What's everyone using for their remotes now days. Have an old arse Harmony that I'd like to retire. Any suggestions ? I only have like 4 devices as of now. Sony TV, LG blu ray, Denon 3500 and a Roku.

Did,
I am using The Harmony hub( NO REMOTE) just the hub running thought a mac mini work awesome. I have been using assorted Harmony remotes for 15 years. I have no need for the remotes unless I have some issue that is rare. Everything runs Thought the harmony.
RJ

I'm still using the original (and still awesome) Harmony One and it works with everything I throw at it, including new gear.

I'm gonna try and get the old Harmony working first. I have a Chromebook so I need my son to bring his computer over

Some day I need to look into one of these. Still have a remote for my projector, receiver, roku, sony 4k dvd, ps4, ceiling lighting, and a few I'm forgetting, lol

If you like Apple, get a Harmony. If you like Windows, get a URC. Harmony, much like Apple, pisses me off. But so do automatic faucets and paper towel dispensers, so maybe I'm just technically challenged.

Now that's funny.

I vaguely recall thinking about this some time ago and refresh my memory, weren't URC more time intensive, needed programming, not a simple database addition for controllable peripheral gear, etc.?



Don't even get me started on Apple.
Random 911 dialing because of an auto feature setup from pressing volume and power button at the same time in a certain sequence must cause a lot of bogus 911 calls.
Why the hell would Apple put the power button immediately opposite a volume button such that when a hand holds the unit, pressing both when trying to press one is intuitively going to happen? Let alone design a feature that when this occurs a 911 call gets dialed.
I mean WTF APPLE??!!

I actually like the Harmony setup and all, but the quality of the remotes has gone downhill. I have an older unit that fits nice in the palm, has the pause, record, etc. buttons easy near the thumb, has a rechargeable battery which i've only changed out twice in over 10 years, whose buttons have not worn out (no surface printed letters/numbers and sturdy mechanical switches).
The most recent Harmony One had play/record buttons up high so i needed two hands, one on the remote bottom for balance and pressure and the second hand to actually press the buttons up high. It was not contoured for a hand to hold it firmly and my hand kept slipping upward from the bottom. No more rechargeable batteries. Now you just go through a new set every 3 months and recycle NiCads or Li metal batts like they were kids candy after Halloween. Soft buttons fail within a year. No amount of cleaning worked to fix it. There's actually companies online that sell kits to help fix this problem.
Eeeech.
WTF Logitech!!??

I'm pretty sure Apple and Logitech designed automatic faucets and paper towel dispensers.

Yes. The programable URC remotes require installer or user programming, and the professional line requires software that you can only acquire (per URC policy), from a registered dealer, or possibly a registered "installer". As with anything, there are workarounds for obtaining the software, but you won't get it from Best Buy. The rationale is that URC wants installers to program the remote, verse DIY'ers, as the assumption is that only professionals can figure out how to program the remote, correctly..... But if I can figure it out, anyone reading this can too. I just have to refresh my memory every time I change a component and have to update the programming.

Granted, the CCP programming software does have a steep learning curve, and if you are not willing to spend several hours (and days), learning how to run it, Harmony would be the better option.

But if you are the type who may get pissed off when your stuck hunched over a sink, trying to get the auto soap dispenser and auto water dispenser to realize you want to wash your hands, in the order YOU choose, with the amount of soap and water YOU want to use...........consider URC.

And that confirms exactly what i remembered about URC, thanks.
I just don't have time for another learning curve. As it is i'm starting to tinker with Linux soon to get off Windows and i have 4 computers and kids and wife to do that with.
Big enough learning curve and time consumption aside from hockey, swimming, music lessons....
Somewhere in there, i need a life.

The Harmony Elite or the 950 which is the Elite without the hub, would be your only real choices, IMO. The Ultimate has been discontinued, I believe this is the one you were referring to which had the buttons way up high on the remote over top of the screen. The Harmony One is still my favorite remote for button lay out and the One is what I still use for all my HT gear.

Recently moved to the new Shaw Blue Curve system and the remote for it SUCKS. The Volume buttons are too far away from the D pad, all in all it just a very awkward remote to use.

https://www.urcsupport.com/urc_product/shaw-bluesky-tv-remote/

Rogers offers that one and new model that is also not great - https://www.rogers.com/customer/support/article/pairing-the-voice-remote

Evidently there is very little out there in the way of easy home consumer universal remote companies i guess.
You would think there would be so much more these days, something for competition with Logitech.

Has anything worthwhile materialized on Kickstarter or other crowdfunding sites?

Agreed, with the plethora of devices in our lives these days it would seem a great market to develop.