Need a Smart Remote to control my Home Theater...Suggestions? (1 Viewer)

[dashelter]

Hello.
Can anyone recommend a good smart remote to buy aside from Harmony or an alternative/alternatives to Harmony?

Many thanks for all your suggestions and looking to your reply.

 

[greggor]

The URC remotes work very well. I was using one before I purchased and replaced it with the Harmony Elite. The only issue I was having with my URC was it was an older version and no longer as user friendly as the newer version. With URC they also need to be professionally programmed by an authorized dealer so they aren't as easy to program if you decide to make changes. None of the dealers I know will give you the programming software.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I am at a novice level with these Universal remotes. Logitech was always the perfect choice because I basically was able to easily program it myself with the help of the online software.

The URC might be a great recommendation, but if you have to get it professionally programmed, that might be a huge deterrent.

You might want to look at this selection from BestBuy

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=universal+remote&_dyncharset=UTF-8&_dynSessConf=&id=pcat17071&type=page&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=&sp=&qp=&list=n&af=true&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960&keys=keys

Finally, maybe not the most optimal, but there are iPhone apps (and I am certain Android) that work as Universal remote controls as well.

 

[DaveF]

I’ve got the URC MX780. It’s a good remote and was originally professionally programmed. Fortunately I got a copy of the software and have been able to maintain it myself subseqently. Having to pay $200 / hr to have little updates made or when I swap a component would have made it a disaster.

If your setup is highly stable, or you have plenty of money and free time to schedule and pay for third-party reprogramming, or you can get the software from your installer and don’t mind learning its basics, I can recommend the URC.

Otherwise get a consumer-friendly remote.

 

[dashelter]

What about a smart remote you can also control TV from your phone? In my case, Android.

 

[DaveF]

Harmony has smartphone apps. I don’t think the basic URC remotes have an app. But the higher-end URC and Crestron remote control systems have mobile-device apps. They may require a custom installer to sell to you. There are also IP-control remote apps on the phone platforms, but I don’t have any personal familiarity with those.

 

[John Sparks]

I’ve got the URC MX780. It’s a good remote and was originally professionally programmed. Fortunately I got a copy of the software and have been able to maintain it myself subseqently. Having to pay $200 / hr to have little updates made or when I swap a component would have made it a disaster.

If your setup is highly stable, or you have plenty of money and free time to schedule and pay for third-party reprogramming, or you can get the software from your installer and don’t mind learning its basics, I can recommend the URC.

Otherwise get a consumer-friendly remote.

I have the 990 and paying the installer was, even gas time, a turn off. I added a new BD player and was not about to have him come out to program that in. I just use the remote. Didn't feel like doubling the price of the new BD player.

Go with something cheaper that does everything the URC MX does, if there is such a creature.