Dedicated universal remote

[Kati Compton]

Just for fun I was thinking of creating a dedicated universal (customizable) remote. I was thinking either Palm, PPC, or even dedicated hardware.

Anyone know what the cheapest option with the longest battery life is with CIR? Color preferred, but not required. Macros (assign a button to a sequence of presses) required. Learning by pointing existing remote at device required (I hate looking up codes).

[dean_shan]

You could get an old Handspring Visor. There was a remote program for that. You would train the device by capturing IR signals from other remotes. You could also create macro buttons that would send out multiple commands in a row. I had one set to turn on the TV and DVD, Switch on the surround sound and change to input one. Ah one touch DVD access.

[Sven Johannsen]

That Handspring thing was (is) called Omniremote at http://www.pacificneotek.com/. Look for the springboard module. The software and the IR is in the Springboard module and works quite well. My only issue was that it didn't get the legendary PALM battery life, when you started using the batteries to run an IR transmitter. At the time my Handspring used AAAs. Don't know if there are rechargeable ones now, but that would be preferable.

Actually worked quite well. You didn't neccesarily need to train it from your remote, there were scads of codes available with it, and I think it also used Phillips Pronto remote codes, which you can find online.

I never got used to the idea of using my PPC as a remote, since a remote is community property at home and my PPC IS NOT.

Put together a real nice universal remote with a Handspring and Omniremote for about $150 when the dedicated ones were running $600-over $1000. And you can sync a TV guide to the Palm.

[dean_shan]

You could also use the software version of Omniremote (That's what I did). It uses the built-in IR, the range is shorter but costs less. The distance you get is around the length of a standard living room.

[smashcasi]

In the dedicated hardware realm you can find a first or second-generation Phillips Pronto on eBay for $50 or less. Those things are customizable in just about every way imaginable.

Personally I've tried a lot of options and the remote I keep coming back to is my trusty Sony AV2100 (http://www.remotecentral.com/av2100/index.html). It has learning capability, enough macro functionality to meet my needs and only needs new batteries about once a year. Battery life ended up being the big winner for me - picking up a remote only to find that it's dead is no fun at all.

[Kati Compton]

Personally I've tried a lot of options and the remote I keep coming back to is my trusty Sony AV2100 (http://www.remotecentral.com/av2100/index.html). It has learning capability, enough macro functionality to meet my needs and only needs new batteries about once a year. Battery life ended up being the big winner for me - picking up a remote only to find that it's dead is no fun at all.
I'll admit to liking the idea of SOME hard buttons - particularly for volume. As long as it knows to do the RECEIVER volume, and not the TV volume. And if it's channel up/down, to do the sat. box up/down, not the TV's or VCR's.

I don't know why, but it *really* annoys me to have to switch to the receiver on my universal remote before changing the volume, then make sure to switch back, etc.

That's what I'm *really* looking forward to with a programmable one. I suppose it wouldn't even have to have an LCD as long as I could really program it.

As for TV guide - that's okay, but not too critical. My satellite box does a good job of showing me what's on...

[Sven Johannsen]

I miss-remembered. You do have to program the Omiremote from your existing remotes. I also had a third party software that let you pull in remote codes. That was ORDesktop http://www.ordesktop.com/ It also let you create all the screens in a desktop editor, which made it very easy to customize the device.