FYI: New URC policy on MX series....no updates...  

Here's the link:

http://www.remotecentral.com/wn060801.htm

No more bug fixes, new features, or updated IR codes will be available to those who purchased outside of an authorized dealer. Past upgrades on the site were also removed.

If you care about any of those things, be sure to buy from an authorized dealer. If you purchased a MX remote from ebay, amazon.com, or buy.com in the past, you are SoL.

oy! I hope Magnolia is an authorized dealer, cuz I paid full MSRP for my MX850.

This is the kind of silly arm-twisting that destroys reputations and stunts word-of-mouth increases in sales.

Who owns the MX series brand now ... Philips/Marantz?

I've bought about 4 URC remotes in the past: MX-500, 600, 800, 900 (I think only one from authorized dealer).

Not to mention the number of recommendations I've given to my friends.

This news sucks.

I'm not particularly happy. I've got 4-1/2 years (since the MX-700 came out) worth of customers to take care of. :(

I said many times that shouldn't do this retroactivily. Even if you bought from an authorized dealer, what would happen if he has since gone out of business.

As far as pricing is concerned, we have a minimum advertised price requirement imposed on us, so the only way to find out about getting products cheaper is to ask.

I purchased several UMC remotes in the past and was actually looking at upgrading to an MX-950. I always found that programming their remotes was very easy and intuitive.

It looks like a lot of DIY’s like me will just have to switch to either a harmony remote or a Prontos, which is really a shame.

BTW, I wonder how much this is going to cost URC. They make the same profit selling the remotes no matter who buys them. Doing this will probably cost them 5 to 10% of their business.

WOW!? Two things in response:

1. My MX-850 will be my last MX remote. Harmony, here I come.... I will also never recommend the MX to anyone, as I have done vociferously in the past, but will suggest they get a Harmony.

2. I expect URC will incur a hefty legal bill from their council for defending this. Pulling all support from products already in the hands of consumers is not exactly a fair business practice.

This has to be one of the biggest boneheaded moves by a company that I have ever seen. Glad I just downloaded the latest update for my new MX-700 last week.

I hope they get swarmed with complaints to the point were they reverse their stance on the SW download.

They are not.

Customers hit hardest are those who had their entire system built by a professional home theater company, or by some builder who subcontracted out to a home theater company / consultant. The builders of these systems may or may not purchase their remotes from authorized dealers. However, even if they do, this adds additional layers / barriers the customer must go through to get software for their product.

Imagine if you received $3000 or $4000 worth of MX-3000 remotes from your builder and had no way to use or update the product now. A lot of HT enthusiasts are in that situation.

Time to start recommending Harmonys, I guess ... love my 676, does every last thing I would like it to :)

As one who purchased my MX3000 through an authorized dealer (and therefore don't have to worry about upgrades), I have to agree that that's a REAL issue.

It would be one thing to announce that all FUTURE purchases from non-authorized dealers would not be supported. In that case the buyer would make the purchase with his or her 'eyes open,' much as we do with Microsoft software (for which support is phased out after a certain time period). But, to pull the plug on support AFTER a consumer has purchased the item, reasonably believing that the software would be supported (remember, the software was previously available for download for free to anyone who wished to try it out) is something else again.

Me thinks me smells a lovely class action lawsuit brewing here.....

htomei

So where do non-authorized dealers get there MX's? Shouldn't that part of the chain be fixed rather than punishing the consumer?

I'm done with URC also, I was about to buy a 950 in the next few weeks.

All that needs to be done is you go to the dealer you bought the remote from for support.

For those that bought from UN-Authorized people, the software you have will still work with the remote you have forever, your remote will never be "useless" as many people are stating, it will still do EVERYTHING it has in the past and does now.

URC will still support their authorized dealers, and they will support end-users for their consumer line remotes. URC was never required to support end-users on their custom products, that is what dealers such as us are here for. We stand behind every remote we sell, and provide all support for them.

Many great control systems ONLY support dealers and won't deal with end-users at all and they are doing great. Just look at RTI and Crestron!

URC isn't just taking away all future versions of the software; they've removed all past versions of the software as well. If you ever need to reinstall (such as when you buy a new PC, or reformat to install Windows Vista), you are SOL. Why couldn't URC keep the current software available and restrict access to all future software releases?

Of course the remote will work as it is currently configured, assuming you don't have any plans to ever purchase a new piece of gear.

I shot an email to my dealer(which was authorized) to see if they will provide updates.

What is going to stop you from using your current software to reprogram the remote? Nothing will stop you, the software still works. Buy all of the new gear you want and reprogram the remote. You may have to learn commands from the original remote or download a file from RC but the software still works as it always has.

This isn't the end of the line for any of these remotes. If they were out to punish people they could have had this update change the firmware in your remote so the remote wouldn't work with the old software either, but they chose to leave all past software and remotes alone and leave them operable and programmable as they have always been.

Please look at the big picture, nobody is really out anything.

Buy the 950, go to an authorized reseller and ask for their best price and you may be surprised what that is. Buy it, and get the software. Why try to circumvent the system when you can get the remotes for a good price and do it legitimately so you get the software. Just because you buy from an authorized reseller doesn't mean you have to pay them to program it. They will supply the software to you with the purchase.

Too bad for me and Universal Remote. I was pretty much settled on a URC for my new HT but I guess I'll have to stick with a Harmony. That kind of pull-the-rug-out support from a company does not make me want to do business with them - authorized dealer or not.

If you bought your remote from an Authorized Dealer, call or email them and get the info to get the new software, If you bought it off of ebay or anywhere else Well.....Well good luck to you. The whole reason behind this was to eliminate the Unauthorized ebay sales, so software was removed from the website and removed from the boxes. So if you buy or bought from Authorized dealers your fine, just get the new SW and your set.

We stopped selling URC due to its poor RF and we had many issues with the RF, we switched to RTI remotes and all has been well, Its another line that has no software available to consumers, but it is designed to installed and programmed by an installer.

People.....

This only hurts the internet shoppers who shun their local dealers and buy stuff on the net for cheap from unauthorized dealers with no warranty and no service agreement. For the DIY person who does buy from an authorized dealer, no problem. For people who already have remotes, you already have the software. What more do you need? Youre remote works, right? IF you need an IR code thats not in the database, you can get it elsewhere or learn it. Finally, this is America. URC is free to do as they wish. I am sure they didnt sit in a meeting and think "How can we screw the people that use our product and cause some people to rant and rave on the internet." If they thought it would really hurt their business, they wouldnt have done it. Think what you want, but if you dont like it, fine. Dont like it. I hate Microsoft. They do the same thing! IF you get a unauthorized copy of Windows, you dont get support and upgrades (well...youre not supposed to). But you know what I use on my PC? Microsoft software. Crestron doesnt give out their software to end users. It gives them and their dealers much more leverage to make higher profits on programming and support. And they arent whoring their product out on the internet either. No problem with me. If URC wants to take a tiny step in that direction, fine by me. If you continue to buy from authorized dealers, and support them and the manufacturer, you have nothing to worry about. If you shop on the internet from scumbag dealers who cheat and screw manufacturers, and likely, their customers as often, then you are taking a risk on things like this happening. I have no sympathy for the people who knowingly do this just to save a few $$, and then get hosed on a warranty issue, or sudden change in a company's way of doing business.

How many times have you programmers/dealers/installers had customers try and "fix" or modify their remotes, only to call you for help fixing it? How many times have you had someone call and say "My remote quit working, I think it needs an update"? Hopefully you arent giving the customer the information on how they can do it themselves and not call you fora service call ($$). :)

Anyway, my rant is anti-rant. :) But I concede. This is the internet and people get pissed and rant on the internet. The internet is the KING of ranting. And I cant change that. And this rant is proof. hehe

OK since you have thought of everything and we are all just over reacting. What about the used market. If I want to upgrade my remote to the latest and greatest, does my old dealer bought remote become a $400 paper weight or should I not be able to sell it to a friend? If I did not save the software installer and give it to them they would be SOL.

URC can do whatever they want, I just think that it is wrong to hurt the consumers that have built a loyal following for URC. Had I known this would happen I would not have bought from them, I would have looked closer at Harmony.

This is good in theory, but I have just called 3 different authorized dealers and best deal I could find was $100 dollars less the full MSRP($699) for the MX-950 with no programming and no technical support.

When looking at un-authorized dealers I can receive the same remote with no programming or technical support for half the MSRP.

From a DIY perspective it just doesn't seem worth it to deal with UMC remotes any more. My guess is that I will end up going with the Harmon Kardon T30 (essentially a top of the line harmony remote) which can be had for less then 1/3 the price quoted to me by the "Authorized Dealers".

You both apparently checked with the wrong dealers. :D

Regarding this whole fiasco, I expect it will take the unauthorized resellers less than a week to obtain the new software and everything will be right back to the way it was.

I thought you were talking about an 850 solo for the $200 price. With an MRF it's more. Anyway, you might want to check again. :)

I see, so in your world the scumbags are vendors who sell to consumers at low prices and the good guys are the ones actively looking for ways to squeeze every last nickel out of their customers.