My comments on the STOP and Chapter skip buttons are really directed toward Tivos. As mentioned, there isn't a STOP button on Tivo remotes, as you just pause a recording or exit it. Again with Tivo (and Replay), you can program the unit so that the chapter skip forward button will do a 30 second skip. This is invaluable for skipping commercials and the reason Tivo users are always asking about these butttons.

Nested macros means that you have have one macro call in another. Without this ability, you would have to duplicate the individual steps of one macro in the second. By nesting macros, a change to the nested macro will instantly change every macro its called into.

The 900 can also have two completely different macros on the same button. One is executed when the button is pushed and released. If the button is pushed and held down (for 1 ,2 ,3, 4 or 5 seconds), a different macro is executed. The 900's software also includes the IR database navigator, which allows you to assign a single command to a button. With the 850, you have to assign commands to all the buttons for a particular device.

Mike

I use Channel + and Channel - for DVD chapter selection and CD track selection. Why can't they just be used there?

I finally saw and held the MX-850 and MX-900 units at the local Tweeter store. I was not able to test the units but I can say this: The MX-900 was way more comfortable and a lot easier to read the LCD than on the MX-850.

I did not buy the unit yet. Tweeter charges the MSRP of $449.99. Buying the MX-900 at this price is like paying the full sticker price on a car without negotiating with the dealer.

Many reputable dealers will be selling the MX-900 at a reasonable discount price very soon. The MX-850 is already selling at less than half of its MSRP right now. I realize that it is very tempting to pay $225 now at eBay for the MX-900, but, is that a wise thing to do? They may not offer a warrantee. We all just have to be patient.

Because on a DVR, one still needs channel +/- for ... changing channels. Isn't this obvious? DVD+/-R/RW if used for TV recording has the same issue.

Even if one doesn't channel surf much, as most people stop doing after using DVRs, on Tivos they are used extensively as page up/page down. Personally I wouldn't mind additional hard buttons for page up/down, a lot of sat/cable boxes have both page up/down & chan up/down buttons, both used rather extensively.