I'm looking for some input from the experts here on getting a universal remote that will work with Dish Vip 622 HD-PVR. It must have discrete features and it must be upgradable. I'm looking at Logitech's Harmony line of remotes and I can get the 680 for about $50.00 online. I don't know enough about these to make an informed decision, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Universal Remote for 622
- Thread starter SHADO 1
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SHADO 1 said:
Most Harmonys will do the job, just a matter of button layouts. You need to look at some of them and see what you like best. I have the 880 and like it more then any remote I have used, it is unique in that it has a cradle that recharges the battery when needed.
I have an old Sony RM-AV300, never liked it cause I had to pick it up to use it, and I like to have my remoted velcroded to the arm of my easy chair. The Harmonys have what are called "Activities" they are macros that you program over the internet, they work for everything I wanted to set up.
Mine just sits on the end table. Use it to change from DVD/942/622/OTA. That is the only thing it does. Rest of the time I use the Dish remote...
That is what I do til I want to go from tv to something else, I just rip the Dish remote off the chair arm and put the Harmony in it's place. I have gotten so used to the Dish remote that I can run it blindfolded. If I don't need to tweak something , the only time I use the Harmony is to hit an activity button to turn on my tv, dish and a/v, then at night I hit the off button and everything turns off.
I have had the URC MX 500 for several years, and was generally happy with it. Since I got my 942 I haven't stumbled across the right combination of setup that makes me want to stop using the Dish remote (so now I have been using both).
I just got the Harmony 880 and LOVE IT - in about 30 minutes I had it set up to control all of my equipment including which units are on & what input they tuned to. The mx500 did all of this - BUT it probably took me 2-3 MONTHS to get it properly set up.
Why I like the Harmony so much is that it was EASY & FAST to set up.
I bought the Harmony because I couldn't find the right location on the MX500 for the"DVR" button to mimic my Dish remote (I already had the macro buttons full).
With the harmony I now have a dedicated DVR button right on the main screen when I am in the "watch Satellite" activity, and all of the Harmony's pre-printed buttons do exactly what they say they should.
I bought mine from Dell last month for$129 with a $20 rebate & free shipping.
Check current deals in the Harmony forum at remotecentral.com if you decide you want a Harmony. That's where I found out about the Dell deal.
The Harmony does have small buttons, but to me it's been worth the trade off. I am now using the Harmony only, and have put the MX500 & Dish remotes in the drawer.
I just got the Harmony 880 and LOVE IT - in about 30 minutes I had it set up to control all of my equipment including which units are on & what input they tuned to. The mx500 did all of this - BUT it probably took me 2-3 MONTHS to get it properly set up.
Why I like the Harmony so much is that it was EASY & FAST to set up.
I bought the Harmony because I couldn't find the right location on the MX500 for the"DVR" button to mimic my Dish remote (I already had the macro buttons full).
With the harmony I now have a dedicated DVR button right on the main screen when I am in the "watch Satellite" activity, and all of the Harmony's pre-printed buttons do exactly what they say they should.
I bought mine from Dell last month for$129 with a $20 rebate & free shipping.
Check current deals in the Harmony forum at remotecentral.com if you decide you want a Harmony. That's where I found out about the Dell deal.
The Harmony does have small buttons, but to me it's been worth the trade off. I am now using the Harmony only, and have put the MX500 & Dish remotes in the drawer.
SHADO 1 said:
I have been using a 680 for a couple of years. I just upgraded my 522 to a 622 and had very little problem changing the remote. I did have to reconfigure my activities to use the 622 and set up a couple of buttons (I had to map the record button to the DVR function and learn the format and live tv buttons). It manages everything exactly the way I want it to. If you can be a 680 fro $50, I wouldn't hesitate.
I have a Harmony 520 and it has replaced all my remotes. It controls 622 without a problem. However, keep in mind that it will probablyt take you several iterations of programming the Harmony (an easy but not-too-quick process) to get all your buttons programmed the way you want to in an activity, since you'll never know which button you will miss until you actually start using the harmony.
One feature I wish Harmony support is macro, e.g. a macro to toggle closed captioning. Of course one way around this is to create an activity just for this purpose.
One feature I wish Harmony support is macro, e.g. a macro to toggle closed captioning. Of course one way around this is to create an activity just for this purpose.
Amen to Harmony. You will never need to program buttons again. Just enter VIP622 in the online programming guide and it will load it. My Harmony tells the VIP622, processor, HDMI switch, projector, screen curtains, and lights dimmer everything in one push of a button.
Surprisingly i still like the Harmony 659 the best because you can tactile memorize buttons.
BTW their new interface is Macromedia Flash based and it rocks.
Surprisingly i still like the Harmony 659 the best because you can tactile memorize buttons.
BTW their new interface is Macromedia Flash based and it rocks.
OK, Shado has his answer, but I'll post for others with the same question.
I have a Harmony 880. It's GREAT! It runs my entire home theater- HDTV, Dish ViP622, AV receiver, VCR, 7 slot DVD player, and DVD recorder with built in VCR. Very easy to program over the internet- just list your equipment.
I've had many, many "universal" remotes over the years- none replaced my Dish remote. Just before getting the 880, I spent several weeks in hand to hand combat with a MX-350, which never did do quite all I wanted. Just too hard to get set up. But the 880 was ridiculously easy. This model is designed for home theaters, and has plenty of buttons labelled correctly so you don't have obscure button names to translate in your head.
I have a Harmony 880. It's GREAT! It runs my entire home theater- HDTV, Dish ViP622, AV receiver, VCR, 7 slot DVD player, and DVD recorder with built in VCR. Very easy to program over the internet- just list your equipment.
I've had many, many "universal" remotes over the years- none replaced my Dish remote. Just before getting the 880, I spent several weeks in hand to hand combat with a MX-350, which never did do quite all I wanted. Just too hard to get set up. But the 880 was ridiculously easy. This model is designed for home theaters, and has plenty of buttons labelled correctly so you don't have obscure button names to translate in your head.
Threw the 2 year old POS 659 I had in the garbage, maybe the newer ones are built better, but I'll never buy another Harmony remote. :down
NightRyder
NightRyder
Put me down for another wholehearted endorsement of the Harmony 880...it's probably the smartest money I've invested in my home theater setup. A real pleasure to use and while its more expensive than some, for what it does and the ease of use it provides, its a real bargain imho.
