joemm210 Wrote:I bought a harmony around 7 years ago and I keep buying Harmony remotes, please correct me if I am wrong but I dont think too many remotes have these features I would guess the microsoft one doesnt.
Any macro capable remote can send a series of commands to put equipment into the desired state.
The biggest problem is that you need to use discrete codes (i.e. not power on/off toggles or input toggles) for them to work reliably. As an example, my macro has to send discrete power ON to the TV, AVR and HTPC, plus discrete power off to the Squeezebox, blu-ray player, etc... (just in case they're on), discrete HDMI2 to the TV, and a discrete input selection on the AVR (don't remember off hand which one). The macro can be fired off any number of times until everything receives the commands it is supposed to, just in case something like the AVR didn't get the commands on the first try. If you used standard toggle codes and the AVR didn't turn on, running the macro again may turn the AVR on, but it would likely toggle everything else off.
The Harmony database contains a lot of discrete codes, but for those times that it doesn't or when one doesn't exist (shame on you AT&T U-Verse), they have their user guidance interface that attempts to resolve the problem via Q&A. In my case, for the time we had U-Verse, I didn't need this. If the U-Verse receiver didn't turn on, running the macro again would leave everything else alone and toggle power on the U-verse box again. In the case of the Harmony, it meant needlessly answering the Q&A to maintain the state tracking.
Another issue is, many macro universal remotes are designed to be device based (vs. activity based like the Harmony), where you end up toggling between devices. If you're creative, like I was with my Home Theater Master (URC) MX-500, you can arrange the buttons in an activity based layout. It generally only requires teaching codes for a couple functions for something like the AVR to buttons on the "Movie" page, especially since most allow for "punching through" the volume from your AVR or TV to other devices.
Something like the URC R50 is a reasonable alternative to Harmony remotes, being similar in capacity and capability as the Harmony One, but only $80-$90. It cannot be programmed via a PC however, and it also cannot be updated by the user/owner. URC remotes are generally pretty simple to configure, but not likely as easy as a Harmony. My MX-500 is an older, more complicated remote, but my recollection is that it only took me about an hour to set it up satisfactorily, which isn't far off from when I first setup the Harmony 700. The R50 is supposed to be much easier, with it being wizard driven. It also allows for more macro enabled buttons, activity based configurations and such.
The only time I had a problem with non-PC-Programmable remotes is when I needed a code that the MX-500 had, but my factory device remotes did not. It has discrete codes for my Panasonic plasma and I ended up teaching them to my Yamaha remote so that I could teach them back to the MX-500 on the buttons I wanted them on. My MX-500, being as old as it is, also doesn't have discrete codes for some newer equipment. It didn't have the discrete HDMI input codes for the plasma TV. I taught those to it from the Harmony 700 before I returned the 700. The Harmony remotes definitely have an advantage here.
On most universal learning remotes, once you put the remote in learning mode, you can very quickly go through each button one after the other. The Harmony software is clumsy in comparison, at least if you're teaching a large number of buttons.
FWIW, the URC MX-450 is another alternative that still doesn't offer PC programming, but it is updatable, can be backed up and appears to be of higher build quality. It's closer to $200 though. URC has several models that are PC programmable, but are much more costly are are intended for distribution through custom installers and have to purchased from an authorized dealer. The MX-810i is the model I have my sights on, as it's the only newer model that isn't $300-400; Amazon has it for $165 right now.