Universal Remotes Reviews

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Universal Remotes Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Universal Remotes Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CNet.com	Universal Remote Roundup John P. Falcone and the Editors of CNet.com Dec. 2007		This roundup lists ten popular remote controls, along with links to full reviews for each. Each remote receives a numeric rating, which makes it easier to compare models. Highest-rated universal remotes include the Monster Cable Home Theater and Lighting Controller 300 and the Logitech Harmony 890, both of which receive the same "excellent" numeric score, although Falcone says that compared to the less expensive Harmony 890, "the Monster is the superior remote." The Monster Home Theater Controller 100 also gets a score in the excellent range, although Falcone says that while it arguably offers a superior design to competing models, "it's relatively pricey." The Universal Electronics NevoSL is rated "very good," but it is expensive and available only through custom installers. The Philips Prestigio SRU8010 is also rated very good, and is called "both affordable and easy to set up." Other models not included in this roundup are also reviewed on the site, and user reviews are included as well. In the January 2008 CNet blog postings, John Falcone reports on the new Logitech Harmony One. His only complaint is the lack of RF wireless on this model.
2. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	Gadget Freak: One Remote to Rule Them All Dan Tynan May 2006		In this article, PC World contributing editor Dan Tynan looks at three budget to mid-range universal remotes. Of the three, the Philips's Pronto SRU9600 "offers the greatest control with the least amount of hassle." The Logitech Harmony 550 is PC programmable, but it's hampered by a small LCD (only an inch square), too many screens and cryptic default commands. In addition, it proved incapable of controlling one piece of equipment (a Sony CD jukebox) in the author's test system. Finally, the author found some issues with programming the device. "For example, when you're programming activities like 'Watch a DVD', it's easy to get stuck in an endless loop," he writes. The Universal Remote Control R7 is inexpensive and very capable, but difficult to master. "Any gizmo that comes with a nearly 1-hour instructional DVD doesn't inspire much confidence," writes Tynan. You can also search this website for user reviews of many popular remotes.
3. Sound & Vision Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Sound & Vision's Best: Extras Editors of Sound & Vision magazine July 2007		Sound & Vision magazine reports on universal remote controls in detailed, single-product reviews, as well as in multi-product roundups. Highest-rated remotes make it to The List, which the magazine says is "the best gear to buy right now." Top-rated universal remotes include the Philips Pronto TSU9600 Touchscreen Remote Control, which wins a 2007 Editors' Choice Award. John Sciacca reports that it has built-in Wi-Fi control, "but its support for Escient music managers and Lutron lighting control is what makes it truly special." Also included is the Harman Kardon TC30, which Sciacca says "does everything it should do and does it intuitively." The Universal Remote MX-3000, with a touch screen, is "in a class by itself." The Logitech Harmony 880 also makes the list.

Universal Remotes Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Universal Remotes Ratings Comments on Reviews

4. Home Theater Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Universal Remote Roundup John Higgins Sept. 2005		Home Theater magazine occasionally covers universal remotes, with an emphasis on high-tech models. In this roundup, John Higgins looks at five universal remotes, concluding that even inexpensive remotes could be perfect for many people. The One For All URC 8910 is the only remote from this group that is still in production. It is called "a solid starter remote for someone who does not want to delve deep into the remote world." An April 2007 review of the Universal Electronics NevoSL can be found by searching the site. Adrienne Maxwell reports that the NevoSL is only available through specialty dealers, which means that programming the unit is the custom installer's responsibility. Reviews of the older Harmony 659 and Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360 can also be found using the search function.
5. The Seattle Times >> Details/Subscribe	Remote controls that do more than just channel-surf Monty Phan Sept. 30, 2006		In an effort to tame the clutter of remote controls needed to operate his growing home-entertainment system, columnist Monty Phan evaluates six universal models. Remote controls are evaluated on programmability, ease of use and cost. In the end, the Logitech Harmony 880 edges the field. One negative is that the buttons are relatively flat, making it hard to navigate the remote control by feel alone.
6. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Input and Control Devices: Remote Controls Editors of PC Magazine As of Feb. 2008		The editors at PC Magazine report on remote controls in occasional single-product reviews and multi-product roundups. While the emphasis is on remote controls for computer applications, many universal remotes for A/V gear are also covered. Each remote receives a numeric Editor's Rating, so it's easy to see which ones score highest, and the best remotes are given an Editors' Choice award. Among currently available products, the Logitech Harmony One receives an Editors' Choice rating because of the superb setup software, a new touch screen color LCD, and a newly overhauled, more comfortable design. While receiving an equally high score, the Universal Electronics NevoSL costs up to three times more and can require professional installation. Jeremy Kaplan reviews the Philips Prestigo SRM7500. He likes the easy-to-program software and the remote's ability to control your PC. However, he suggests you might want to wait until Philips delivers on its promise to release support for Windows SideShow, which allows the remote to display information from the Internet. Reviews of the Logitech Harmony 1000, Harmony 890 and Harmony 880 are also available.
7. Remote Central.com	Latest Remote Control Reviews Daniel Tonks As of Feb. 2008		Dozens of reviews written by site creator Daniel Tonks and over 2,000 user-written reviews make this a good stop for anyone looking for a remote control. While the user reviews are short and of variable quality, Tonks' reviews contain pages and pages of detail about every feature or issue that could be of interest. Tonks ultimately stops short of making recommendations, however, and there are no comparative ratings. Also, many out-of-production remotes remain on the site. Still, if you want to learn everything about a remote you are considering, few sites can match the depth of information that's available here.
8. 2008 International CES	CES Innovations 2008 Awards Honorees: Home Theater Accessories Producers of 2008 International CES Jan. 2008		The international CES is the annual consumer electronics trade show held each January. Honorees for the Innovations Design and Engineering Awards Showcase are selected by a panel of judges consisting of independent industry designers, engineers and journalists, although their rating methods are not given. This web page lists the 2008 winners and gives a brief description of each. The Logitech Harmony One wins the Best of Innovations 2008 award for the Home Theater Accessories category. Other winners in the category include the Philips Prestigo SRU 8015/37, the Philips Pronto TSU 9400, the Universal NevoS70 and the Universal Remote Control MX-810 and MX-980.
9. Audioholics.com	Featured Remote Control Reviews Clint DeBoer Jan. 8, 2008		Audioholics.com is an online audio/video magazine with an emphasis on high-end gear. This landing page takes you to several individual reviews of remote controls. Tony Leotta takes a detailed first look at several models from Universal Remote Control, just released in January 2008. These include the MX-980 and MX-810, winners of this year's CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards, and the MRF-260 RF base station. Leotta's first impression for all three is that they are "pretty cool." Additional reviews include the TX-1000 and MX-950 from Universal Remote Control and the Logitech Harmony 880.
10. Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity	A/V Accessory Reviews Editors of Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity As of Feb. 2008		Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity is an online magazine that offers extensive information about home theater and high-end audio. The A/V Accessory Reviews landing page leads to long reviews of the Logitech Harmony 670, Philips Pronto TSU9600 and Home Theater Master MX-500. Ross Jones wishes the Harmony 670 had a docking station and brighter color screen, but says it "represents an excellent entry point" for someone interested in a universal remote. Ofer LaOr reports that the Philips Pronto TSU9600 has the best screen he's seen on a remote, but notes that you'll need two hands to operate this model. Colin Miller calls the IR output on the Home Theater Master MX-500 quite robust, working without failure over a long distance. Reviews of several other remotes which are no longer in production are also available.

Universal Remotes Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Universal Remotes Ratings Comments on Reviews

11. Business Week >> Details/Subscribe	Logitech's Universal Remote Letdown Jay Greene Feb. 13, 2006		In this article, Jay Greene compliments the Logitech Harmony 890 for trying to control every function on more than 80,000 different devices, but says that the remote control falls short of its goal. Errors occurred when downloading codes for one of the author's devices, as well as for the RF wireless extender. In addition, he found the device overly complicated to use, requiring him to sometimes scroll through as many as five screens to access some functions. In the end, he says that while the Harmony 890 "is awfully good at managing functions for so many different devices," it could not fully replace his other remotes.
12. The Wall Street Journal >> Details/Subscribe	Gifts That Don't Start With i Lee Gomes Dec. 19, 2005		Lee Gomes continues to be a big fan of the MX-500 by Universal Remote Control, Inc., and he recommends it as a prize stocking stuffer for the home enthusiast in this holiday tech special. In an earlier article, he compliments the user-friendly macros as well as the tactile feel of the unit and buttons, and adds here that the remote remains a favorite in his house.
13. Network World.com	Gearhead: The Quest for the Holy Remote Mark Gibbs June 5, 2006		Network World is a division of IDG, a leading technology media, research and event company. In this review, columnist Mark Gibbs searches for a remote control to replace the five separate remotes he has at home, and discovers the Logitech Harmony 550 Advanced Universal Remote. He finds that "it is in the setup that the Harmony 550 really shines," because it is USB-enabled and you can program it over the Internet. The programming is easy, if not always logical. Gibbs reports that there were occasional pauses while data was retrieved from the website, and the lack of indication that anything was happening made him occasionally wonder if the software had died.
14. The New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	Novelties: A High-End Remote for a High-Tech Life Anne Eisenberg May 27, 2007		Anne Eisenberg tries the Logitech Harmony 1000, a touch screen universal remote, with a Harmony RF Wireless Extender. She reports that programming an entire system is not a job for someone in a hurry. It took her an entire day, partly because she had to "teach" the remote a command that couldn't be transmitted automatically online. For those who don't feel up to the task, she suggests hiring a professional installer to set up a model such as the Universal Remote Control MX-3000.
15. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Universal Remote Controls: Buying Advice Editors of Consumer Reports Oct. 2007		In this informative buying guide, the editors of Consumer Reports give advice on buying one remote to control all your home-entertainment equipment. They first suggest you look at any remote controls you already own because it's likely that one of these may be able to control at least some of the functions of other devices. If you do need to buy a universal remote, the editors divide them into three categories. Consumer Reports mentions several typical models in this guide, but does not rank them.
16. Sound & Vision Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Remote Control Station Editors of Sound & Vision magazine June 2007		With a nod to the release of the Adam Sandler movie "Click" on DVD, Sound & Vision created this landing page with links to recent reviews and previews of universal remote controls. In addition, the page links to three informative articles: How to program a universal remote, how a touch screen remote works and how IP (Internet protocol) technology can be used to remotely control electronics gear from anywhere in the world. A link to the Forums section leads to the A/V Accessories message board, which occasionally includes discussions of popular remotes.
17. Laptop Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Gadget Gifts for Dads Leanne McWatters May 15, 2007		While Laptop magazine rarely reviews universal remotes, the Logitech Harmony 1000 Advanced Universal Remote appears in a roundup article of 11 gadgets that Dad might like for Father's Day. Leanne McWatters mentions several key features, such as the 3.5" color touch screen display and its ability to control more than 175,000 gadgets. Otherwise, this review is short and not critical.
18. AVSForum.com	Remote Control Area Contributors to AVSForum.com As of Jan. 2008		This user-to-user discussion site has loads of information about home-entertainment equipment, including a forum dedicated to remote controls. Popular universal remotes often get their own "official" thread that includes discussions of specifications, features, problems, fixes and more, including reviews. Of course, like similar discussion sites, things can go a little off topic on occasion, but once you get past that there's lots of information to be had here. The site also features industry news, press releases and other tidbits.

Universal Remotes Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Universal Remotes Ratings Comments on Reviews

19. CircuitCity.com	Video Remote Controls Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of Feb. 2008		CircuitCity.com is an online brick and mortar retailer that allows users to offer their opinions about products that they own. Many of the remote controls listed receive enough comments to make visiting the site worth your time. Of course, like most nonprofessional reviews, the quality and usefulness of the reports is rather uneven.
20. Amazon.com	Remote Controls Contributors to Amazon.com As of Feb. 2008		Amazon.com also invites owners to share their opinions with others. Again, many of the remotes get enough feedback to help potential buyers get a handle on which ones most owners consider best. One advantage Amazon.com has over CircuitCity.com is that many more remote controls are covered, but that number includes several that are discontinued and either not available at all or available only as used items. Amazon.com and CircuitCity.com are also good places to learn about inexpensive (under $30) and very basic remote controls, which are rarely professionally reviewed.
21. Epinions	Remote Controls Contributors to Epinions As of Feb. 2008		Epinions shares many of the same strengths and weaknesses of other user review sites, but it seems to draw less traffic than either CircuitCity.com or Amazon.com, so most remotes get fewer comments than elsewhere. On the positive side, those reviews presented tend to be longer and more detailed than those at the retailer sites.
22. About.com	Remote Controls Mary Bellis Not Dated		Although this article does not review specific remote controls, it does provide interesting historical information on the discovery and evolution of remote control devices since their invention in 1956.