I bought a house with an existing entertainment center, that includes:

* Sony 41T65 TV
* AudioControl Director 46: multi-room audio controller,
* Sony DA 50ES,
* Parasound T/DQ-1600 Digital Cinema Sound Processor
* DVD Sony Player
* CD Sony Player
* Sony RM-TP502 remote

I assume the remote was able before to operate these components. Anyhow currently, that remote doesn't operate any of the units. My understanding is that the Sony RM-TP502 remote is obsolete.

I need to add two additional components:
* Dish Network Receiver
* Samsung SR2700 Digital Satellite Receiver (Ku band)
* TIVO
* Home Theater PC

It seems that I have to replace the RM-TP502 with a more recent remote, for more legible display. The two most appealing remotes for me, as a novice, are the Sony RM-AV3000 and the Philips Pronto TSU-6000. There is a major price differential, but the Graphical programmability is a big plus for the Pronto.

So, my two questions are:

1. Do I have to replace the Sony RM-TP502 to accomodate the new components?

2. If I buy the AV3000 or the Pronto 6000 would it handle all components (old and new)?

Regards.

-nayel shafei

I will add two more remotes to your list to look at. One is the recent Sony VL1000 that just came out, uses the AV3000 engine but has more hard buttons and a small LCD screen for labeling upto 12 custom labels per device.

The other is the popular Home Theater Master MX500, you should read the review on this website, its better than the VL1000, I have used both. Both remotes go for around $70 and $115 respectively on the web. If you have home automation were timers are required then VL1000 is better, the MX500 has no timers.

To use any of these learning remotes, you should have the original remotes to teach them the IR signals. All though they do come with preset codes, they don't do everything the original remotes do, so you have to use your original remotes to teach them.

The MX500's big brother is the MX700 (Can be programmed using a PC, just like the Pronto's) which is also in the same price range as the Pronto's, also a very popular remote.