After finally (for now) wrapping up the programming on my MX-700, I thought about the 200 and wondered what I might do with it. I'm single, quite used to running an MX-500 (and now an MX-700), so I don't really need it. But since I paid for it, why not try to come up with something???

Since it's basically designed with only one purpose in mind, it certainly has limited uses. And by the keys that are placed on it, it is (IMO) obviously aimed at either radio listening or TV viewing. So, that's what I decided to use it for. Except in my case, I'm using it for both.

In my second (bedroom) system, I turn the receiver on and off via X-10 controllers. (My main reason for this is that it adds the ability to turn the system off by timer.) So, once I have the receiver on, I use the MX-200's ON macro to turn on the TV, VCR and switch to the correct video input on the receiver. The channel up/down buttons operate the VCR's tuner and the volume is set to control the receiver.

Then, once I'm finished watching the TV, I normally set the radio to play as I go to sleep. So the MX-200's OFF macro turns off the VCR and TV and switches to the tuner. I then use the B and C favorites buttons to scan the tuner presets. At 1:00 am, the X-10 turns everything off. Pretty cool! (I still have my MX-500 for total control in this system.)

(MX-200 programming was very simple. I built a new MX Editor file for the 700 by adding my TV, receiver and VCR. (BTW, the VCR device was imported from my main MX-700 file since both VCRs are JVCs.) I then built my macros on the 700 simulator, dragged everything over to the 200 simulator and downloaded to the real 200. I tested the real 200 a time or two to tweak my choices and was finished. Again, pretty cool!)

Since I live by myself, I have not been able to come up with a useful use for it - maybe an X-10 controller for a couple of lights?

DJ

If it had one more button, I might be able to make use of it. I have two tivos: the most basic functions I would need are: Power on macro, power off macro, volume up, volume down, then Pause, 8 sec Replay, ff, and play on each TiVo. That's tweleve buttons.

Oh well, there's always ebay.

I know how you feel, Philosofy. I'm in exactly the same situation as you, and it makes the MX-200 kind of pointless for me. I would really like to set it up as just a 'watch TV' remote for when the family visits, but would need controls for both DTivos in case one is recording on both tuners and the channel can't be changed. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do with this thing.