As long as you avoid macros, universal remotes can be handy.
It's the macros that make them cumbersome. Like 'Watch TV' ... if the TV is already on and it is pressed, then the TV shuts off and the receiver turns on. RS232 has solved this to some degree, the main lagging being manufacturers using it and how to interface with the remote.
QFT
I cannot agree more. In some ways, the flexibility of use is even greater.
I suppose we should define what a macro really is, because even if I don't use a "macro-function", I still operate commands from a macro "page", so to speak.
This is how I programmed my own, and my brother's. I've programmed, and re-programmed a Harmony for a brain scientist (after he paid a "pro" a nice healthy sum), and he still can't use the darned thing. I imagine part of the problem is that the components are rather spread out in the vertical sense. I even wrote out a troubleshooting guide for him. Life is easier without it for him at this point.
I told him to buy a URC for a very small fraction of what he paid for the Harmony. And, while keeping hundreds of dollars in the pocket, he would also get RF.
Only if there isnt discrete codes to use (or work around). The RF solutions along with zigbee, and ip make long macros a piece of cake. I have macros for all of my main functions, as well as a few fun tweaks.
Hmm, point taken. But, if just one single component does not have discrete on/off, and happens to fall out of sync, well, in my experiences, even brain scientists have trouble.
