Universal Remote?

[Maxx83]

Was hoping to get some thoughts on what type of Universal Remotes people would recommend?

I currently has a DirectTV system, however, am unable to program the RCA remote that came with it to my home theatre system and DVD player...

I've got a couple of remotes in mind, but was wondering what you guys would recommend so I could have a few more selections to consider?

thanks,
Maxx

 

[SatelliteGAL]

I have the Harmony 880 and it works very well with all of my equipment. The only drawback that some people have mentioned that I can agree with is that it has small buttons. I had the Harmony 659 before and liked it much better but I gave it to my son so I cant take it back now. The buttons were better. I like the way you set it up online and download it into the remote. I have no problems customizing it.

 

[Craig Henrikson]

Lots of fine units out there - you shouldn't have to spend too much to get something you would like. The "One For All" series has a great bunch of remotes at good prices. Harmony is good, too - if you like "activity based" remotes. Spend a little time on Remotecentral.com to get some recommendations.

 

[Bogy]

If all you are doing is looking for a remote that will control both a DirecTV box and a TV, then there are a lot of remotes that will do the job. Just look for one that has the buttons you want in a configuration that seems to make sense to you.

If, on the other hand, you have a fairly complicated system, and not everyone who uses it is technically savvy, then I would recommend something like the Harmony 880, which I also have. I have a Home Theater with a DVR cable box, DVD, VCR, and a couple of game boxes hooked up to the TV. I was tired of having my family complain that they couldn't watch TV, and I got tired of having to run to the family room every time they needed the channels changed. The Harmony is the best purchase I ever made for the home theater setup. It wasn't cheap, but even my wife feels it was a bargain. I like it because it has an LCD screen that shows nice color pictures of the choices, like "Watch TV", "Play DVD", etc. After you have it set on "Watch TV" and you can then hit the media button and choose the logo for the channel you want to watch. But, as I said before, if you you want to do is have something that will turn on the TV and work with the DirecTV

 

[snaggerbob]

I have a Harmony 680 and really like it. You must download information while hooked up to your computer. They a little more expensive than some you may be looking at. I think I gave $80 bucks for mine off E-bay.

 

[Maxx83]

thanks for the suggestions....

Thanks everyone for all of your suggestions.....

The Harmony is one that I am considering.... however you are right about the small buttons, but i'm sure the other features it provides offset that... However, with my grandmother enjoying her daily television shows, it may be something i'll have to keep in mind, as her ability to see isn't as good as it was in the past....

In regards to having to download info off of a computer into your remote, does that become a hassle to do so? How much info are we talking about?

thanks for your help...

 

[Bogy]

Thanks everyone for all of your suggestions.....

The Harmony is one that I am considering.... however you are right about the small buttons, but i'm sure the other features it provides offset that... However, with my grandmother enjoying her daily television shows, it may be something i'll have to keep in mind, as her ability to see isn't as good as it was in the past....

In regards to having to download info off of a computer into your remote, does that become a hassle to do so? How much info are we talking about?

thanks for your help...

Its not that bad. The nice thing is that since it downloads from the Harmony database online, everything gets updated as available. If you want to make changes to your system, as I have from time to time, it is easier to do it on your computer instead of using those little buttons. I've switched cable boxes, DVD players, etc., and it is a lot easier to do it this way, at least in my opinion. There is a lot of information available, so the initial setup does take a while to download. As far as setting it up it is just a matter of picking out the right equipment. The software allows you to make decisions about just what functions you want to show on the primary screen, and in what order. Very flexible.

The nice thing for your grandmother, for example, is that she can look at the pictures of what she wants, instead of needing to find the right little button.

 

[Foxbat]

I've got the Harmony 880 and the one issue I have with it is the recharging stand. The gold contacts that mate with the buttons on the stand need to be kept clean (and I have a nine year-old boy) so I find that the batteries are down from time to time. Plus, it will act as a seismic monitor, beeping as the contacts make and break in response to people walking on the floor. But it's the best remote I've ever owned!

 

[cybok0]

I have a Universal RF-10, and I love it.

http://universalremote.com/product_detail.php?model=99

 

[raoul5788]

I also have a Universal, the MX-500. It does everything I need it to, except it would be nice to have rf capability.

 

[cybok0]

I also have a Universal, the MX-500. It does everything I need it to, except it would be nice to have rf capability.

That's why I like mine, it's RF capable.