Universal Remotes and DirecTV receivers...

[Mike Bertelson]

Last year there was a rather large thread about universal remotes for HR2x series.

An example of complaints were there were no color buttons or skip/replay buttons.

Since then a lot new remotes have hit the market.

I'm wondering if anyone has purchased a new universal remote.

If so...
Which one?
What's different from your previous universal?
How well does it work with the HR2x? (or the other receivers using the same DirecTV remote)
What don't you like about it?

I now use a MX-810.

Unlike my MX-700, the 810 has Record, Skip, and Replay buttons. The 810 only has 6 buttons on the LCD vs. 10 with the 700.

It works very well with my HR21. On page 1 (see attached) I have the color, List, and Format buttons. Without changing pages on the LCD, I have everything I need for 99% of the time.

On page 2 (see attached) I have the remainder of what I need.

I have since added 4 more pages with buttons for the channels we watch/listen to (mostly for my daughter). The buttons are the station logos(TV & XM).

I used gimp to make .png files for the custom LCD buttons. The color buttons and most of the logos came with the software. The rest I downloaded and customized to fit.

What I don't like is the software. It's very cumbersome. It took a couple of hours just to figure it out.

Now I can make changes/additions very quickly but the wizard style interface is awkward.

In order to use custom buttons on the LCD you have to set up an activity called Favorites (good thread on one of remote forum sites on this). This allows you to change the buttons. Once the Favorites activity is setup you can change the name and it retains the functionality to insert custom buttons on the LCD. The other activities don't let you change the buttons on the LCD.

I've also added macros for History, Restart & Reset. The Skip-FW, Skip-RW, and Slo-Mo commands I just dragged to those button location using the universal browser.

Do you have a new remote? If you're using a universal, how do you get it to work with DirecTV receivers?

Let's discuss and compare. :)

Mike

[Thaedron]

I have a Harmony 880. No, it doesn't have color hard buttons, but I programmed them into the LCD. I love it. Would love if they came out with a version that had hard color buttons.

[JeffBowser]

I have an old Theatermaster MX500, I have never found dedicated crayon buttons to be a problem, I simply choose user defined slot and program them in.

[spartanstew]

We use the Harmony 670 mostly, but also an 880.

The only really new one is the Harmony One, but it really only adds a touch screen (not colored buttons).

We have the colored buttons in the LCD, just like Thaedron and it works very well. We have 6 icons on the LCD and never need the second page/screen.

[tcusta00]

Expanding on Mike's original question, I'd like to know also how durable the universals with LCD screens are? I've been thinking about springing for one but my only misgiving is that my remotes get dropped quite often, not only by the two year old running around the house, but also by the clumsy dad who puts it on the recliner's armrest and knocks it off frequently.

I'd love to hear about remotes that work with DirecTV AND take a licking but keep on ticking... :)

[kd4ao]

An alternative to the expensive LCD remotes is the Universal Remote Control URC-R6 ($20 at Walmart under the name AVEX). It is quite programmable and has the hard color buttons.

[JeffBowser]

I can't speak for every brand, but my MX500, with its LED screen, has survived two toddlers gumming it to death, numerous beverage spills across it, and I don't know how many greasy BBQ fingers from kids and adults alike. Dropping ? Lord, I can't even count the times the thing has been dropped. At one point it got so bad, I removed the batteries and gave it a good cleaning with generous quantities of alcohol, to get the buttons to stop sticking.

Man, I start to gross myself out, maybe next time it gets that bad, I just need to buy a new one.

[Mike Bertelson]

An alternative to the expensive LCD remotes is the Universal Remote Control URC-R6 ($20 at Walmart under the name AVEX). It is quite programmable and has the hard color buttons.

The hard color buttons are the the one thing I wish I could find in a LCD programmable remote(non-Harmony). :(

Then I would have everything I need without changing pages. :)

Mike

[spartanstew]

Expanding on Mike's original question, I'd like to know also how durable the universals with LCD screens are? I've been thinking about springing for one but my only misgiving is that my remotes get dropped quite often, not only by the two year old running around the house, but also by the clumsy dad who puts it on the recliner's armrest and knocks it off frequently.

I'd love to hear about remotes that work with DirecTV AND take a licking but keep on ticking... :)

That was one of the drawbacks to the 880 for us. Our first one lasted 6 months and then the color screen cracked after our 3 year old dropped it on the hardwood floor. Harmony replaced it with another one, but the same thing happened about 9 months later. I bought a 670 as a replacement thinking the 880's screen was too fragile. The 670 has been much more durable (has been dropped on the hardwood several times with no issue) and it turns out we like the fell of the buttons better anyway.

We still have an 880, but now it's in the HT where the floors are carpeted and it doesn't get as much use (and it's never in the hands of the kids).

[Vin]

Jeff,

I have the MX-500 too and love it, been using it for a few years with my HR10-250, R10, etc. I'm getting an HR21 installed this weekend....does the MX-500 have pre-programmed codes for this device or will I have to learn all the buttons?

Thanks.

[JeffBowser]

I don't think so, but I'm not 100% sure; I've rarely ever used the pre-programmed codes except as a starting point, I usually train the buttons I want, as I did with my HR20.

[gfrang]

I use a sony rm-vl600, has plenty of macro's works well with HR-20, avr,dvd recorder,
even antenna rota,25 bucks at whalmart Liked it so much i bought a spare.
For color buttons i trained them from Directv remote.

[Stuart Sweet]

I came down very hard on the Logitech development engineer I met with at CES about the lack of color buttons. I really laid into him. I hope it had some effect on the next series of remotes coming out.

[bonscott87]

The first one to come out with colored buttons will get my business and replace my MX-700 I've had for years.

[mdavej]

For my low-end universal remote, I took the DIY approach (http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9452) similar to this picture (different color order):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/2249699872_7a0896166e.jpg
The guy who came up with this figured out you could paint the originally white L1/2/3/4 buttons with fishing lure dye. (Props to xnappo)

[JeffBowser]

I'm not understanding the fascination with colored buttons. I thought we as a society weren't allowed to discriminate based on color ? :lol:

Anyhow - what's wrong with programming them into unused slots, and secondly, at least in my experience, the only one I use with any regularity is the red one, which I programmed to my remote as the REC button, so how are they needed so often that they need to be a highly visible feature ?

[Mike Bertelson]

The first one to come out with colored buttons will get my business and replace my MX-700 I've had for years.

The Harmony 785 has colored hard buttons. :grin:

Mike

[CrazyforYeshua]

I got the Phillips Prestigo, which doesn't have colored buttons. What it does have, is a learning mode, and an LCD screen.
When I have it in Sat mode, there are side keys for the colored buttons that it learned. ( it actually says red, blue, yellow and green)
Works well, now that I know what I'm doing....

[Talos4]

I use the Universal MX850 LCD screen.

The screen over two years is just fine, been dropped many times with out a problem.

After programming on the PC when I got my HR21 I have buttons marked Red, Green, Yellow on the first page. Really not a problem.

The only thing it's missing is the letters on the number keys, a minor inconvienience on one occasion quite a while ago. but that's it.

[rudeney]

Pronto TSU7000 - with plenty if colored buttons!

http://rodneygrill.com/pronto.jpg

[Mike Bertelson]

Pronto TSU7000 - with plenty if colored buttons!

http://rodneygrill.com/pronto.jpg
I like not having to look at the remote to use it.

A touch screent just won't work for me. I need buttons. :lol:

Mike

[dsp81]

I've had good luck with both the MX-900 and MX-810. I prefer the 810 to the 900 for the color screen and record hard button. The MX-980 is also a good choice, but is more cost prohibitive. There is a push/hold Universal configuration floating around that allows the ff/rw and skip/replay push and hold functions that are invaluable.

I like the URC remotes over the Harmony's because they are much more customizable in that you can add discrete IR (without calling Logitech). I think that URC's RF is much better than Logitech's.


What I don't like is the software. It's very cumbersome. It took a couple of hours just to figure it out.

Now I can make changes/additions very quickly but the wizard style interface is awkward.

There has been a lot of complaints on the 810, but it usually takes me a couple hours to get the programming down for each new remote. The 900, 980 and 950 are difficult as well, and require hours to get it down. I don't think the learning curve is any greater on the 810 than on the 900. I think the 980 is more difficult to master. And the MX-3000 requires you to quit your day job to figure out.

In order to use custom buttons on the LCD you have to set up an activity called Favorites (good thread on one of remote forum sites on this). This allows you to change the buttons. Once the Favorites activity is setup you can change the name and it retains the functionality to insert custom buttons on the LCD. The other activities don't let you change the buttons on the LCD.
I believe you are referring to the custom icon thread on remotecentral.com.

[Mike Bertelson]

I've had good luck with both the MX-900 and MX-810. I prefer the 810 to the 900 for the color screen and record hard button. The MX-980 is also a good choice, but is more cost prohibitive. There is a push/hold Universal configuration floating around that allows the ff/rw and skip/replay push and hold functions that are invaluable.

I like the URC remotes over the Harmony's because they are much more customizable in that you can add discrete IR (without calling Logitech). I think that URC's RF is much better than Logitech's.

I love those press & holds. :) ...(the configurations I down loaded off the net...not the fact that I have to use them...I hate that)

There has been a lot of complaints on the 810, but it usually takes me a couple hours to get the programming down for each new remote. The 900, 980 and 950 are difficult as well, and require hours to get it down. I don't think the learning curve is any greater on the 810 than on the 900. I think the 980 is more difficult to master. And the MX-3000 requires you to quit your day job to figure out.

I found the MXEditor (for my MX-700) very easy to use. I don't usually have problems with software. That's why I found the 810 wizard frustrating. The features are easy to use but the interface is not. There is no Help function and no documentation....documentation would have been nice. :rolleyes:

Once I figured out where everything was, I had no problems.

I believe you are referring to the custom icon thread on remotecentral.com.
Exactly...;)

Mike

[Tom Robertson]

I need DIRECTV RF. Alas, there are only two ends of the spectrum that I've found, the DIRECTV remotes, very nice on the low end or the Harmony 890 which costs more than my AV/Receiver. (Caught a great clearance sale.)

With 3 HR2x in the home theatre, RF is my only route. Plus I'd like to be able to control them from the other rooms as they are distributed everywhere in the house.

Cheers,
Tom

[flipptyfloppity]

Logitech 885 (see amazon UK) has the 4 color buttons.

[azjerry]

Does the R-6 allow macros of some sort. What I want in a cheap remote is the ability to program 1 button to turn on the DTV DVR, my Toshiba TV and my Yamaha receiver and another button (long press of same button?) turn them all off. They have to be different sequences because the Yamaha uses different on/off codes. Other than that just the standard DTV functions. A similar sequence for the TV, receiver and my Panasonic DVD recorder would be a bonus.

I really can't see spending $100 or more for a remote, I'm not that annoyed. So a cheap remote it is.

[dsp81]

Does the R-6 allow macros of some sort. What I want in a cheap remote is the ability to program 1 button to turn on the DTV DVR, my Toshiba TV and my Yamaha receiver and another button (long press of same button?) turn them all off. They have to be different sequences because the Yamaha uses different on/off codes. Other than that just the standard DTV functions. A similar sequence for the TV, receiver and my Panasonic DVD recorder would be a bonus.

I really can't see spending $100 or more for a remote, I'm not that annoyed. So a cheap remote it is.
You can pick up the Universal Remote Home Theater Master MX-500 for around $80. It can do macros and most of the functions of the more expensive remotes, minus the PC programming.

[Mike Bertelson]

Does the R-6 allow macros of some sort. What I want in a cheap remote is the ability to program 1 button to turn on the DTV DVR, my Toshiba TV and my Yamaha receiver and another button (long press of same button?) turn them all off. They have to be different sequences because the Yamaha uses different on/off codes. Other than that just the standard DTV functions. A similar sequence for the TV, receiver and my Panasonic DVD recorder would be a bonus.

I really can't see spending $100 or more for a remote, I'm not that annoyed. So a cheap remote it is.

You can pick up the Universal Remote Home Theater Master MX-500 for around $80. It can do macros and most of the functions of the more expensive remotes, minus the PC programming.
Check out Steve's very informative thread on the R-6.

It's inexpensive and if you're looking to a couple of macros it "supports up to six 20-step Macros"*

It may be what you're looking for.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=117355

Mike

*quote from post one of Steve's thread

[Mike Bertelson]

Expanding on Mike's original question, I'd like to know also how durable the universals with LCD screens are? I've been thinking about springing for one but my only misgiving is that my remotes get dropped quite often, not only by the two year old running around the house, but also by the clumsy dad who puts it on the recliner's armrest and knocks it off frequently.

I'd love to hear about remotes that work with DirecTV AND take a licking but keep on ticking... :)

My MX-700 has been dropped, thrown across the room and even sat on.

Of course the 700 has a very stiff heavy casing. I'm 6'1"/290# and sat on it with no ill effects. You could grab both ends and twist and it won't easily give. My MX-810 is no where near as ruggedly cased.

The MX-700 takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'...:lol:

The jury is still out on my MX-810. It's been tossed and dropped but I don't have enough time with it to tell.

I did have to send it to URC for service but I think it was unrelated to any possible abuse.....FWIW...;)

Mike

[Machael]

I use a sony rm-vl600, has plenty of macro's works well with HR-20, avr,dvd recorder,
even antenna rota,25 bucks at whalmart Liked it so much i bought a spare.
For color buttons i trained them from Directv remote.

Same here!

I love that little Sony remote. It's incredibly durable as well. :D

[mdavej]

Another cheap remote worth considering is the radio shack 15-134. Got it on sale for $20 a few weeks ago. It also has colored buttons and can handle about 2 dozen 15 step macros, by my calculations. Plus the codes are already built-in, so you don't have to learn the colored buttons. It's my main remote at the moment (link in sig).

[Mike Bertelson]

Yeah, but what don't you like about your remotes.

Because lets face it, there's always a compromise.

Mike