I'm looking for a remote to control some basic equipment: TV, STB, DVD etc. The key requirement is to allow the user (my mother) to control most things using the hard buttons. As I am in Australia, this includes:

a. 4 colour buttons (red, yellow, green and blue).

b. Play, pause, rewind, FF, record.

c. Automatic/intelligent switching on/off of the relevant equipment.

Most remotes don't have the four colour buttons, so that cuts them out. She currently has a Harmony 525 which works fine but the buttons are a bit small for her. I don't like the ergonomics of the (relatively few) other Harmonies that have the colour buttons. Thoughts?

Have you thought about putting the color buttons up in the LCD of the MX-810/880? Obviously your limited to 6 buttons up top of the 810/880 but since there are so many hard buttons i think you might be able to get away with using 4 of them.

39 Cents,

Thanks for the reply. She doesn't like using the LCD screen, even via buttons to the side of the LCD. I presume that this is (at least in part) an eyesight issue - she can sort of feel her way to the hard buttons.

Also, I don't think that the MX remotes are available in Australia. One reason why the Harmonies dominate over here is precisely because they produce European/Australian versions with the colour buttons added and actively promote them in Australia.

A remote with buttons like the standard Sky/Foxtel remotes would be perfect.

If your talking about discrete's and macros when you say automatic/intelligent switching im not sure something like that exists in a remote that has color buttons but no LCD.

The only thing i can think of is control 4's handheld but i think it requires a base station/processor and it may require dealer programming.

Again, thanks for the reply.

Control4 do sell in Australia so I'll have a look at their products.

This dealer thing can be very annoying, as I would want to program it myself. They have an online application form "to become a dealer" so I might apply!

By automatic/intelligent switching, I was thinking of one of two possibilities:

a. Either, like my Pronto, the ability to write a macro which maintains device status and invokes the appropriate discrete.

b. Or, like the Harmony, has the same sort of macros automatically built in (and, although this sounds problematic, it actually works very well in practice and is why I bought her the Harmony in the first place).

LeisureTech Electronics are the Authorized Distributors of URC Remotes.

[Link: leisuretech.com.au]

If you want to know.

Jasonvp,

Thanks for the link, which I was not aware of. However, although they say that their URC remotes are for sale, they do not give any prices nor any method for purchase. Their locator tab provides a list of 'dealers' but none of these dealers list any products, let alone any products for sale - it just seems to be links to custom installers.

Anyone,

I am simply looking for a basic remote with big buttons and 4 colour buttons. Are there really no alternatives (in Australia) to the Harmony which are not way OTT, involving dealer programming, custom installers and the like?

tough one... this jumped into mind until you mentioned "big buttons"

[Link: remotecentral.com]

I don't know for sure if audiovox is available in Aussie land though.

Smokinghot,

Thanks for the link. They look like possibilities (the 4 colour buttons look well-placed, even if not that big). I haven't yet found anywhere in Australia that sells them but they seem to be readily available (or, soon to be readily available) in the UK which is usually a sign that they will come to Australia.

ps. Thanks for not making an 'anti-Harmony' comment!

Why...?.... something wrong with Harmonys...?

;)

Have you looked at these ?



[Link: oneforall-int.com]

[Link: search.dse.com.au]

They are cheap !
Don`t know how reliable they are.

More here [Link: shopferret.com.au]

Jasonvp,

Again, thanks for the reply - your responses are always very helpful. I thought about the OFA remotes but I think they are just a bit too downmarket, even for my mother. In particular, I don't think that they do they intelligent switching on/off of devices that the Harmony does.

It seems to me that the remotes under $100 divide into two broad categories, namely: those that emulate individual devices with the ability to switch from device to device; and, those that also include the concept of 'activities' which use multiple devices. She finds the latter ability very useful as it means that she can simultaneously control the TV and STB with the same set of buttons (i.e. a 'watch TV' activity). Correct me if I am wrong but I have always assumed that the OFA remotes can't do this.

Hi Guy,

I Looked at the URC 7781 manual (picture in Post 11) and see you can do fair bit with it.
You could set it up like an ACTIVITY type Remote, especially if you have a Pronto Remote or other that you can learn Discrete ON/OFF and INPUT Codes to it. The only problem I see is that when you create an ACTIVITY Marco is that I don`t think it can Jump to a Device at the end of the Macro. It may do it automatically by the last command in the Macro, but it does not say in the manual. You may would have to manually select the Device.

I don`t know of any ACTIVITY type Remotes that does not use a Display Screen/Touch Screen. You may have to talk your mum into it.

How much money are you willing to spend ?

Jason,

Ok, it looks like I should have a proper read of the OFA manuals.

She is not anti-touch screen, just pro hard buttons. Money is not the key criterion - I want to make sure that she has the most suitable remote for her circumstances.

ps. I have sent you an RC mail.

There is this from Marantz that is PC programmable. Buttons may be to small though. RRP $500 au.



More info here,
[Link: qualifi.com.au]

You can download the software here,
[Link: us.marantz.com]


This would be perfect, but as you probably know RTI Dealers only.



[Link: rticorp.com]

You could go for a Pronto TSU9200 $800 au (expensive)
Or you could [Link: cgi.ebay.com.au]

PS. Yes please to your RC Mail. Thanks!