i am on the hunt for the ULTIMATE universal remote. i have aprox 10 components to control. right now i have a very simple device based RCA remote(8 devices max), so it wouldnt take much to upgrade. i was looking at the Pronto but was leaning more toward the Hamrony 880 as i'm not into using 2hands and having to look at the remote everytime - until i spoke with Dave from Remotequest who pointed out i could have the best of both worlds with the Nevo!

my question -this Nevo looks AWESOME but will i be able to program it???

I'm not a pro, but I've had experience with all 3 of the remotes you mentioned. Each has its own +'s & -'s. The Harmony belongs in a separate class. Nothing against the Harmony (I love mine), but its just not the same as the Pronto and the Nevo. With the Harmony, there is no programming involved (not much anyway) and it'll have you up and running in much, much less time (1 day vs., well, more).

That is a HUGE advantage to the Harmony, and it fits in your hand nicely, lots of buttons and very little looking down.

That said, I'm a touch screen type of guy. I can see the advantage of not looking down but I like channel icons, etc. If I had to punch in the channels now, I wouldn't know where to begin. I like buttons too, and I like form. I think the Nevo brings these together very well.

As far as the programming goes. It's take some time with either the Pronto or the Nevo. But there's nothing that compares to the personal experience of a good design. The downside to the Nevo (for my application) is the WiFi and how it effects battery life. The server is nice but I'd prefer the RF of the Pronto to the WiFi of the Nevo.

So there's advantages and disadvantages to all. I'm experienced with Pronto and new to both Nevo and Harmony. The Harmony was an instant hit for the small appication (bedroom) I needed it for, although I'm not sure I'd install it for a large system (too many personalizations to miss). My feelings on the Nevo fluctuate BUT it's probably here to stay...

thanks alot for your input. i also REALLY like the idea of the personal customization capabilities of the LCD TS models. i should have mentioned i have NO exoerience in programming what appears to be such a complicated device, and honestly i find it a little intimidating. i do use a PC on a daily basis but not for any type of programming or complicated aplications. the nevo web site indicates it is intended to be programmed by a professional. now i'm not a total dumbell, but can someone with no experience with this type of thing program it on my own to run my home theatre?

also, in my situation i dont have a wifi set up (yet), and it would be used just as a home theatre remote(no automated lights, etc...yet), in your opinion is it overkill?

thanks again ckelly33.

Nah, its not overkill if its the remote that you like. Although I already have WiFi and I PLAY with the server features of the Nevo, it is a Home Theater Remote 99.9% of the time.

The WiFi isn't really necessary if you will have a direct line of site to all of your components AND you don't want to use the server aspect, but it does add another dimension (which you can always add later).

THe programming does have a bit of a learning curve. I'd never done it before either before my pronto. At first, you'll wonder what you've gotten yourself into but after an hour or two of simply experimenting you'll find yourself on your way. Take that professional programmer line with a grain of salt. If the Nevo requires a pro, then the Pronto should too. Both are just a new program for you to learn. In many respects, the Nevo is much easier than the Pronto to program for (& vice versa).

You'll start out with a layout (probably a template to start with) and you'll get all of your commands programmed in to the Nevo (the software makes this very simple by using a device model # lookup). The next step is a little harder and takes more thought: MACROS. I started with my system off and wrote down which remote and which command I used for easch step (power ups, inputs, etc.) then I daisychained these commands together into one large command. I did the same for going from one device (watching DVD) to the next (watching TiVo), etc. It's not that hard if you step back and realize that you do a macro everytime you use multiple buttons and multiple remotes. You're just gonna fix it to where that's all done with the push of a button.

Once you get it up and functional, the personalization begins. I'm constantly changing mine around, refining it, whatever. Soon, you'll have a remote that no pro could've fixed up for you. One that thinks like you & looks the way only you could've envisioned. But to get there is gonna take a while.

Then you buy another component (as I just did) and here it goes again...

thats great info, thanks again. the remote i currently use has macro's and learning ability so i'm quite familiar with that whole concept. anyway i'm pretty much sold, now it goes on the Xmas list!!

thanks alot for your help ckelly, it is GREATLY appreciated!

Let me know if you have additional questions. Feel free to give me a call.

Dave