I am looking for recommendations for a new remote. I currently have the PVR150 silver remote for my living room frontend which has the occational lockup problem. I need to add a new remote for the bedroom frontend.

Can anyone recommend a good USB remote (its for a laptop) that works.

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LINHES 8.6.1 BE/FE - MSI K9N6SGM-V with AMD A64 X2 4600+, 4GB Ram. 1.5TB WD. HDHR Prime. Nvidia GT210. MCE remote.
FrontEnd - Dell Vostro 400 3.0GHz Core2Duo NVidia GeForce210. MCE Remote

love my sony 710

Harmony 676 has been the best purchase outside my Pioneer HDTV I ever did. It SOLVED the wife acceptance factor.

is the harmony a learning remote? it sounds very intriguing, but I need something that can control my pvr250.

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Have a question search the forum and have a look at the KnoppMythWiki.

Xsecrets

Home Theatre Master MX500

http://www.remotecentral.com/mx500

Lots of real buttons, learning, some limited screen (button label) programmability.


The Logitech Harmony 880 is also tempting, but the location of some of the buttons that I use often (e.g. FFWD, REW, PLAY, PAUSE) doesn't look as "handy" as my MX500

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| Nigel Pearson, nigel.pearson.au@gmail.com
| "Things you own end up owning you" - Tyler, Fight Club

I'm pretty happy with the Microsoft MCE 2005 USB remote I purchased. I recommend it to the Mythtv converts I know. It's a piece of cake to get working with lirc (R5A26 and newer).

The USB reciever is the only piece I use though, I have a universal learning remote that I've grown used to. The MS remote seems like good quality hardware, but honestly the only reason I put batteries in it was to transfer IR signals to my learning remote.

IMHO, the reciever and remote that came with the PVR150 are junk. Quality issues aside I found the performance flakey at best (when using R5A16).

How about the ATI Remote Wonder. It's available for under $30 from newegg. Is this a case of you get what you pay for?

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LINHES 8.6.1 BE/FE - MSI K9N6SGM-V with AMD A64 X2 4600+, 4GB Ram. 1.5TB WD. HDHR Prime. Nvidia GT210. MCE remote.
FrontEnd - Dell Vostro 400 3.0GHz Core2Duo NVidia GeForce210. MCE Remote

I use an RCA univeral remote (it happens to be a 6 in 1) I found a device code (TV - 098) that activates all buttons on the remote.

This, in conjuction with a home built lirc reciever.

lots of buttons, good range

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R5F1 - Dell P4 2.4Ghz 500MB - PVR250 x 2 - GeForce FX 5200 - Onboard sound/NIC 80GB ATA/250GB ATA/400GB SATA

Another vote for the MCE 2005 remote. I think it's well desgined and layed out.

Previously i was using the DVICO fusion remote which gave me no end of headaches. I haven't had a single problem since switching to the MCE one.

One thing to note --- most online stuff doesn't mention it, but the MCE remote *IS* slightly programmable. It'll only learn for the ON/OFF and volume buttons, but that was perfect. I've programmed the on/off for my TV, the volume controls my amplifier, and the rest controls myth. I'm 100% satisfied.

j

The Harmonies are on the expensive side 100-200. But they really work like a charm.

You set up "Activities" via a web config page you setup with them. Enter all your model numbers into the page setup and then it asks you "How you watch TV" - receiver? cable box/etc. It will ask ask how you watch movies.

You then jump between Activities via some shortcut buttons on the remote. It always knows what is on and what is off. So to go from watching a DVD to listening to the radio, it knows to keep the reciever on, turn it to FM, and turn off the TV.

The buttons are context sensitive to the Activity, not just the device. No more hit the TV button to switch input, then hit the PVR button to use the menus once you are there.

The biggest help for the family is the bloody help button. If a key sequence is missed, you hit the help button:
Is your TV on?
-->Yes
Is the input "Myth"?
-->Yes
Is your receiver on?
-->Yes
Is the input COAX?
-->No
Did that fix the problem?
-->Yes

I have the Harmony 688. This thing is awesome! I'll never own one of those universals again. It even recorded key sequences like CTRL-ALT-BKSPCE from my IR keyboard so I wouldn't have to hunt for it to operate the Mythtv. SCHWEET. Check out my Harmony Howto on the knoppmythwiki. Get one..

I see posts about the harmony 677 and 688, has anyone had any experience with the 659? I can get it from one of my suppliers for under $100 where the 677 is like $150 it looks like the 677 just has changeable faceplates, but I like to know what else I'd be missing if I went with the 659. I really like the idea of the watch tv watch movie etc buttons.

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Have a question search the forum and have a look at the KnoppMythWiki.

Xsecrets

I believe all the harmonies are more or less the same. The same button count, the same web config. The new one has a docking station and is in color, but the 659 looks the same as mine (676).

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/produ ... entid=8789

They are worth every penny. On http://www.remotecentral.com/ you will hear some differences on how the buttons feel to the thumb. Gummy vs plastic and such. Any extra buttons I think are just more activity buttons. The ones talking about PVR simply have a dedicated button stating such. For instance my 676 I use the Music button to hit Myth. No biggie.

Any more details about the MCE 2005 Remote? (I've found two different remotes that are called the 2005 remote...)
What's the part number of the one that works with mythtv?
Does it use the "mceusb" driver that the lirc-reconfig.sh script points to?

And - those of you using the harmonies - what receiver do you use? Do they come with receivers?

Thanks!

Sean

My Harmony can talk directly with a PVR-350.