# Universal Remote Suggustions



## Dream Theater (Sep 14, 2014)

Am looking for a remote that has multiple assignment capabilities. For instance, when I pause a movie I would like the lights to dim up. 

I'm not sold on Logitech because of the poor reviews I have read. If anyone could help point me in the right direction that would be great. 

Thanks


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Most members on here who use the Harmony remotes are happy with them. You have to take reviews with a grain of salt on sites like Amazon. People tend to only post negative reviews rather than positive.
I have two Harmony remotes (900 and 1100) both have provided very reliable service for years.


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## Rooster19 (Jun 22, 2014)

I'm a fan of URC remotes myself. Their more expensive, but Ifound them more bulletproof and programmable than the harmony's


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## 3dbinCanada (Sep 13, 2012)

I'm investigating another alternative. I'm going to be buying an app for my Samsung Tab4 tablet which has a built in IR blaster. If I get this to work, this will totally blow away anything from Logitech or URC . The app I'm investigating can be described here.

According to inititial correspondance with them, I can create macros much like activies on a Logitech remote and group the activities on a per room per equipment basis. 

http://colortiger.com/


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Dream Theater said:


> Am looking for a remote that has multiple assignment capabilities. For instance, when I pause a movie I would like the lights to dim up.


That's exactly what I have my Harmony One programed to do..and when I touch the pause button again the movie plays and the lights dim.. It works flawlessly every time..


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

I liked my Harmony One remote until coke was spilled on it;(.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

URC is most reliable ...Harmony not so much. I sell alot of MX 780 and 880 with RF control ... especially if you need custom macros that do lighting scenes and so forth ...but you'll have to pay for an installer to program it.
The rock solid execution alone is worth it .. I have 1 house with 3 780's and 1 880 - and I have only 1 service call in the past 2 yrs... The 880 is my personal choice ... rechargeable nicad and FAVORITE channels ...

You can also check out Pro Control Z - a product made by RTI but much less expensive ....It controls any equipment with RF, IR and Zwave capability and works from an iPAD or iPHONE..:wave:


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

I've had my Harmony One for 3 years and zero issues. Highly recommended.


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## 3dbinCanada (Sep 13, 2012)

RTS100x5 said:


> URC is most reliable ...Harmony not so much. I sell alot of MX 780 and 880 with RF control ... especially if you need custom macros that do lighting scenes and so forth ...but you'll have to pay for an installer to program it.
> The rock solid execution alone is worth it .. I have 1 house with 3 780's and 1 880 - and I have only 1 service call in the past 2 yrs... The 880 is my personal choice ... rechargeable nicad and FAVORITE channels ...
> 
> You can also check out Pro Control Z - a product made by RTI but much less expensive ....It controls any equipment with RF, IR and Zwave capability and works from an iPAD or iPHONE..:wave:


I see that generalization alot of Logitech not being reliable from URC owners. What baffles me is all the posts that come afterwards from owners indicating that their remotes have worked flawlessly over a course of many years... like me... Great remote..works all the time and going onto three years with it.


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## WRYKER (Jan 23, 2009)

I love our Harmony ONEs but you can't get them any more (at least at a reasonable price). IF I need to get a new one I have saved in my Amazon file a URC remote that sells for @$110.


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

I'm honestly surprised no one has suggested a solution like Control4 or Savant. Both can offer much more reliable control vs. URC's CCP line and definitely better than any Harmony offering.

Harmony controls are very cool toys. They work single zone A/V systems fairly well. There are a few complaints I have with them; mainly their inconsistent responsiveness. For most people they will work and work well. 

URC remotes tend to be much more rugged. Their RF range is significantly stronger with the right base station than anything Logitech has ever offered. Further, with URC I start to be able to edit and introduced logic into programming sequences. You won't get 2-way control till you go further up the product assortment. 

Moving from that to a control system like Control4 will provide a single unified UI across all graphic displays (iOS, PC/Mac, touch screens, and on-screen display) add a simple wand remote and you have a very clean system interface. I can integrate Control4's own lighting solutions or connect Lutron or Hue, among others, for lighting scenes. With 2-way control drivers I have the ability to read that state of devices and have programming act accordingly. 

Each solution will work but the next will work that much better.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

3dbinCanada said:


> I see that generalization alot of Logitech not being reliable from URC owners. What baffles me is all the posts that come afterwards from owners indicating that their remotes have worked flawlessly over a course of many years... like me... Great remote..works all the time and going onto three years with it.


Maybe you haven't been in the installer shoes as of yet... I replace Harmonies all the time ... the #1 complaint is that the Channel Up Channel down triggers several responces and takes more than 1 call to tech support to resolve that issue.... Even if the sensitivity and button press commands are adjusted as low as they can go...

Anyone who's ever had the Harmony 1000 can tell you stories about battery issues... 

Try doing any Zone 2 macros or 10 pages of favorite channels on a Harmony ...:whistling:

URC used to have RF interference issues which caused instability - but that is easily solved with a ferite choke on the antennae


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

That's just it. 
I think because most enthusiasts don't have access to programming software, they don't want to pay for someone else to program their system. 

If you ask a serious enthusiast, who's been in it for a while, if they would prefer a harmony or a pronto they'll usually pick the pronto. Give them access to urc software they'll probably think real hard about urc. 

None of this is a knock against harmony. They are made to be cost effective and reasonably reliable. They aren't designed for automation, no matter what their claims are for their "home" line.


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