which remote?

[wooferles]

I am looking for a universal remote to simplify my home theater experience,the ones I have looked at are the Logitech Harmony One and the X-10. I would prefer one that can work without having a direct view of my equipment rack. I would appreciate any advice,thank you!

 

[jamie2112]

Harmony

Harmony one is great I just got one and I love it....

 

[AUtiger]

Urc Rf30

I got the URC RF 30 & IR relay off ebay for under $100. All my equip is behind closed doors and it works great, even when I'm out in the yard. IMHO the lay out is the way I like it, the buttons are a nice size and it's sturdly built. The only draw back is that you can't download the codes. For you pay for that option. And if you are like me you will probably only program it once (hopefully). I think Gene (admin of AH ) has the RF 20.

 

[rnatalli]

I'm a fan of the Harmony remotes myself. Not as customizable as others, but real easy to setup.

 

[bandphan]

remotecentral.com is a good place to start with. You can get agood understanding of the various brands and their features and benefits. Ive been using universal band for 6 years now and like their bullit proof macros. Setup on the professional line is a little more difficult to learn, but once you get the hang of it, its easy and fast. Their tf to ir msc400 http://universalremote.com/product_detail.php?model=108 is the least expensive brain that ive seen that will give serial(rs232) control.

 

[j_garcia]

I prefer the URC remotes, but Harmony isn't too bad. Despite the online setup, it doesn't always work perfectly. It does pretty well for common equipment, but unusual gear or if you don't know the exact model, well...

 

[jcPanny]

RF20 and basestation

Check out this deal for the RF20 and basestation.
http://www.amazon.com/RFS200-PowerPak-Bundle-MasterControl-PowerBlaster/dp/B000FL9E6U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1206631338&sr=1-2

I have a touchscreen version similar to the RF30 and it has been working great for a couple years. As advertised, the initial setup is more dificult and I had to learn most of the commands from my existing remote.

Another nice feature is the simple B&W LCD on the RF20/30 doesn't use too much power and a set of batteries will last a few months. The Harmony remotes with RF cost $300+ and the bright color LCD requires you to dock the remote every week or two to keep it charged.