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    Universal Remote Control - Need recommendations

    I'm looking for a new universal remote, primarily to control my AV equipment (yet having one that could interact with HS would be awesome)

    I've had Logitech Harmony remotes for several years, but they seem to crap out a little more often than I would wish....looking to try something different.

    Any suggestions ?

    #2
    I've had a Nevo Q50 for many years : http://www.mynevo.com/

    It's an excellent remote, totally customisable, (does Zwave) but probably not worth the money if you pay full price. I use it to interact with Homeseer using a USBUIRT :http://www.usbuirt.com/

    I also have a Nevo SL. They were discontinued a few years back , but again it's still a very good remote. They come up regularly on fleabay.

    Comment


      #3
      I would recommend an Android device like the Nexus 7 and build your remote using HSTouch. This way your remote is a lot more usable for other tasks like Granny Smith game
      💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

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        #4
        Check out the URC-R40

        A good place to research remote controls is: http://www.remotecentral.com

        tenholde
        tenholde

        Comment


          #5
          I recently replaced my Harmonies with URC

          2 x MX-780 and 2 x MSC-400 (one for each floor)

          I love them. Have them integrated with HS, so I can control all my lighting scenes from the remote. Found it to be much more reliable that IR triggers for things like raising lights when I pause a movie. Took a lot of work to emulate the Harmony activity function (esp. switching activities)

          You can pick these up pretty cheap on ebay, you just need to make sure you get the CCP software from the buyer. It's a bit of a learning curve, but love them. ONLY things I miss on Logitech's is that the One glows when you pick it up and it has time on it.

          See this thread:

          http://board.homeseer.com/showthread...&highlight=urc

          Regards

          Mark
          ________________________

          Dell Zino HD - HSPRo 2.x
          HSTouch - iPhone 3GS, 4S, iPad2 and iPad 3, 3xKindle Fire (Wall mounted)
          2 x Brultech ECM1240 with UltraECM
          USB UIRT
          Cooper Aspire Z-Wave Switches
          WGL800 w ACRF2 and 3xDS10a (Sump Level/Activity sensing)
          HM ST812-2 Flood Sensor
          HSM100 - Motion Detector with Light and Temperature
          2GIG Thermostat
          BLDSC - Alarm Plug-in
          BLUPS
          UltraLog (SQL2008)
          Jon00 Plugins
          Host XR3 BT and Jon00 BT Proximity
          Global Cache IP2IR
          Foscam FI8918W

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Rupp View Post
            I would recommend an Android device like the Nexus 7 and build your remote using HSTouch. This way your remote is a lot more usable for other tasks like Granny Smith game
            Rupp, I have done that and it is works well and completely customizable. However, I have found the lack of physical buttons that you can feel, makes it a bit more cumbersome interfacing with a display like a channel guide. It is much more intuative when you have a device with buttons you can feel. I have both side by side while watching TV.

            Ken

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Ken LaCapria View Post
              Rupp, I have done that and it is works well and completely customizable. However, I have found the lack of physical buttons that you can feel, makes it a bit more cumbersome interfacing with a display like a channel guide. It is much more intuative when you have a device with buttons you can feel. I have both side by side while watching TV.

              Ken
              I think the best combination by far is a true remote with the required physical buttons and a tablet for second screen (viewing guide, setting recordings, looking up other stuff). I can't stand using touchscreen for transport and volume control. It's the one thing I don;t like about my Sonos, I can't use a simple IR/RF remote for transport and volume control.

              I used Harmony IR remotes for quite a while and integrated with HomeSeer with IR triggers (was a real pain). Now I have URC (MX-780 with MSC-400 base station that has RS-232) and messages are sent to HS via RS232 when movie is paused/played, etc. Also have buttons on remote for controlling lighting scenes, etc. (had thse on Harmony too: used IR matching with IR codes for a device I didn't own). It's way more reliable than IR matching

              Regards

              mark
              ________________________

              Dell Zino HD - HSPRo 2.x
              HSTouch - iPhone 3GS, 4S, iPad2 and iPad 3, 3xKindle Fire (Wall mounted)
              2 x Brultech ECM1240 with UltraECM
              USB UIRT
              Cooper Aspire Z-Wave Switches
              WGL800 w ACRF2 and 3xDS10a (Sump Level/Activity sensing)
              HM ST812-2 Flood Sensor
              HSM100 - Motion Detector with Light and Temperature
              2GIG Thermostat
              BLDSC - Alarm Plug-in
              BLUPS
              UltraLog (SQL2008)
              Jon00 Plugins
              Host XR3 BT and Jon00 BT Proximity
              Global Cache IP2IR
              Foscam FI8918W

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by TechnoJunkie View Post
                I've had a Nevo Q50 for many years : http://www.mynevo.com/

                It's an excellent remote, totally customisable, (does Zwave) but probably not worth the money if you pay full price. I use it to interact with Homeseer using a USBUIRT :http://www.usbuirt.com/

                I also have a Nevo SL. They were discontinued a few years back , but again it's still a very good remote. They come up regularly on fleabay.
                +1 for the Nevo Q50. Just enough hard buttons for common volume, channel and transport buttons yet a touchscreen for all the other stuff. My only concern is that 1 of the 2 I have runs low on battery noticeably faster than it did when it was new.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I've never been one for universal remote controls that are just a remote control trying to be one in all. I find the bitwise solution ( my variation of it) very good. It uses ipad/iphone hardware and is easier to configure.
                  My biggest problem with Uni Remotes is the configuration, the time a trained technician spend setting it up is money wasted on a sub standard product that only gets you half way there.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by mark_anderson_us View Post
                    I recently replaced my Harmonies with URC

                    2 x MX-780 and 2 x MSC-400 (one for each floor)

                    I love them. Have them integrated with HS, so I can control all my lighting scenes from the remote. Found it to be much more reliable that IR triggers for things like raising lights when I pause a movie.

                    Mark
                    Hey Mark,

                    What plugin have you been using for integration? Is it still working for you? Would you use it if you had to do all over again, or does something else look better and or easier?

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by 519zwave View Post
                      Hey Mark,

                      What plugin have you been using for integration? Is it still working for you? Would you use it if you had to do all over again, or does something else look better and or easier?
                      I basically did it with a couple of VB scripts. I had my MSC-400 linked via serial port to HS (could do with IP easily enough too). I then added a callback script to the startup.vb in homeseer to look for data on tat serial port and call anther script which parsed the messages and called events (could do a lot more). For example, i had a series of macros on the MSC-400

                      LivingRoomLightsLow
                      LivingRoomLightsHigh
                      LivingRoomlightsOff
                      Bedtime
                      etc.

                      All these did was send a message via serial port with an event Name: e.g.

                      Living Room lights Low
                      Bedtime etc.


                      I could have added buttons and macros for individual devices, (e.g. list all lights by room and have dim up, dim down, etc.), but all I really wanted was integration for HT room. Best thing was my Watch Blu-ray macro, turned on all devices and dimmed lights. When I paused it raised lights, etc.

                      URC have much newer controllers, but don;t know how hard they are to pickup (and get software) if you're not a dealer.

                      I moved to RTI, but I'm an authorized dealer for and deriver developer for them too.

                      Savant has a new DIY remote out, which might be good.

                      you can do a lot with Roomie too

                      I think the new top of the line Harmony has a hub that can do much more now too.

                      Hope this helps

                      If you search forum for URC you can find more details of how I did it.

                      I have some URC gear for sale tow (couple of MX-780's and MSC-400's)
                      ________________________

                      Dell Zino HD - HSPRo 2.x
                      HSTouch - iPhone 3GS, 4S, iPad2 and iPad 3, 3xKindle Fire (Wall mounted)
                      2 x Brultech ECM1240 with UltraECM
                      USB UIRT
                      Cooper Aspire Z-Wave Switches
                      WGL800 w ACRF2 and 3xDS10a (Sump Level/Activity sensing)
                      HM ST812-2 Flood Sensor
                      HSM100 - Motion Detector with Light and Temperature
                      2GIG Thermostat
                      BLDSC - Alarm Plug-in
                      BLUPS
                      UltraLog (SQL2008)
                      Jon00 Plugins
                      Host XR3 BT and Jon00 BT Proximity
                      Global Cache IP2IR
                      Foscam FI8918W

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Thanks Mark. Appreciate the comments. I would need it to work with regular events and not scripting as that is way beyond me!

                        The quest for perfect remote continues

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by 519zwave View Post
                          Thanks Mark. Appreciate the comments. I would need it to work with regular events and not scripting as that is way beyond me!

                          The quest for perfect remote continues
                          Someone did a TCP and serial driver for HS which would also work and be easy to configure
                          ________________________

                          Dell Zino HD - HSPRo 2.x
                          HSTouch - iPhone 3GS, 4S, iPad2 and iPad 3, 3xKindle Fire (Wall mounted)
                          2 x Brultech ECM1240 with UltraECM
                          USB UIRT
                          Cooper Aspire Z-Wave Switches
                          WGL800 w ACRF2 and 3xDS10a (Sump Level/Activity sensing)
                          HM ST812-2 Flood Sensor
                          HSM100 - Motion Detector with Light and Temperature
                          2GIG Thermostat
                          BLDSC - Alarm Plug-in
                          BLUPS
                          UltraLog (SQL2008)
                          Jon00 Plugins
                          Host XR3 BT and Jon00 BT Proximity
                          Global Cache IP2IR
                          Foscam FI8918W

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I hadn't heard about that.
                            I'll have to see if I can find it...
                            HS4Pro Win10 | Fire Tablet touchscreen client, Android Phones and Tablets | Jon00 | Smartthings | Philips Hue | Trane | Caseta | Nanoleaf | Ring | August | Evolve | Aladdin | Amazon Alexa/IFTT

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Mario23 View Post
                              I hadn't heard about that.
                              I'll have to see if I can find it...
                              You might be looking for this
                              cheeryfool

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