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"the number of companies selling computer-programmable universal remotes that have real buttons, LCD screens, and have programming software that isn't restricted to ONLY their "value added resellers" (burn in hell, UEI) is... well... zero."

You can still find NOS Nevo/Xsight remotes, programming is supported by RemoteMaster.

The keyboard looks nice, but I've been using a JP-1 programmable remote (URC and now ATLAS based) to control my media-center for years. They provide most of the features of a Harmony (macros, punch-through, full remapping) at a fraction of the cost. That, along with the huge database of keycodes, including discrete power means that it is very easy to have a single button turn on all equipment and set the tuner properly, or to turn everything off with a single press. With XBMC, I've not found a need for the keyboard at all. However, there aren't any Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or RF JP-1 remotes that I'm aware of, so it's getting harder to deal with some newer devices.

Configuration is pretty complicated though, so it is certainly not for the faint of heart.

With projects like the JP1 forum turning universal remotes into the Swiss army knife of the 21st century I hardly think the will meet their technological demise any time soon. I would rather bet my $0.02 that the killer device control app for smartphones will be remote interaction at an arbitrary distance, much like the remote DVR control applications now entering the market.

you might like to check this site out if you have a pda
available
http://www.pdawin.com/tvremote.html

it can use ccf files so you can design your own remote system

http://www.pdawin.com/ccf.html

Philips give away the software to allow you to design your own system.

The pda can learn all your commands operate via voice and you can create macro's to set up your systems.

alternatively there are the one for all universal remotes
http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa/
is a great site for owners of this remote brand.
these remotes have a flash memory as well as a rom and they are fully programable using a 6 pin header.
i built my programing lead from a 25 pin serial port with a 10 pin idc connector on the other end all it took was 2 1k resistors and a diode.

both alternatives are reasonable and a 6 device oneforall remote is about £20 from argos.

Get one of the One-For-All universal remotes, they're cheap and the slightly-more-expensive ones ($15 or so) can be flash-upgraded with new device codes and completely customized kemaps. To do this you'll have to be willing to geek out quite a bit to learn how to program the remote, but they're very powerful when you get down to it.

A good suggestion is the OFA URC-8811 which can be purchased at your freindly naighborhood Wal-Mart for cheap and used right away, then soft-upgraded later when you want to get the absolute most out of it.

Learn more about all this here.

I recently acquired a Harmony 676 remote. So far so good. I've been searching for a decent universal remote for a while. I started years ago with a *huge* Memorex CP8 learning remote which had a timer and was macro programmable. It was too large and didn't have enough memory, but I still miss it.

Ten years later, I ended up playing with JP1-based remotes. If you've got patience, it's not a terrible option if you're on a budget. Ultimately, the complicated setup procedure involving a complex Excel spreadsheet made me reluctant to play with it. I've got nothing but respect for the folks who've created and sustain this project -- it's a GREAT hack.

I received a Sony remote for the holidays last year. Though I was excited to get a "real" universal remote, the form factor (square? what are they thinking?) and my system's lack of discrete codes made the decision to return it necessary.

I gave up for a while and ended up using the uni remote which came with my Yamaha receiver. It wasn't horrible, but it was completely confusing to use for anyone but myself. It meant that watching a DVD was all but impossible unless I was there to set it up.

I came across the Harmony 676 at TECHXNY, where Logitech was selling them at a decent discount. I was skeptical, but so far it's the only remote which my wife has been able to use sucessfully. The bigger test: the father-in-law. Whenever he'd come over, he could barely figure out how to change the channel. Once when he was staying over, he left the whole thing on all night because he couldn't figure out how to turn it off! The Harmony remote solved that problem beautifully.

The biggest feature of this remote is it's "intelligence". I press the DVD button, it turns on the dvd player, sets my TV for component in, and the receiver for digial input #2. Why is this unique? Because my TV doesn't have discrete codes, yet the Harmony remembers the system's last state. If the TV was on composite in, it knows to send the 'change input' code two times to get to the component in. And when I press the "TV" button, it knows to turn the dvd player off, send the TV input code three times to get to S-Video, and the receiver to VCR-in. But what happens if the remote gets out of sync with the state of the TV? There's a HELP button on the remote, which will resend the codes and ask you "is everything ok now?". If you press "no", it'll go step-by-step: Is the TV on? Is the DVD player on? Is the TV on the component input? and will send codes depending on your answers. This is *HUGE* - and something a macro just can't do.

Other things I like about it: Programmable via your PC through USB. If your batteries die and it loses its program, just hook it back up and it'll redownload its config. It knows about every device I own, from the Tivo (including different tivo remote addresses) to the Audiotron to the LG air conditioner, and everything inbetween (and if it doesn't list your specific device, you can feed it a few IR commands from your exiting remote, and it'll auto-recognize the device). It feels good in the hand. Similar to my tivo 'peanut' remote.

What I don't like: No true "macros" as far as I can tell. The web interface to program the remote is a little clunky. I'm having a problem with one of the remote's buttons.

Ultimately, it was a good purchase. I'd buy it again.

A JP1 remote (usually labeled as an RCA one-4-all or Radioshack brand remote) will let you do anything you want to it, and they're relatively cheap. The JP1 interface lets you reprogram ('upgrade') the remote from your computer to do anything (with a $10 cable). You can set all of your buttons however you see fit. Think being in one mode all the time, where your fast-forward/play control the dvd, channel buttons control your cable and volume your receiver without ever having to switch modes.
I just picked up a URC-9910 for less than $40 off of ebay and it even came with an RF extender so I can pipe my home theater to a different room and simply take the remote with me to watch from there. Some good JP1 links are here, here, here and definitely this yahoo group.

Definitely worth researching before you plunk down $200 on a remote. Plus with all the available JP1 remotes you can find one that has a button configuration you like, and still reprogram it to have any features you're looking for.
Mine is currently controlling a Sanyo Z1 projector, Onkyo Receiver (with all buttons available), Philips DirectTivo, XboxMediaCenter, Sony DVD, another Sony Receiver and a Philips TV (other room). All this from one remote.

A JP1 remote (usually labeled as an RCA one-4-all or Radioshack brand remote) will let you do anything you want to it, and they're relatively cheap. The JP1 interface lets you reprogram ('upgrade') the remote from your computer to do anything (with a $10 cable). You can set all of your buttons however you see fit. Think being in one mode all the time, where your fast-forward/play control the dvd, channel buttons control your cable and volume your receiver without ever having to switch modes.
I just picked up a URC-9910 for less than $40 off of ebay and it even came with an RF extender so I can pipe my home theater to a different room and simply take the remote with me to watch from there. Some good JP1 links are here, here, here and definitely this yahoo group.

Definitely worth researching before you plunk down $200 on a remote. Plus with all the available JP1 remotes you can find one that has a button configuration you like, and still reprogram it to have any features you're looking for.
Mine is currently controlling a Sanyo Z1 projector, Onkyo Receiver (with all buttons available), Philips DirectTivo, XboxMediaCenter, Sony DVD, another Sony Receiver and a Philips TV (other room). All this from one remote.

A JP1 remote (usually labeled as an RCA one-4-all or Radioshack brand remote) will let you do anything you want to it, and they're relatively cheap. The JP1 interface lets you reprogram ('upgrade') the remote from your computer to do anything (with a $10 cable). You can set all of your buttons however you see fit. Think being in one mode all the time, where your fast-forward/play control the dvd, channel buttons control your cable and volume your receiver without ever having to switch modes.
I just picked up a URC-9910 for less than $40 off of ebay and it even came with an RF extender so I can pipe my home theater to a different room and simply take the remote with me to watch from there. Some good JP1 links are here, here, here and definitely this yahoo group.

Definitely worth researching before you plunk down $200 on a remote. Plus with all the available JP1 remotes you can find one that has a button configuration you like, and still reprogram it to have any features you're looking for.
Mine is currently controlling a Sanyo Z1 projector, Onkyo Receiver (with all buttons available), Philips DirectTivo, XboxMediaCenter, Sony DVD, another Sony Receiver and a Philips TV (other room). All this from one remote.

Thank you for making me aware of this. I wasn't really out looking for a new remote, but now that I've seen this I might just find myself getting one. Since programmable remotes are available, why would anyone ever buy something else?

iTunes won't work for this...what would really be nice is something like iTunes that ran remotely so that I could control it from my laptop ... iTunes is nice, but it is hardly the most advanced jukebox conceivable. There's a lot of room for improvement.

You're right there. Try Media Center - it makes iTunes look pretty weak. It has a web interface, an API interface, and of course a GUI. Best of all, it understand Zones with multiple distinct SPDIF outputs, so you can route different playback streams to different rooms or speaker configurations depending on mood. It also does ASIO playback (full 32-bit internal sound processing) so you have pinpoint control and amazing DSP options. Another thing MC is notable for is its client-server mode: the streaming works across Internet as well as Intranet. I've used it for on-demand streaming of tunes and video coast-to-coast. There is no silly LAN-only limitation.

If you have money to burn you should get an AirPanel controller with something like NetRemote for couch bliss. With less money you should go for a cheap JP1 remote.

There are some good MC user rigs described here, here.

Media Center embedded is also used as the software "glue" for some OEM'd HTPC products: Music Mountain and Cinemar come to mind. MC also understands uPNP, so it's becoming increasingly easy to autodiscover and stream to random devices using uPNP.

Ahh, but they do already have separate on and off buttons. You just don't know it yet.

Many of the brands have discrete "power on" vs "power off" codes. Note the annoying difference between "codes" and "buttons". The remote doesn't support separate switches because adding a second button adds to the cost, while not adding to usability as far as the humans are concerned.

This guy's page for example, shows Sony TV set codes. Note how code 21 is "power", but code 46 is "power on" and code 47 is "power off". The trick is to getting these codes into your learning remote without having the source to teach them from. Try Remote Central for the most complete set of device codes on the net. You'll need a way to get these codes into your remote, though. Try searching for JP1 to learn how to make a cable to talk to an All In One remote.

I believe the Harmony remotes make heavy use of this function to make sure all devices are sync'd with the remote control at every power-on opportunity.

Since I bought my JP1-enabled One For All Cinema 7 two years ago, it is the only remote I've needed in my living room (with TV, DVD, VCR, Stereo, CD Player, Satellite). I'm serious, all of the other remotes are sitting in a drawer somewhere collecting dust. I think it cost me less than $20.

The Radio Shack 15-1994 remote can be had, on sale, for $30.00. If it doesn't have the code for a device, you can have it 'read' the signal from the remote for that device. It will hold up to 20 of those, I believe.

If you want more, you can build a serial-interface cable and upload new signatures into the main memory to leave more room for dynamic buttons and macros.

... is found at AVS Forums. Although, to be fair, you may want to try Remote Central for this as well. AVS Forum posters would refer you to there pretty quickly anyway.

All of that said, probably the best remote control is out of your price range -- the MX-500 (or the MX-700, which I have and prefer) is about $100 (the 700 is about $170). It's a button remote w/ a small LCD screen that can be programmed with text entries of what the related LCD buttons do. Most of the remote control buttons are marked though. I've had several universal remotes (Marantz RC-1000, Pronto TSU-1000, and MX-700) and the MX series is by far the best. The MX-700's center joystick is a bit wonky (which my wife dislikes), but it's not bad. I've heard that the MX-500 and MX-800 joystick is better.

For your price range, your best bet is a JP1 compatible remote. I'm not familiar with the range of remotes available, so look at either of the above sites, or the JP1 Home Page.

Here is a picture of the model 6012 that I've got: http://www.oneforall-int.com/ussite/urc6012.html

And here is a picture of the model 8910 (more advanced, with learning capabilities, etc): http://www.oneforall-int.com/ussite/urc8910.html

A clickable link to the One For All info site: http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa/

A good universal remote site, with reviews, forums, etc: http://www.remotecentral.com

For example, if your DVD player isn't programmed into the remote (you know, look in the manual, find your manufacturer, enter a code) you can make your own, assign your own number, and upload it to the remote. Or do nearly anything else you want. Macros, keymoves, etc. It's complicated, but if you're reading /., you should love it.

Get started here.

sheephead

Did you notice if it has a 6-pin JP1 interface inside the battery door?

The JP1 hackers have done an amazing job of reversing other UEIC remotes.

Here are a bunch of resources for ReplayTV:

The AVS discussion forum. This is the leading site for discussion of ReplayTV. They also have a TiVo forum.

The ReplayTV Hacking Project at SourceForge.

A site for hacking the ReplayTV Remote Control

extract_rtv, a tool for extracting the MPEG files from the ReplayTV

True, but it's still available in some stores, so grab one while you still can.

The good news is that there are several other remotes that are also JP1-compatible. It's just that the 15-1994 seems to be the most popular one for JP1 hacking (this will inevitably change as the supply runs dry), and it's the one I own. It has a nice button layout and overall feel, and I find the backlighting indispensable.

The All-for-one cinema 7 is the greatest remote since time began. It's got a simple interface (none of that LCD game-boy crap), it's fully programmable, it has pre-programmed and learning modes, has a nice size and weight. It's a hacker favorite- Here's the FAQ. I mean c'mon, you can't get a better remote at any price, let alone $20.

I like the Cinema 7, hacked with JP1 Interface. It's intutive, even my wife can use it. It controls *ALL* of the functions of my TV, 2 VCRs, and Replay

TV has never been better since the Replay protocol hack with 3-minute skip came out!

The JP1 can control many UEIC remotes ( All-for-One, Radio Shack, some OEMs)

Get yourself a Radio Shack 15-1994 6-in-1 Smart A/V Remote, hack it with a JP1 Interface, and for under $50, you've bought yourself an infinitely customizable IR remote (with X10 capability!), and with all nice tactile hard buttons to boot!

And for remote purposes, I've been a mostly happy user of Pacific NeoTek's OmniRemote on both a Palm Professional and a Handspring Visor Deluxe (the 2MB Handsprings are now available at Target for $149, btw, not a bad price for a universal remote.)

However, to answer your original question, I've not found ANY IrDA software for the PC that will operate a remote, and I've been looking for a long time... Most everybody needs you to add a chunk of external hardware on a serial (or parallel) port.

John