Any news on this yet and whether it'll be made available to the public? Just got the mx-980, I have it partially programmed, but am holding off finishing 'til I get a look at what the expansion pack has.

Thanks,
Tony

Really? Would you care to back that up with some economic data? I think they would florish if they made their product harder to get on the contrary. Any #(Q&* can get one of these units on Ebay or some other auction site it's a damn shame. As for what the company needs, why don't you leave it up to them to make the statements on their own economic condition?

Yikes...297MB!!

Well... that's 297MB for the ten new themes. The Favorite Channel icons are their own download. We didn't want to just throw out one or two templates and call it a day. We wanted our installers to have a variety of viable choices to present to their clients.

Best regards,
Dale

Do I have any hard data, no I don't. Its just my opinion. However, if you have seen what the "dealer" located near me considers a professional job, you would laugh. If I were forced to buy from him, I would use Harmony's. So that would be 4 remotes URC didn't sell.

As for the ebay thing, yes it is a shame and I wish there was something URC could do about it.

As for URC's needs, I think their actions speak louder than words. The want to look like they are pro-dealer, yet they don't prohibit their software from being given to end-users. Sure even if they did, a resourceful user could get it, but it would be harder than getting a download link from your dealer. So if they wanted to cripple the DIY market, then limit the software license to dealers/installers only. They haven't done that.

4 remotes vs probably over a hundred the average dealer might sell a year makes this a hard choice on who URC should support. The DIYers are probably a small percentage of URC's total sales. The argument over this decision with its software distribution has been going on for a while. URC lost dealers to RTI when it was easy buy URC stuff near or below dealer cost on the internet and the software was easily available.

URC changed its policies and fixed the RF issues and now dealers are starting to try URC again. But, they probably lost some dealers for a long time. They are trying to support dealers by not allowing the latest version of software and tools they provide to be easy for DIYers to get. The dealer still has the option to give them to an end user.

I don't think they want to cripple the DIY market but at the same time they do not want to lose dealers. If dealers flock to RTI or elsewhere because of their policies URC will have to decide which market is going be best for them and cater specifically to that market. Right now they are trying to do both. Time will tell if it works.

Bob

I already have the software for the mx-980, must I go through the same hurdles to acquire the expansion pack and favorite channel logos? The response 'someone who wants the software will find a way to get it' is getting tiresome. I have better things to do than to surf around the net for hours trying to find software that is readily available and free to "preferred" customers.

Favorite channel logos can be found in a lot of places. Just resize them in a photo program. Many photo programs will let you resize a whole batch so you do not have to do them individually.

For a personal remote I wouldn't worry about the expansion pack. I'd use graphics that make it personal to you. The expansion pack is just different templates that make it easier to offer choices for customers that aren't willing to pay more for something custom and personal. The buttons in the expansion pack are all very similar with various color variations which could easily be done in a photo program. I would at minimum use something personal for the backgrounds and not anything from any of the templates in the expansion pack.

Bob

Lol, I forgot about this thread. It seems I struck an imaginary nerve. (Any reason to hate a dealer motif)
If you don't just look for profiles to copy and title yourself a DIYer then my comment did not apply to you, yet some got offended anyway. Odd. I also included there are some pretty sorry installers.

The MX980 is the new remote. Plenty of other remotes with profiles. I have lurked here for years, been on the dealer side and been in the industry for a while, so no need to BS me or put up pretenses. Read some of my old posts. I don't sugarcoat it.

Frankly, you do not magically "deserve" the expansion pack, because it exists. In the end, that will be up to URC if you get it.
They did let the inofrmation about it go public...

"Frankly" I do, it doesn't need to be so complicated, place it on the site and let people download it. Saying 'got to the dealer is just an added nuisance, especially if the dealer doesn't feel he needs to share the stuff. Why should I have to waste time finding logos, importing them into photoshop, scaling them and then fitting them into the nice little button templates that are provided when stuff is already out there. To put it bluntly, the remote is expensive, I only want what is already available, no more, no less.

FYI, i finally got access to the expansion pack on the weekend (in fairness to my dealer , the link was sitting in my email for the last 3 weeks).

i have to say that there is some really cool material there to work with, tons of new buttons and backgrounds, etc. so to the DIYers - DONT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER! get your dealer to provide it to you!!

good luck.

I contacted my dealer and they denied any knowedge of the Expansion Pack (even after going to the dealer section of the URC site).

Is there any chance someone can post the locked down URLs to the Expansion Pack and the Chanel Icons so I can make it extra easy for them to find the files, download them, burn them, have me drive there, pick them up physically, so I can then customize my $600 remote?

Thank You,

Brad

Your dealer is either totally incompetent, or they flat out lied to you. Either way, it sounds like it's time to find a new dealer.

Yeah, I'm not too optimistic, seemed like unless there was some new commission in for them (and I've spent 1000's there) they are in no rush to help me.

I did send a link to this thread in the forum, and they didn't respond. I was hoping a link directly to the files would illustrate it better for them.

I'd get a new dealer, however, in my area, they are the only option.

Really, I bought it without a pitch for the professional installation, which on their site is 150 - 300 dollars. I program for a living, so I wasn't at all concerned about learning the URC software (although it is pretty funny, from a software engineering standpoint).

It just seems silly for me, because I plan on going to a large LCD when the 50+ in. 1080i sets drop in price, then a new amp, new speakers, blueray, etc.

Why should every time I change out a component have to call in some guy, pay him a few hundred, when I'm more than qualified to do it myself?

I don't want to make this an argument, I've read all of those already, I'd just like the current set of software for my $600 remote.

Brad

[Link: urccontrolroom.com]

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