Harmony vs. URC Remotes

[dtximages]

Ok so in my new HT project I do not want to see any components right? The only way for me to do this is to put the components in a closet a room over. Therefore, I will need a really good universal remote with RF. I don't want to deal with IR ever again haha. Anyway, I have found the Harmony 900 and it looks pretty good. However, the last time I had a Harmony, I wasn't all that impressed with its ease of setup and it just didnt seem to be all that effective.

To me, a remote, once set up, shouldn't really require much thought or effort. So I looked at the URC professional line and they look awesome! Most are considerably more expensive but are they worth it?

My favorite is the MX-500 but its almost $1,000. Next to that I think I like the MX-880z. Maybe even the 980 or the 450. I think I can get those for around the price of the Harmony 900.

Does anyone have any experience I can benefit from? I know the professional line from URC talks about having an installer program everything which will not work with me because I'm not paying for that, and I like to change things up too often.

Any opinions are welcomed. Thanks

[CECAA850]

I have a Harmony 880. The only issue I had in setting it up was quickly resolved by their tech assist. dept. It's worked flawlessly for me. The only time I have to change any settings is when I change components.

[dtximages]

Oh ok. Are you using it as RF or IR? One problem I remember is that it wouldn't control all the functions I really wanted it to control with my various components. I am constantly having to change my speaker settings and volumes on my H/K AVR6000 receiver. Everytime the power flickers or I press the wrong powe button, ALLLLLL the settings reset to their defaults. VERY annoying.

I think, if I remember correctly, it didnt do a good job of controlling my cable box. I have a motorola box from charter. I MUST be able to control the menu/guide to change channels etc.

I hate seeing components.. and unfortunately i dont have enough square footage to adaquately hide them all in a nice cabinet. im going for very minimalist here. besides my massive speakers in the room haha..

[CECAA850]

I believe the 880 is an IR device. You can look at the components in my sig to see what it controls (plus a Scientific Atlanta cable box). It will control all the functions of each device as needed. In the activities screen, you get the basic controls you'd normally use. If you need more control, you can go to the specific device menu and find even more functions of that particular component. I've yet to need the factory remote for any of my devices, but I may not tweek as much as you do.

[dtximages]

Yeah id love to not have to tweek and usually i dont, i try to keep things simple. So you use the IR sensor that runs down to your components?

Do you use the remote plug in in the back of your components or those little sticky things that sticks to the front? Ive never liked those either, they seem to work sometimes and god forbid i have to get back there and move around components haa. they always get jumbled up.

[Rich_Guy]

URC makes a much better remote than Harmony, URC's professional line are excellent in quality design and features. If you are an avid do it yourselfer and familiar with high end remotes or willing to learn I think the best one to program your remote is yourself and I would definitely avoid the high priced custom installer. For me URC was the easiest remote to program for a complex system I ever owned and the first remote I owned that could do everything I wanted or needed a remote to do.

I currently own two URC remotes an MX-800 and an MX-850 and use both with IR/RF so there is no need to point or even be in the same room as the equipment.

You can find URC remotes for great prices, just make sure that when you buy the remote that the seller will supply you with the needed software to program the remote as many sellers don't. You can download the software from URC's website with your remotes serial number but the software on their website does not feature the Live Update feature so this software must be re-downloaded to get any new updates.

Anyway I would definitely recommend you look into a URC remote, they are very nice!

[CECAA850]

Everything I have is within line of site of the remote. It's all behind a type of smoked/wrinkled glass. I don't use repeaters.

[dtximages]

oh ok thats cool. one of the main things i want to work is my cable box dvr guide etc. i dont see any dvr buttons on any of these.

[CECAA850]

oh ok thats cool. one of the main things i want to work is my cable box dvr guide etc. i dont see any dvr buttons on any of these.

The buttons do different things for different devices. Once you program your devices model # into the remote, it gives you the functions that the device remote would normally have.

[Lylefan]

One little bit of advice... do not use Harmony Remotes for RF. They are horrible. I have had many and even had professionals attempt to hook it up. Frustrating to say the least. I use an URC at it works flawlessly. A little tricky to program.... but well worth it.

[dtximages]

hm ok thats pretty much what i need to know. Has anyone had any experience with the URC mx-5000? its really expensive but seems to do some really cool things.

[kelA]

Another fan of URC. I bought one about 4 years ago and have not looked back. Many are activity based remotes, meaning if you want to watch cable you press "watch" "cable" and it turns on all the devices needed to watch cable, plus I have mine setup to control the cable box menus while in this "activity". If I need to make on the fly adjustments to the reciever while watching cable it is programmed to give access to the receiver menus without changing the "watch cable activity". With the RF feature you dont need to worry about devices getting out of sync with on/off. It has a large wow factor for friends that come over.

[RockOn4Klipsch]

My biggest complaint with the Harmony Remotes is that some devices are not fully supported (ie Aragon Stageone, Soundstage) even after e-mailing them and sending them the pronto file it still wasn't supprted fully. I also tried learning the commands with no luck.

This problem is part of a larger issue with the Harmony Remote "network", there's no way to add discrete IR commands from the database individually, this is why you can't get complete control over all devices.

I had all the neccessary info for logitech, codeset, files and sequence to get fully support for my StageOne, they did nothing constructive.

Anyways i've had my eye's out for a URC to replace my Harmony "The One" remote.

[alkemyst]

The MX-500 is not $1000 I have it, it's actually $88 on amazon now. It's the same (as far as I know) as the MX850 without RF ability.

I like the URC line up...I don't like the graphical remotes at all. I want a plain text label and URC allows that.

The RF30 looks like my next remote, but I can't find one anywhere.

Also RF is only going to be part of your battle unless your current components support it. You will need RF to IR transmitters if not.

[dtximages]

Ok im talking about the MX-5000 which is $824 lowest price when you google it. Many of them are over 1k.

Anyway none of my components support RF. Im ok with transmitters right there at my components (like inside the closest). But while im sitting on my couch, i dont want to have to aim my remote at an "eye" that ive attempted to hide somewhere.

sooo like, all my comps are in my closet stacked up right? i want to have the RF receiver sitting in there with them hooked up to the back of each component. that way its like true RF right?

if they dont have the remote inputs i would like to be able to put one IR thing like on the inside of the door so that it shoots an IR signal to my components.

i hope thats not confusing sounding haha.

[alkemyst]

I have not done this recently...but in my past you need to hook up to the front of each component if they have no RF. A little sensor goes over each's IR one. Then a little wire can run to the back and out to whatever RF reciever you have.

having just one IR blaster in front seems possible, but a wire would have to run to it.

[dtximages]

Yeh i dont want to have to point my remote at anything. i dont think you have to with the Harmony One or the URC rf remotes. i just click and it goes to the receiver hidden in the closet in the other room. then the receiver sends the signal to each component either thru the IR sticker things (dont love them) or via a "Remote" input on the back of the component.

that is what these RF remotes are supposed to do correct?

[Rich_Guy]

The MX-500 is not $1000 I have it, it's actually $88 on amazon now. It's the same (as far as I know) as the MX850 without RF ability.

I like the URC line up...I don't like the graphical remotes at all. I want a plain text label and URC allows that.

The RF30 looks like my next remote, but I can't find one anywhere.

Also RF is only going to be part of your battle unless your current components support it. You will need RF to IR transmitters if not.

It was a typo he meant MX-5000 not MX-500. The MX-500 is URC's original classic design remote a very nice remote
but also very basic.

There are quite a few differences between the MX-500 and MX-850 the biggest is the MX-850 is computer programmed while the MX-500 is not, also as you mentioned the MX-850 has RF capability, there are also a number of small upgrades and the MX-850 has a better finish and better buttons though the MX-850 is based on the original MX-500 the MX-850 is the top of the line of this model line which were the MX-500, MX-600, MX-650, MX-700, MX-800 and MX-850 which all are based on the same design and look similar.

Also to use the RF capabilities of URC remotes you use their RF base stations which convert the RF signal to IR before it gets to your equipment. I have the MX-800 and MX-850 and two base stations, I can control all my equipment as well as all my lighting and air conditioning from any where in (or around) my house.

[Rich_Guy]

Yeh i dont want to have to point my remote at anything. i dont think you have to with the Harmony One or the URC rf remotes. i just click and it goes to the receiver hidden in the closet in the other room. then the receiver sends the signal to each component either thru the IR sticker things (dont love them) or via a "Remote" input on the back of the component.

that is what these RF remotes are supposed to do correct?

The Harmony One still needs to be pointed at equipment, the Harmony 900 is similar to the harmony One but adds RF.

With URC's RF the base station has a very powerful blaster that will usually power anything in the same cabinet with no need to use the wire IR senders. However if the plaster doesn't reach your equipment you can use either the "sticky" wires over your IR sensor or you can use IR wires to IR plugs on the back of some equipment. Personally I was able to get all of my equipment to work without the need for any of the "sticky" IR wires.

[dtximages]

ok yeah that sounds like what i want.. let me be sure though..

with the URC, the only "receiver" is the one in my closet with all my components. that receiver converts the RF to IR and sends it to the components either with sticky things or a blaster thing right? I DO NOT have to point my URC remote at anything right? I figure the Harmony One works the same way does it not? Im pretty sold on the URC.

Thanks for all your input.. I would love to be able to like stick a "blaster" on the inside of my closet door in front of my components and have it shoot the signal to each of them. i know that doensst always work but maybe it will.... if not ill use the sticky things or the IR inputs on the back.

sorry sometimes its hard for me to understand what everyone means in here hah.. i have to get it back down to "alabama" language sometimes ya know?