Hi,

I need a good universal remote for my home theater setup... Here is my equipment setup:

Living room:
- Samsung LN52A650 LCD TV
- Denon AVR-1909 Receiver
- AT&T U-Verse TV Receiver/DVR (Motorola)
- Sony PS3 (I know I need an adapter)

Master Bedroom:
- Samsung LN32A650
- Denon AVR-1609 Receiver
- AT&T U-Verse TV Receiver (Motorola)
- Apple TV

In the Living Room all my components will kept in a closet/cabinet with solid doors (no line of sight to remote). In the bedroom the components are out in the open (with line of sight).

I would like a universal remote that will control all of these components, is reliable, and relatively straightforward to program and operate. I would like to use one universal remote for both rooms (just take it from one room to the next to operate my equipment). Because the components in the living room are in a closet/cabinet, I believe I will need something with RF capability, but obviously I don't want the remote to accidentally operate the components in the living room when I am in my master bedroom.

I saw that the Harmony 890 looks like it might fit the bill, but I have read mixed reviews. The Harmony 890 PRO looks to be basically the same remote with two extra buttons, but without the IR/RF extender. Any thoughts on these?

I like the look of the Harmony One, but there is no RF/IR extender. However, is the product compatible with generic IR extenders, such as the following?
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=Ir+extender&cid=16146231712258591762#ps-sellers
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Ir+extender&hl=en&cid=17568103881315355818&sa=title#ps-sellers
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=Ir+extender&cid=15552861216261844554#ps-sellers

Can someone recommend a good, relatively inexpensive, solution for my needs?

Thanks for your help!

I would go with the Harmony 890 with a RF RF Wireless extender. Amazon has refurbished 890's with the RF extender included for $139.99...

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-890-Remote-Control/dp/B001L1RSO8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241096583&sr=8-2

I would go with the Harmony 890 with a RF RF Wireless extender. Amazon has refurbished 890's with the RF extender included for $139.99...

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-890-Remote-Control/dp/B001L1RSO8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241096583&sr=8-2

If I use the 890 in the bedroom, will there be issues with it operating the equipment in the living room? I am concerned since both my TV's and both receivers use the same types of remote. Won't the RF extender pick up the signal? How do I make it so when I am in the bedroom only the bedroom components are operated?

Are there any other recommendations of better options? I am concerned because 1) The Harmony 890 appears to be discontinued. 2) Many of the reviews for this product are not that glowing. What about using the Harmony One with a generic IR extender?

What about using the Harmony One with a generic IR extender?

That may be your best option. See if any of the other harmony users can comment on using two separate systems. I use my 670 this way the equipment is different in each room and there is no RF...

From what I have read so far, the "One" should work with any standard IR repeater system... anyone confirm this?

That may be your best option. See if any of the other harmony users can comment on using two separate systems. I use my 670 this way the equipment is different in each room and there is no RF...

Does your 670 work OK with the generic IR extender? Which IR extender did you buy?

If this works, it eliminates the multiple room issue, since the Harmony One only emits IR signals, so there is no risk of it spilling over into the living room. The RF is only used for the extender stations to talk to each other, right?

Oh, guess i didnt specify... I don't use a IR extender at all, but it looks like you may need one due to the one system being behind doors?

But I dont see why it wouldnt work if you used a IR extender in the main room... It should work effectively in both rooms separately then. I would do some more research or hopefully someone else will reply about the harmony one being compatible with what IR extenders...

So has anyone actually tried using the Harmony One with an IR extender?

Others have used the 1 with an extender and been pleased. I would suggest (and use) the URC remotes. The MX-810 + RF Extender is a very powerful remote and has activities like the harmony. My opinion is that it is better build quality and I have both.

Others have used the 1 with an extender and been pleased. I would suggest (and use) the URC remotes. The MX-810 + RF Extender is a very powerful remote and has activities like the harmony. My opinion is that it is better build quality and I have both.

How difficult is the MX-810 to program? Does it come with the RF extender or is it an accessory that I have to buy?

How difficult is the MX-810 to program? Does it come with the RF extender or is it an accessory that I have to buy?

It does not come with one. It would have to be purchased separately. The MX-810 supports Narrow band RF and will work great with the MRF-260, MRF-350 or MSC-400

So has anyone actually tried using the Harmony One with an IR extender?

I recently ran across a set of the old (mid 90's) RCA "cones" (model D930) and hooked them up just to see if they were still functional. They worked just fine with the H1 from the other end of the house. I have no idea what is available today, but I would think if they worked, anything current should.

The mx-810 software is pretty easy to use. Downloads updates periodically if you want it to. The nice thing is you can always put custom hex codes in unlike the Harmonys. The MRF-350 is the one I use. It is incrementally more expensive than the 260, but has an antenna that you can remote to avoid interference.

To use the 890 you would also need the wireless extender for your family room system. Then, you'd have to set up a set of activities for your family room and another set for the bedroom. In the setup, you would have to specify that the bedroom equipment is controlled by the remote, itself and the family room gear (other than the TV), would be controlled by the Extender. I don't think you could control one system without powering down the other, though. At this point, you would be trying to make a basic remote do too much and you can run into problems.

What would be wrong with doing a 890 in the family room and a more basic 880/670/550 in the bedroom? Or going with something from another manufacturer like the MX series that is more robust?

To use the 890 you would also need the wireless extender for your family room system. Then, you'd have to set up a set of activities for your family room and another set for the bedroom. In the setup, you would have to specify that the bedroom equipment is controlled by the remote, itself and the family room gear (other than the TV), would be controlled by the Extender. I don't think you could control one system without powering down the other, though. At this point, you would be trying to make a basic remote do too much and you can run into problems.

What would be wrong with doing a 890 in the family room and a more basic 880/670/550 in the bedroom?

Nothing, other than the expense. I am thinking about doing the H1 plus an IT extender. That should work perfectly for my needs, I believe.

Does anyone else have any opinions on whether the URC MX-810 is better than the Harmony One/890? I have not heard of the MX-810, so I am curious...