I'm trying not to make this a "which is the best remote out there?" post because it's not. I have had an MX-500 for several years now and have loved it. The lack of software sucked but there was a stand-alone software and intercace that was built for it which I still have whcih was a life-saver. Anyhow, it's been great because I have not upgraded equipment in years.

Well ... until now :). New equipment to control:
JVS DLA-RS1 FP
Toshiba HD-XA2 HDVD Player
Panasonic BD-30Blu-Ray
DirecTv HR20 HD receiver

Should I bother with a new remote to replace the MX-500 or take the time (and it will take some time to refresh my memory on how the software works) to reprogram the MX-500. I see the choices in remotes are endless and the price is right on a lot of them. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Rony.

You might want to upgrade to at least an MX-850 or 900. The MX-850 has the same form factor as your MX-500, but uses a serial connection to a PC.

Thanks Mike, the 850 certainly looks like a great upgrade from my 500. I just did a quick price check and am a little confused. Amazon has it at $175 but everywhere else it's between $400 and $500, am I missing something? Are we talking about the same remote?

First, Amazon is not an authorized dealer. URC will not honor the warranty if bought from an authorized dealer. Authorized online dealers are listed here (http://www.universalremote.com/pro/online_dealers.php).

Most URC remotes have a minimum advertised price restriction that aurthorized dealers must adhere to, so that's why you see them at higher prices. The MX-850 used to have this same restriction, but it was removed awhile ago, so it can now be advertised at any price.

Thank you Mike, I guess it's been a while since I've shopped online for A/V equipment I assumed Amazon would be a safe place to search ...

Thanks,
Rony.

Got an mx-900 to replace my mx-500. Great remote. Got it from Surf ....highly recommend. Great price.

Darin