** Universally baffled about Remote **

TadleyBaggie

I have a Logitech hub and control everything via the Harmony app.

Nilrem

TadleyBaggie wrote: »

I have a Logitech hub and control everything via the Harmony app.

Yup

I've got a Harmony Ultimate with hub (the new version is the Elite) which is RRP ~£200 but you can pick up for around £100 on a regular basis, and a Harmony Hub with companion remote (I use an old Nexus 2013 for the main functions), and the Ultimate was a gift from the gods

IIRC the hub + companion remote is often around £60.

I have 6 devices involved in my TV set up (not including the TV), so it's a bit of a nightmare in regards to remotes and remembering what input is what, the Hub software lets me assign things so that it's basically one remote or the phone/tablet to do everything
No swapping between say Blu-ray and Surround system remotes constantly whilst watching a film, or TV and Fire TV remotes.

Given a half decent all in one remote can cost ~40+ the Harmony Hub doesn't really need much incentive to go for it over the bog standard allforone types, especially if you've got an old android smartphone or tablet you can use as it's primary control interface.

The only issue I've got at the moment is I can't work out how to get my new Samsung TV to do direct input selection via the harmony app but I suspect I'll work it out (and it'll turn out to be due to the way the samsung brings up a home menu when you go to source).

grumpycrab

Tried Logitech Harmony a few years ago but members of family couldn't cope with it. Just a bit too fidly to use. Hence my suggestion to use a cheap and cheerful remote holder.

[Deleted User]

I very much doubt you can find a universal remote that covers everything. Back in the day when everything was controlled by IR it was simpler, but now you've got IR mixed with various flavors of WIFI-type transmissions to deal with.

About the best you can hope for is to setup the non-tv remotes to have some (limited) tv control. So for example, you should be able to get the NowTV remote to control the TV power and volume, and you may be able to do the same for the other player remotes. Then maybe you can ditch the TV-specific remote in most cases, unless of course you need that to switch between sources!

hybernia

Hi everyone; BIG thanks for all the input -- it's certainly opened my eyes to the complexity of all this. Looks like grumpycrab's adoption of a 'holder' of some kind might be the most cost-effective solution.

I'm just very, very glad to discover that I'm not alone in having so many remotes. OH's solution (huh, men) is to be. . . practical and decide that on one night, watch whatever the Humax has recorded on Freeview HD and, if there's then some viewing time available afterwards, choose either the Amazon stick or the NOW stick. As we never watch terrestrial TV live, I guess that means the most that will ever need to be managed are x3 remotes rather than 4.

Ah well. And to think, not long ago there was BBC and ITV. And not even a single solitary remote to wave at them (or so my mother tells me.) Perhaps the reason why obesity wasn't such a problem then was because of the need to keep getting up from the couch to alter the sound or change channels on the telly.