than the mx-900.
I noticed the skip- + are missing. Also some other buttons in the bottoms half (below the screen) are missing from the mx950 which you can find them on the mx-900

I like to know if there is a logical explanation to this, for example what do you use for skipping chapters ...do you guys just reprogram those into the top buttons?

If someone had to pick between the mx-900 and mx-950 for their first remote, which would you recommend?

thx

The MX-950 actually has the skip buttons. For that remote we tried a new idea where the BACK and AHEAD buttons are rocker-style switches. The benefit is that many people don't use or want the skip buttons, so both positions of the BACK and AHEAD buttons can be programmed with the same function. This results in normal REW and FF functionality for people who want their remote simple, while people who want both functions can program the rockers with both sets of functionality. The only other different is the "Prev CH" button on the 900, which is analogous to the the BACK button on the 950.

Our remote designs are always evolving, taking into account the comments and needs expressed by installers. As viewer habits change over time, different designs become better suited to the needs of different consumers.

Thanks,
Dale

Dale answered your first question professionally and perfectly, so I will just say in response to your question about the 900 and 950 for a first remote, it depends.

Both remotes are great, the 950 carries a higher price tag, but is packed with many other features. To name, light graphics, sounds, variables, more room for text, color backlight, lithium as opposed to batteries, and some programming features that make it more powerful. Do you need these things? It depends on your system. Do you have a lot of TOAD devices? The 950 is designed to handle them better with variable support. Do you like the idea of sound effects and more descriptive LCD commands? Then make the 950 your first remote and the 3000 the down the line URC choice.

I personally think that the 900 is one of the best bang for your buck remotes out there. It's a pleasure to hold it in your hand, as it is built light and ergonomic. It has great features, and I hear they may expand on them. If you can get away without the other features I mentioned, then this is a great choice.

Regards,
Vincent

Hi Darnitol, thanks for the reply.
If you can only answer this question, i really appreciate it.
I got the mx-900 last week and the more i use it, i like it a lot more. (discrete codes are my favorite part, finding them for my pioneer system was easy, i just feel bad for other folks who can't find it for their device and not familiar with the hex stuff, irpanel, whatever users are talking on this forum).
The question i have is regarding the lights.
I like the light feature on my old remote, where you can manage to have the lights come on or not when any button is pressed. I know the mx-900 is not like that and you have to push the side button for lights to come on and stay on based on how mnay seconds you program the remote for.
I called Universal Remote and they said that is by design to preserve battery life.
Then i hear that the mx-950 has a light feature (motion sensitive), that turns on the lights if moved. If that is the case, wouldn't the mx-950 drain battery then? I hear 2 different things here now.
It would be a nice feature to have me as a user control if i want my remote lights on or not if any button is pushed. It should be more flexible to my needs. As for battery life, i have had other remotes that turn on lights, and they last a long time. Please see if it can be done as a firmware update to this remote.

The reason that both the MX-950 and MX-3000 light up via a pickup sensor is that they both have rechargeable batteries. Since the remote is designed to sit in its charging station when it's not being used, there isn't a problem with battery life. The problem with doing that with the MX-900 is that it would probably cause the user to replace batteries every 2-3 months. As these remotes are intended to be installed in a client's home, a short battery life would not be a good selling point.

Mike
www.SurfRemoteControl.com

2-3 months? More like 2-3 weeks with an auto-activated backlight! I'm fortunate to get 1-2 months out of an MX-700 with very little backlight use.

well then i have to say if it's 2-3 weeks or even 2-3 months, it's poor design or are using the wrong LEDs. How could this remote have backlighting and last more than 9months for me.

[Link: ofausa.com]

Plus how come the 950 has the light feature on by default, where you pick it up and it lights up. Are you telling me that light feature drains battery life, at the same time, mx-950 has that built in?
I hear 2 different stories here now.

Yes, the lights on the 950 drain the battery just as quickly. However, the 950 has a charging base where you store and recharge the remote nightly. Because of that, the battery doesn't need months, or even weeks of charge to power the button lights. As for the battery life, it has a lot to do with aesthetics: we chose to use the attractive laser-etched button labels on the MX-900, which means we need brighter LEDs. And unfortunately, blue LEDs consume more power than other LED colors. Yes, there are other choices we could have made, but the MX-900 was a response to the suggestions and requests of many custom installers over a period of several years.

The feature set and capabilities of each model of remote we build are meant to address the specific needs expressed by installers and by extension, their customers. With some of the new models we have in the pipeline, such as the MX-810, I doubt we'll see significant feature enhancements to the 900, even if modifying the firmware would allow it. The MX-900 has been very well received, and while it may have shortcomings for the exact needs of some customers, it very closes addresses the needs of a very large audience.

I suppose that's just a long way of saying, "we have to strike a balance instead of trying to put all possible features into every product."

I hope this clears up some of the reasons behind the answers. I'm sorry that the MX-900 is missing this one feature that would improve your experience even more.

Thanks,
Dale

Where's the full sized LCD screen on that remote? There's your answer.





Daniel, I'm suprised you can get only that little out of an MX-700. I usually get about 4 to 4.5 months. Usually the last month or so the backlight becomes useless but I don't change the batteries until it starts dropping commands.

YellowBMR,

I have to ask you, and please don't take this the wrong way, I see a lot of your posts complaining about this backlight thing. Do you live in an underground house or something where light is scarce? Setting the backlight for 99 secs at at time has got to be enough time for you to do what you need. The remote is designed to allow a user to see commands when they need to, and not be an yesore for the rest of the theater. Furthermore, we would have to discount it heavily to pay for batteries the customer will go through.

That's strange. Other than the first set of batteries for a new remote (where you're constantly reprogramming), I regularly get 5-6 months with any URC remote. I guess my point was that an auto backlight would probably cut the battery life in half.

yellowbmr, the 9910 only has a smal LCD screen to light as well as a greatly reduced capacity (without using JP1) as compared to the MX-900. Its battery draw is substantially less.

Very odd. I have three different MX units in regular use, and they really do get only 1-2 months before their IR strength becomes next to useless and, at that time, I usually notice that the backlight is also nearly gone. I eat through AAA batteries at a furious clip.

I guess the next question would be how much you use the remotes.

is it too hard to make it an option rather than hardcoding the back light option.
It's almost like who needs AC around the beach homes, but hey, let me have it, and i decide if i wanna cool myself off or not.

Hardcoding options is the thing of the past. Look at the Motherboard bioses these days, everything is an option that user has control over.

Is it too hard? Honestly, I'm not a hardware engineer, but I do know one thing: when it comes to hardware, everything that's an option is always more expensive than locking in a single feature. Was it the right choice with the MX-900? Who knows? But a lot of people really enjoy the product. Would we sell more if this one feature were different? Who knows? But ultimately, the decision is already made for this product. We'll take what we learn from this round and balance it with the requirements, practicalities, and good ideas of hardware and software design to make the the next round of products an improved user experience overall.