Anyone have a fancy Universal Remote Control?

[retnicf]

I'm thinking about getting a Universal Remote Control, looking at this one specifically:

http://reviews.cnet.com/remote-controls/logitech-harmony-880/4505-7900_7-31337419.html?tag=txt

Anyone have one they recommend? Also, I know it'll be compatible with all my stuff, but what about the Cable companies menus system, ie. the channel guide, etc. I use that all the time and I won't bother with a universal remote if I can't also do that.

tia

[patrickdavila]

I have the Harmony 880:
http://pdavila.homelinux.org:8080/blog/?p=253

[retnicf]

sweet. so it sounds like it does control the cable box and all the channel guides, pay per view, etc?

[Forza_Totti]

Very fancy remote...im sure if will control a satellite or set top box. Seems a little large though.

I have a basic $15 universial remote for my TV, DVD, Satellite. Works like a champ.

[patrickdavila]

sweet. so it sounds like it does control the cable box and all the channel guides, pay per view, etc?
Yes controls all the guides and menus. Unlike the cheapie "universal" remotes this thing will have all the functionality of the remote it's mimicking.

[Kryptonite]

My cable remote can be set up to control a DVD player, TV, another device, and obviously cable box. I think it could work for a VCR too.

All I need are the included instructions and the device codes which are included with the instructions.

I don't exactly know why you'd need a third-party one.

[Dan G]

I also have the Harmony 880. I bought it over the summer and love it. Best remote I've ever used. It's pricey, but I got a brand new one on eBay for less than half of what Best Buy sells them for.

[Iceblink]

I use this:

http://www.x10iconremote.com/

It's the Icon Remote from X10.

The thing is great.

It's unbelievably easy. The thing I like best about it is that it can learn commands from your other remotes. You definitely can choose your device from a list, etc., like any other remote... but if you don't like some command, or if you want it to do something else, you can just go into learn mode. It'll learn the command and assign it to the button of your choice through infrared.

Cheap, too. 75 bucks or so from x10... even though x10 always has obnoxious web sites... as you can see above.

I couldn't imagine paying 150 or more for a remote.

Cool feature is that you can set up favorites. It has "his" and "hers" buttons for our favorite channels... and I set up a favorite for my son and mom. You can set up guests on it. Nice to be able to see the channel icons instead of numbers if you have guests over or people who have a different system from you.

I've fixed any problems I had with it. One weird thing, and I don't know if other remotes do this... but it actually sends the numbers of the channels as commands... so 162 goes beep beep beep... as it enters each number onto the screen... if you know what I mean. I had it set up too fast when I first got it, and it sometimes missed numbers. I slowed it down, and it was fine. Other than that, it's been great. I thought it was a battery hog at first, but I've been using these duracell rechargables that I got from costco, and I've only had to charge them once in a couple months.

http://www.x10.com/images_break/icon_remote_breakout.gif

[Foosinho]

That Harmony 880 looks pretty sweet, but my biggest complaint so far is just the sheer number of button presses to switch between sources - not juggling remotes to do so. To watch the TiVo, I need to ensure the TV, VCR, and receiver are all set appropriately. It'd be nice if I could do it with one button press.

If you're curious, it's mostly because my receiver doesn't switch component video signals - so I have to change the TV to the right input, and then the receiver to get the sound right (and in the case of the TiVo, I'm using the VCR to demodulate off of a cable channel).

Getting all that in one remote would be nice, but getting it down to one button press is the most important thing for me. That'll really crank up the WAF. Does the Harmony 880 address that need?

[Dan G]

Yes, the 880 will do that. It'll tune your receiver to the correct component, the TV to the right channel and anything else required, all with just one button press.

[patrickdavila]

Getting all that in one remote would be nice, but getting it down to one button press is the most important thing for me. That'll really crank up the WAF. Does the Harmony 880 address that need?

Yes, it does. The harmony 880 has what's called events. One button to watch DVDs, one button to watch MythTV, one button to watch cable/satellite. It does the input switching when you press the event button and switches to the correct remote configuration. It's not cheap but does it all.

[billreeves]

I have the Harmony 550 (the Harmony 880's little sister) and it does what you need. Harmony has a web site where you tell it what components you have and what you want the buttons to do, and then when it is time to update your remote, it downloads a data package and you connect the remote to the USB on your computer and it updates the remote for you. It's pretty sweet.