Arjen,

Yes, I have the transport buttons duplicated on the LCD as well, for other users...but since my girlfriend NEVER uses the number buttons, only the minimum functions, it isn't a problem to have the hard number buttons reassigned.

Like I said, this works for me, because I rarely use the number buttons.

Which brings up a related question--how much do people use number buttons vs. transport buttons across the whole range of their devices? It seems to me that number buttons are a legacy from the pre-cable TV days.

My own usage is quite unambiguous--I use transport buttons all the time; numbers rarely. I even use a menu-driven guide system to select TV channels (as do most candidates for a remote at this price point).

If hard buttons were determined based on usage, perhaps it would have been a better choice to put transport buttons where the numbers are, and leave the numbers for the LCD. Even when I use the number buttons, I find myself looking at the remote anyway. Obviously, the LCD pane would have to be built around a 3 x 6 grid rather than a 2 x 6 grid for this).

Any opinions?

Philip Brandes