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Remote n00b needs advice please

658 Views 16 Replies 6 Participants Last post by AnthonyP, Oct 23, 2004

mastahkaz

Discussion Starter · Oct 11, 2004

ok, I don't know crap about remotes. But, I do know i'm sick of hitting 12 differnt buttons on 8 differnt remotes when I want to do something. My birthday is coming up, and I figured a nice universal remote would be something I could ask for as a present.

I know there's probably a million differnt answers to this question, but whats the "hot" remote to get right now? Kind of like, the one with the best price/performance ratio. I'm looking somewhere in the price range of $100 - $250.

I was looking at the website for those Harmony remotes and I thought it was really cool how you connect it to your PC to program it. Whats the best remote that they make? Are any new remotes coming out soon that are highly anticipated?

Thanks, sorry for all the n00bish questions.

Oh, and it'll be used to control the basic stuff, HDTV Box, Projector, TV, A/V Receiver, and maybe my PC if i ever get a remote receiver for it.

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1 - 17 of 17 Posts

TomWhitlow

· #2 · Oct 12, 2004

Is all your stuff working well now using IR? Or, will you need RF?

mastahkaz

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 12, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by TomWhitlow
Is all your stuff working well now using IR? Or, will you need RF?

Well all my stuff now is using the IR remotes that they came with. I don't know what the pro's and con's of IR vs. RF are. I'm guessing RF allows your stuff to be in hidden spaces or area's the IR can't hit? One good thing about RF might be that some of my equipment is on one side of my room, and other equipment is on the other such as the projector. So I wouldnt be able to aim IR directly at all peices of equipment at the same time.

TomWhitlow

· #4 · Oct 12, 2004

Same situation I have. I bought the Harmony SST-679. When trying to control mutiple units simultaneously (one of the reasons for having a universal remote) it constantly missed the components it wasn't pointed toward. Since there was no way to direct it to everything at the same time it was really useless. I also hated all the small buttons and never got used to it enough to use in the dark. I'm now looking at RF units (MX 800 and MX 3000).

mastahkaz

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 13, 2004

Is it the remote, or the component that determins how precise you have to aim an IR remote? My cable box is EXTREAMLY picky and I pretty much have to be aiming the remote for it directly at the face of the box or it wont work, and sometimes even then it takes moving it around to the exact position to be able to scroll through channels really fast by holding the button down.

My projector is also pretty picky and I have to aim it's remote right at it. On the other hand, my receiver is not picky at all. I can aim the remote anywhere and hardly touch a button and the receiver will pick it up, which isnt always a good thing because every time i bump the remote for it something screws up and I have to figure out what it was and change it back.

I would really like something where I could just push one button for "TV" and my projector would boot up, my HDTV box would turn on, and my receiver would turn on and change to the correct input. Since all of the components are not in one area (but they are all in the same room, which is about 15'X15') would an IR remote not work well for this? What is a good RF remote that includes the base unit thing for under $250?

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MikeSRC

· #6 · Oct 13, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by mastahkaz
Is it the remote, or the component that determins how precise you have to aim an IR remote?

Although it can be either, it's usually the remote. Most remotes that come with components are cheap and have low emitter power.

Quote:

Since all of the components are not in one area (but they are all in the same room, which is about 15'X15') would an IR remote not work well for this? What is a good RF remote that includes the base unit thing for under $250?

It's impossible to say how well something would work without actually trying it in your room. Most of the IR universal remotes have strong IR output, but it really depends on how far apart your components are spread.

Good IR/RF remotes right your price limit are the Home Theater Master MX-600 or the new MX-350 with MRF-250 base station.

mastahkaz

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 13, 2004

OK cool, well in that case maybe a IR remote would be fine too as everything is in my bedroom which isnt a very large space. most of the equipment is over in one area but the projector and PC are on the opposite side of the room.

I like the Harmony remotes because they are less expensive than the HTM remotes, but from what i've read they are less customizable.

How "deep" can you go with programming the Harmony remotes compared to the Home Theater Master ones? What I mean by that is when i push one button for "TV" I'd like the receiver to turn on and switch to the proper input, the projector to come on and switch to the proper input, and the HDTV box to come on. Now it seems like something like this can be done easily on either remote, but i'd also like it to go into the projectors various calibrations that i've saved and switch to the correct one depending on what source i'm viewing. Would this be something the Harmony remotes would have trouble with?

TomWhitlow

· #8 · Oct 13, 2004

Chck the Home Theater Master MX 600. Look at RemoteCentral.com and SurfRemoteControl.com. I've decided to get the MX 850 (coming out in November) because I like the PC programming capability.

Chip E

· #9 · Oct 14, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by TomWhitlow
I've decided to get the MX 850 (coming out in November) because I like the PC programming capability.

I thought i read at remote central that the new HTM 850 & 950 won't be available till early '05. Anyone have any further info on this ?

MikeSRC

· #10 · Oct 14, 2004

The 950 will definitely be next year. I beta test their new remotes and I haven't even got one yet. The 850 is scheduled to come out before the end of the year (end of November), but we'll have to wait and see.

Chip E

· #11 · Oct 14, 2004

Thanks Mike,

Is the CEDIA video at Remote Central the only way to see the 850/950 at this point or are there some pictures and info somewhere?

MikeSRC

· #12 · Oct 14, 2004

There's a little more info and larger pictures at Remote Central here .

AnthonyP

· #13 · Oct 21, 2004

Quote:

Is it the remote, or the component that determins how precise you have to aim an IR remote?

I agree with Mike that it can be both and both play a factor. On the other hand I have had and seen devices that limit IR and so no matter how good the remote is if the device limits it, it will still be limited even with the best remote. And usually when it is the remote that is the problem, it shows up as a distance problem. IR works exactly like light, so if the manufacturer builds the IR receiver deep in the device light has a problem reaching it (same way it is dark in a tunnel)

Kid Red

· #14 · Oct 21, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by TomWhitlow
Chck the Home Theater Master MX 600. Look at RemoteCentral.com and SurfRemoteControl.com. I've decided to get the MX 850 (coming out in November) because I like the PC programming capability.

Is that PC programming just PC or also mac compatible?

MikeSRC

· #15 · Oct 21, 2004

PC only, although Virtual PC should work.

Kid Red

· #16 · Oct 21, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by MikeSRC
PC only, although Virtual PC should work.

hehe, completely forgot about that. I guess I just get so frustrated when I see PC only that I forget that we still have an absolute last resort.

AnthonyP

· #17 · Oct 23, 2004

Harmony remotes are Mac compatible

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