Which remote to replace Pronto?

cerebros

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I've currently got the basic Pronto, the RU940.

While I've gotten along with it myself over the years I've had it, the GF dioesn't like using it, particularly for transport control operations as the screen size means that the "buttons" are close together and she often hits the wrong one. It's got to the stage where if we're watching someont on TV together she refuses to control playback herself, meaning I have to do it.

I must admit that I would prefer to have more hard buttons for things you're going to need pretty much all the time (i.e. 4-way menu selector with OK button, transport controls), plus some extras such as the four Fasttext buttons, as at the moment with my Sky+ set-up on my Pronto it gets a bit annoying having to switch to a seperate screen to do fast forward/rewind (although I could always stop recording programmes off of comercial TV so I don't keep having to skip through the adverts :D )

So this means I'm in the market for a new remote should there happen to be one that meets my needs.

From looking around the remote that would seem to meet my needs in terms of physical buttons in the Logitech Harmony 885. However, I'm a bit concered about the need to program it via the web, especially since I've read a number of user reviews stating that the web interface is extremely slow, and that there's no proper macro facility, just "activities". I may have read the reviews wrong, but with my Pronto, aside from the obvious power on/off macros for different combinations of kit, I also have macros to do things like adjust the dynamic range setting on my amp, or adjust the brightness of the amp's display. Is it possible to set up things like this with the Harmony?

My other concern is over discrete codes. With the Pronto, if a discrete code exists for a function on your equipment, chances are you'll find it at remote central. I found this especially useful when I had a JVC HD32P37 as it meant I was able to get codes to directly select the AV inputs, instead of having to go through the TV's menu system (I find it hard to belive that anyone who's ever used a TV designed the UI for that TV). If I'm using the Harmony will I be able to find discrete codes through Logitech's website?
 
I can't say that I've found any possible other options other than the Harmony, and also the "Test Drive" function on the website doesn't seem to work which is annoying (anyone got a link to the manual for the 885?)

Are there any other alterntives?
 
Oh, another thing that I'd like not to have to give up if switching to another remote - my Pronto quite happily controls a fan we bought for those times when it's really TOO hot. Will I be able to find some way of controlling this from the Harmony if I get one?
 
Customer support at Logitech Harmony is excellent (they're based in Canada and there is a freephone number). With the time difference they're open during our evenings.

They can take pronto hex codes and convert them to codes for the Harmony remotes (you email the codes to them and they add them to the set-up for your remote held on their server; you then download that set-up to your remote via the web interface).

If your fan is controlled by IR then there shouldn't be a problem.

Hope this helps...

Dave
 
cerebros said:
I've currently got the basic Pronto, the RU940.

While I've gotten along with it myself over the years I've had it, the GF dioesn't like using it, particularly for transport control operations as the screen size means that the "buttons" are close together and she often hits the wrong one. It's got to the stage where if we're watching someont on TV together she refuses to control playback herself, meaning I have to do it.

(,,,)there's no proper macro facility, just "activities". I may have read the reviews wrong, but with my Pronto, aside from the obvious power on/off macros for different combinations of kit, I also have macros to do things like adjust the dynamic range setting on my amp, or adjust the brightness of the amp's display. Is it possible to set up things like this with the Harmony?

Hi cerebos

I did manage to get a Harmony to learn a macro from another learning remote. :rolleyes: It was an Arcam LR not a Pronto. My GF smashed my Pronto years ago; I think deliberately :). Cannot guarantee this will work with your macros but it might be worth trying to learn them from your Pronto if you decide to get a Harmony anyway.

Richard
 
Have you considered the newer prontos ie 950 and 970 new generation? They have all the advantages of your 940 plus about 13 or more hard buttons. Monochrome version has 16 shades of grey compared to the 4 on your 940, colour is even better. I also have a 940 and need another remote (one for the bedroom and one for the TV room). I'm toying with upgrading to the models mentioned but the touchscreen problem with the 950 mentioned on remotecentral and the cost of the 970 are holding me back. If you ever want to sell your 940 I'd be interested.
 
dood said:
Have you considered the newer prontos ie 950 and 970 new generation? They have all the advantages of your 940 plus about 13 or more hard buttons. Monochrome version has 16 shades of grey compared to the 4 on your 940, colour is even better. I also have a 940 and need another remote (one for the bedroom and one for the TV room). I'm toying with upgrading to the models mentioned but the touchscreen problem with the 950 mentioned on remotecentral and the cost of the 970 are holding me back. If you ever want to sell your 940 I'd be interested.

I had looked at the newer Pronto's but to be honest I think I'd prefer having proper hard buttons for transport controls. Even though I'm far more comfortable using the Pronto than the GF, even I find that 20% of the time I hit the wrong on-screen button for a transport control if I don't look first.

I also happen to think the colour Pronto's are a complete rip-off cost wise.
 
How about the MX series of remotes from URC. They use a combination of hard keys and a screen. They are very highly regarded. You set them up with computer based edit sofware :)
 

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