In Search of the Best Programmable Universal Remote?

option8 asks: "Now that i have more components in my living room than I have room on the coffee table for their remotes, I'm looking into getting a programmable universal remote. I've looked at some of the spiffy touchscreen jobs, like the Philips Pronto and even some of the new color remotes, but it seems to me that spending more for my remote than I did on my DVD player is overdoing it somewhat. Also, all I've found are ones with windows support for building screens. Are there any out there that I can use with Linux?" There was a previous Ask Slashdot on this subject back in '99, anything new to report since then?

Comments

Touchscreen bad

[Gary]

Personally I'd stay away from the touch screen remotes. I find that I rely on tactile feedback too much to use them. In other words I like to feel my way to the correct button rather than look down to find where I need to press. If you do go touch screen make sure you get one that's backlit. Without tactile feedback it's hard to find the right button and it's doubly hard when you have the lights out.

I don't have any specific recommendations but if I were going to buy a new universal remote I'd get a good ole push button type with learning capability and plenty of extra buttons. My biggest complaint with the cheaper universal remotes is that they always seem to leave off one or two buttons that I use frequently on the native remote. Get a good learning remote with plenty of programmable buttons and that'd alleviate that problem.

What about a Palm-based device?

[miracle69]

I recall running across remote programs for my palm in the past. I'm hitting the same problem now, as my Denon AVR 3300 remote is maxed out, and now I must use the RCA DirecTV remote as well.

Advantages:
1) Large storage capacity.
2) Multi-function.
3) Customizable interfaces/macros.
4) Readily accessible and relatively low-cost. 5) Phone numbers of friends/pizza places on remote. ;)
6) Ability to sync TV schedules.

Disadvantages:
1) Doesn't seem to work with all IR signals.
2) Not specifically designed for task
3) Relatively Small compared to high-end remotes.
4) Beam strength. (IIRC, has been fixed past PALM III)
5) Beam angle/IR port location.
6) Program Availability. (Can't really comment too much on this, as I haven't researched it in a long time)
7) Time required to input data. (Most programmables have codes that do the heavy lifting for you.)

x10 learning remote

[mattdm]

I'm very happy with my X10 ultimate remote, annoying popup ads notwithstanding. I like real buttons rather than an LCD screen -- much better in the dark. It doesn't have a huge amount of RAM, so you have to plan out what you're going to do a little bit (and make sure to reset everything when you first start, because there's likely to be junk cluttering up the memory out-of-the-box). But being able to control your lights (and talk to your computer) is pretty nifty, and it's hard to beat $25. (Again, annoying ads notwithstanding.)

What if you want to go thru walls: The Answer

[Matey-O]

We've got a Smartlinc controller. http://www.homs-smarthome.com/1144.html describes the kit we got.

It's a touch screen X10 device that has a display end (the touch screen) and a IR blaster end. Plug both into any power outlet in your house and it'll control the IR devices you stashed in the closet (like we did.)

This plus a Dish Network RF Remote lets us do a number of things:

• I can control the satellite channel from the office
• I have a remote that turns on and off the Christmas lights, two fountains out back and the porch lights
• When somebody walks up the front walk, the IR sensor fires and the touch screen controller says "There's someone at the door".

To be brutally honest, The touchscreen system doesn't do more than volume and power for the AV stuff in the closet. But still, it's got the potential to do LOTS of nifty things that all the X10 folk tell you about, and it meant that only the TV and speakers are out in the open.

It was on clearance for $500. For that kind of money, I wish I had more time to do more with it.

My OLD HP48SX fits the bill.

[mfarah]

FWIW, I use my old HP48SX calculator (which otherwise would be stored away) as a multipurpose programmable remote control.

It's got LOADs of buttons, the feel is good, and has a built-in screen so you can play games if you get bored with TV!

Seriously, it's been functioning this way for a time now, and has performed well.

Pros:

• I don't have to buy anything, except AAA batteries.
  
• re-uses hardware that still functions, and is handy to have a calculator in hand when I need it.
  
• You can do a program yourself to assign the keys to whatever you like, including your own quirkiness. For example, I got the four lower right buttons (in a 2x2 square) to do the same thing. Why? This was I don't have to be too precise with my finger.
  

Cons:

• I don't remember where I got the codes.
  
• You can't paint the functions in the calculator (you're forced to remember them, or program a help key).
  
• I don't even know wether this can be used for non-Sony equipment.
  

RCU810

[Anonymous Coward]

I recently went through the process of looking for a good but cheap remote.

To make a long story short I settled for the RCU810 by RCA.

http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI8 27 ,00.html?

Programmable, learning, macros, LCD, backlit - Everything I needed. I ever got it programmed to control XMMS via my wireless keyboard's IR interface.

I paid $50 for mine at Circuit Cirty. Its probably the best remote you can find under $150.

For more info check out remotecentral.com.
http://www.remotecentral.com/ureview/29.htm

Re:Radio Shack 15-1994 with JP1: The Ultimate Remo

[Spire]

Hey, you're the first person who's ever acknowledged my sig! Hail!

I should have been more clear in my original post. The 15-1994 does have X10 capability, but only of the IR type, not RF. However, you can use it with an IR543 Infrared Mini-Controller (~$23) to get full RF X10 capability.

Re:Pronto

[Rob Parkhill]

One thing that has always driven my nuts with macro functions on any universal remote is the fact that the remote has no way of knowing what the current state of the components are.

For example, I have a macro for "DVD". Turn on the amp. Set amp to DVD input. Set surround to "theatre". Turn on the TV. Switch TV to DVD input. Turn on the DVD player.
Seems like a great idea. But some of the components (TV and DVD player) have a single button/signal for power on/off. So if my TV was already on, then this macro does everything right, but turns the TV off. Damn.

Or sometimes not all of the IR signals make it to all of the compnents. TV is on, DVD player is on, but the amp never switched to the DVD input. Damn.

I wish I could have all of my components share a simple communications channel (hmmm, or complex, like Bluetooth :-) so I could actually control what the devices are doing, instead of just blasting out pre-determined IR codes and hoping for the best.

Subject for a slashdot poll

[Mike McTernan]

The existing poll has been hanging around for what feels like ages. Maybe we should rank the top options and put them into a poll?

This would probably answer the question fastest, although you might end up using CowboyNeal.

Re:Pronto doesn't do it all

[mobius_stripper]

The Home Logic UR362 has this feature. Check out the bottom of page 3 on the review.

Krishna

OmniRemote - if you have a handheld

[Jish]

Pacific NeoTek makes OmniRemote software for Palm OS devices. The major drawback being the lack of power in the built-in IR port.

The solutions are their Palm hotsync module for Palm brand devices and their Springboard module for Handspring Visors.

I have the latter and its pretty cool... You can totally customize multiple remote control layouts. I personally like 4 quadrants of the screen: volume up, volume down, channel up, channel down. BIG buttons you can hit with your finger or stylus without really looking :)

Josh