# Looking for good all-in-one remote?



## NoVa (Feb 26, 2006)

Looking for good universal all-in-one remote to handle TiVo, AVR, & BluRay.

Prefer RF but will consider IR.

Help please.


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## dallastx (Sep 27, 2007)

Good luck in finding one, but I think the Logitech Harmony One is the ticket. I've programmed my two TiVos so that all functions are accessed by physical buttons allowing to to use it by feel.


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## jadziedzic (Apr 20, 2009)

Keep an eye on eBay - there is one seller on eBay with a bunch of refurb Harmony Ones listed for $112. I bought a refurb recently from another seller and it came in what *appeared to be* a factory-sealed retail package, and was in excellent cosmetic condition; works great, too.


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## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

Yea, the harmony remotes are hell to program with the worlds most annoying setup provided by logitech, but once programmed can be made to work very conveniently.


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## HenryFarpolo (Dec 1, 2008)

I concur with the Harmony One recommendation. I own one and am very happy with it. If you are looking for RF, the Harmony Ultimate may be a good choice. The ultimate is pricy at $349, and since it was just recently introduced, discounts from list price are nearly impossible to find.


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## takeshi (Jul 22, 2010)

Budget? Are the needs in the OP the only concerns? We'd have a better understanding of what you mean by "good" if you can tell us what you've used in the past, what you've liked and what you've found lacking.

Harmony remotes seem to be popular but if you can deal with the learning curve and price tag I highly recommend Universal Remote. Their remotes are typically used by system integrators. Even my older, low-end MX-350 is much more versatile than it would appear to be from just looking at it. It's the first remote I've used that has been able to replace all others. My newer MX-980 is much easier to deal with since it can be programming with their Complete Control application. Complete Control won't be anywhere near as easy to use as Harmony but I didn't find the learning curve all that daunting. As always, YMMV.

Don't overlook prior discussion on remotes as a resource as well.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

+1 for the Harmony One. Logitech sells refurbs quite often for $99. Just check the deal websites like slickdeals.net or dealnews.com on a daily basis until the deal gets listed.

FWIW, they're not as difficult to program as some have indicated. You just have to understand how the activities are configured to operate. You simply start a new activity to program and then select all of the devices that need to be turned on to perform that activity. You select which devices need to have inputs set and specify what they are. 

An activity on a Harmony remote is basically a macro. It will only turn on the components required to perform the selected activity (i.e., Watch TV turns on the TV, A/V receiver, cable box, etc., and selects the input on the TV and the AVR and anything else required to perform the activity). If you select a different activity the remote will just turn on whatever additional components are required and send the necessary switch commands. When you hit the Power button to turn everything off, it remembers which components have been turned on and only issues the OFF command to those devices.


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## WO312 (Jan 24, 2003)

+1 for Universal. I love my MX-700. IR though, and no longer made. I went through a couple of MX-850's, which is basically the same thing ( I think it adds RF), but the buttons would go bad. So right now I actually have an MX-700 shell with MX-850 innards. Works great, and I can program it to do anything I want.

Edit: I bought a Harmony One after I had the troubles with the MX-850's, but gave up on it. Doesn't compare to my MX-700. But maybe that's because I was so used to the MX.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

Look at the URC WR7 -- *amazing* features for around $21:
http://www.amazon.com/URC-Universal...&qid=1372342557&sr=8-1&keywords=universal+wr7

I retired a perfectly functioning Harmony 880 and have been happily using the WR7 for 3+ months now.

Two advantages of the WR7 over the 880:

1. No rechargeable batteries or charger to fuss with. I had to replace the battery in the 880 once and it cost almost as much as the entire WR7.

2. All programming is self-contained. The 880 required hooking up to a PC and using a Logitech web-based program and was very tedious.

From what I know about the Harmony One, these same two advantages would apply - plus the huge price savings.

Devices I control are:
TV, TiVo, Sound Bar, BluRay player and Logitech Revue

I still use the Tivo remote (because it's nicer) and the Revue Keyboard (because it's a keyboard) but the WR7 will control those devices.


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## WO312 (Jan 24, 2003)

dlfl said:


> Look at the URC WR7 -- *amazing* features for around $21:
> http://www.amazon.com/URC-Universal...&qid=1372342557&sr=8-1&keywords=universal+wr7
> 
> I retired a perfectly functioning Harmony 880 and have been happily using the WR7 for 3+ months now.
> ...


Wow, looks great for the price. They also have some reasonably priced RF models.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

WO312 said:


> +1 for Universal. I love my MX-700. IR though, and no longer made. I went through a couple of MX-850's, which is basically the same thing ( I think it adds RF), but the buttons would go bad. So right now I actually have an MX-700 shell with MX-850 innards. Works great, and I can program it to do anything I want.
> 
> Edit: I bought a Harmony One after I had the troubles with the MX-850's, but gave up on it. Doesn't compare to my MX-700. But maybe that's because I was so used to the MX.


I had the opposite experience. I had a MX-700 that I reluctantly replaced with a Harmony 880. The MX-700 and every remote I had tried previously lacked sufficient memory to hold all of the commands I needed to operate every single component in my home theater system. That was back in the day when I had separate components for every possible function you could imagine (i.e., A/V component switching, Dolby Digital processing, Dolby Pro Logic processing, preamp, multiple VCRs and Tivos, satellite receivers, tape decks, laserdisc player, CD player, etc.)

I wasn't sure about the Harmony remote initially as the programming and functionality were completely different than what I was used to with the MX-700 and all prior remotes that relied on macros. After using the 880 for a while I started to appreciate it better. Now I can't see going back to any universal remote with standard macros. I eventually bought a Harmony One on sale, but could never seem to bring myself to swapping it out with the 880. What's funny is that I actually had the Harmony One sitting in the charging cradle for a year before trying it out. I'm glad I finally made the switch because it's the best remote I've ever owned (and I've got a box full of old universal remotes to prove it  ). It's also the simplest remote to use once you've got the activities configured. This is the one remote I'd hand to my wife and feel confident that she could figure out how to use without her bouncing it off the wall out of frustration. It's got a huge WAF.

FYI - the utility used to program a Harmony remote does require access to the internet and requires you to set up an account online, free of charge. What happens is that the app connects to the internet and will download any firmware updates for the remote. It also stores the remote's configuration online in case the remote needs to be reprogrammed or is replaced. You simply connect the remote to a PC via a USB cable and program it any way you like. You can experiment with the settings before saving the configuration.

I've used several URC remotes in the past and liked them up to a point. I haven't used one recently so I'm hoping that the quirks I experienced have since been ironed out. One of the major issues was the lack of sufficient memory. With memory prices so low these days there's no excuse not to have ample memory for programming commands. The one major caveat with the URC I had (I forget the model but it was their top unit at the time) was that the internal library of remote codes turned out to be somewhat limited. If I needed to control a device that wasn't in the library I had to ship the remote back to the manufacturer along with $10 to have the code programmed into the remote. There was no provision for teaching codes to the remote.

I had used several other URC remotes prior to this one and they all had issues. Mostly they were just inadequate as universal remotes for the setup I had. I'm sure the current models used with a more spartan setup than mine would work just fine for most people. What's ironic is that I'm down to just two major components in my HT system these days, a HTPC and a preamp/processor, so most of the remotes I panned as being inadequate back in the day would probably work fine with my current setup.


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## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

By the way, if you want so much information on remotes that you'll never be able to make up your mind, then visit: http://www.remotecentral.com/


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## WO312 (Jan 24, 2003)

mr.unnatural said:


> ........There was no provision for teaching codes to the remote.


Hmmm, you must have had an early one. My MX-700 has learning capability. In fact the majority of my buttons are learned because I agree that the internal database isn't very good. BTW, I'm controlling 3 Tivos, a TWC DVR, a Denon receiver, an HTPC, 3 DVD players, a Wii, a TV, and I have room for more. So I'm guessing I don't have a memory problem either.

I do agree that the Harmony One can probably be set up for my wifes' use more easily, although I really haven't fooled around with macros on the URC.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

WO312 said:


> Hmmm, you must have had an early one. My MX-700 has learning capability. In fact the majority of my buttons are learned because I agree that the internal database isn't very good. BTW, I'm controlling 3 Tivos, a TWC DVR, a Denon receiver, an HTPC, 3 DVD players, a Wii, a TV, and I have room for more. So I'm guessing I don't have a memory problem either.
> 
> I do agree that the Harmony One can probably be set up for my wifes' use more easily, although I really haven't fooled around with macros on the URC.


I was referring to the URC remote, not the MX-700.


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## NoVa (Feb 26, 2006)

Thanks every1 for chining in.
I should have stated that I do have a Harmony One that was a champ to use.
Still lying around as we are still unpacking from the move.
However, in my new house , all the equipment will be hidden.

But the H1 is an IR remote...what to do except to look for a new remote?


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## XIBM (Mar 9, 2013)

Another option is to buy a Powermid unit pair that consist of a transmitter that receives IR and transmits RF and a receiver that receives the RF and converts it back to IR. Put the transmitter near the TV to pick up your remote IR and the receiver in the closet. You may need a mirror or fiber optic links (I think one was included) to drive all your closet units but you can keep using your Harmony IR remote. I ordered one of these to use this approach for a closet for $40 a few years ago. I had a early big screen cabinet TV. With a new flat screen I came out of the closet (much easier to insert DVDs and see what is going on) and now in addition to the tv in the Tivo room, I drive a tv on a different floor via component and set the transmitter next to it and the receiver across the room from my Tivo. You can also use more than one receiver with one transmitter...


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

mr.unnatural said:


> I was referring to the URC remote, not the MX-700.


The URC WR7 has learning capability -- works fine.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

dlfl said:


> The URC WR7 has learning capability -- works fine.


I figured the newer models do. The model I'm referring to is probably about a decade old. I must have sold it on ebay because it's not in my box of old remotes. It was a nice remote except for having to send it in to be reprogrammed every time I got a new piece of A/V equipment. That was the straw that finally broke the camel's back. I must have sent it in at least 3 or 4 times and it was getting old real quick, especially at 10 bucks a pop plus shipping, not to mention the down time while it was in transit.

I've gone through dozens of universal remotes over the years in search of the perfect remote. The result of my quest is that such a beast simply doesn't exist. There is no such thing as the perfect remote for everyone. There is, however, at least one remote out there that will best suit your needs. It's all a matter of deciding what features you want and how much you're willing to pay.

The Harmony One turned out to be the remote that works best for me and it's probably one of the most popular remotes among home theater enthusiasts. The layout is uncluttered and the buttons are large enough to operate it via tactile feel alone, even though it does have backlighting. One huge bonus is that it's rechargeable and never needs the batteries replaced. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to use a remote with weak or dead batteries and then finding that you don't have any replacements on hand.


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## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

mr.unnatural said:


> There's nothing more frustrating than trying to use a remote with weak or dead batteries and then finding that you don't have any replacements on hand.


All my remotes are now rechargeable . I keep a box of various size rechargeable batteries that are already charged up around (the new ones marked "low self-discharge" actually work well these days, unlike the older generations of rechargeable batteries).

When I need to swap in new batteries, the old ones go in the charger, then back in the box.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

I used to do the same thing. The upside of the Harmony remotes is that the more advanced remotes come with a charging cradle so the battery is always being charged when the remote is set in the cradle. You never have to swap out the old battery for a fresh one.


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## NoVa (Feb 26, 2006)

So I've decided their is no budget for a new RF remote & there is nothing wrong with my Harmony One that an IR extender can't fix.

Luckily the TiVo is under a bench within 5 ft of where all the components are.
But it's the only one that's hidden.

Is there any IR extender that TiVo members prefer to control Tivo's with? specifically for my new P4.

Thanks.


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## eric102 (Oct 31, 2012)

NoVa said:


> So I've decided their is no budget for a new RF remote & there is nothing wrong with my Harmony One that an IR extender can't fix.
> 
> Luckily the TiVo is under a bench within 5 ft of where all the components are.
> But it's the only one that's hidden.
> ...


I use the Logitech Harmony extenders on both my TiVo's, they work fine.


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## brewman (Jun 29, 2003)

I have a URC MX-980, and it is the macdaddy hard-button programmable remote. Be careful buying a programmable URC remote, because many of them are supposed to only be available through authorized dealers and the programming libraries are not available to the general public unless you can get a dealer to give you access.


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## GadgetVirtuoso (Sep 27, 2001)

I don't know why some are saying the Harmony remotes are hard to setup. I've been able to setup several without the remotes for Tivos, Bluray players, AppleTV and Roku. The guided setup is very easy. It can take a little work if you want custom functions or buttons but even that is far easier than remotes of old. 

I highly recommend spending the money for the harmony units with cradles to save you from messing with batteries.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

It's not that they're hard to set up. Harmony remotes don't work the same way that most remotes do. Anyone used to programming macros into their remotes initially have a hard time grasping the activity concept that Logitech uses. Once you understand how it works it's actually quite simple to program. Instead of programming a specific sequence of commands into a macro you simply specify which components are used and what inputs or other settings apply to each component. The remote does the rest. It's all a matter of getting your mind in synch with the way they operate.


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## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

GadgetVirtuoso said:


> I don't know why some are saying the Harmony remotes are hard to setup. I've been able to setup several without the remotes for Tivos, Bluray players, AppleTV and Roku. The guided setup is very easy. It can take a little work if you want custom functions or buttons but even that is far easier than remotes of old.


http://home.comcast.net/~tomhorsley/hardware/harmony/harmony.html

OK, things have improved a bit since I wrote that, but there is still enough of the "you are in a maze of twisty passages, all different" in the setup screens to make things irritating and annoying. And, naturally, I have to crank up a Windows system - no linux support.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

tomhorsley said:


> http://home.comcast.net/~tomhorsley/hardware/harmony/harmony.html
> 
> OK, things have improved a bit since I wrote that, but there is still enough of the "you are in a maze of twisty passages, all different" in the setup screens to make things irritating and annoying. And, naturally, I have to crank up a Windows system - no linux support.


I just skimmed over the article in the link and what I read reminded me of my initial impression of the Harmony setup. I thought it sucked, plain and simple. After working with it for a while I realized it wasn't the software but rather my mindset. I was so used to configuring macros with my other remotes that the concept of configuring activities was completely foreign to me. Once I changed my way of thinking, programming the remote was quite simple and straightforward.

One of things I love about the Harmony remotes is that Logitech probably has one of the most extensive component libraries available that I've ever used. I recall purchasing a new high end Marantz DVD player that had just come out 7 or 8 years ago. When the player arrived I immediately wanted to program my Harmony 880 with the codes. When I accessed the online library the player was listed. In fact, I don't recall any device I couldn't program into a Harmony remote because the codes weren't available.


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Most harmony remotes have an IR receiver so you can capture your own codes. But typically, if it's not available, you can email customer support and they'll do it ASAP


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## NoVa (Feb 26, 2006)

Have a Premier 4 hidden but all other components out in the open.
Bought a Sewel IT blaster & it works well with TiVo remote.

Now I want to use my good ole H1 to corral everything up.

How would I do this now that the IR blaster is part of the equation? 
Conceptually I can't get my head around how I can control the blaster with the H1 to get the hidden P4 into the mix.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

You can use an IR extender to send the commands to any hidden device. It's basically a receiver that sits out in the open that has an extension cord with an IR transmitter LED that you place in front of the device you want to control. Point the remote at the receiver and it picks up the signal and transmits it to the repeater to control the device.


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## NoVa (Feb 26, 2006)

mr.unnatural said:


> You can use an IR extender to send the commands to any hidden device. It's basically a receiver that sits out in the open that has an extension cord with an IR transmitter LED that you place in front of the device you want to control. Point the remote at the receiver and it picks up the signal and transmits it to the repeater to control the device.


Yeah - I understand this part...which was easy with the TiVo remote.
But now that I am trying to use my ole Harmony One remote to control everything including the hidden TiVo, do I search for the IR blaster in the Harmony database to integrate into the remote sequencing?


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

NoVa said:


> Yeah - I understand this part...which was easy with the TiVo remote.
> But now that I am trying to use my ole Harmony One remote to control everything including the hidden TiVo, do I search for the IR blaster in the Harmony database to integrate into the remote sequencing?


There's nothing to program so you won't find anything in the Harmony database. A remote extender just picks up the IR signal from any remote and sends it to a remote IR transmit LED. Some are hardwired and some are connected via RF. Just google "remote extender" and you'll find a number of different models available.


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## WO312 (Jan 24, 2003)

Looks like he already bought a Sewel IT blaster, so he was just asking how to program it. You answered that - he doesn't have to do anything. The blaster just picks up the signal from the Harmony One and sends it to the P4. I believe he has already tested that part with his Tivo remote. So as long as his Harmony is programmed with the proper Tivo codes he should be good to go.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

dallastx said:


> Good luck in finding one, but I think the Logitech Harmony One is the ticket. I've programmed my two TiVos so that all functions are accessed by physical buttons allowing to to use it by feel.


This...I've had my One for several years now, and it's never failed me...


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## NoVa (Feb 26, 2006)

WO312 said:


> Looks like he already bought a Sewel IT blaster, so he was just asking how to program it. You answered that - he doesn't have to do anything. *The blaster just picks up the signal from the Harmony One and sends it to the P4.* I believe he has already tested that part with his Tivo remote. So as long as his Harmony is programmed with the proper Tivo codes he should be good to go.


Yep - this was the case. I guess I originally thought the blaster was a separate entity that needed to be program itself like any other A/V equipment.

However, as previously stated by you all - the Sewel blaster just knows when to pick up the right signal & I suspect the TiVo actually nudges it somehow due to the IR eyes linking it to the blaster.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

Just so you know, an IR repeater picks up all IR signals and retransmits them. The device at the other end (i.e., the Tivo) knows what signals belong to it and responds only to those signals. It's the same as if all devices were within line of sight of the remote.


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## NoVa (Feb 26, 2006)

mr.unnatural said:


> Just so you know, an IR repeater picks up all IR signals and retransmits them. The device at the other end (i.e., the Tivo) knows what signals belong to it and responds only to those signals. It's the same as if all devices were within line of sight of the remote.


Yep - just realizing it now. Thanks for your comments.


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## janry (Jan 2, 2003)

I got a URC WR7 a couple of days ago based upon the recommendations in this thread. I have a Harmony One in our den and I just set up a man cave for my retirement. I wanted a Harmony One or something like it but decided for the difference in price, that I'd give the WR7 a try. 

I love it. It is easy to program and I really like the feel of it. At this point, when the Harmony One in the den dies, I'll replace it with another one of these if they are still around.


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## jwwz (Aug 18, 2004)

I've used Harmony Remotes for many years, I currently have two "Harmony One's" in my house and find them rock solid. They are time consuming to set up but worth it in the end.:up:


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

jwwz said:


> I've used Harmony Remotes for many years, I currently have two "Harmony One's" in my house and find them rock solid. They are time consuming to set up but worth it in the end.:up:


With the new Roamio TiVO DVRS being RF based remotes, I am assuming the Harmony One or URC WR7 won't work with it, correct? Or can they still maybe work with RF equipment with some sort of adapter?


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

buscuitboy said:


> With the new Roamio TiVO DVRS being RF based remotes, I am assuming the Harmony One or URC WR7 won't work with it, correct? Or can they still maybe work with RF equipment with some sort of adapter?


As far as I know, all TiVo remotes work with the Roamios. IR remotes definitely work. You'll be missing keys, the "Back" key in particular, and the ABCD keys aren't on old TiVo remotes, but I wouldn't expect any problems other than the obvious ones.


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## RusRus (Apr 8, 2013)

NoVa said:


> Looking for good universal all-in-one remote to handle TiVo, AVR, & BluRay.
> 
> Prefer RF but will consider IR.
> 
> Help please.


Read my new post about the Tivo Learning Remote


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Nice to know there are good choices for those with only one TiVo in any given room.

Are there any that can do the same thing as the TiVo remotes with the 1-2 slide switch?


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

I now see on the TiVo website how these Roamio DVRs have remotes that are IR/RF based. Good to know & glad they kept the IR option.


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## mcmnky (Nov 20, 2008)

Hello,

I'm looking at the WR7 to replace a Harmony 890. I like the features of the Harmony, but find their remotes poorly made and short-lived.

I have 2 questions for the WR7 owners: 

First, are the macros comparable to the activities on the Harmony? For example, I have a typical setup--TiVo, TV, receiver, optical disc player. I don't always use the receiver, so I have 2 disc player activities. One to turn on the TV, turn on player, and set the TV input to disc player. And a different activity to do all that, plus turn on the receiver and mute the TV.

Are the WR7 macros for that kind of use?

Second question, is it usable sitting on a flat surface? Thanks to TiVo, I'm not flipping around during commercials and I don't need my remote in hand at all times. My remote spends most of its time on the coffee table, but most remotes (even the TiVo peanut) are made to be held, with curved bottoms that rock and slide if you try to use them on a flat surface.

From pictures, it looks like the WR7 has a mostly flat base. Does it work well sitting on a table?

Thank you!


Sean


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

I replaced my Harmony 880 with a WR7 in March. Amazing capability for the price! I think it will do what you need and it does sit on a flat surface without wobbling. I had to replace the rechargeable battery in the 880 and it cost almost as much as the entire WR7. I see no justification for the bother and expense of rechargeable batts for a remote. The Harmony programming method was tedious and time consuming IMO. WR7 programming is fairly straightforward by comparison, and it includes the capability to learn commands from other remotes. Here is the manual for the WR7:
http://www.universalremote.com/pdf/wr7_manual.pdf


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## mcmnky (Nov 20, 2008)

dlfl said:


> I replaced my Harmony 880 with a WR7 in March. Amazing capability for the price! I think it will do what you need and it does sit on a flat surface without wobbling.


Thanks! I'd say it's hard to believe a Harmony remote costing hundreds of dollars could be replaced by a $20 remote, but that's not any less plausible than how poorly made those expensive remotes are.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

See this old thread on URC Gamer, same remote as the WR7:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=361003&highlight=gamer


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

Hey, get the WR7 from Amazon, it's even a Prime item. Try it. 30 day return policy!


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

Never tried one of these before, but I really like the idea of backlit keys for the bedroom tv. The Tivo Peanut seems to have so much more though. How do you program Tivo Central? LiveTv? Clear? 8sec rewind?. zoom? THumbs UP/Down? (I don't really use those 2, but curious)

Would I be able to program a macro to create a Timeout function? Currently, I have to use my television remote to press about a dozen keys to set TV sleep timer for 60 minutes. Can I do something like that? What button would it use? (thanks a bunch to Tivo upgrade for getting rid of the automatic 90 minute timeout)

I think the colors and labels on the Tivo peanut are useful. If I assign universal buttons for some of those functions, do I just have to remember what the program is for that key. My memory is not as good as it used to be  

I looked at the WR7 on Amazon and it looks pretty good. Can't beat the price.

It would be nice if Tivo came up with a Tivo-centric Universal Remote.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

I have three Video sources:
Tivo, BluRay Player and Logitech Revue Google TV
and
A Sony Sound bar

My default configuration is the Tivo feeding the TV via component cables and bypassing the sound bar. No HDMI connections involved and the Tivo peanut remote is used. There are two reasons for this:

1. Nothing beats the peanut as a Tivo remote, although the WR7 can be programmed for at least partial control.
2. My wife needs ultimate simplicity. With the default configuration she just uses the Tivo remote to turn the TV on/off, control volume, etc.

The WR7 is programmed for single button toggling between default configuration and two other configurations:
1. Google TV source --HDMI--> Sound Bar --HDMI--> TV
2. Blu ray player --HDMI--> Sound Bar --HDMI--> TV

With the Google TV source the WR7 is programmed for some control but the Logitech Revue keyboard is much preferable.

With the Blu Ray source the WR7 can be used for all required control.

Turning the Sound Bar and Blu Ray on/off and selecting Sound Bar HDMI input is all part of the single button macros.

A variant of default configuration is to mute the TV component audio volume and get audio via the fiber optic sound coming out of the Tivo to the Sound Bar. The WR7 has buttons programmed to do this, and in general to control the Sound Bar menu items.

If all the WR7 did was furnish the single button configuration switch capability it would be well worth the $20 to me, considering how many button pushes on several different remotes would otherwise be required.


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## mcmnky (Nov 20, 2008)

Has anyone used the URC R40 remote with TiVo?

I tried the WR7, but it's not working out for me. Its macros couldn't hold enough pauses to wait for my TV to come completely to life before trying to change the input, and there were too many buttons missing (tivo, thumbs up/down, eject for disc player, etc.).

I'm wondering if the R40 with the LCD screen is closer in features to the Harmony 890 I'm replacing.


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## jbluemke (Sep 22, 2013)

yeah, i didn't like that one either


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## jbluemke (Sep 22, 2013)

I heard good things about the URC R40 but never used it


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

The R40 has to be sent in to be upgraded to fix a bug that erases taught commands.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1384297/official-urc-r40-thread


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## bigguy126 (Sep 4, 2007)

I'm using the R40 for my setup. I did get it to do everything I wanted. It is, for sure a bit of a learning curve. I had problems with their firmware in the beginning. THere is a bug in one of the versions where it forgets what you programmed. I bought on Amazon and returned 2 and still got the bad version. Had to send back to the company to get correct one. Firmware is not updatable. Easiest way to setup is to take EVERY remote you want it to learn and have it learn EACH key. Then program your macro's. It has been working pretty flawlessly. It does go through batteries pretty quickly. Like once a month. I got some rechargeable ones. Setup is Roamio, TV, Stereo receiver, Roku, DVD player, Cd player.


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## mcmnky (Nov 20, 2008)

The firmware issue with the R40 (keys loosing programming) seems to be fixed with the versions newer than 1.19.

Support seems good, with many reports of units with older firmware being replaced at no charge with new remotes (within warranty). I've also seen reports that Amazon is sending out remotes with firmware 1.20.

I like the features on the Xsight Touch ARRX18G from Acoustic Research, although it's an older model.

I assume whichever way I go there will be much manual programming of keys. Functions like discrete on/off (not toggle) and setting the TV to a specific input are things not usually included (unless the remote software goes in to the level the detail like the Harmony).


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## takeshi (Jul 22, 2010)

hershey4 said:


> Never tried one of these before, but I really like the idea of backlit keys for the bedroom tv. The Tivo Peanut seems to have so much more though. How do you program Tivo Central? LiveTv? Clear? 8sec rewind?. zoom? THumbs UP/Down? (I don't really use those 2, but curious)





hershey4 said:


> I think the colors and labels on the Tivo peanut are useful. If I assign universal buttons for some of those functions, do I just have to remember what the program is for that key. My memory is not as good as it used to be


You might be better served by a model that has buttons that can be labeled. I use our old MX-350 (actually now new since it had to go in for service and they just replaced it with a new one) in the bedroom to control the Mini. It has 5 buttons to the right of the LCD screen and the labels for the buttons are customizable on the screen. You can assign up to 8 (IIRC) pages of such buttons to a device for a maximum of 40 such buttons for each device.

The R40 mentioned above is another possibility. I got tired of having to rely on codes and learning so I went with the MX-980 for our main media room but it is a pricey remote intended for custom installers.



mcmnky said:


> I assume whichever way I go there will be much manual programming of keys. Functions like discrete on/off (not toggle) and setting the TV to a specific input are things not usually included (unless the remote software goes in to the level the detail like the Harmony).


I wouldn't expect them on URC's consumer line. They are, however, available on (at least some of) URC's professional line.


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## cannonz (Oct 23, 2011)

unitron said:


> Nice to know there are good choices for those with only one TiVo in any given room.
> 
> Are there any that can do the same thing as the TiVo remotes with the 1-2 slide switch?


All universal remotes will have several Tivo codes for the 0-9 Tivo uses, 0 for any 1-9 unique. My inexpensive SRU5108/27 only has 0,1,2 I use 1 under cable and 2 under DVR to control 2 Tivos in one room, would have to use learning to use 3 or more. I do wonder if the expensive ones have more or maybe all the Tivo codes programmed in.


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## CharlesH (Aug 29, 2002)

It took me a while to understand that the 1-2 switch on the TiVo remotes did not switch between code sets 1 and 2. Instead, they allow two arbitrary code sets to be selected. For example, switch position 1 could be set to code set 5 and switch position 2 could be set to code set 1.


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## Johncv (Jun 11, 2002)

This just came out:

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-smart-keyboard


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## cannonz (Oct 23, 2011)

CharlesH said:


> It took me a while to understand that the 1-2 switch on the TiVo remotes did not switch between code sets 1 and 2. Instead, they allow two arbitrary code sets to be selected. For example, switch position 1 could be set to code set 5 and switch position 2 could be set to code set 1.


Yeah, they should have labeled them A and B to make that clear, I had to explain it to someone once


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## pegasus (Mar 3, 2004)

Johncv said:


> This just came out:
> 
> http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-smart-keyboard


Seems a little pricey, but good to see they are still out there developing products.


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