Universal Remote limitations
Neither the MX-500 nor the SONY remotes could do what I wanted. For me the Philips Pronto Neo was a reasonable compromise, although somewhat annoying to program. I found codes for all my devices on the Web. I need to look at the new Automate and H659, to see if they can do the same things the Pronto Neo can do, where any button can be a MACRO.
Most manufacturers of universal remotes just don't get it. They seem to believe that users want to duplicate every button on every remote in their arsenal. Personally, I couldn't care less about most of the buttons on most of my remotes, I never use them! If I want to access magnify or other obscure functions on my DVD player, I can use the DVD remote to do this. 99.99% of the time I have no need to control every nuance of every device. I only need some of the device functions, often in simultaneous combination with functions on other devices.
What is needed is intuitively easy control of ACTIVITIES, NOT DEVICES. Easy access to the functions needed for everyday use, with an absolutely minimal number of button pushes and screens. Even Philips doesn't always get it, I had to re-program my Neo startup screen to show activities rather than devices. Activities like "Watch TV", "Play DVD" etc that relate to the intended use, not the details of how to control a particular device. That's what programming is for, to take care of all the device details, but I found that most so-called programmable remotes are simply not up to the job.
This kind of programming can only be accomplished with a remote that has MACRO capability on virtually all soft keys. For example: you're watching TV, using the satellite receiver, and you want to watch a DVD. In my system, this only requires a single button push - a programmed macro on the touchscreen called GODVD. This one button turns off the satellite receiver, switches the TV input, turns on the surround sound and DVD player, selects the correct audio input device, mutes TV sound, begins playing the DVD and completely reconfigures the remote (hard and soft buttons) to "Watch DVD" mode. A MACRO button in the same location on the new screen called GOTV reverses the process and takes the user back to "Watch TV". It's foolproof, easy to use and understand. Even functions like volume need this kind of flexibility, so that sometimes these buttons control TV volume and at other times the same buttons control surround sound volume - depending on context.
I needed too many MACROs like this for the MX-500 and SONY remotes. Each time I push a MACRO button on my remote, I can change the function of all the keys, including the MACRO button that got me there, which now becomes a different MACRO with the means to go back to the previous state (that makes it easy to find.) There are not that many keys available, they all need to be re-used appropriately in every context.
My wife and guests now find the system very easy to control, even without any help.
The Pronto itself is more powerful than my Pronto Neo, but the lack of hard buttons is annoying. The Neo has more hard buttons, although they are a bit small.
I'm still looking for the perfect remote at a reasonable price. I'll have to look at the new Automate and H659 to see if they can duplicate the functionality programmed into my Pronto Neo, and if they can go beyond it.
Like other remotes, the Neo's programming capability is actually very limited. I'd like to be able to store variables, set and test states, branch, use timers, program loops and so on - these functions are obviously available at the processor level in universal remotes, but the manufacturers have decided users are not smart enough to make use of them and have not provided access. They're wrong.
