Recommend me a remote!

[AV Monkey]

It will be controlling:-
Toshiba 32wlt66 lcd.
Cambridge audio 640R
Cambridge audio dvd89
Sky +
SO if anyone has a similar set up any advice/experiances of a remote to control all would be very gratefull.

[PD_BARBS]

Originally Posted by andyhill

It will be controlling:-
Toshiba 32wlt66 lcd.
Cambridge audio 640R
Cambridge audio dvd89
Sky +
SO if anyone has a similar set up any advice/experiances of a remote to control all would be very gratefull.

Logitech 555, is reasonable priced, and able to handle anything I throw at it. (TEAC Amp, Rapsody N35 media player, phillips DVD, Wii, Sky+ box) Although I don't have the Cambridge audio stuff. it works well with my WLT66

[hunts1uk]

Logitech 885 for me,great remote.Whats your budget?

[AV Monkey]

Cheap as possible. I dont want to spend £150 say if i dont need to. How flexible are these all in one's? will they control the amp as far as Switching to dolby digital and prologic setting effectively taking over from the pro-logic and dd/dts buttons on the amp remote.

[Cynar]

Harmony 525. Electronic bargain of a lifetime at £43.

[badbob]

I've been told harmony remotes lock up frequently by a harmony dealer, is this true?

Last time I tried the online configuration I didn't like it at all, didn't just plonk picture of the remote so you just drag and drop IR codes to buttons of your choice...wizards telling you what do you want to do etc etc. Have harmony improved it? The MX Editor is far easier to use.

[Cynar]

Originally Posted by badbob

I've been told harmony remotes lock up frequently by a harmony dealer, is this true?

Last time I tried the online configuration I didn't like it at all, didn't just plonk picture of the remote so you just drag and drop IR codes to buttons of your choice...wizards telling you what do you want to do etc etc. Have harmony improved it? The MX Editor is far easier to use.

I've had 2 and neither has ever locked up.

I've never used MX Editor but find the Harmony software a doddle.
It seemed a bit strange after being used to Prontoedit but I think it's just what you get used to.

[AV Monkey]

Originally Posted by andyhill

Cheap as possible. I dont want to spend £150 say if i dont need to. How flexible are these all in one's? will they control the amp as far as Switching to dolby digital and prologic setting effectively taking over from the pro-logic and dd/dts buttons on the amp remote.

Can the 525 do these functions or just basic functions i.e volume control and channel changing on sky+box/tv?

[hunts1uk]

Originally Posted by andyhill

Can the 525 do these functions or just basic functions i.e volume control and channel changing on sky+box/tv?

It will do that and more without a problem mate,Set up right it will do everything your remote will do.

[wing.rider]

Try Ebay - I bought my (unused) Harmony 555 for £35 as I also wasn't sure if it was worth spending a load of money on a remote. However, now that it is set up, it is well worth what I paid, and more, although I doubt whether I could ever justify spending £100+ on a remote.
The Logitech set up web-site can be a chore, and you have to be prepared to spend quite a time (several hours!) with it connected to your PC, with lots of remote updating while fine-tuning the details, but once you get your head round it it is fairly logical.

[AV Monkey]

Thanks for all your advice guys.

[yant]

Originally Posted by wing.rider

Try Ebay - I bought my (unused) Harmony 555 for £35 as ...

That was a very good price. You've been lucky.

IMO, some ebay bidders are mad. I've been keeping an eye on ebay for a 525 for a while. Maybe I am cheap but they go for far more than what I am willing to pay for either a second hand with no warranty or to take the risk of buying a so-called "unused but just opened once" from some unknown source with no protection if the item would prove faulty. For example, a 525 went last week for £41 plus £4 postage! Wake up, amazon sells then new and delivered for £44. It's not as if it was an obscure retailer that noone has heard of. I've got in my ended watch list 525s that went for 32, 36, 35 all not including a 4 to 7 postage. This one is still running and has already reached £36 + postage http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=260174413368

So yeah, maybe I am cheap but IMO the hassle and risk of ebay is not worth saving £4.

That said, ebay is great for more expensive AV equipment like the Totem Model 1 I got a few years ago for about £400. Yes, they have spike marks underneath but nothing else and they sure can sign :-)

Yan

[AV Monkey]

Just ordered a 525. £43 delivered amazon.

[Intenso]

I just picked up a 525 from Comet at £50. I didn't feel a saving of £6 was worth the agro of waiting for the postie!

Now that I've got the 525 set up I'm very impressed.

One touch of a button and my PV500 plasma turns on, switches to Component (no matter what the last input setting was), turns on the Tosh DVD and then opens the tray

Same for my Cable and Sat boxes.

The software took a bit of sussing out but now that I have its staright forward.

The remote itself is fine, maybe the finnish could be of a higher quality but I would expect it to cost much more then. Having said that the finnish is better than all my other remotes bar the PV500 which is top notch.

I would not hestitate to recomend the 525.

[simonhipsey]

I know it's all been said already but I have to give another vote for the 525... For the price it is by far my best thing I ever bought AV wise. Such a convenience.


Plan on keeping it for quite a while until I upgrade to an 895 which will be purely for when I wall-mount and move my gear out of line of sight and will need RF as opposed to purely IR.