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8
stars
Easy to use, fully customizable, even controls my lights!
by vegcrow
on
July 16, 2005
Pros: Good backlight, comfortable to hold, tons of memory
Cons: Too powerful when batteries are fresh, no ability to turn the unit off, "up" button wearing out after 2 years
Summary: I used to own the Sony remote that looks more like a cash register than a remote, and the MX-500 beats it by a long shot. I taught it every ...
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Summary: I used to own the Sony remote that looks more like a cash register than a remote, and the MX-500 beats it by a long shot. I taught it every single code from all my other remotes (TiVo, DVD, CD, VCR, TV, Receiver, Satellite). I also taught it the IR code to my light switch, so when people come over to watch a movie, I don't even have to get off the couch to turn off the lights. Its slim design fits well into narrow drawers. The only problem it that the beam is TOO powerful when the batteries are fresh. I have to close the glass door on my entertainment rack or bounce the signal off the ceiling to reduce the strength of the IR signal, otherwise the components are overpowered and cannot read the signal correctly. I wish I could really turn the unit completely off to conserver battery power and to prevent my cats from stepping on it and changing the channel, but the battery life is still very good (6 months?) even though the LCD never turns off. It works great with rechargeable batteries. I keep a set of standard alkaline AAA batteries to hold it over while I'm recharging my NiMH batteries. This combination of 8 batteries total has proven to outlive the remote. The programming has never been lost due to dead batteries, although I never waited more than a few minutes to replace them once I noticed the problem. The "up" direction on the navigation pad is starting to wear out, but I am going to buy the same remote again as a replacement, and use the clone feature to copy all the settings from my old remote to the new one. I am a little disappointed that the "up" button is going dead, but gadgets break for no reason sometimes, especially ones that get dropped on the floor, and I do not consider this a design flaw after 2 years of heavy use.
Updated
In my original review I said the "up" button was wearing out. Well I was wrong. There were a few crumbs under the directional pad, and some focused blowing shook out the problems. Now it works fine again, and I'd like to raise my review from an 8 to a 9 but cnet won't let me.
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9 out
of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Everything I Could Want in a Remote
by pfastfoot
on
August 8, 2005
Pros: Real buttons combined with LCD screen
Cons: No PC connectivity
Summary: I love this remote (and so does my wife). I've been able to program it so with one button click, everything is on, and the remote is prepped to ...
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Summary: I love this remote (and so does my wife). I've been able to program it so with one button click, everything is on, and the remote is prepped to take my Tivo directions. I don't know why people harsh on its design so much, because I think it actually feels comfortable. The only reason I don't give it a 10 is because it would be nice to have PC connectivity, even though programing the MX-500 is a breeze.
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7 out
of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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8
stars
Better than Harmony? Time will tell
by
on
February 4, 2005
Pros: Even though I have only had this remote for a little over a week I wanted to say how much I am enjoying it so far. It is very easy to use and program. I had everything loaded into it and it was running my system in very little time. My choice was between
Cons: I would have liked to have a couple more macro buttons. But for the most part I have no complaints with this WONDERFUL remote. Go and get one you will love it!
5 out
of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Too bad they don't update the codes...
by
on
January 12, 2005
Pros: Design perfection
Cons: They do not provide updated codes on their website and it was unable to learn to control my Dish HDTV.
3 out
of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
love this remote
by natureboy92135
on
March 7, 2006
Pros: good price, great features
Cons: no online set up
Summary: I would recommend this remote to anybody as long as you are willing to take some time to set it up right. Completely customizable and it is pretty easy to ...
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Summary: I would recommend this remote to anybody as long as you are willing to take some time to set it up right. Completely customizable and it is pretty easy to figure out once you get into the set up menu. Learns very easily from other remotes so you never get stuck missing codes (unless you lost the old remote) Backlighting works great, fits well in your hand, macros seem to work but I kept screwing them up and i kinda gave up.I wouldn't give this up for anything now.
For people who don't know a ton about audio video it might be easier to get a Harmony because of the online setup wizard and the support(im going to plug Harmony Cust service here, they will sit with you until the end of time customizing a set up and they haven't outsourced yet as far as I can tell). For people like me though this is a better choice.
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2 out
of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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10
stars
BEST Remote, AT ANY PRICE
by
on
July 15, 2004
Pros: I spent hundreds of Dollars over the years looking for a remote that could handle all my equipment. The MX-500 is it...! I liked it so much that I bought 3 of them, one for each area of of the house where I have electronics. Its also programmed to contr
Cons: NONE
2 out
of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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8
stars
Excellent basic remote
by jgoehring
on
December 27, 2005
Pros: Well spaced buttons, easy to program, highly programmable
Cons: BULKY, display can be hard to read when not using the LIGHT feature
Summary: The first thing that caught my attention with the remote was it's size. It's big and can be uncomfortable to flip through the channels given the fact that ...
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Summary: The first thing that caught my attention with the remote was it's size. It's big and can be uncomfortable to flip through the channels given the fact that it is top heavy. But once you get past the bland and bulky design, you will find it easy to program and very versatile. You can program it to control devices or do 'tasks' i.e. Play a DVD.
For 81.99, I'm satified.
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1 out
of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Does it all, easy for all to use
by
on
February 9, 2005
Pros: Easy to configure, easy to customize, pleanty of programmable buttons that match all my remotes (tivo, cable, satellite, HD,tv,dvd,audio). Easy for the wife to understand. Works in the dark
Cons: Somewhat large, not very sleek looking.
1 out
of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Totally Awesome Remote
by
on
June 2, 2004
Pros: This thing can do everything. You can program it easily with the standard remotes for your A/V products.
Cons: It took a little bit to get use to the remote, especially with programming the new words for the LCD screen; after a week or so of use it became second nature so it was no longer a problem. It also takes a couple weeks to remember to program everything,
1 out
of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Getting older but still King
by
on
May 11, 2004
Pros: You can control everything, and you can control it the way you want to. It is also great for a spouse who doesn't want to learn how to work all the remotes. Being this well organized and sophisticated is one of the marks of maturity of a home theater o
Cons: none
1 out
of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Dell XPS 1530 only $1099
