David,

I assure you that HTM DOES support end users. HTM has a toll free number you can contact our technical support staff during working hours eastern time. In my position as a "product evangelist" and product consultant for HTM, you are welcome to call or email me anytime, even in the evening or on a weekend with technical problems.

The Pronto is a capable remote control, but lacks the ease of use and quick programming capability of the MX 700 or the MX800. I would encourage you to find an authorized dealer to purchase one from, since HTM authorizes dealers who can supply you with excellent personal service and much expertise.

HTM makes an extraordinarily reliable product, one that you can trust. We simply want dealers who give customers great service and lots of after sales support an advantage over people who try to make a quick buck by marketing HTM products over the internet without providing any service. For that reason, the HTM warranty excludes products sold from unauthorized dealers.

I hope you will purchase an MX700 or MX800. If you do, I will be glad to help you, as I have helped many other end users, to successfully program their remote controls.

Best Regards,

-Eric

Eric Johnson
Principal Consultant

www.hometheaterpro.com

Phone 1-800-247-7001

Eric, I have already purchased an MX-700 and am very happy with it. As for the question of support, I was under the impression that HTM had structured things so that they would support custom installers but not end users. I apologize for my mistaken impression.

JUST BOUGHT THE MX-700 ON EBAY FOR 175.00 (NEW) ONE YEAR WARRANTY OR 500$? I will take my chances. Most of these remotes are ridiculously over priced including the 175.00 remote I just bought.

The MX-700 is $350, not $500.

When you take into account the price of the remote when compared to your home theater system, $175 or $350 is certainly not out of line for the level of control you have from the comfort of your seat.

IMHO.

... Greg

I thought this fairly clear. There isn't a price difference between the two anymore and there wasn't that much of a difference between them to begin with. The difference is that the Pronto is sold on the internet at wholesale pricing while HTM doesn't allow their product to be sold to the end user at wholesale pricing, internet or not. Like it or not it is an approach that is often employed by manufactures who want to stay in business. The argument that they would sell more if they would sell them cheaper just isn't always true. Products that don't have a protected profit margin are often blackballed by retailers because they can't make any money on them. Bose is the best example I can think of for protecting huge profit margins in this industry and we all know how much product they move. Trend Micro has a product called Pc-Cillin in the computer industry. Ever heard of it? most people haven't yet it has consistantly been arguably the best anti virus protection on the market for a decade. Nobody will carry or promote it because there is no profit in selling it. Trend micro doesn't care because they make their big money elsewhere but the point is that more people would have heard of it if the staples of the world carried it. Have you ever seen a product in a store, maybe even the MX-700, and then bought it off of the internet because you could get a better price? As retailer I can tell you that if I loose too many sales on a specific item to the internet, I drop the product and find something else. Philips could care less if some of us small fry drop their product, HTM does care.

First thing, the Universal stuff is pretty much bullet proof. Over the last couple years Ive seen our dealers buy thousands of these things, and can gladly say we have had one, yes just one come back. An MX1000 that had the center directional go bad (obvious customer abuse).

This discussion has sparked up interest. I just looked on ebay. Looks to me that the pronto sells about 125.00 and the mx700 is 179.00.. I did notice a color pronto for 560.00. I think that the mx-800 should have no problem selling 500.


BNC

The original Pronto TSU-1000 sells for about $100. The Pronto TSU-2000 sells for $120-200 (awfully wide range). The TSU-3000 for $190-260. The TSU-6000 (color) for $500-600, usually including RF capabilities.

The MX-700 is $180-210, and the MX-800 is $260.

All of these prices are from recently completed auctions on eBay. I was not involved in any of them in any way, shape, or form.

Frankly, I couldn't advise anyone to buy from an authorized HTM dealer at this point. You're paying twice the price for a 1 year warranty. If I was a dealer then I'd be furious with HTM... either drop the authorized pricing (not to eBay levels, but at least closer to reality) or crack down on all of the unauthorized selling. They make an excellent product, but if I hadn't purchased it grey market I never would have bought it. Yes, I spent $3500 on my TV. Doesn't mean I'm going to spend $350 on a remote when there are other options available for far less.

Again, just my opinion. I have nothing against the authorized dealers -- in fact I think they're the ones getting the short end of the stick in this issue.