Topic: The ultimate "Remotes" poll

[Najemikon]

But my wife and kids would be lost.

Hmmm, surely you could train one of them to be your remote control? Then you'd only have one voice operated unit: "Pause", "Forward", "Stop", "It's too damn loud", etc. Later you could add voice commands that standard remotes fail to cater for: "Beer", "Popcorn"...  Ok, that one unit has to grapple with four or five traditional handsets and be able to continue operating the home cinema even from the kitchen where it is preparing ice cream sundaes, but that isn't your problem. As far as you're concerned, you have one unit and you expect it to be responsive and attentive. Over time you may be able to train it (school and housework permitting) with psychic links that don't require ears and simply understand when you need beer, to pause, beer, or fast forward bits you wouldn't like.

Personally, I'd choose the wife, despite the squeaky noises. The smaller units have a habit of getting tired during long marathons and spill things. Plus the fully featured wife model can respond to a whole range of voice commands unsuitable to be listed on a public forum.



 


Do you know, I still don't know why I'm single...

[MEJHarrison]

Hmmm, surely you could train one of them to be your remote control?

Wouldn't work.  I do most of my movie watching when everyone else is in bed since they're not interested.  My youngest is showing signs of being a movie lover, but he's only 5.  It's going to be a while before I have a movie buddy.

[Kathy]

Hmmm, surely you could train one of them to be your remote control?

Wouldn't work.  I do most of my movie watching when everyone else is in bed since they're not interested.  My youngest is showing signs of being a movie lover, but he's only 5.  It's going to be a while before I have a movie buddy.

Awww...sympathy point awarded.

[MtnMike]

I don't think I'd like a touch screen.  I like having real buttons cause I can find my way around in the dark that way.  But some people love them.

I'm just surprised that this thread isn't filled with Harmony owners.  I've seen similar threads on other sites and it seems 95% of the people have Harmony remotes.

I'm one of those 95% then, as I have 1.  I just wish I could program more macros on it than the 3 I have now.  And there's still a few functions that it didn't make a lot of sense to teach it for some devices since I may use that particular option so rarely.  But all in all it is sure nice to only need one remote beside me rather than 4 or 5.

[Achim]

I'm almost ashamed to say I don't use a remote; I still get up and change the channels manually.

Channel hopping must be awfully exhausting...

[MEJHarrison]

I'm almost ashamed to say I don't use a remote; I still get up and change the channels manually.

Channel hopping must be awfully exhausting...

Yeah, but it would sure counteract the couch potato effect.

[Kathy]

I'm almost ashamed to say I don't use a remote; I still get up and change the channels manually.

Channel hopping must be awfully exhausting...

Yeah, but it would sure counteract the couch potato effect.

Channel surfing...what's that?!? I don't watch that much television. I check out what's on every Sunday and note if there's something I'm interested in...no surfing necessary! 

[Halo2]

I hate channel surfing. My wife know that and stops when I watch something with her. Otherwise she's hopping between 4-6 different channels. Other than when I watch something with her, I don't think I've watched more than 20 hours of TV in the last 5 years.

I have an eclectic mix of components, one that most universal remotes ignore. so I have 4 remotes for my video entertainment and play my music through my PC from my server where all my CDs are ripped to. One button to turn on the TV (an NEC 30" LCD, no tuner), manual switch box for selecting VCR (has the TV tuner) or DVD, three buttons for sound (On, volume up or down) on my 5.1 sound system and an many buttons as needed for the DVD player.

Surfing, I retired my boards many years ago after too many wipe outs and shark attacks. This guy doesn't need any more surfing, of any kind. After surfing, the in the water type, on both coasts of the US, Hawaii, Thailand and Australia, and surviving relatively intact, this boy has a healthy aversion to surfing of any type. Although, if I got a chance and went totally crazy, I might be tempter to try in South Africa, just to say I’ve done it.

Hey, surfing is surfing. The only difference is the muscles used and the water temperature. 

[m.cellophane]

My Blu-ray player has now provided the 5th remote for my bedroom setup. There's a 6th that came with PowerDVD on my computer, but I never use that one anyway. So finally I started thinking about a universal remote.

Is there anything that your individual remotes do that your universal can't do?

I think I have 7 remotes in the living room.

Even my portable DVD player has a remote. 

Help. I need help. 

[lyonsden5]

There will always be something you can't do from your universal remote (IMO) but mostof your everyday functions should be available.

In my experience the [equipment] menu functions don't always transfer correctly. But you don't usually have to get back into you device setup menu once it's set up.

You should get something that is programmable either by hooking it up to the computer or by putting the two remotes head to head so the new one can 'learn' the old ones signal.

[m.cellophane]

That makes sense. I see that a couple of you linked to a site about remotes. I have some reading to do. 

[MEJHarrison]

Is there anything that your individual remotes do that your universal can't do?

I would have said no until I got the new DirecTV DVR a couple months ago.  It has several functions on it that require you to press and hold a button on the remote.  I can't see to get those programmed into my remote, so I just do without.  There's been a request in to DirecTV for them to provide alternate button pushes for ages since this seems to effect most universal remotes on the market.

Beyond that, I've not had to get my other remotes out in months.  In fact I need to get the batteries out of them before they go bad.  I don't have every function programmed in I'm sure.  But I have everything I want.

Beyond that, I agree with Rick.  Get a PC programmable remote or at least a learning remote (head to head).  Mine isn't PC programmable and at times it really sucks.  It would be nice to get some discrete codes that aren't on the factory remotes, but it's a pain because mine has to learn from another remote.  I think it can be done, but I've not gotten around to it just yet (for the past 3 years )

When I was shopping around, I used www.remotecentral.com a lot.  I do know that the Harmony 880 (I think it's the 880) and an extremely popular remote.  But I love my Home Theater Master MX-500.

[EdwinK]

Got a Harmony 885.

Pros = I like it(not much help if you're shopping for one, admittedly. Ask specifics and I might be more helpful)

Cons = They've done something to the website(you need to go here to configure all the functions properly) and it's an absolute git to work around now.

I've got the same one, and I like it, the configuration of it can be a pain. Bought a new home cinemaset, and can't use all functions of the original remote with it.