For my surround sound, I am going to be installing a 990/7700 with all the other components in a closet behind a wall. Has anyone done this and if so, what type of remote do you suggest I consider? TIA...

Depending on how many components I'd look at one of the Home Theater Masters - MX-600, 800 or 850. All have IR-RF so should work well with your equipment placement.

I'll second the vote for Universal's Home Theater Master line - in fact, my sig's remote codes link includes config files for the MX-700 (the 800 and 850 use the same file format and support RF so that you can put a receiver in the equipment closet and run emitters wherever you need to).

Gonk,

I played with mx-700 software package a liitle bit, seems very customizable!!

Can the 700 take care of all your 990 controls? power on/off? we have that weird on/off 2-button thing...

Can you assign a macro like "watch DVD" with the MX-700 that turns 990/TV/DVD player ON... puts TV into input 2 (since I run my component video straight to the TV) puts the 990 in DVD mode etc..?

When you mess with the 990 OSD you use the 990 remote true?

Thanks Vince

My MX-700 review has my complete config file, including "on" and "off" macros that my wife uses ("on" turns on the TV, turns on the cable box, sets the 990 to the cable box's input - thus also turning it on - and sets the TV to the component2 input; off turns off the TV, cable box, and 990).

I haven't had the 990's remote out in nearly a year - not since I used it to configure my MX-700. Every command I might need from every remote I have is in the 700, and all the other remotes stay in the drawer.

You can do just about anything with the 700. Like you I run all my video directly from the source units to the TV and have my 700 set to turn on anything with a one button macro, i.e. I can turn on the TV, sat box and 990/7700 with one button. If I am watching the sat and want to switch to DVD a one button macro will switch TV to DVD input, turn on DVD player and switch 990 to DVD settings. I can turn-on or switch to any component with one button macros I have setup.

Like gonk I haven't used the 990 remote since the first week I've had it. I can access OSD with the 700.

Remember though the 700 is not RF so you would need the MX-600, 800 or 850 which all work with the same software as the 700. The MX remotes are great!

The MX-600 doesn't offer a computer interface - it's based on the MX-500. The MX-800 and MX-850 use the same software as the MX-700, though.

gonk

Thanks for the correction. Wasn't too sure about the 600.

Thanks guys for the remote info...Did you guys shy away from Harmony remotes due to online downloading only technique. The URC remotes seem to have almost limitless options.

This IR vs RF issue, 700 being IR only you have to point the 700 at the ent cabinet true? with an rf rmeote you don't it could be facing the wall..so as long as you don't multi-zone rooms 700 gets the job done!!

Thanks Vince

I got the impression from your initial post there could be a line of sight issue and you would need RF, as there might be a wall or door in the way. If your current IR remotes work the 700 shouldn't be a problem.

Regarding Harmony, my first "big boy" remote was an MX-500 and I loved the product so much when it was time to upgrade I went with the 700. Plus I have had several customer service experiences with Universal and they have all been very good. I hear good things about the Harmony 880 but I have no experience with them.

The benefit to the RF units when your equipment lives in a separate room (closet) is that you don't have to buy a complete IR distribution system or find a place to install the IR receiver - the RF base station includes a very high-power emitter that can often cover the whole rack as well as six outputs for individual IR emitters that can be stuck in place over individual components' IR windows. Harmony doesn't currently offer an RF solution, which puts you in the position of needing an IR distribution system. Since NickScull's equipment rack is in a closet, the discussion turned to the RF remotes. If your equipment rack is readily at hand, the RF capability isn't as necessary.

Just so you are aware, the MX-700 is discontinued right now. I would look at the MX-850. You can either do IR, with an Ir receiver and termination system, or you can do RF. I personally use the RF option as it is much more customizable. If you do, get the MRF-300 as it is a much stronger unit, and has adjustable IR output levels, This will be a must have feature if you have a Tivo unit, otherwise the IR will overload the Tivo and be a royal pain.


Also, any URC remotes bought on Ebay will not have a manufacturers warranty, so Buyer Beware.

Good luck man

So the MX-700 is finally gone? That's sort of a shame - although it's been around for a long while now. Is the MX-500 also discontinued?

I am not positive on that one, as I never use it, but I believe so. So is the 800 from what I have heard.

I used the 700 on so many jobs I am sad to see it go. It was my entry level remote for all of my systems, and then going from there to the MX-850, then to the 3000, then to either Control4 or Elan depending on the rest of the system.

I just bought the 800. So if it's gone it must have just happened.

The 700 is still showing as availble on etronics.com.

Many thanks, All, for the replies and info. Great MX 700 review, Gonk!

I will certainly take a look at the 850.

Went to the Logitech site and it appears the 890 now supercedes the 850. The reviews on Amazon really slam it and claim the s/w is buggy and has other probs.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CS1TLE/104-1169619-9668723?v=glance&n=172282

Mine is a whole house system with a media server which, I am told, will stay on most of the time. So, while watching TV, all I need to control is the cable box, TV, DVD, and CD as well as the 990/7700 combo.

The 890 might be over-kill but it looks like it's the only RF model.

Nick

You are looking at Harmony. the 850 referred to is the Universal Home Theater Master series, Link below:

Home Theater Master

I just got a MX-850/RF250. It is a godsend being able to adjust the stereo speaker volume in the great room since my current reciever is in the basement. I am going to be getting a 990 in the next couple of weeks.

Looks like the RF-250 uses a 2.5mm out jack for the flashers and the 990 has a 3.5mm IR in jack. If I can ger some sort of "jack converter" (2.5 to 3.5 or vice versa), can I just hard wire the RF250 to the 990? Anyone know if a "jack size converter" is available?

Good catch, mzpro5. The 850 we were talking about is the MX-850 from Home Theater Master, and it's one of several RF-capable remotes from them (the MX-600 and MX-350 being the most affordable of the Home Theater Master line, although the less expensive URC line includes the URC-100, URC-200, and URC-300 that all offer RF support). At the same time, NickScull did catch something I wasn't aware of - Harmony does now offer one RF-capable remote (the 890).

The 990's IR input will probably not be directly compatible with the RF-250's output - at least it wasn't with my Xantech IR distribution system (needs a Xantech 794-10 interface module, which I elected to not get because an IR flasher was quite a bit cheaper and would be hidden by my cabinet door anyway).

I was able to find the parts to give a direct link from the 250 to the 990. Partsexpress has a 6' 1/8 to 1/8 plug
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=181-713&CFID=185037&CFTOKEN=95657632
and a 3.5 to 2.5 converter.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=090-324&CFID=185037&CFTOKEN=95657632
Gonk - are you saying they are not compatible because of the size difference or because of the information output? If it is a size issue these should work...but if it is a info issue I guess they won't. Not sure what the Xantech interface module does...size of info conversion.

Thanks, mzpro5, for getting me re-steared. Logitech and Home Theater both used the same MX designation which fooled me after apparently mis-googling.

The Home Theater MX-600 should work just fine for my system. NewEgg has it for $139. The price really surprised me, considering what I've got in my Pronto including paying for programing.

My brother asks if there are any reported probs using RF remote in a house with metal studs?

Information, not size - the IR input that the 990 inherited from the P-965 platform is not simply a pass-through of the IR data that a repeater would provide. The Xantech module provides some data format conversion.

I haven't heard of any, but I bet Integratedj could provide some better first-hand experience.