Universal Remotes Cary NC

Universal remotes are a godsend when it comes to operating your home theater. It is a master control that will work all of your components and in some cases give you one button operation. The first step is to figure out what kind of remote you need.

While there are different brands, the Harmony remotes from Logitech are your best bet if you are a do-it-yourselfer. These are designed for the customer who has a modern but basic system, usually including a TV, a cable box or satellite receiver, a DVD player, a game console, and a surround sound system.

The first tier of remote is the Harmony 550 or the 880. The equipment should be all in one room and visible to the viewer since the remote has to pointed at what it is controlling. If this sounds like your setup, these remotes will do everything you need them to. The 550 is around $125 and the 880 is around $250. The 880 works the same but features a color LCD screen and a rechargeable lithium ion battery. It retails around $250.

The next step up would be the Harmony 890. It is identical in looks and operation to the 880, but features an RF base station that lets you control the equipment even if it is a different room or behind cabinet doors. It is ideal for customers that have their equipment hidden out of sight, or for those who want to be able to control the system from a different area of the house. It retails for around $400 and comes with everything you need to set it up.

The top of the line from Harmony is the 1000. It works the same as the other remotes, but features a rechargeable color LCD touch-screen, more of a novelty as opposed to functionality. The remote itself is around $500 and the RF function can be added for an additional $130....

Click here to read the rest of the article at HowToDoThings.com

Author: Michael Hufford