HI,
I AM NEW TO THE HOME THEATER STUFF. I WOULD LIKE TO BUY A REMOTE THAT CAN CONTROL THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS:

1) CABLE BOX SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA-EXPLOR 4200-HD

2) SURROUND SOUND AMP SONY STR-DE597

3) DVD PANASONIC DVD-RV30

4) VCR SONY SLV-N51

5)TV SONY KV-40XBR800

I WOULD LIKE TO PROGRAM BY PC AND ALSO HAVE MACROS. O YES ,MY BIG THING IS TO ALSO CONTROL MY X-10 SYSTEM , JUST ON AND OFF AND DIM BRIGHT, I WAS WOUNDERING IF I CAN SEND A FEW HOUSE CODES SUCH AS H,G,O,........
ALSO HOW WILL THE SIGNAL INTERFACE WITH MY X-10 SYSTEM AND WILL IT BE RELIABLE. ANY INFO ANYBODY CAN POST WOULD BE VERY A GREAT HELP!!!!


THANKS PETE

Basically your choices are

Radio Shack or All-In-One and use JP1 programming. This is your least expensive approach. Hard buttons and some small LCD screens. You may have some buttons that perform a function they are not labeled for. For example, the play button in TV model might switch input modes. If you're the only one who uses it, that OK. Just try teaching that to a spouse.

Home Theater Master (HTM) remotes - MX700, MX800, the replacement models for these (sorry I'm not up on those model numbers) and I'm assuming the MX3000 is PC programmable. This is your medium expensive approach. The LCD screen can display custom labels associated with the buttons.

Pronto. Can be the most expensive. LCD touch screen only. Some people like hard buttons. Most intense programming effort. Can have color display. Lots of power.

I can't speak to X-10 for any of these. I know there's an IR interface module for X10. Maybe some else help on that question.

PS Please take your cap locks off. It's hard to read.

Hi,
Sorry about the caps lock!!!!! I looked up info about mx-3000. its a little to pricey for me. I was looking at mx-700. Is this going to work, or will it be to over kill. most Important is macros and X-10 control.
Thanks Pete

I'm gonna second PAW's suggestion and recommend that you get a JP1 compatible OFA remote. To control X10 with any infrared remote control, you need to first get yourself an IR543 box, which can be had for $20 from http://www.homeautomationnet.com

So, here's an example of your total outlay for a new remote setup:

1) Get an IR543 for $20 (plus $7 shipping) from http://www.homeautomationnet.com
2) Then get a URC-8811 (8 device learning remote) for $19 and a JP1 cable for $15 from me, plus $4 shipping

Grand total: $65

For that you will be able to control your X10 stuff with this and most other infrared remote controls, plus you'll have a remote that you can program from your PC using JP1, which means you can make it control just about anything.

You can read up on JP1 here:
[Link: hifi-remote.com]

The Robmans suggestion is quite reasonable in price and would work as well. But oh.. the MX-700 is a dream to operate, is WAY more affordable than th MX-3000,and is the coolest thing since air conditioning. As far as overkill, whats that? I only get depressed when my remote won't do enough!( clearly not a problem with the MX-700)

Hi pilgram,
I looked at the jp1 info and i thought it to be a really big deal to do. am i right? I like the mx 700 and have been playing with the software, it seems pretty easy to setup. what do you do when you can't find my amp listed in the list of codes.is there a way to get the correct ones, and from where do I get them from. i am pretty slow when it comes to stuff like this. do you thing this is the way to go or should I go with a jp1 remote. also do you think $189.00 is a good price for the mx-700 solo.
thanks pete

If your amp isn't listed you can

1 - Try other amp codes from the same manufacturer
2 - Learn the codes

I'm assuming the $189 is for an open box MX700. That's want I have. It was just like brand new.

Honesty, I looked at jp1 remotes and MX700. I actually have a Radio Shack RS15-2116 sitting on my desk to return. After doing more reading here and playing with them, I realized I could program the MX700 to be way more wife and kid friendly. The key is the customizable LCD labels and macros on any key.

This is not to say jp1 remotes are not powerful. They are! I personally feel they less customizable and user friendly than the MX700. The kicker with the jp1 remotes is cost. They are the least expensive solution. I can't speak to the ease of jp1 programming. However, with the little poking around I did it looked less intuitive than the MX700.

Like Pilgram said you can never have enough power.

This message was edited by PAW on 11/16/04 11:08 ET.

Hello PGFREE. $189 is a great price for a 700. You won't regret the purchase.
As for the codes; alot of times the codes from last years model (STR DE 595) will work. If not , Its really easy to learn from the remote that came with the reciever.

The all for one,jp1 setup requires a different mindset that doesn't come as natural to me. Therefore I think its a bit of a pain. Although I have had to use it to get discrete codes that aren't listed in the MX ir data base, and then learn it to the MX.

As far as day to day use is concerned, the MX-700 wins hands down. My grandma can run my system without a problem. And she's 92.

The one thing that the MX- series of remotes have over JP1 remotes is the customizable screen (which is a really neat idea, btw) but as far as them being more customizable, I can't agree with that. As far as sending infrared signals is converned, there's absolutely nothing that a JP1 remote can't be programmed to do.

The beauty of JP1 is that it can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make it. You can use it simply as a way to back up your remote's memory if you want. Most people just load upgrades for devices that their remote doesn't support and that's it. But if you want to, you can go as deep into it as you want. There are alot of experts in the JP1 forums ready to create custom upgrades for as yet unsupported devices and to create custom protocols for various other situations.

We can customize our remotes so that a long press of a button does something different than a short press. If you have a device that doesn't support discrete codes, you can use a tool called ToadTog to simulate discretes by making your remote remember whether your device is on or off (and yes, it does get fooled if you turn the device off manually, but nothing's perfect). If there is a toggle bit in the signal for your device, a JP1 remote will handle it properly, most learning remotes won't.

You can use JP1 to create signals for which there aren't buttons on the original remotes, which is the case for most discrete codes. You can use a JP1 remote to "go fishing" for other secret functions.

If you've lost your original remote and your remote doesn't have a built in code for the device in question, the chances are very good that we already have an upgrade file that you can use in our vast file section, and even if we don't, one of the experts will almost certainly track down the required info and will create one.

Putting the LCD screen issue aside, I challenge any MX-700 user to make his remote do something that a JP1 remote cannot do, and I bet I can make a JP1 remote do several things that an MX-700 cannot do.

And as for the question of JP1 being difficult, read this doc to see just how easy it really is:

[Link: hifi-remote.com]

Hi paw,
Thanks for the reply. the price of $189.00 is for a new unopened remote in the box.
I am still torn between the radio shack 8-1 cameleon remote and the mx-700. I like the cameleon but I am not sure I will be able to program it using the jp1 way. I have read the pages robman sent and it seems pretty simple but i am still not sure what kind of cable to get and if the 8-1 has the memory to do macros and x-10 lighting. I like to play with software so I think jp1 might be ok for me....but I am not sure if I am picking the correct remote for my app. can you guys please give me some much needed guideance.
thanks Pete

I agree with Robman, JP1 adds a lot of functionality to the OFA rermotes and makes them just as powerful. On the other hand for lights and stuff, it is way cooler to have a button that is way cooler to add a button called light that jumps to a device that uses the LCD with the right title. (obviously even cooler would be a toucjh screen like the Pronto, but that is a diffwerent subject :-) )

Hey Anthony, as far as using a JP1 remote to work X10 goes, my trusty old 15-1994 remote has buttons labelled for it! :) It's too bad that Radio Shack stopped putting those labels on their remotes.

Pete, the Kameleon (that's how it's spelled) does work with JP1. If you get a store bought Kameleon, you'll also need to get a "pogo pin adapter" because the remote comes with pads rather than the traditional 6-pin connector. I also sell the Kameleon and I have added the 6-pin connector to the ones I sell, so you don't need the pogo pin adapter.

As far as memory is concerned, the Kameleon comes with a built in code for X10 (Home/0167) so that's not as issue. Without JP1, remotes like the Kameleon run into problems when you get a device that they don't support as there's not enough memory to learn all the buttons that you need, but with JP1 there's more than enough upgrade memory for everything you could possibly want the remote to control.

As far as chosing a JP1 cable is concerned, if your PC has an LPT1 printer port available, then get the cheap "Simple" cable. You don't need a serial or USB cable unless your PC doesn't have a parallel port.

Just to be clear, the open box MX700s are NOT considered new. HTM monitors the prices set by the vendors closely. My MX700 came from bluedo. They used it for testing. It still had the plastic on the IR lense and the batteries were still in their original plastic. The best of both worlds.

The Kameleon has an issue with it's motion activited backlight. It's too sensititve. Walking into the room or strong bass will turn it on. This causes it to eat batteries rapidly. The was ture 6 months ago when I was shopping for a remote. I don't know if they fixed the issue. There was also instructions floating around on how to disable the motion activition. Then you have to touch the screen to turn on the remote. I think the Kameleon is neat techonolgy but ultimately the MX series won out for me.

I'd recommend doing more reading hear, see if you can't find the remotes locately to hold them in your hand, think abour your price point and the other users of the remote. With this info, you should be able to pick the perfect remote for you. However, be willing to return the 1st remote if it doesn't work out. I upgrade from the MX500 to the MX700 to get the programmability I needed.

just to add that it is true that they are not considered new, and is why they can be advertised for less, but they do come with full warranty

AAAA!! Yes! Thanks for clarifying that Anthony.