& why?

I think I'm going to need something better to keep my girl happy. (one that does macros, like what came with my 950, so she can do 1 button on/off for TV & stereo)

Thanks,
Rick

I use a Harmony remote. They are now releasing a $50 model (Harmony 300) that sounds perfect if I was in the market for a replacement. All of the macros are programable with a usb cable and computer. The software does most of the work and allows you to tweek all settings.

Engadget did a write-up on it last week:
www.engadget.com/2010/03/31/logitech-harmony-300-eschews-lcd-screen-for-universal-affordabil/

I also use a Harmony (Model 659) - got it for around 50 bucks a few years ago. If you're willing (like myself) to sacrifice a color LCD display RF capability and/or remote charger base and stuff like that, one of these lower-priced models is about all you need.

I use a Universal Remote MX-850 and it does the job just fine.
Not too expensive if you look on E-bay.
I paid like $150.00 for mine a couple years ago.

I also have the MX-850. My wife and I love it. The programming took a while, but was quicker than I thought (this is from someone who hasn't programmed a remote before)

It's not quite one button, but is is two button for TV/home theater and four button for stereo (to select a local station from the remote's screen).

Alan

I've used several third-party remotes. The first really useful one was the URC MX-500, which was followed by the MX-700 about few years later. Most recently, we switched to the MX-900 almost two years ago for the RF support.

MX-700 for me. In fact, we have two - his and hers. That really helps eliminate fighting over who left the remote where.

It's been discontinued, but it's a really great remote, with plenty of devices and macros, and an extensive library along with learning capability.

Scott

IMO a universal remote is one of the best upgrades you can make to your home theater. Either the Universal or Harmony remotes allow a great deal of flexibility and take away all the frustration with firing up all the equipment for a particular activity. And that's not for just the non- tech folks in the house; I like the convenience as much as they do. I've got the Harmony One and I've been very pleased with it and Harmony's customer service. I had a Harmony 880 before and its buttons eventually died. The Harmony One is a much better design and it looks like it will last much longer.

I also have the 850 and love it but am curious about the above statement. I have macros set up to go from TV/Sat to disc player with one button and back with one button. I can pretty much switch anything with a one button macro. it takes a bit to get the hang of it but once you do no problem.

One problem that has come up is I bought a new computer last Nov. and it only has USB connections. I can no longer connect the 850 to my computer because the 850 needs a pin connection. anyone have any thoughts?

I haven't looked at Alan's remote file, but in some cases you can run into tasks that are hard to get down to a single step because of a lack of discrete input codes.

USB-to-serial adapter should do the trick for you. I haven't tried one with my MX-700 yet, but I will have to at some point since the MX-700 is still in use in the bedroom and our old PC (which had a serial port) went away shortly after I made some changes. The next time I change anything in there, I'll need to use a USB-to-serial adapter to update the remote accordingly.