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Home Theater Fans

B

BDawg

Lifer
It seems like it's about time to put my Marantz RC2000MkII out to pasture and I'm looking to replace it with another high end remote.

It seems like the trend today is towards palm pilot type remotes, but I really enjoy having real buttons.

Can anyone make some recomendations? If there aren't any good real remotes left, I'd take suggestions on others.
 
I'm also retiring my Marantz RC2000. Hopefully I will be finding a Logitech Harmony 880 under my Christmas tree.
 
Man, I love that Marantz remote, my friend's dad has one. Personally, I love my Logitech Harmony. A little more on the lower-end, but it's got real buttons. No "real" macro functions, but it's not difficult to get the "actions" to do what you want it to. Plus, downloading remote functions over the internet is SO much easier than learning or hand programming.
 
http://www.remotecentral.com/vl900/
This is the model I have used for over 5 years. Its a Sony model and is a learning remote. It has a powerful light so you don't have to point it directly at the device. It will survive repeated drops onto a carpeted floor.
It only costs about 50-75 dollars.
It doesn't have any lcd screens to sap the power. It is also unlighted if thats a problem.
I tried the higher end lcd screen models and it is a huge drawback to have to look at the little screen constantly. With this remote you can make changes by feel alone.
The Sony doesn't have a huge amount of buttons but you can add any control to any button so I keep my advanced DVD player controls as a separate device (it supports up to 8 separate devices).
Don't even think of getting a remote that is not "learning".
 
I have the Logitech Harmony 880. The only thing bad I can say is that it needs a serious redesign of the buttons. It is impossible to use one handed.
 
Have the 880 and I like it.

You set up "activities" with it which I think works really well.

Like I'd press "Watch a DVD" and it remembers what it currently on and what the settings are, and adjusts things as needed to get everything in the state needed for DVD watching.

It has an LCD screen, but everything is real buttons.
 
Maybe I'm just picky, but I didn't like how the Harmony H768 has so few buttons. I hate having to use the scroll wheel to switch between function sets.

On the Marantz, I use the right/left arrow buttons to show more functionality, which I rarely need to do since there's so much on the remote.
 
The 880 has room for 8 custom buttons on the screen at a given time and there's arrow buttons to get to additional screens of buttons.

I find myself only having a couple buttons I use for any activity though since the "activity" function sets everything up to an initial state you want so you don't need to adjust that.

Like for DVDs I use aspect ratio adjustment, subtitles, and eject... and I think that's it other than the actual buttons that are always there physically on the remote.
 
I'm gonna have to give the Logitech Harmony remotes my vote.
I own the Harmony 688 and it has replaced the remotes for the following:

1) RCA Scenium DLP HDTV
2) Harmon Kardon AVR 235
3) Xbox DVD Remote
4) Motrola Cable Box
5) Sony TV
6) Sony DVD Player
7) XP MCE (for my HTPC)
8) Phillips TV
9) Black and Decker Fan (has built-in IR)

On top of this... the remote can control hundreds of items. It can be programmed fairly easy. What you can't program a representative will do it for you via the phone and than you simply connect it to your pc to download the custom configuration the representative created for you.

Customer service is also great. In fact, I recently had one of my buttons go bad for some reason... maybe cuz I fell asleep on it on the couch. I called them and they sent me a new one in a box in 3 days for free! 🙂 I still have the other one as a spare too!

The activity buttons are sweet. When friends or family come over they don't have to push all kinds of buttons. They want to watch TV they push the "Watch TV" button and the TV turns on to the right input, the cable box changes to my favorite channel, the stereo turns on and sets itself to the correct input and thats it!

Some so called univeral remotes require you to first select the stereo, by pressing the button that the stereo is programmed to in order to make it active and to change the volume then if you want to change the channel you have to press another button which is programmed for the cable box to make the remote active for the cable box in order to change channels. I hate that. Plus its confusing for friends and family. The logitech harmony makes it so that you don't have to worry about that issue. The harmony knows that if you want to increase the volume all you have to do is press the volume button up or down because the volume button is "mapped" to the stereo while the channel buttons are "mapped" to the cable box, and my other buttons can also be mapped to the tv for aspect ratios. All this without having to worry about selecting and switching to different components on the remote.

I can't say enough about the Logitech. You just gotta try it out yourself. In fact they have a program that lets you check it out for a few weeks. If you like it, return it and buy it from newegg or somewhere for cheap.

Good luck!
 
Originally posted by: frankgomez75
I'm gonna have to give the Logitech Harmony remotes my vote.
I own the Harmony 688 and it has replaced the remotes for the following:
Click to expand...

I actually own a 688 and am not a fan. ; ;
 
Anyone use a universal with a Tivo? I have no doubt I can get one to work the TV, DVD, and HD Tuner. But what about the Tivo?
 
Originally posted by: codeyf
Anyone use a universal with a Tivo? I have no doubt I can get one to work the TV, DVD, and HD Tuner. But what about the Tivo?
Click to expand...
I control my Directivo with my pronto. As long as the remote is programmable, you should have no problem.

 
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