Best universal remote?

What is the best universal remote out there at a reasonable price?

There are many universal remotes out there, but outside of turning on,
switching channels, playing & recording, most don't seem to control all
functions so you still have to keep the original remote to set
schedules for the VCR or the contrast, brightness, etc for TV's and so
on. Even if some of these are controllable by the remote, good luck in
finding where they are or remembering what button to push. If all the
buttons were on the remote, it would be the size of the family car.
Using the original remote to program the codes in the univeral remote
would be long and tedious to get all the functions from the old remote.

My idea of a perfect remote would be one that would allow you to select
each device by a single button and have a touch screen that would be
setup to emulate all the device's functions. It would probably have to
be set up using a code like most do today, but I would think that
downloading the functions from the internet or an included CD would be
more practical since loading and maintaining all the functions you
would need would be very hard in the remote itself. I would think
doing the setup and generating the macros would best be done on a
computer also.

Is there any remote out there that does this that does not cost as much
as a TV itself?

I have seen products by a company called Universal Remote Control that
are interesting. The MX-350 Osiris has some nice features and can
control things by RF. The price at around $130 (street) and its
associated MRF-250 RF receiver (about $60 street) are reasonable. My
son just got this unit with his home theater. I am going to check it
out, but I thought I would see what you-all thought.

eganders@yahoo.com

On 21 Jan 2006 09:47:59 -0800, wrote:

>What is the best universal remote out there at a reasonable price?

http://www.ofausa.com/remote.php?type=URC%208910

Premium Learning Line - URC 8910

Take TOTAL control... SKIP through commercials at the press of a
button with this universal LEARNING remote control and its UPGRADEABLE
technology. Consolidates up to 8 devices at one time - TV, VCR, DVD,
Cable, Satellite, CD, Receiver or Amplifier, plus an Auxillary device.
Features an LCD Display with Real-Time Clock. Full LEARNING capability
allows this remote to learn codes from your existing remotes. Macro
functions allow users to define commands to their preference. A Home
Theater Configure key powers all devices on/off simultaneously.

About $20 at amazon and $30 at Best Buy.

Call tech support and they will upgrade the unit over the phone.

--

"For most people the meaning and purpose of life is to
serve as a warning to others of impending disaster."

Bob

<> wrote in message
news: ups.com...
> What is the best universal remote out there at a reasonable price?
>
> There are many universal remotes out there, but outside of turning on,
> switching channels, playing & recording, most don't seem to control all
> functions so you still have to keep the original remote to set
> schedules for the VCR or the contrast, brightness, etc for TV's and so
> on. Even if some of these are controllable by the remote, good luck in
> finding where they are or remembering what button to push. If all the
> buttons were on the remote, it would be the size of the family car.
> Using the original remote to program the codes in the univeral remote
> would be long and tedious to get all the functions from the old remote.
>
> My idea of a perfect remote would be one that would allow you to select
> each device by a single button and have a touch screen that would be
> setup to emulate all the device's functions. It would probably have to
> be set up using a code like most do today, but I would think that
> downloading the functions from the internet or an included CD would be
> more practical since loading and maintaining all the functions you
> would need would be very hard in the remote itself. I would think
> doing the setup and generating the macros would best be done on a
> computer also.


Any of the Harmony remotes work just like you suggest, execpt they don't
have a 'touchcreen' which is a good thing. Touchscreens are a pain. People
think they want that until they actually get it then you realize it takes 2
hands to operate it and you have to constantly look at it. Tactile buttons
are the way to go.

But anyway, look into the Harmonys. I have the 880 which is less than $200
if you shop around, and it's worth every penny.

Tonester

"Tonester" <> wrote in message
news:IevAf.4476$ ink.net...
>
> <> wrote in message
> news: ups.com...
>> What is the best universal remote out there at a reasonable price?
>>
>> There are many universal remotes out there, but outside of turning on,
>> switching channels, playing & recording, most don't seem to control all
>> functions so you still have to keep the original remote to set
>> schedules for the VCR or the contrast, brightness, etc for TV's and so
>> on. Even if some of these are controllable by the remote, good luck in
>> finding where they are or remembering what button to push. If all the
>> buttons were on the remote, it would be the size of the family car.
>> Using the original remote to program the codes in the univeral remote
>> would be long and tedious to get all the functions from the old remote.
>>
>> My idea of a perfect remote would be one that would allow you to select
>> each device by a single button and have a touch screen that would be
>> setup to emulate all the device's functions. It would probably have to
>> be set up using a code like most do today, but I would think that
>> downloading the functions from the internet or an included CD would be
>> more practical since loading and maintaining all the functions you
>> would need would be very hard in the remote itself. I would think
>> doing the setup and generating the macros would best be done on a
>> computer also.
>
>
> Any of the Harmony remotes work just like you suggest, execpt they don't
> have a 'touchcreen' which is a good thing. Touchscreens are a pain. People
> think they want that until they actually get it then you realize it takes
> 2 hands to operate it and you have to constantly look at it. Tactile
> buttons are the way to go.
>
> But anyway, look into the Harmonys. I have the 880 which is less than $200
> if you shop around, and it's worth every penny.
>

I just bought a Philips Pronto, that has your touchscreen. I got it at
Buy.com for about $180, and that included the docking port. Its a bit
daunting at first to get it up and running, but once you do...it works
great. It holds up to 15 devices (I think). I have no probs with the
touchscreen (there are also hard buttons that can be utilized). Overall,
thumbs up.

TSKO

wrote:

> What is the best universal remote out there at a reasonable price?
>
> There are many universal remotes out there, but outside of turning on,
> switching channels, playing & recording, most don't seem to control all
> functions so you still have to keep the original remote to set
> schedules for the VCR or the contrast, brightness, etc for TV's and so
> on. Even if some of these are controllable by the remote, good luck in
> finding where they are or remembering what button to push. If all the
> buttons were on the remote, it would be the size of the family car.
> Using the original remote to program the codes in the univeral remote
> would be long and tedious to get all the functions from the old remote.
>
> My idea of a perfect remote would be one that would allow you to select
> each device by a single button and have a touch screen that would be
> setup to emulate all the device's functions. It would probably have to
> be set up using a code like most do today, but I would think that
> downloading the functions from the internet or an included CD would be
> more practical since loading and maintaining all the functions you
> would need would be very hard in the remote itself. I would think
> doing the setup and generating the macros would best be done on a
> computer also.
>
> Is there any remote out there that does this that does not cost as much
> as a TV itself?
>
> I have seen products by a company called Universal Remote Control that
> are interesting. The MX-350 Osiris has some nice features and can
> control things by RF. The price at around $130 (street) and its
> associated MRF-250 RF receiver (about $60 street) are reasonable. My
> son just got this unit with his home theater. I am going to check it
> out, but I thought I would see what you-all thought.
>

If you already have a PDA (ideally one with commercial grade IR), then
there's some really good options. I personally have used
http://www.pdawin.com/tvremote.html; it's easy to program and can mimic
any function your current remote(s) can do.

Nicholas Andrade

On 21 Jan 2006 09:47:59 -0800, wrote:

>What is the best universal remote out there at a reasonable price?
>
>There are many universal remotes out there, but outside of turning on,
>switching channels, playing & recording, most don't seem to control all
>functions so you still have to keep the original remote to set
>schedules for the VCR or the contrast, brightness, etc for TV's and so
>on. Even if some of these are controllable by the remote, good luck in
>finding where they are or remembering what button to push. If all the
>buttons were on the remote, it would be the size of the family car.
>Using the original remote to program the codes in the univeral remote
>would be long and tedious to get all the functions from the old remote.
>
>My idea of a perfect remote would be one that would allow you to select
>each device by a single button and have a touch screen that would be
>setup to emulate all the device's functions. It would probably have to
>be set up using a code like most do today, but I would think that
>downloading the functions from the internet or an included CD would be
>more practical since loading and maintaining all the functions you
>would need would be very hard in the remote itself. I would think
>doing the setup and generating the macros would best be done on a
>computer also.
>
>Is there any remote out there that does this that does not cost as much
>as a TV itself?
>
>I have seen products by a company called Universal Remote Control that
>are interesting. The MX-350 Osiris has some nice features and can
>control things by RF. The price at around $130 (street) and its
>associated MRF-250 RF receiver (about $60 street) are reasonable. My
>son just got this unit with his home theater. I am going to check it
>out, but I thought I would see what you-all thought.

You actually sound too lazy and stupid to handle a remote, but here
goes:

I use a S

fredman

On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:42:06 -0800, fredman
<> wrote:

>On 21 Jan 2006 09:47:59 -0800, wrote:
>
>>What is the best universal remote out there at a reasonable price?
>>
>>There are many universal remotes out there, but outside of turning on,
>>switching channels, playing & recording, most don't seem to control all
>>functions so you still have to keep the original remote to set
>>schedules for the VCR or the contrast, brightness, etc for TV's and so
>>on. Even if some of these are controllable by the remote, good luck in
>>finding where they are or remembering what button to push. If all the
>>buttons were on the remote, it would be the size of the family car.
>>Using the original remote to program the codes in the univeral remote
>>would be long and tedious to get all the functions from the old remote.
>>
>>My idea of a perfect remote would be one that would allow you to select
>>each device by a single button and have a touch screen that would be
>>setup to emulate all the device's functions. It would probably have to
>>be set up using a code like most do today, but I would think that
>>downloading the functions from the internet or an included CD would be
>>more practical since loading and maintaining all the functions you
>>would need would be very hard in the remote itself. I would think
>>doing the setup and generating the macros would best be done on a
>>computer also.
>>
>>Is there any remote out there that does this that does not cost as much
>>as a TV itself?

>You actually sound too lazy and stupid to handle a remote, but here
>goes:
Let me try that again without the unedited snide comments...

Something very close to what you want is the Sony AV-3xxx series that
do featue an LCD screen and does work much like you say but with
caveats...

First off, it does do the 2 main things that all good universals must
do; have a database of codes harboring common control setups for as
many brands/devices as it can hold, and also contains a learning
feature to program almost any button in any mode from any
(non-infrared) device. This insures that you can program your TV's
main controls easily but still program uncommon controls that you find
useful. The LCD is large and pretty thorough, but where Sony fell
down on this one is that they included the transport controls on the
LCD pad instead of dedicated hard buttons like vol up/down, etc. as
the LCD buttons are generally more difficult to read/press as the
regular buttons are for such a set of commonly used buttons. Other
than that each LCD screen features a bottom row of 4 programmable
buttons that you can also re-label (8 characters) as well as the other
'hard' buttons on the screen having 3 'pages' of std labels to fit.
Now that bad news is that my (older) model, AV-3000 had to be manually
programed, but I believe the lastest (AV-3100?) may be down-loadable
via PC/USB. I'm used to this control and, get this, this is the ONLY
remote on my coffee table, but IMO I'd still try to find and LCD model
that moves the transport controls onto dedicated buttons (along with
the circular menu buttons and of course vol. up/down and channell
up/down, etc), but with its many LCD functions (whose exhaustive
programmable options will probably not be found elsewhere) this one
comes very close. Good luck.

fredman