Universal remotes

[Paul Adsett]

Anybody here had any experience with universal remotes, like the Logitech Harmony? I have no fewer than 8 remote control units on my stand in my screening room - 2 room light faders, screen up/down, screen curtains and masking, DVD, Blue Ray, a/v system, VHS player. It would be nice tohave these all controlled from one remote. like the Logitech, but would it actually be better? Right now I can snatch up any one of these remotes and get the command for the device I need immediately. But with a universal remote I would first have to switch the remote to the required device, and scroll down a menu before I get to the required command, which would take quite a bit longer.
I would appreciate any advice or experience people have had with universal remotes. Are they really worth the bother?

[Maurice Leakey]

It is so many years ago that I bought a Universal remote. It didn't live up to its advertising spiel.
.
First of all it had to learn by accepting signals from my different remotes. This it failed to do after trying for quite some time.

Second, there was a list of existing remote controls for various TVs and videos, each selected by different number codes. This was useless as it had none of my remotes on the list.

Third, returned for a refund.

Perhaps the latest ones could be very different.

[Tom Photiou]

I do have the Logitech harmony and i agree with Maurice, they are nothing like they claim to be, i gave up on mine a month or so after buying it, half the time it didn't do what it was meant to do, or it operated a unit it wasn't meant to be operating. They are a good marketing gimmick, but i'm sticking to the separate remote's, although i only have two main ones plus the blu ray and DVD projector as and when i use them. And recently, a new one for us, a cooling fan with a remote, i laughed when the Mrs bought it but i have to say, in the bedroom its great when you need to switch it on or off, or have it oscillating or fixed, in the middle of the night

[Ed Gordon]

Paul, I have had a URC Home Theater Master IR/RF Learning Remote MX-600 for about 20 years and use it everyday. See this page at Amazon for a description. This model can still be found on the used market. For me, the most important features are:

1. Support for IR and/or RF. With RF you can control IR devices not in direct line of sight. You can use RF to control IR devices by connecting IR extension cables to your IR devices.
2. Have the ability to learn remote commands from the original remote you are "replacing". Without the learning mode you have to find the remote codes and program it manually. With learning mode you just send the commands you will use to the learning remote. An added benefit of the learning mode is that your learning remote becomes a backup for the original remote which may not be replaceable.
3. Have Macro support. This allows you to program a button on the remote which can send commands to multiple devices, such as selectively turning on or dimming lights, et cetera.

I have found the universal remote never totally replaces all of my remotes. It does replace some, and it does allow me to automate repetitive functions.

[Paul Adsett]

Well I thought that someone would reply, to tell me how I could really simplify my set up with a Logitech remote or something similar. I guess not, sounds like no one has found that the individual remotes can be successfully eliminated.

[Steve Klare]

I had a great remote for a long time:

• Raised and lowered the screen
• Turned the houselights up and down
• Started and stopped the projectors if I was up front.

-Then he went to college!

[Paul Adsett]

What a funny name for a son - Logitech

[Chip Gelmini]

I think most of us could use one remote that would FIND all the other LOST remotes.

[Steve Klare]

A wise old Film Collector friend of mine once said "The reason they are called 'remotes' is whenever you need them, 'remote' is where they all wind up!".

[Gary Sayers]

I bought this big button remote for my elderly mother recently and it's pretty good. Don't know if it's the kind of thing you are looking for Paul but it is quite easy for it to 'learn' functions for whichever button you want to assign them to, provided you have the original remote to learn from. It was from Amazon UK but I guess they are available worldwide.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...e=UTF8&psc =1

It was to replace a DVD player remote.

They do one for replacing a TV remote which may be more suitable for assigning different commands / functions perhaps?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...701CXIBH&psc=1