Ken,
I must rush to the defense of the admittedly annoying H/K 525 remote; it's irritating but not nearly so bad as many others I've used or reviewed. At least it has a manual backlight button you can push if you need to see the buttons in the dark, and the latter are clearly marked and readable, unlike one recent one that used a tiny typeface intended for only those with 20/20 vision. Moreover, important buttons (volume up/down) are distinguished by shape/feel.
I reviewed one remote (along with others, including an early Harmony, for a Canadian tech magazine) with a motion sensor like the Denon that would suddenly glow as I walked past it in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom, testing my startle reflex. Ridiculous!
I liked the early Harmony's "activity-based" design, but like all things, it wasn't perfect. Still, for families, visitors, and non-techies, it was perfect.
Regards,
