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May 19, 2008
Choosing the Right Universal Remote Control
I have written a several articles over the last few years about universal remote controls. I think that they are often an overlooked item in any audio video system. What good is great sound and picture if controlling the system is difficult. Life is too short to be juggling multiple remote controls.
There are universal remotes that cost from under $50 to over a thousand. But which one is for you? A great source for finding the right remote control is Remote Central's 'Clicker Picker'. The the first section of this resource you answer 
nine simple questions, such as how much do you want to spend, how many devices do you want to control, etc.
In the second section you are asked, "How should I interpret your requirements?"
- make an educated guess.
- Place higher importance on adherence to my specific requirement.
- Force strict interpretation of all requirements (not recommended for beginners).
I disagree a little with the folks at Remote Central in this area. I think that using the 'force strict interpretation' works well even for beginners. For example, if you want to spend $60 or less for a universal remote, and you select the either of the first two options, you will be shown remotes that cost more than $60. This can be great if you want to explore a greater variety of options, but many will exceed your budget. I recommend doing a couple of searches using the 'forced strict interpretation' and 'make an educated guess'.
The third section asks for your preferences for other options. If you are looking for a basic remote, you can usually skip this section.
After you have narrowed your search down to a few remotes you can compare them, and for most of the remotes on this site, read a review.
All of these remotes will need to be programmed to work with your system. On most, it is a relatively straight forward process. But on some of the more sophisticated remotes there is definitely a learning curve. Only One Remote is a company that can program your remote for you. Not cheap, but they do very good work. They focus on Marantz, Philips Pronto, RTI and Universal Remote controls.
Do you have a universal remote control? Would you recommend it to a friend? How difficult was it to program it?
Posted by Bob Gatton at May 19, 2008 2:01 PM
Comments
We have a Logitech Harmony One remote. It is awesome! It took over an hour to program, however, it is programmed to set up our tv, digital cable DVR, surround sound system, DVD, VCR and air conditioner. We programmed it to turn on the componenets to do certain things (such as watch cable tv), the remote turns on those items and then is set up to take commands for each specific item without having to chose the component that the command is directed at. We have the parental lock programmed into the digital cable box. With the remote from the cable company, if we didn't press the "cable" button first, it was likely that we switched the surround sound to something other than the digital cable. Not easy or fun if we were watching something after the children are in bed and we switch the surround sound which gets very loud and could not be switched back without running to the box. The Harmony One has made it SO much more convenient!
Posted by: Alice Hager at May 21, 2008 7:11 AM
I've got my second Harmony, an 890, after having an 880. I love these remotes. I upgraded for two reasons: I moved my components into an enclosure and needed RF to go through walls, and z-wave compatibility as I begin to experiment with home automation. I highly recommend them. The software, while still a bit hard to use, has improved dramatically, and I love the form factor. The hourglass shape and intuitive button locations make it incredibly easy to use without having to look at it. Many other benefits as well, but I say go Harmony.
Posted by: Tragicallyhip at May 21, 2008 8:59 AM
