What remotes has everyone been migrating to when replacing a URC MX-3000? I would like to stick with an RF remote.

Pretty much anything. NEVER liked the MX3000 and never even tried the 6000. Stick with a wand style. The MX890 and MX1200 are great remotes. If you like a little flashier and still like a touch screen stick with the 1200.

I'm actually replacing my MX-3000 as well. I too looked at the MX-890 and MX-1200 but decided to go with the MX-5000. Not as many hard buttons as I'd like but it has other advantages that are very appealing.

Careful. Proceed with caution. While the MX5000 will give you some ip control, it is a much slower remote, has a battery with about 5 hours of charge time, and is generally thought of as a less reliable remote. Most dealers stay far away from it.

MX-890

Sub for a 3000, or just a personal fave?

I like the looks of the 890 very much, but to recommend it in place of an MX 3000 seems to be quite a stretch. Going from a touchscreen to buttons; from a reasonably good size screen to be fairly small screen. Seems like an MX 1200 or an MX 5000 would be a better choice.

Hadn't heard anything like this, certainly not from the dealer. I was focused on the MX-1200, or MX-890, concluding the touch screen on the 1200 would serve me better (especially since I've had an MX-3000) than the four colored hard buttons on the MX-890.

I then switched my thinking to the MX-5000 in order to get some control beyond IR. Also, I'm hoping to eliminate the placement of emitters on my equipment and thought either serial, or IP options would accomplish this, in addition to their other benefits. While my A/V receiver has a direct IR input, as well as RS-232, and I'm going to purchase a blu-ray player with the same two inputs, the TV I'm looking at only has RS-232. I know of no way to get serial control via a Complete Control remote without the now discontinued MSC-400. Finally, I have a Dish Hopper so that would require an emitter without IP control. If I had serial control, I could switch to a DirecTV Genie which I understand can be controlled via it's USB port. Still, unless there's some way to get serial control that I don't know about, I would need to place emitters on both the TV and the DVR. I can certainly do that, but if there's a way to avoid it, I'd like to do so.

The 5 hour battery life-are you saying the remote will have power for only 5 hours while utilizing the system or 5 continuous hours? If it's only 5 hours of usage, that is picking it up and putting it down over a five hour period, then that sounds like a deal breaker. I charge my MX-3000 overnight and then use it quite a bit during the day. The battery gets fairly low, but has never run out over the course of a day.

Slower remote-how does this manifest itself? Components respond slowly? Remote is slow to wake up? Something else?

I'm replacing my MX-3000 because the select key is broken. I would really like to continue programming my own remote, however, the Complete Control line no longer seems to offer much beyond IR solutions. The MX-5000 seemed like a good, albeit expensive, solution. Based on your input, I need to rethink it (thanks for the heads up).

I have considered hiring a Pro because that would give me the option of going to RTI where I could then get a T2x which would probably be my first choice for a remote, if I could program it myself. Add an XP-6, or possibly an XP-3, and I'd probably be better off than with any of the URC remotes. Maybe I should reconsider this option?

Let's just say that my experiences with the MX-1200 & MX-5000 haven't been as reliable as the MX-890...

RTI software is locked down. If you are looking to program yourself, you are better off sticking with CCP. I have had horrible luck with RTI equipment, and even have a T2X sitting on my desk that I have to send in, just got an RMA. It's completely non-responsive. By that I mean it does nothing, screen shows nothing, its black.

I understand your desire to go with IP or Serial control. Unless you are looking for two-way communication, I think you are gaining nothing. An emitter is a small price to pay for a reliable remote. The MX5000 is just not a great remote. I disagree on the point of issues with the MX1200 in the previous post. That is just in my experience though. I'd like to hear about the issues with the MX1200 as I have not had any. They have been very solid remotes.

BTW, I typically get a week out of the battery on the MX890 (which I don't use in my house anymore since switching to Total Control). The TRC-1080 has been just as good.

I've got an unused, as new MX3000 I never use that we could come to a deal on if you want to stick with the MX3000, but I am in the UK so postage might be an issue.

Sounds like two of you are suggesting staying away from the MX-5000 but only one is warning about the MX-1200. It's difficult to know what my experience will be but I'm convinced that staying away from the MX-5000 is best. Since I've had the MX-3000, and it's touchscreen, I think the MX-1200 is the logical choice unless there's more suggestions that it's not reliable.

As for the emitters, no, it's not a big deal to use them. I'd rather not, if possible, which is why I like equipment with direct IR inputs. Unfortunately, it seems like these inputs aren't all that common.

I don't really need two-way, via serial or IP. Much of my desire for something more than IR is just curiosity. Having programed IR for more than a decade now, I'm looking for an opportunity to experiment a little. Programming an MX-1200, or MX-890, isn't going to provide much of a challenge, however, it will entail using the Complete Control program versus the standalone MX-3000 editor. That's something new to provide a bit of a challenge.

If I'm looking for a challenge, and to do a bit of experimenting, what do you think of getting an MRX-2, and a Complete Control App for Android license in addition to an MX-1200? I can't imagine using a tablet as a primary control device, but it would be interesting to see what it could do. Wouldn't this provide control via both serial and IP as well as IR? Right now I utilize an MRF-300 w/RFX-250 narrow-band antenna (instead of the original RFX-150)

My point on the MX-1200 is that I can control devices easier with a MX-890.
Do you have CCP software?
As for the bundle, you can control IR/RF/IP/Serial with the Android (or iOS) via the MRX-2. The MX-1200 will only control IR/RF (no IP, no serial) thru the MRX-2.

Easier? Earlier you mentioned the MX-1200 being less reliable than the MX-890. Can you provide a bit of detail? I'm mostly concerned about getting a very reliable remote, if it's a bit harder to program, that's OK. Perhaps you're talking about how the physical characteristics of the MX-890 make it easier to use than those of the MX-1200?

Thanks for the confirmation regarding the bundle. I was aware the MX-1200 can only utilize the MRX-2, as long as it has an RFX-250, as if it's an MRF-350, or MRF-300.

I don't have the CCP software, only the MX-3000 editor. I will be buying the MX-1200, or possibly the MX-890, from an authorized dealer who will provide it.

I am guessing he is speaking of the ease of pressing the hard buttons vs touch screen, which takes more effort and reaching to accomplish. In my experience it has been very reliable however.

FWIW I got rid of two MX-6000 soon after realizing how bad they were designed and executed. I'm still in dark ages with MX-980 for wands (although I love them personally)but now use iPad mini as I had intended to use MX-6000s.