I take it you have little experience with a REAL universal remote.
I spent $125 on a Home Theater Master MX-350 and it controls every single function of every single device I own - including the dimmer for my fireplace floodlight.
The remote that comes with a component, even if it claims to be a learning remote, is very limited in memory, has little or no support for all but the most trivial macros, rarely has backlighting, can't control one device when in another device mode, cannot lock volume/channel up/channel down/transport functions to a given mode, etc....
But...hey, glad you like the receiver remote and you got it working satisfactorily for your needs.
I don't have experience with universals. I still wouldn't think it would be anything other then a painstaking task to fully control an advanced reciever an excess of controls with a remote that wasn't made for it.
OFcourse, and I fully agree, you can program anything. As far as components are concerned I am very simple... but what does the yamaha remote offer you I just doubt anything will come close. For example... for every one of your sources, you have a button, automatically switches to it, can control 3 zones, can program hundreds of macros, its backlit, has a small lcd for basic confirmations and component selection, No matter what processor /decoder I want to put my reciever in, I can, for music, movies or anything else, I can.
It all comes at a cost though, if I ever get into home automation or lighting I will have no choice, but even then would be reluctant due to the practicality. Paying $100 for a remote that handles lighting is pretty reasonable and unheard of, I must say, I thought to control zwave things it would be allot more expensive. For now I only toil with remote control ceilling fans for the time being.
At the present time I am in an apartment, my components are my comp, cd changer, dvd, dvr, stb, lcd. Someday will setup a 2nd zone for my BR... all the control I want from the components are VERY simple (not many buttons atall), ANY control can handle that I will agree. But I must doubt that when I move from here into a house and have 3 zones etc etc... I still wouldn't
expect the instrinsic control of the reciever from a universal.
Now, as far as " support for all but the most trivial macros, rarely has backlighting, can't control one device when in another device mode, cannot lock volume/channel up/channel down/transport functions to a given mode, etc...." from what you noticed I'm just a simpler user, I know the yamaha can handle hundreds of macros and I do everything from it, but I never even bothered with macros.
I responded in hopes that someone else doesn't go through the headache of indecision and understand everyone has different needs.
ciao
