H/K remote choices

Might check with Best Buy or even HK, if you haven't.

The primary function IR codes for HK AVRs are unchanged for the last 10 years.. So an older HK remote control, for example like an AVR 500 will control the AVR 154 for things like tuner, power, volume, OSD. The only downside is that as HK released new AVRs there were additional features/functions for which there were no IR codes in the older remote controls as they had not yet been designed in..

Another possible solution for consideration..
Pick up a Harmony 550, they sell for around $40 on E-Bagger as Harmony/Logictec has the later HK IR codes in their internet accessible datbase.

Just my $0.025...

"Pick up a Harmony 550, they sell for around $40 on E-Bagger as Harmony/Logictec has the later HK IR codes in their internet accessible datbase."

And if the remote is like the one on my 635, it sucks - tiny hard to push buttons.

When using a Harmony 550, the unique functions are on the hard keys on each side of the LCD.. Plenty of room to punch the buttons..

Just my $0.025..

You can get the remote for the 254 or 247 here. The zone II remote will only operate very simple things such as switching source and volume - and off-on of course.

They don't list one for the 154.

Better yet get a Logitech Harmony 688. I just bought one for $27. Cheap! And it will operate pretty much anything in the rack. It even operates my Emotiva LMC-1.

"Plenty of room to punch the buttons.."

I guess I wasn't clear that I was talking about the HK remote.

If you find the HK buttons small/close..
You better check out the Yamaha and Denon AVR remote controls, they are even smaller..

IMHO..
The original AVR remote controls are fine for initial setup, and then the user upgrades to a higher performance, universal...
So no biggee..

Just my $0.015...

hey guys, im in the same exact boat as the OP ( $119 new from BB was hard to say no to ). if i went with a remote from a different model, what features would I be missing out on? i dont think i really need a remote right away as I use the receiver on my computer in a 2.1 setup, but would be nice to mess with settings. think they'll start showing up on ebay eventually?

UPDATE

Just called harman kardon and they sell the remote by itself for 45 +shipping the woman i was speaking with was tough to understand so i'm hoping it was the right one. I didn't order it just yet, but will soon

You can get the remote for the 247 here cheaper than that. It should operate everything you need to do. My 247 could work off the 8 year old HK AVR 520 - OSD is the most important - worked very well.

I just got a Harmony 688 - I use it over the clunky remote for the 247 except when I need to use the OSD. I'm sure the 688 would do that too but how often do you need to use the OSD?

yea, i just wanna be able to mess with the settings and keep finger prints off it . so no idea what, if anything, i would be missing out of with that 247 remote? is any harman kardon remote with an "OSD" button on it gonna bring up the OSD?

also, i read somewhere that it has to be hooked up via composite video to show the osd....is that right? is there any way I can get the osd on my computer monitor? it only has vga and dvi inputs btw.

I'm not positive the 247 remote will run the 154 but the remote I have for the 247 ran an 8 year old HK AVR 520 I also owned. All functions worked good. OSD included.
HK or any other brand - makes no difference - do not re-invent these things once proved to work - they clone them for as long as it works - as seen on the interchangeable remotes with my 247 and 520 separated by 6 years.

Good luck getting your OSD to display on the computer monitor. Stick to tv displays and keep your sanity.

Your 154 can only output OSD from s-video and composite. This is because the HDMI is passthrough - no audio or video signal is intercepted and used in any way. This also means no upconverting - composite and s-video aren't converted into an HDMI signal.

Looking at the remote for the 154 it looks exactly like the one I use for my 247. I'd be very surprised if it does not work exactly as the 154 remote does.

You're going to spend that much on an HK remote? Really, a Logitech Harmony can be bought for less and will be much more useful because you can use it for any IR device in your home. You aren't missing anything by having the original HK remote - all of the codes are on the Logitech server.