Remotes: Mx-650 vs TSU 9200

[newb]

Greetings...
Thinking of buying one of these two remotes. I have a Motorola cable box/ DVR, a Pioneer 1150 TV, a phillips DVP 5960 DVD, and a Yamaha 663 AVR.

I like hard buttons but want a remote to do macros and control the components individually, I will probably teach the functions not covered generally. Don't really need RF, but might like computer programmability.

Pro and Cons:
650: Pros: Price, hard button controls, macros, mapping of buttons.

Cons: Can I get the codes for my newer products, Hand programming(not that many components or processes really-Not a deal breaker), non-rechargeable battery(could buy recharge ables).

9200: Pro: sleek and sexy(Not the most important factor), computer programmable, rechargeable battery, activities setup(but can it do individual components too?_IMPORTANT!).

Cons: Pricier(though the wife said she'd cover half-GoodThing!), the individual component question!!(see above), complexity of the programming process? (I'm not an idiot but not a code jockey either-I'm thinking it's not that hard!).

Please give some input.
Thanks

 

[MDS]

I don't have any experience with the TSU 9200 but like the MX remotes. I use an MX-350 which is just a smaller version (fewer components) than the MX-650. It can be set up as purely 'device' oriented, purely 'activity based' or a hybrid of both (what I use).

My thoughts on your pro vs con issues:
- rechargeable battery: not important. 4 AAA in the MX remote lasts for months and you can easily tell when they are starting to drain because the backlight starts to get dimmer.

- computer programmable: nice, but also not important. It is great if you don't have the original remotes to teach the new one and can get the codes in some other form (pronto, raw hex codes, mx files, etc) but the downside, to me, is having to connect to the computer and launch the app everytime you need to make a change. I can fix/add/change a macro on the fly sitting in front of my TV with the MX-350. Having to learn each function by hand and label all the buttons directly on the remote is a bit tedious but it actually goes fairly quickly and how often do you have to do that? Once - except for minor changes here and there.

Note that any remote that allows you to put any function on any button and supports macros with the number of steps you need can be set up in 'activity' style, so either of your choices will work fine in that sense.

 

[bandphan]

can you jump up in the urc line or is the 650 your limit?

 

[itschris]

I was pretty much settled on the Pronto TSU 9200, but have just read too many negative consumer reviews about the lower end pronto's. For me, I'm gonna have IR issues and will need RF because my cabinet seems to block my remotes fairly severly.

I've read that Harmony One is supposed to be available in RF later this year, but like with all these rumors... we''ll just have to see.

 

[newb]

Price Limit

So Band, I could do the 850, (200.00) or so but that's about my limit. The wife has said 300.00 with her paying half but that just seems not right to me somehow (paying that much for a remote that is not that she will contribute).

I think the 650 will give me a fairly up to date URC version feature wise, and I don't mind the hand programming with a little prior planning. I'm open to suggestions still and I don't know all the deals out right now, so let me know if there is something better still.

Thanks for the responses

 

[MDS]

The MX-650 is only slightly different than the MX-350. It is wider because it has two rows of 5 LCD buttons like the older MX-500 and it supports 20 devices whereas the MX-350 only supports 10.

I used to own an MX-500 and I liked having so many LCD buttons on one screen but ultimately decided to go with the MX-350 because it cost less and I really don't need support for 20 devices. So the real difference is just 4 pages of 10 for each device on the 650 vs 8 pages of 5 on the 350 - still 40 LCD buttons per device.

 

[bandphan]

So Band, I could do the 850, (200.00) or so but that's about my limit. The wife has said 300.00 with her paying half but that just seems not right to me somehow (paying that much for a remote that is not that she will contribute).

I think the 650 will give me a fairly up to date URC version feature wise, and I don't mind the hand programming with a little prior planning. I'm open to suggestions still and I don't know all the deals out right now, so let me know if there is something better still.

Thanks for the responses

if you dont mind hand programming without alot of complicated macros its all good. The reason i like the software programed is these ease of macro set up, as well as rf programming for their rf base stations