I'm in the market for a remote control and I was contemplating the idea of buying the Philips RC 9800i but there are a lot of things that don't seem to be working right with that remote.

The a/v equipment that I want to control is a LCD screen TV, Toshiba DVD player, receiver, and my media center pc. The main thing I want is for a remote control that is able to change the channel on my Direct that is in the living from my room/office.

Any advice before I make a decision? Thanks

I've setup both a Philips RC 9800i for my father-in-law and a Harmony 890 for my sister. I have to say that of the two, the Harmony was easier to program and easier for family members to use. I don't like how the 9800i gives you almost no ability to customize which buttons you need, which ones you don't, and where they are located. You might have to scroll past several pages to get to a particular button. On the Harmony, you have more control over the layout. I also like all the hard buttons, the help system, the form factor, and the included IR extender which works well and makes it easy to do what you want -- change the channel from the other room.

These thoughts are from someone who still has an old school Pronto TSU-1000 and loves it.

BTW, my sister just got her Harmony from an online company with the same name as a large South American river... They have it for $256 with free shipping right now. I almost got myself one.

Thanks for the reply. I think I have decided to get the logitech 890 instead. Your review was very helpful and I think I'm going to like this remote. I think my wife will be happy that she does not have to sit through a long explanation on how to use the remote.