I have A Marantz AV, Sony Blu Ray, Direct TV, and Samsung LED. Too many remotes. I do not see adding any other devices, so what would be the best Remote to purchase that would control what I Need? Thank you
I have a similar setup to yours (plus a Roku 2) and have been using a Harmony 650 for about 18 months with no major issues. Some things to keep in mind with the 650:
1) Only works with IR remote controlled equipment.
2) Requires some level of geekiness & patience to program with a PC/Mac & troubleshoot.
3) The remote requires the batteries to keep a constant perfect connection, else it will reset, although it will not lose its programming. Dropping the remote will usually cause a reset.
4) Since the remote will perform several operations with one button push, the users need to learn to keep it pointed at the equipment for more than a couple of seconds.
The 650 is the only Harmony model I've owned. I got it for $65 at Radio Shack, and it has been worth every penny. It has taken the place of 5 separate remotes. 8 is the max number of devices controlled by the 650.
Some of the more expensive models can communicate with equipment using RF, bluetooth, and Wifi, in addition to IR. Some have a hub that performs the communication with equipment, rather than the handheld remote. Some can control up to 15 devices.
The remote is programmed with Harmony software on a PC or Mac. Changes are synched with the remote through a USB port. Sometimes the software has difficulty in seeing that the remote is connected, which may require unplugging & plugging it into the USB port several times. When synching changes, the software also tends to say its 99% complete when in fact its finished. Otherwise I've found the software easy to use. I would assume the other models work the same way, but don't know for sure.
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