Universal Remotes for TV/Stereo systems

[ctnsupra1]

I'm looking for a universal touchscreen remote now that I've got my new tv and stereo setup and trying to find a good remote. Don't want to drop a huge amount on it either. My little research so far has led me to the Sony RM-Av3000/3100, the Philips Pronto TSU3000, and Marantz RC5000i. Anyone use these or others like them that they'd care to share their opinions on? Thanks and take care.


Conor

 

[NsXMas]

I have the Sony RM-VL1000 from CostCo. Not touch screen, but a fantastic remote.

 

[FuryNSX]

I have a Sony RM-Av3000, but I hardly use it, since it's not that easy to read and programming isn't as intuitive as I had hoped. Then again, I'm being too lazy to open up the manual, so when I use it, I just use basic functionality.

I have heard raves about the Logitech Harmony 880, but the guy on who suggested it, I don't always trust.

 

[heySkippy]

Why a touchscreen? We have the MX-500 to control our TV/TiVo/HT/etc setups and it absolutely rocks. Highest recommendation.

 

[bsudiro]

Universal Remote MX-850 ... Great unit!!
The only drawback is you have to program it with a PC.

The new Logitech Harmony 880 looks quite nice, although I heard the web programming is kinda slow.

 

[Autophile]

I use the MX-500 and love it. Check out this site: http://www.remotecentral.com/index.html for all things remote control-related.

 

[Dave Hardy]

I've got a $40 generic from best buy that works great for us. No touch screen, but it is a learning remote and has 3 macros, which is plenty for my system.

 

[Arshad]

Definitely check out the Logitech/Harmony remotes, such as the 880. Their web interface for configuring is a bit cumbersome, but still a hell of a lot easier than trying to program custom interfaces or macros with a pronto. Their model is "Activity based" rather than "Device based", without having to create your own macros. None of their remotes are touch screen, but then again most people seem to prefer tactile feedback. Personally I think they made sacrifices with their 'cool' industrial design and prefer the older models (such as the 676) over the 880.

The MX-850 is also a decent remote, but is not activity based.

If you're looking for a higher end offering with a touchscreen, you may want to look into the Nevo SL and the Sony Navitus.

If you're doing research, the best resource is remotecentral.com as noted by someone else above.

 

[ctnsupra1]

Thanks for the replies so far. The reason I'm going with a touchscreen is it's easier for me to see. My vision leaves much to be desired and the smaller, hard button remotes are too small for me. I've tried the generic universal remotes but I literally have to hold the thing 2 inches from my face to see it and at night, a backlight display makes things much clearer.

 

[Autophile]

Thanks for the replies so far. The reason I'm going with a touchscreen is it's easier for me to see. My vision leaves much to be desired and the smaller, hard button remotes are too small for me. I've tried the generic universal remotes but I literally have to hold the thing 2 inches from my face to see it and at night, a backlight display makes things much clearer.

I'm not going to try to hard-sell you on the MX-500, but check out this review on it. The MX-500 is slightly larger than a standard remote, and the backlighting kicks butt!

Also, Amazon.com sells them occassionally for about $60! Normally they sell for around $110.

 

[GOTTSPD]

I have the MX 700 and I think it's the coolest thing since sliced bread. I would definitely advise against the touch screen ones because you'll never be able to click by feel. The MX 700 is great because you can connect it to a computer and create macros. Super simple to do too!

It's a little on the pricey side at $500 (you can find it for cheaper online), but it's really worth it...

http://www.remotecentral.com/mx700/index.html

 

[NSX2398]

Anyone tried the Kameleon line from OneForAll. Many of their remotes are touchscreen (which several posts have not liked) but I was looking at this one today which is a combination.
http://www.ofausa.com/remote.php?type=URC6690

 

[Arshad]

I think the original poster was looking for a touchscreen so that they could create a custom layout with large, easily viewable buttons. The Kameleon buttons are fixed as they're not on a customizable LCD. Although the concept of "only lighting up the appropriate buttons" sounds good, in practice, most of the kameleon's buttons light up for pretty much all activities anyways.

 

[heathbar0]

I don't have one but will be purchasing one soon, after much deliberation. Phillips rc9800i http://www.homecontrol.philips.com/ Very neat remote.
This remote Has Wi-fi, so you can download just about whatever, and update it. it also has a touchscreen.
I'm sure I will spend some time programming it, so this may be a negative for you.
Before you make a decision check out http://www.remotecentral.com/[/URL]
Or go to this link, it will tell you the best remote for you.
http://www.remotecentral.com/features/clicker.htm

 

[SNDSOUL]

I have the Sony 3100 touchscreen and love it. It did take a little time to program, but now that its setup it's cake. You really get used to using the touchscreen too. I am able to use it without lighting it up or looking at the screen. There are tiny bumps on the screen that let you know where you are at on the remote, kind of like braile. :biggrin:

 

[WillErickson]

I'll propose a somewhat unusual idea: How about buying a pda with universal remote function built in? For the price of a high end remote with lcd touch screen, you can get a very nice late model palm unit, and if it doesn't have a remote built in, you can easily download a program. I use a Sony Clie NZ-90, it has a built in universal remote program, is very easy to use and program. I'd suspect many of the other available clies have this program as well, check out ebay to find a good deal.

Will

 

[LeftLane]

I have the Pronto remote, and I use it to control an Infocus projector, Sony DVD carousel, Denon receiver, and an HD box. If you program it using a PC, it's pretty fast and easy. I like the remote, but my wife would rather have a regular push button kind. I think I spent $400, plus I bought a charging cradle for $80. You can run all the macros you want, and you can also have multiple pages of commands for each device. It's easy to use once you have it configured the way you want.

If you have a higher-end home theater, the backlit touchscreen remote is a cool addition.