[mythtv-users] remote control recommendation

[Bill Chmura]

On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:53:02 -0600
Joe Harvell <jharvell+lists.mythtv-users at dogpad.net> wrote:

> I am looking for a remote control to use with my MythTV and A/V system.  
> I have an IRTrans Translator (http://www.irtrans.de/en), but I need a 
> remote.  I don't want to spend a lot of money, so a touch screen is not 
> what I'm looking for.  Here is what I *am* looking for in order of most 
> to least important.
> 
>     * It has to be able to send IR codes that are not already recognized
>       by my existing A/V components (DVD player, TV, DISH receiver, A/V
>       receiver).  So ideally, it would be programmable so that I could
>       program it to interact with a device I don't have.
>     * It needs to have lots of keys with lots of labels  (e.g., up,
>       down, left, right, enter, info, menu, cancel, etc.) so I can
>       assign the corresponding functions of MythTV and my A/V components
>       to a key with a label that intuitively matches the function.
>     * It needs to be able to send IR commands that are recognized by the
>       IRTrans Translator as the same command every time.  Some remotes
>       (e.g. my DISH remote) seem to transmit slightly differently each
>       time, but the device it controls is able to discern which key is
>       being pressed.  So I can't really use my DISH remote to control
>       things for which I have to recognize and translate.  This applies
>       to the IRTrans Translator and LIRC in general.
>     * It needs to be able to learn IR commands that I transmit from my
>       IRTrans Translator so that I can program it with discrete codes
>       for my A/V devices.  Actually, this would be nice but is not
>       strictly necessary since I can store a translation in the IRTrans
>       translator, but it would be nice not to have to translate.
> 
> Any recommendations?

I am not sure what you mean by lots of money, but I have a Harmony 880, which has been working very well - has tons of buttons, and is extremely flexible.  It works fine with all my AV equipment including my PVR-500 MCE remote stuff.  I think it satisfys all your noted requirements above.  Not terribly familiar with the IRTrans...