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looking for an advanced remote for home theatre

4083 Views 42 Replies 29 Participants Last post by jvlgato, Mar 22, 2004

kleptic

Discussion Starter · Jan 25, 2004

I'm so sick of using 10 remotes at the same time to get everything on the right input settings and adjust sound on one remote and change channels on another remote and setting inputs and operating dvd players.

I've seen pics of big fancy touch screen things to control everything.

I'd like something that can power on everything and operate everything.

what are my options for this? whats the best? whats the best bang for buck?

also on recievers and dvd players and cable boxes I've seen those little mini jacks on them. arent those for some sort of remote hookup?

thanks

Kyle

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AnthonyP

· #2 · Jan 25, 2004

It depends what you want. A good place to start is the review section of remotecentral.com

there are three areas of remotes woth looking at

Pronto (this includes the Marantz vesions)

HTM (until know only push button remotes, but the MX-3000 should be out soon)

Harmony

LexMan

· #3 · Jan 25, 2004

Hi kleptic,

AnthonyP has you headed in the right direction. Remotecentral.com will give you more than enough reading material on all the latest remotes. It sounds like you want to make sure what ever you get will honestly take care of what ten remotes do now.

If you really want form and function and more wiz bang options than you could ever dream, Pronto and HTM are the way to go. Pronto has a huge following and lots of places to get ideas, files, and everything else you could need.

HTM has models that are also popular and have more hard buttons to them which can be good, but until the MX-3000, doesn't really have the wow effect of the pronto.

I'm eagerly waiting for the MX-3000 as it seems to have what I'm looking for in terms of form/function. Color touchscreen with IR/RF, hard buttons for the most used functions,(no head bobbing) animated gif options along with a ton of other cool wiz bang features.

If you know your budget, take a look at remote central and come back with it narrowed down and see what first hand experience people have had with them.

Happy hunting,

LexMan

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35mm

· #4 · Jan 25, 2004

I'm big fan of the Harmony remotes. They don't have a huge gee wiz factor but they work extreamly well and are simple to program.

Omen

· #5 · Jan 25, 2004

Something else to consider - if you have a CD/DVD changer that you want to control from your remote, the Pronto has a great 3rd party program called SuperNudeList that can build the Pronto screens to categorize your media. For instance, I have a Sony 400 CD changer, for which I used SuperNudeList to build an index containing genre/artist/titile for my Pronto. Very neat and convenient. Read more on remotecentral.com

The HTM MX-500 and MX-700 are great remotes (I have both of them), but the 5 character LCD display is too small for me to put in my CD titles. But I love the hard buttons.

My brother-in-law has the Harmony SST-659. It is very easy to set up, and has a helper to get you out of macro problems when your equipment's power gets out of sync. It also has a television guide that's nice, and has a way to store CD listings on it (but I don't know how well that works, since by brother-in-law doesn't use it).

Deane Johnson

· #6 · Jan 25, 2004

I sounds like Crestron might fit your requirements.

Dean Roddey

· #7 · Jan 25, 2004

The most advanced remote isn't a remote, but a computer. Look at something like CQC for a way to turn a computer into a control system.

studiocats

· #8 · Jan 26, 2004

lol. Yeah, Thats what you need. A Microsoft OS controlling your theater! Or better yet your Heat, AC, and Security system.

AnthonyP

· #9 · Jan 26, 2004

Quote:

They don't have a huge gee wiz factor but they work extreamly well and are simple to program.

don't know about that, when I got my 745, the guide on the remote got my brother in law more excited then when I showed him my Pronto

Quote:

if you have a CD/DVD changer that you want to control from your remote, the Pronto has a great 3rd party program called SuperNudeList that can build the Pronto screens to categorize your media

just to fill in a bit SNL only supports the original Prontos (TS-1000, TSU-2000, TSU-6000) and does not support the NG models (TSU-3000, TSU-7000) that are current. But there is a work around (use a CCF -old model- that you then import into your PCF -new model) also the guy that is working on SNL has said that he will work on a next generation version of it

Omen

· #10 · Jan 26, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by AnthonyP
just to fill in a bit SNL only supports the original Prontos (TS-1000, TSU-2000, TSU-6000) and does not support the NG models (TSU-3000, TSU-7000) that are current. But there is a work around (use a CCF -old model- that you then import into your PCF -new model) also the guy that is working on SNL has said that he will work on a next generation version of it

I hoping that Lyndel McGee will release SNL for the the NG remotes. I'm considering replacing my TSU1000 with a TSU7000, although I may eventually end up with a PDA.

AnthonyP

· #11 · Jan 26, 2004

I know there are a lot of people that can't wait for it. as for comparing the 7000 to a PDA, I think the extra features on the 7000 make it better, but then again it is all personal.

Dean Roddey

· #12 · Jan 26, 2004

Quote:

lol. Yeah, Thats what you need. A Microsoft OS controlling your theater! Or better yet your Heat, AC, and Security system

It's certainly a viable option, kneejerk anti-MS rants aside. Lots of people do it, and CQC makes it a very viable option. You can choose the level of safety and robustness you want. The more robust scenarios put a dedicated PC in a closet, with nothing but a stripped down XP Pro and CQC on a RAID drive. If you use well known hardware, that setup will be perfectly stable and robust, because that's all that it does. It's not being used to surf porn or run games anything else (and it's user induced garbage that destablizes systems over time.)

But, it's your choice and you can also put it on a server that's running other stuff, or even on a laptop in the home theater if that's all you want to control.

studiocats

· #13 · Jan 26, 2004

Good Luck with the sale Dean.

Muse

· #14 · Jan 27, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by studiocats
lol. Yeah, Thats what you need. A Microsoft OS controlling your theater! Or better yet your Heat, AC, and Security system.

That seems to be where we're heading, although it won't necessarily be MS.

studiocats

· #15 · Jan 28, 2004

Things aren't always as they seem.

Dean Roddey

· #16 · Jan 28, 2004

Almost everyone in the automation world sees the future of home automation as being IP/software based. I know that a number of large CE companies would love into get into this area, but they just don't have a good way of doing it so far, because they are set top box oriented and automation is more than can be addressed in that type of box for the most part. The home network in modern homes is a natural delivery mechanism for a number of services, automation among them.

You can live in the past if you want, but the rest of the automation world doesn't agree with you.

gsusser

· #17 · Feb 5, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by AnthonyP
there are three areas of remotes woth looking at

Pronto (this includes the Marantz vesions)

HTM (until know only push button remotes, but the MX-3000 should be out soon)

Harmony

Simple, but very helpful to a nubie. Thanks! At the risk of getting flogged for not reading all the literature, I'll take my chances and ask a general question. Forgetting cost, what is the simplest and best device? I'm not a big fan of having to mostly use displays -- I like buttons. I had someone program a Pronto for me ages ago and used it for 2 months and then sold it on ebay. That's my only experience with universal remotes. The Harmony looks like it might be for me. However, even though I hear people raving about it, it seems to have limitations and sounds buggy. What about HTM, can a moron easily learn to use it?

I have the usual array of HT eqpt, about 8 devices, including a Dish PVR, the 721. Many thanks, glenn.

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CobraKahn

· #18 · Feb 5, 2004

I just went through this. for a hard button remote, the best choices are Harmony and HTM (MX-500, MX-700). Teh Harmony you program through the internet. I found it to be somewhat less flexible, although others will disagree. The MX-700 you program with software on your computer.

I bought the MX-700. I spent about 4 hours last Sat. programming it. Am still tweaking, but it is awesome. It does everything and I put all my other remotes away. My wife loves it. Lots of hard buttons and some soft ones for the odd controls. Definately not a process for the technically challenged, but if you are PC literate and can handle Turbo Tax, Excel, Quicken etc., you can probably do this.

Go to remotecentral and read the reviews. Either of these remotes should meet your needs.

Theaterbuilder

· #19 · Feb 7, 2004

The new Sonance redesigned version of Remote Technologies RTI T2 will probably be one of the most powerful, easy to use and dependable remotes made anywhere, Further, they are also coming out with a full width LCD remote that utilizes your wireless home network for communication.

Mike191

· #20 · Feb 7, 2004

I would have to vote for the Home Theater MX700/800 as well. I have the MX800 because my equipment is behind wood doors. Works great as long as the Cable box from Motorola , BCT-5100, is not within 5 feet of the RF receiver. I have read too many bad experiences on the Pronto, which is what I wanted at first, and the Harmony. Read the reviews on RemoteCentral and see for yourself. The 5 character limit on labels is a significant limitation and there is no solution. You have to decide based on your skills and patience.

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