Right now i have to press the input button on my TVs remote multiple times to get it to the component input. If i buy a programmable remote will it be able to go to the component input with one push of a button?

Hopefully, yes. Your TV may have discrete codes for each input that are not available through its own remote. Because of the lack of buttons on the TV remote you currently have to scroll through all the inputs. With discrete input commands programming a universal remote is very simple, just set the input desired in the universal remotes macro.

Is you TV a relatively newer model? If so, it is more likely to have discrete commands for inputs.

FYI, I use a Harmony 880. Detailed 880 programming can be tedious but it has paid off with a single remote the entire family is comfortable using. Universal Remotes MX series has some fans here in the Saloon and they can offer their recommendations too.

You've got a 1070, right? What sources are you using? As AvFan says, you may be able to track down discrete codes for each input on your TV (I did this with my Zenith, using some special codes and an old Radio Shack remote). If you aren't using any DVI or HDMI sources, though, you may be able to use the 1070's video switching and a single component video output so that you never need to change the TV's input.

I don't mind if the intial setup is tedious, as long as its better than what I have now. Is there a way to check to see if it has discrete commands for the input? The tv is a RCA 32" CRT, model# 32V524T

I do have the 1070 with a S-Video input from my HTPC (I know, I need a DVI cable) and component outputs to the TV. I only have analog cable which is directly connected to the TV.

Hard to say if there are discrete inputs available. DVI's no use with your TV - no digital video input. I'm guessing that you're switching between internal cable tuner and the component video input on the TV, hence the need to scroll through inputs. I found a manual online, hoping to find if you could disable unused inputs, but that doesn't appear to be an option. Does the "Favorite Channel" option allow you to assign an input as a favorite? The manual doesn't indicate that it's possible, but if it could be done that'd be a slick way to jump to the component input. You could also use a VCR or cable box as your cable tuner, which would allow you to feed audio and video both to the 1070, so that the 1070's component monitor output carried all of your video for you.

The "Favorite Channel" only allows channels to be set. I would rather skip on the VCR idea just because I'm planning on getting digital cable sometime soon.

Right now I have a remote that's usable with my HTPC. Would any of the programmable remotes work with it? It would be nice to only have one remote.

The plan is to connect from the HTPC to the 1070 with the DVI cable. Would I notice a difference between that and a S-Video cable?

You can't use DVI until you get an HDTV with a DVI or HDMI input, and your current TV is an SDTV. You may be best off looking for a VGA-to-component cable for the HTPC and getting the digital cable box - which would let you leave the TV on the component input all the time and would give you better picture quality from the HTPC.

Just get a Harmony remote... It can cycle thru inputs and does not require discrete inputs. It can remember where it was and then send however many button presses it needs to.

I second the Harmony. I have an 890 and it works very well.

Love the Harmony