[fibreKid]

I'm about to start another project and I was wondering what remotes do you folks use?

I have several pieces of equipment and will soon be adding a cable box. Equip is listed in my profile. Last year I was thinking about a logitech 880 but recently I have been thinking about a Universal Remote HTMaster MX700.

 

[Sonnie]

I own a HTM MX700 for the great room and I use an HTM MX800 in the HT room. Absolutely love them both. Very easy to custom program in about every way imaginable.

EDIT (2009): Currently sporting an MX-980 for our great room and the MX-880 in the HT room.

 

[fibreKid]

Thanks Sonnie;

I'll order one today.

-john

 

[JCD]

How extensive is the remote code library for the HTM MX800?

Someday I'll need a new remote for my listening room that has some oldish equipment -- the pre-amp is an old Marantz AV600. My searches for a replacement remote (the original died a mysterious watery death) with all of the original commands have been fruitless except for the Harmony's.

Oh, and I have the original Pronto for my main HT.
Pros:
Great online community support
Totally customizable

Cons:
Customizing remote is a pain
for most actions, you need to use both hands
I'd have liked more hard buttons

JCD

 

[Sonnie]

I've never really used the code library because it never seems to load things/buttons just as I want them... but I'd say it's still pretty good. I don't know what to compare it to since it's all I've ever owned.

I know Andrew Pratt over at NLAV was big on Pronto's and I've always heard good things about them, but I'm a button man. Back when I had my Rotel pre-pro I used a couple of codes from the Pronto to load into my HTM.

I don't really see you needing much support for the HTM's... they seem so painless to program via the computer. But then again it's become second nature for me to program mine.

 

[Jeff Aguilar]

I'm a pronto guy. I set up my pronto with a star trek theme and it works pretty well.

I love having the star trek theme. It just makes my theater a little more 'CUSTOM'.

Oh, and they use my remote on Stargate SG-1 when they are off planet. :blush: OK, I'm a geek.

I totally understand why some people prefer more hard buttons on the remote. It was a little difficult to get use to pushing the screen instead of hard buttons. I know that the newer prontos have more hard buttons than the one I am currently using. Another con on the pronto, is that they are kind of spendy. But you can get a bunch of different themes for them at http://www.remotecentral.com/.

Jeff Aguilar

 

[Fincave]

Harmony 880 for me! Very easy to use, controls everything that I have. A big minus would be that you need an active internet connection to programme it. I also like the fact that it comes with a charging cradle and one charge normally lasts about a week. Was also impressed by Harmony/Logitechs customer service. Had a problem with the charging cradle and sent them email, received email very quickly from them and they sent off a new cradle and a tracking number for me to follow the parcel Canada to Finland, the whole process took about two weeks and cost me nothing! Worth looking into. They have a newer model out as well that is also capable of RF signals, handy for lights and motorised screens etc.

 

[Guest]

I've got a couple of MX-800s. The code library is good though not as extensive as that for the Pronto. However, you can get the oddball remote codes for the Pronto over at Remote Central.com and import them into the MX-800 software. I really like the feel of the MX-800. I think both the Pronto and Universal Remotes are nice - are you a touchscreen or a button person?

 

[bricor]

I like the Universal Remotes too.
I've got an 850, a 900, and 2 350's.

 

[Phil M]

Fibrekid I came into this thread late, so probably to late to help with your decision. I run a couple of HTM MX's, their database often lags behind availability of newly released equipment but they're versatile and easy to program. The Logitech Harmony remotes get great reviews, and are apparently easier to program via their website.
The main difference is that the HTM's are equipment based, while the Harmony series are activity based.
Whatever decision you've made both should workout fine.

 

[rcarlton]

Harmony 880. I still need to tweak it some. I still have all my remotes handy.

 

[nova]

Harmony 680,... nice little remote. This is the first universal remote I have ever had that would actually do what I wanted it to,.... control all my stuff.

 

[gsmollin]

I have a Logitech Harmony 520. The remote itself is fairly good. The problems I have had are the internet database from Logitech is full of errors. All of my equipment is mass produced, so the codes should be perfect, but many haven't been, and i had to manually program it. The software is also quirky.

On the other hand, it is much better than most older preprogrammed and learning remotes. The activity-based buttons , aka macros, are very nice, and are easy to program over the internet, once you have the correct commands programmed.

 

[nova]

Don't even want to get into the quirky software,... that is the only thing about the Harmony that I do not like. I really dis-like the step by step programing and all the questions. I just want to get in there and change what I want and be done with it. For the most part I do really like the Harmony remotes.

 

[fibreKid]

I'm knee deep in the MX editor software currently. To do what I want is going to take some time. :yikes:

 

[Sonnie]

I guess that's one thing I really like about the MX... it's fairly easy to program. I love the way I've got my macros set up. I'll have to post my files sometime.

 

[nova]

It's not that the Harmony is hard to program,... it just,... asks too many questions, and takes too long. Probably a very good programmable universal remote for beginners as it walks you through everything step by laborious step. I just get impatient 'cause I want to make the change I want to make without the step by step process.

 

[Sthrndream]

I use a Sony RM-AX4000 I got for Christmas. It's got its own quirks, but works reasonably well. Unfortunately, they've dumbed it down quite a bit and consequently I find it less flexible than previous models.

 

[FlashJim]

Harmony 688. It controls everything well except my rf ceiling fan. Dang it.

 

[GregBe]

MX-850 for me. I previously had the MX-500, which I liked, but the 850 can do anything I want it to.