Best Universal Remote that Works with Tivo?

[gilvelez]

Any suggestions? I have an HDVR2...

Harmony? Mx-500/700, Phillips Pronto? Sony?

Gil

[markp99]

I vote MX-700 for maximum flexibility and programmability. MX-500 is great for full TiVo and ALL other AV device functionality and slightly lower price than MX-700.

MX-700 = $158
MX-500 = $95

(ebay prices)

[spartanstew]

DO A SEARCH.





Stew

[phone1]

SEE SIG

[rodneyremington]

It really depends.

Home theater, cost no object, harmony (my choice) or MX.

Just control TV and TiVo, cost matters--do a search.

[fores]

I received the Harmony 659-ST for Christmas and love it. The setup is entirely internet-based. No macros or programing to do. You just tell the website what components you have and how you use them for each activity and your remote is programed automatically. For example, when I hit the Watch TV button the remote turns on the tv and switches it to the correct input, then turns on the receiver and switches that to the correct input. All of this takes a few seconds. The best part is that the 659 has the tivo peanut design.

It's not cheap, but it's the easiest and best remote out there.

Chris

[gfb107]

Really, do a search, this comes up at least once a week.

[ZeoTiVo]

Originally posted by gfb107
Really, do a search, this comes up at least once a week.

go search Best Buy or Circuit City. For a less than 30$ remote, both have them for TiVo,et all.

[Grimdeath]

Another vote for the Home Theater Master MX-700 (I bought mine for $159 on ebay; you get the unit + programming cable, but don't qualify for the 1 yr warranty because they are not authorized vendors).
It control everything I own.

[JimSpence]

My vote is for the URC-6131.

But, where is the original poster to tell us what he bought?
Maybe, we scared him off with all of the "do a search" talk.!

[pgogborn]

Originally posted by gfb107
Really, do a search, this comes up at least once a week.

Did you do a search of this thread before giving that answer? That answer has already been given in this thread.

Before you complained that this question comes up at least once a week, did you notice the question you were answering was asked more than two weeks before you responded?

If the question keeps up 'coming up', it is in part because people like keep on adding duplicate answers to 'old' threads. As far as I can see, nobody has started a thread in this forum on that subject for at least two weeks.

Have you considered there is more than one way to do a search. Asking a question and expecting an individual human answer is just as as much a way of doing a search as expecting an automated answer.

Even Google offers the facility for an individual human response. However, what makes this forum special is that nobody expects to get paid for such responses and the reponses are often quicker than the ones given by the Google paid for service.

In an area where new products are coming onto the market it, at a time when new members are joining the forum, it is wise, not foolish, not to rely on last weeks answers, which may be missing the latest hot product or the wisdom of new members. Indeed, somebody doing a search of this forum may have noticed phone1's recent comment "the number of universal remotes that can operate TiVo is still somewhat limited, although growing". A clear indication that new products of this type are coming on to the market.>
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...58#post1659058

The topic of the thread was clearly indicated, there was no need for you to open it to add a reply which could just as usefully be given to anybody asking a question anywhere. Now there is a challenge. Come up with questions that have not already been asked and answered on the Internet and other publicly available places.

[gfb107]

Sorry, I just get frustrated by seeing the same questions and answers so frequently. I do my best to help people with useful information, but I do expect them to take the time to look a little before asking a question. A simple search of "universal and remote", in the title only, showing results by thread, yields 23 threads, some of which have been updated quite recently.

Usually, when someone here discovers a new TiVo compatible universal remote, they post that information, for all to see. They don't wait for someone to ask first. A search would find that.

BTW, if you checked my signature, you would have seen my recommendation for a universal remote.

[jwjody]

A hacked 6131 is good if you're controlling just a few components. It has it's downsides though. Small buttons, no backlight, hard to hit the right button in the dark...

But it's still cool when you hack it and change the codes on your computer and make macros.

J

[gfb107]

Well, the OP only listed 4 devices, so the 6131 should do just fine.
BTW, the 6131 has 2 hidden devices that can be accessed by JP1, making it able to control 8 devices without even resorting to device combining.

[pgogborn]

Originally posted by gfb107

BTW, if you checked my signature, you would have seen my recommendation for a universal remote.

But don't forget, for some people the option they tick in "forum preferences" is the one not to display signatures.

[MighTiVo]

MX-500 for $99 free shipping
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.as...7891&loc=19062

[davisdog]

Is there a good picture of a 6131 so you can actually make out the buttons and how they are labeled....All the pics on the internet I can find (even at the manufacture site) are too small to see?

otherwise anybody got a digicam they can snap a shot and post a jpg (or email to macsquid at yahoo dot com )

thx

[srs5694]

Is this clear enough for you? A few of the buttons' labels are a bit blurry, but most of them are legible.

[Edmund]

Originally posted by davisdog
Is there a good picture of a 6131 so you can actually make out the buttons and how they are labeled....All the pics on the internet I can find (even at the manufacture site) are too small to see?

otherwise anybody got a digicam they can snap a shot and post a jpg (or email to macsquid at yahoo dot com )

thx

http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa/pic2.shtml?URC-6131

[davisdog]

Thanks for the pics!

[joegolf68]

pgogborn, well put.

I haven't been here long but have found a wealth of info. As for the remote threads, they leave me more questions than answers. All too often the advice seems tinted by people justifying their own purchase instead of reasonable details. Other responses are excellent with a wealth of info.

I was preparing to buy the Harmony SST659 based on the opinions here. At the last minute I discovered that the 659 is being upgraded to the 688 within the next few weeks. There is a price increase but I called Harmony (began with emails) and received a substantial discount if I placed a pre-order. So I have a pre-order and the new remote is suppose to look better and have better placed buttons. I don't know what other features will be offered, but I will write a review when I get mine later this month.

thanks to all who had previously provided remote control suggestions/reviews. Also thanks to those who are patient with the rest of us who still ask questions that might appear on other threads that have been dead and buried. New threads just might bring new ideas and information.

Respectfully,

Joe

[jplybrand]

I have a specific question about the URC-6131. When you are in TiVo mode, what does the volume control do? Can you make it control the receiver?

[srs5694]

Yes, the URC-6131 does support "punch-through" of volume controls (up, down, and mute) to have it control the TV or receiver.

[jplybrand]

Well, I bought the 6131, and I'm happy except for one thing. I have an Onkyo receiver, and it has separate signals for on and off. One of the Onkyo codes in the 6131 manual turns it on, and the other turns it off. Any suggestions on how to handle this?

[Edmund]

Originally posted by jplybrand
Well, I bought the 6131, and I'm happy except for one thing. I have an Onkyo receiver, and it has separate signals for on and off. One of the Onkyo codes in the 6131 manual turns it on, and the other turns it off. Any suggestions on how to handle this?

You could reassign a device as a second AUD, keymove the power command to the first AUD device, then turn the second AUD back into whatever it previously was.

To ressign a device, say the VCR:

1. press and hold SET for two blinks
2. enter 9-9-2
3. press AUD
4. press VCR
5. now program with the onkyo setup code

To keymove the power command:

1. press and hold SET for two blinks
2. enter 9-9-4
4. press VCR
5. press POWER
6. press AUD
7. pick a key, one other than the power key.

[VinnieD]

i have the mx-500. works great. no problems now for 2 years

[srs5694]

I believe Edmund's instructions are probably overly complex. Check the advanced codes list for the code set for your receiver. With luck, it'll have an advanced code for the power-off function. You can then assign that function to an unused key, as described here. Only if you can't find your advanced code set or if it doesn't contain a power-off function should you resort to Edmund's instructions.

Note that you can assign the "off" function to shift-power -- that is, to power off, you'd hit Set and then Power. The procedure to do so is described on the second page I've referenced. This is probably more intuitive than assigning it to some random other button, like PIP or Thumbs Down (although the latter makes a certain amount of sense, given its color).

[Edmund]

srs5694, if you read this thread, you'll see that the ON & OFF commands are in different SETUP codes. Back then there was no 0842 native to any remote, but now, the 6131 has it. I standby my instructions.

[jplybrand]

I did basically what Edmund suggested. I programmed code 0842 in AUD. Then I moved Power, which in this case equals OFF, to Exit. Finally, I reprogrammed AUD with 0135. This replaced Power with ON. However, since Exit is not used, that remained as OFF. Now I have both functions I need. Of course the master power on does not work.

My next problem is that niether code will allow me to select DVD input source. I looked on the hifi-remote web site, but there was nothing there that helped.

[Edmund]

Originally posted by jplybrand
I did basically what Edmund suggested. I programmed code 0842 in AUD. Then I moved Power, which in this case equals OFF, to Exit. Finally, I reprogrammed AUD with 0135. This replaced Power with ON. However, since Exit is not used, that remained as OFF. Now I have both functions I need. Of course the master power on does not work.

My next problem is that niether code will allow me to select DVD input source. I looked on the hifi-remote web site, but there was nothing there that helped.

Using code 0842 again, try EFC 060.