I am not sure if this is the correct place to post this question, but it sure seems like everyone in this forum knows just about everything about remote controls.

My wife was in a car wreck about a year ago, and was partially paralized, and since then she has been stuck watching whatever is on tv when nobody is with her. Using our remote(just a normal tv remote, none of the fancy deals you guys talk about) is hard because she can't make her fingers move correctly.

So since I have been into electronics for some time(never messed with remotes though) I figured that there surely is a way to "custom" build a remote that she can use. I talked to her and she is excited, and I would really like to make this for her, but there just isn't much info on how to go about doing this.

What I would like to do is build a simple remote with 5 buttons, power, vol. up, down, and channel up, down. She has a hard time pushing a specific spot, and even then she couldn't really press it hard. So ideally, I would like to use touch sensitive buttons, and they would have to be a good size, at least the size of a half dollar.

I don't know if it's possible, but I am trying out anything I can find on the subject, so if anyone has any ideas or comments please let me know

The Harmony remote might be the best remote for this, there's a Harmony forum here at RC, check it out.

Rob

I don't know if any one can help with building a remote.

I like the Harmony, but I am not sure if it is the right remote for you. But you can read Daniel's review of it to make up your mind. [Link: remotecentral.com]
My reasons to not pick the harmony is that the buttons are not particularly big (but they are not crammed together) and that the main controls are the scroll wheel and side button (but maybe the technical support at harmony can help with that, most responsive technical support there is, if there is a way, they will help you with it)

Here is a list of other remotes you might want to look at

Pronto: touch screen, can easily fit 5 large buttons on the screen, and you can setup different pages for you and her. [Link: remotecentral.com]
plus two big hard buttons at the bottom

I have used the Harmony and Pronto, but I have not the rest I will mention, so take that into consideration :-)

MX-700: comes with two remotes, the smaller one might be what she needs [Link: remotecentral.com]

[Link: smarthome.com] more buttons then you ask, but they seem big in the picture

Rob,

Hey, doesn't or didn't ofa make a really small few button remote for kids? wee-remote or something like that? I've seen some small very restrive buttoned remotes someplace. Since all he needs is one set up for one device, apparantly a pretty simple, bottom featured tv, maybe something like this is something she could handle. I think I saw something similar in a "three-devicer" at WW a little while ago. Yeah, it's not a touchscreen, but the buttons were way larger than normal, and I don't think it took a lot of pressure to make them work. He didn't say whether his wife could talk, maybe one of the "voice activated" remotes I've seen occassionally on ebay would work for her? I'm sure there's something already ready made and not outrageously expensive that would probably work.
Jim

Radio Shack has a Big Button remote.

Thanks a lot everyone, this information really helps, but I still have a few questions. The pronto remote that was suggested looks like my best bet, but it looks like the "buttons" on the touch screen are small, then I read in the above post that it "can easily fit 5 large buttons on the screen" Does this mean that I can pick the size of the "button"? If so, how would I go about doing that, keep in mind I don't own a computer, just webtv. If the remote can be programmed by itself, and it allows me to determine the size of the "buttons" on the screen then where would be the best place to purchase it, and what is the going price? I am going to look up some more info on it and try to find out myself, but if anyone knows the answers to the questions, it sure would help me out, thank you everyone that replied, it really does mean a lot that people are out there who still try to help a person.

I started answering before I finished reading your post. Out of the box you cannot do much, and you are stuck with the default layout and button size. If you know someone with a PC, that is the best way to go. Because with the editing software you can make any button have any shape size and function you want

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where would be the best place to purchase it, and what is the going price?
the advertisers on this site for a new one, and the price is a bit under 250$, but depends on the store.

While I have no personal experience with this, I know smarthome.com advertises a $70 voice activated remote that should allow your wife to perform the functions you listed easily without having to touch anything. Anyone else tried this? Look for item# 8169.

I have only heard complaints from people who have used a voice activated remote.

But just noticed this [Link: avsmarts.com] (OK saw it referenced in an other post :-) )