Which Universal Remote to Use?


Hey everyone,

Looking for thoughts/opinions on trying to unite all my remote controls (currently 7) into one universal command remote.

Any one that folks recommend in particular for a combination home theater/listening room setup? I'm looking for ease of setup, future expandability, and ease of use without busting the bank.

I'm comparing the following:
- MX-3000 from Best Buy/Magnolia
- AMX
- iControl
- Phillips
- Logitech Harmony 550, 670, 890, 1000,

Also, any tips on which ones to avoid would be helpful. Many thanks!
maxim531
Maxim,

I have had my 880 for ~5 years, it works flawlessly, my 890 is slightly younger but not by much and again, works perfectly, neither has ever had an issue, and I would highly disagree with the statement that they are 'delicate'.

I have big dogs and had young children (well, 9 and 13 then) and they both survived without a scratch. The one complaint many have is the charging dock for the 880/890 is not the greatest design, some times the remote won't make good contact and it doesn't charge when in the cradle.

I do not find this to be an issue, and in fact, my 890 still runs for weeks without recharging, even with regular use.

Oh, BTW my entire house is tiled, so every time the remote has fallen, it's landed on tile, and both still are hanging in strong.

I guess by now you can see I am hooked on the Harmony remotes, and have been now for seven years (when I got my 690, which BTW is still working perfectly as well, no cradle issues as this one runs on batteries, again which last MONTHS between changes!)
I have had several brands and other Harmony's. Everything is right about this remote for me:

Easy, easy, easy to program online

Can't lose your set-up as it is stored online

My wife can run it and I can label buttons she understands

Tilt backlight is fantastic

Strong signal output

Only thing it does not have is RF, but I run the powermid RF x10 system throughout my house. Allows the use of any IF remote anywhere.
Does anyone know of a universal remote that will work with Oppo players. The stock one is lousy. I need one with nice large and illuminated buttons. I found several at WalMart for little more than ten bucks, but Oppo was not among the dozens of brands listed on the package.