that was _not smart move_ number one on his part. Secondly the majority of what he is griping about are things that will be the exact same with the Elite i.e. the software and the Hub . These are the majority of his complaints it seems. Sounds like he didn't read up on what he was actually buying and needed to control more than a receiver/TV and 6 source devices.
> 
> Both the Companion and the Elite remotes are RF remotes meaning there is no line of sight necessary for either other than the positioning of the included IR blasters (1 for the HC/2 for the Elite.) The biggest benefits of the Elite are unlimited Activity access on the remote, syncing of changes wirelessly and up to 15 device capabilities for said activities. Other than that you'll get 3 days or so out of the battery if not recradling the remote each time and some accidental touch screen activations from time to time. I've had maybe one or two minor issues with the Home Companion over the last year or so. Most times they were Hub related and easily fixed with a sync setting. The backlight remote is a big plus for the Elite and other Harmony remotes that have this. The Home Companion does not and it's one of its biggest drawbacks but I've easily memorized the remotes buttons and for anyone who already used a DirecTV remote the changeover is fairly smooth and intuitive. Alexa control also solves some of the BB users complaints about the Companion as well regarding reciever audio setting changes. I've only used the Android Harmony remote app and the Windows Harmony program when physically connecting the Hub and haven't had any real issues with either . Can't speak to the Apple experience. Sounds like his wasn't so hot. Bottom line IMO is he bought less than what he actually wanted and had to call what he didn't want trash but the Elite shares many of the same things he's unhappy about so I doubt he'd be much of an Elite fan either. I do think the Elite is a good deal at their current discounted price though. 2 different remotes for 2 different types of users. I have a full home theater setup in a bedroom with 2 OPPO players, an AV receiver with an external 5 channel power amp, Onkyo 6 disc CD changer, Amazon Firestick, Amazon Echo Dot and a Sony TV. All work well with the Home companion just as they would with the Elite. Its budget vs expectations. Spend more for the former than you think you received with the latter and buyers remorse sets in real quick. I knew exactly what to expect from the Companion and spent an amount commensurate with those expectations so I'm a happy camper. Do the same with the Elite and you will be as well.


Thanks Madmax, that all makes perfect sense. I guess I shouldn't've said I'm convinced against going with the Companion, as I'm truly still on the fence so to speak.  As always, you points make excellent sense. Thanks for following the link here and commenting; as I didn't want to overload you with PM's.


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## mdavej

The major differences between Elite and Companion are the latter has no display (hence no place for additional functions) and no IR on the remote.

The IR thing comes into play when you've got your hub/blaster in a different room than the TV or in a cabinet such that IR won't reach the TV. With the Elite, it can shoot IR from the remote and hit the TV. Companion can't shoot IR from the remote, so you have no control of your TV in that case and would have to run blasters from the other room or outside your cabinet.

If the above aren't issues in your setup, then the Companion would work ok. But in my main system, I've got tons of additional functions I need access to all the time, so such a remote won't cut it. But it would be tolerable in simpler systems like in a bedroom or kitchen.

I can't speak to the reliability complaint as I've never used either remote.


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## Madmax67

WinMod21 said:


> Thanks Madmax, that all makes perfect sense. I guess I shouldn't've said I'm convinced against going with the Companion, as I'm truly still on the fence so to speak.  As always, you points make excellent sense. Thanks for following the link here and commenting; as I didn't want to overload you with PM's.


No problem sir. Not taking issue with seriously considering the Elite. I think that's actually a smart idea on your part. Just taking issue with that guys flame post of the Companion. I am the gripiest grinch when it comes to things I buy not working right for me and the Companion has given me almost none of that short of a couple of out of sync issues several months back. The Harmony remotes aren't perfect but they are so much better than having a handful of remotes at the ready. I still need to use my Denon remote every once in a while but that's because I dont make good use of my Alexa skills like I should. 95% of the time its all Harmony though and I think with the current discount on the Elite it's feature set is well worth it. Getting feedback from this community is a good thing as well. We all use our remotes in different ways with completely different setups and expectations. My aversion to a touchscreen remote made the Companion a great option. Not many share that aversion nor should they. Better to buy a little bit more than you need than a little bit less.


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## mattg3

Do any harmony remotes offer volume lock, where you lock all devices used with the volume up and down of your receiver.


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## mdavej

mattg3 said:


> Do any harmony remotes offer volume lock, where you lock all devices used with the volume up and down of your receiver.


No. Not a single Harmony has ever had that capability, as I said in your other thread. Activities are their volume lock. You'll have to use the workarounds I posted in your other thread. Harmony's paradigm is that you should never have to use device mode if you program the remote correctly, i.e., add all your needed device commands to custom buttons in your activities.

The Nevo in my signature has volume lock for both activities and devices like a typical remote not made by Logitech. It's functionally equivalent to a Harmony 900 and about 1/5th the price.


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## mdavej

@WinMod21

I tend to agree with the Best Buy guy. I can't do a detailed comparison of all those options, but I can tell you what I do.

I use my Amazon 4k Fire Stick remote 90% of the time. It has voice control, and controls the basics of my system and all my streaming apps and DVR as well as related power and input switching and volume control. For the rest (playing music, blu-ray, etc.), I use Nevo (or any similar Harmony) to access those other functions not handled by the Fire Stick remote. But I've added IR to the Stick so that I can fully control it (minus voice) with my Nevo. My kids use their phones to control the system. The phone remote I use (theHomeRemote) does everything my Nevo can do plus my thermostats and lights. A Google Home or Alexa type solution does open the door to home automation if you think you'll ever want to go that direction.

I like the Fire Stick better than the other options you listed because it runs all my streaming apps, OTA DVR (Recast), is cheap and has voice control as well as a remote that controls my AVR volume. The others (Shield, etc.) are also good options, but more expensive and complex. Roku is also cheap and a very good streamer (I have lots of them) but can't be my OTA DVR like the Amazon system.

If you're interested in Nevo's, buy them on ebay, not Amazon. I saw one the other day for less than $30, and that was the high end C3 with RF, touchscreen, and rechargeable battery. Supplies are much tighter than they used to be since these went off the market many years ago. But I'd say the average prices I've paid were about $15 for C2's and $30 for C3's. I would never pay $120 for a C2 when an equivalent Harmony is $40. I have many, many Nevo's, enough to last me the rest of my life.

Having said all that, technology changes all the time. It's a moving target. The best solution today probably won't be the best solution a year from now. I've changed remotes and control systems many times. So just pick the thing you like best today that checks all your boxes, but don't spend too much.

Good luck


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## dintymoore2003

Hi, I've been looking for a DIY system that can control my av components via direct 2way ip or rs232 and make use of a handheld remote with buttons. From what I can tell, the harmony hub throws the "ip" designation out there a lot, but still relies on ir control of the device itself. I've tinkered with Irule in the past and am currently considering MyURemote, but they do not appear to support real handhelds. Is there an integration between Harmony hub and MyURemote that would result in direct ip control with handheld? I'm more than willing to make use of the Globalcache products and take the time to program and customize everything. What are my options?? Thanks in advance to any feedback!


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## Guzzi 1

*Harmony 665 info:*

I did a lot of searching here and elsewhere without finding the answers I was looking for, but went ahead and bought a 665 anyway. I thought I might share my experience with it so far in hopes that it will help someone.


One week into ownership and I pretty happy with it, but I am tweaking it as needed.


1. Software programing: Personally, I did not find it as hard as some reviewers on various sites claim. I have dealt with much worse and this is workable.


2. Delay: I have not had any lag time between button press and execution. I do see some lag time when I press an activity button in that the remote doesn't normalize for several seconds after the command has been implemented. Otherwise, my equipment responds quickly. (Actually, my equip. always responds quickly. It's the remote that waits when doing activity commands.)


3. What turns on and off: When changing AVR inputs, I didn't want the Sat dish to turn off every time I switched. (The SAT dish turns itself after a set period of inactivity.) You can set the SW to leave a particular device on when you press the power off button or change to another device. However, that also disables powering up that device when you turn things on. In my case, that is a Dish DVR and pressing the enter button wakes it up anyway so it's not a big concern to me. Of course it might matter to someone which is why I mention it. 



4. Soft keys: You can press the Activities button and bring up all your programed activities on the screen. You can page through them but you CANNOT re-arrange them. That would be nice. You CAN rearrange the soft keys within a given activity though which is nice, allowing you to put the most frequently used buttons on page 1. The pages cycle through in a circular fashion so when you get to the last page the right page key takes you back to the 1st page. 



edit: You are also able to put a bunch of favorite channels on those soft keys, as well as arrange them to your liking.




5. Bottom keys: There is a lot of versatility here. You can pretty much put anything where ever you want. The discovery I made was that in some other modes, the buttons defaulted to something other than my AVR. For example, in watch tv mode, the buttons control the sat dish with exception of the volume which I defined as AVR. But when I switched to HEOS, those buttons all defaulted to controls related to the TV, including volume. In my case, I only turn the TV on and off. Everything else is another component. I was fairly easy though to change that. I was able to assign all the buttons for the AVR under my HEOS activity by going into the activity in programing and using drag and drop from a list to the button. Yes, each button individually but once you have done them all, you save and then sync to the remote. It went pretty quick so no biggie. If you hover a button, a pop up will tell you what is there and what device it came from. (Digit 1 TV, volume up AVR, etc.)


Take away: It's pretty versatile for a 50 dollar remote and will keep the use of my factory remote to a bare minimum thereby helping it last longer. If I come up with anything else, I'll update this post.


I realize many here know all this stuff, but I hope to help those who don't or are trying to make an informed buying decision. 



John


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## vrajku

*Harmony Elite*

Planning to replace my URC MX-6000 remote with a Logitech remote. Our devices are in an adjacent room. So the remote should be capable of controlling them remotely. Any advice as to which remote is best will be appreciated.


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## mrvideo

What's wrong with your MX-6000?


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## mdavej

vrajku said:


> Planning to replace my URC MX-6000 remote with a Logitech remote. Our devices are in an adjacent room. So the remote should be capable of controlling them remotely. Any advice as to which remote is best will be appreciated.


You answered your own question in your thread title.

The old 1100 is closest to the MX-6000 in terms of ergonomics, but not in terms of functionality. The Elite is the only Harmony remote in the same ballpark as your URC.


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## vrajku

mrvideo said:


> What's wrong with your MX-6000?


It stops charging my battery in spite of replacing batteries. Will work as long as it is connected to power but that defeats the purpose of having a remote


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## vrajku

vrajku said:


> It stops charging my battery in spite of replacing batteries. Will work as long as it is connected to power but that defeats the purpose of having a remote


How good is the elite communicating with a hub in the adjacent room where all our components are


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## mrvideo

vrajku said:


> It stops charging my battery in spite of replacing batteries. Will work as long as it is connected to power but that defeats the purpose of having a remote


So, why not replace it? There is one available on e-bay for $90, complete.


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## mdavej

vrajku said:


> How good is the elite communicating with a hub in the adjacent room where all our components are


Depends on your definition of adjacent. Within 30-40 ft and standard sheetrock/wood construction, Elite does pretty well. Concrete or metal walls and multiple floors, not so great. In my experience, Elite's range isn't quite as good as URC or even older Harmony's. But it should be good enough for an adjacent room.


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## vrajku

mrvideo said:


> So, why not replace it? There is one available on e-bay for $90, complete.


The ones from eBay don’t fit into the Mx-6000 & I had to return it once


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## vrajku

mrvideo said:


> So, why not replace it? There is one available on e-bay for $90, complete.


Sorry I thought you were talking about the battery. Just saw that eBay has the remote itself on sale. I am definitely going to make an offer! Thanks so much!!


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## mrvideo

Do you have the means in which to transfer the program to another MX-6000?


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## lagommette

Hi bryansj,

I read with interest your thread. However, I note that there is a soft missing from your list. Would it indeed be possible that you add my HC-SKIPPER soft ?

I have been developing HC-SKIPPER as a private individual since 2009. I have been a partner of the Global Caché Strategic Alliance programme for almost 10 years.
My main competitor has been iRule. But here in France, a certain number of iRule users are switching to HC-SKIPPER because of the upcoming shutdown of iRule servers. 
And some users of the Philips Pronto solution are also switching to HC-SKIPPER.

The application is fully translated into English.

I think it is an interesting alternative because it is not expensive compared to some current solutions.

I thank you for reading me and I hope you will accept my request.

More info on HCFR, the main AV French forum.

Best regards,
lagommette


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## e143slime8

Don't even know where to begin. I've had a Harmony One (actually have 2) remote for over 10 years now. Have only had to replace battery over this time. The remote has been able to handle all my needs: Panasonic Plasma TC-P58V10, Onkyo TX-NR807 receiver, cable provided via Spectrum and their Arris cable box, a Roku box, an Apple+ box and Chromecast as well as Wii.


I'm in process of getting LG OLED 77" CX as well as Denon AVR-X4700H. I have already been able to add from Harmony's site the OLED. As of now, looks like I'm going to have to "learn" the Denon remote.


I love the colored screen as well as the lighting of all the buttons.


Am I behind the times and is there something I would like more? Have never done any research on this only to see very briefly the different models. This remote is also relatively inexpensive on e-bay.


Any thoughts on whether or not I would like something newer that I'd be just as happy with or "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"?


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## mdavej

You aren't going to have to learn the Denon remote. Any model you pick from the past few decades will work fine. So just pick the 4500 instead. If it asks you to confirm a few commands, you can safely skip that step if you don't feel like pushing 3 more buttons.

Unless there's $250 burning a hole in your pocket, keep using the One. The Elite adds RF and home automation control and IP control of some devices like Roku. When using IP with Roku you can add many more buttons to directly launch apps, if that's important to you.


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## e143slime8

mdavej said:


> You aren't going to have to learn the Denon remote. Any model you pick from the past few decades will work fine. So just pick the 4500 instead. If it asks you to confirm a few commands, you can safely skip that step if you don't feel like pushing 3 more buttons.
> 
> Unless there's $250 burning a hole in your pocket, keep using the One. The Elite adds RF and home automation control and IP control of some devices like Roku. When using IP with Roku you can add many more buttons to directly launch apps, if that's important to you.



Thanks, puts my mind at ease. $250 extra, NOT. Went overboard going from AVR-X3700H to the 4700!


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## milobloom

My Harmony 900 has treated me well but I've also upgraded AVR (Denon x4500h) and two TVs (43" LG UM7300). Projector is next (yes my room has 3 displays). The Denon has a limitation with audio switching, so I had to add a Linkfor Optical switch to the system. In trying to update my One with all of these changes, I'm having numerous probloms getting the remote to connect and when I do and run update, it stalls at 90% and tells me the upload failed. I'm contemplating a new Elite but maybe there's an answer to get this work?


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## slackmack

I’m looking to move on from my Logitech Harmony 1100 bc it doesn’t support my newest Lutron Caseta dimmer switch. After reading reviews about the Harmony Elite, I’m scared of it. Are there any other viable programmable universal remote mfgs other than Logitech that users are having success with?


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## darthray

I presently have a Logitech 600 or maybe 650, and it always work fine. I find it very difficult to program for the few things I needed to do, having all the hard keys set on the BD option.

Having now a new 4K player and a new AVP, I really do not want to go through this process again. Since it take me days, to achieve the last few time I have change a piece of gear.

Looking for a simple remote, that can learn from an IR signal. From the original remotes, as you face each remote to each other to learn the signal for a hard key. Since it will be use only for the following for those few signals that require using a hard button to keep-it simple;


Projector require two hard button, one for On and one for Off (Off can be a different key, since my projector require a different signal).
AVP only require, +/- volume control.
4K player, the usual play/pause/forward/reverse...

Only require a few simple function, that can be program without changing the source of the equipment's. While those type of remote that learn way, were abundant in the past. None of my Google or Bing search have help. Or I am chasing after ghost (bad time to say this one, been Hallowing), after all these years of technology changes. 

Darth


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## ScottyC514

The Logitech links in the beginning of this thread are broken


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## bryansj

ScottyC514 said:


> The Logitech links in the beginning of this thread are broken


I stopped updating this thread years ago. It is what it is.


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## artisticimaging

I am looking for someone who has a Celadon pic 200 remote control. If so please respond. Thank you.


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## wilbur_the_goose

Now that Harmony's future is uncertain, what are the best alternatives?


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## mrvideo

I use the URC MX-980. It has been replaced with the MX-990. There are other URC remotes, which can be seen on their website. Keep in mind that many of the higher end URC remotes are not meant to be programmed by the user. They won't even sell the software to the end user. Professional programmers are meant to be hired to do the work. I bought my MX-980 on e-bay, but only did so knowing that I was going to be able to get the appropriate software. It took a little while, with some help, to get the hang of the software. I've created my own backgrounds and button images.


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## salbast

Any other suggestions besides a URC remote. I'm trying to find a good remote that is easy to used and can turn on multiple devices at the same time and immediately change inputs suiting the device I would like to use.


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## mrvideo

Sorry, but it is the only remote that I know. The MX-990 can be programmed to do exactly what you described.


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## salbast

Thanks, but I'd like to go with the KISS method and that remote seems pretty complicated from your description. I appreciate the reply.


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## mrvideo

There is indeed a learning curve. But, once you get past it, it is well worth it. IMHO, to do what you want to do is not going to happen with a KISS remote.


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## smoothtlk

There is a difference: To get a device to integrate with multiple devices and turn those devices on / off and then to tell those devices to got to certain states (like particular input ports), can take a fair amount of experience since all devices are controlled by their own willy nilly way. (IP, Serial, bluetooth, Wifi, IR, and whatever protocol they use). This is not "KISS".

But once the above is done, then then end user can have KISS experience if the user interface device (the remote control) has a good user interface design.

Remotes that can be programmed by a dealer (like URC or Allonis's SmartRemote) take care of the install and setup hard parts.
Then the user (like salbast) can just simply use it.
If salbast doesn't want to learn / implement the install configuration or hire that hard parts out, then he desire for an easy remote will not be achievable.


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## mraub

Though they are getting scarce, Best Buy still had some Harmony remotes available the last time I checked.. Prices are high, but these are brand new units. I'm still hoping someone will buy the Harmony line and keep it alive but that may be wishful thinking. It's such a small part of Logitech that they might not even want to do the legal work required to sell it .I'm guessing someone will step up with a Harmony replacement, but that doesn't look like it's going to be soon.


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## akcorr

My Harmony remote is dead. So are the URC or Sofabaton the best out there now??


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