Emotiva Remote Control Upgrade/Replacement

[KY_Bourbon]

I have a PT-100 which I am really enjoying. However, I do not enjoy the flimsy remote control.

Am I able to purchase a better remote control? If so where do I purchase one and how much does it cost?

Thanks!

[stiehl11]

Emotiva doesn't offer an "upgraded" remote control. However, several "learning" remotes are available after market that will control your Emotiva gear (and many other manufacturers). I use Harmony, myself.

[indyscammer]

^ +1 for Harmony.

[mountain]

I enjoy my harmony learning remote far more than I thought I would.  So far I have set up 3 activities (may add two more) and added 6 devices.

[novisnick]

Feb 15, 2017 10:56:56 GMT -5 mountain said:

I enjoy my harmony learning remote far more than I thought I would.  So far I have set up 3 activities (may add two more) and added 6 devices.

Been enjoying my Harmony's for years now! Just incorporated an Echo and it works just as good!!   

[melm]

Been a Harmony customer for many years, but this summer bought a Ray Remote. All touchscreen, doesnt require a computer to set up. Controls my XMC-1 just fine. Worth a look and good competition for Harmony.

[LCSeminole]

Feb 15, 2017 13:49:09 GMT -5 melm said:

Been a Harmony customer for many years, but this summer bought a Ray Remote. All touchscreen, doesnt require a computer to set up. Controls my XMC-1 just fine. Worth a look and good competition for Harmony.

How often do you have to re-charge?

[melm]

Every couple days for me... YMMV

Mel

[klinemj]

+1 for Harmony!

Mark

[hjstack]

+ 1 :Own 3 Harmony remotes, a 720, 2 One's, and a Ultimate.

Harry

[RichGuy]

Nothing compares to the complete customization and control you can get with a URC remote. Here is a pic of my URC MX-890's XMC-1's controls start page. Sorry about the poor quality pic, the screen color and detail is excellent in person.

[KY_Bourbon]

I have an older Harmony One remote. So you all are saying I should be able to add the PT-100 to it no problem?

Thanks in advance.

[cawgijoe]

Feb 16, 2017 8:03:09 GMT -5 KY_Bourbon said:

I have an older Harmony One remote. So you all are saying I should be able to add the PT-100 to it no problem?

Thanks in advance.

I have a Harmony one also....I don't see why not. Try setting it up with their on-line function.....if that doesn't work due to the PT-100 not being in their database, you can always do it the old fashioned way by using
the "learning" function.

Give it a shot.

[ÈlTwo]

I'm in the URC camp, love the ability to program it myself.

[cawgijoe]

Feb 15, 2017 13:49:09 GMT -5 melm said:

Been a Harmony customer for many years, but this summer bought a Ray Remote. All touchscreen, doesnt require a computer to set up. Controls my XMC-1 just fine. Worth a look and good competition for Harmony.

I have a Harmony One that is several years old and have been thinking about replacing it. Using it less and less especially when I add or replace equipment and have to spend time reprogramming it on the computer.

The Ray looks very cool.

Can you give your impressions and any plus/minuses? Would be appreciated.

[mgbpuff]

An Echo, a Harmony Hub, and an iPad app control my extensive home theater. I really like the voice control.

[hemster]

Feb 16, 2017 8:28:59 GMT -5 ÈlTwo said:

I'm in the URC camp, love the ability to program it myself.

Yep, me too. The extent to which the URC remotes can be customized is amazing. 

[melm]

Feb 16, 2017 8:56:46 GMT -5 cawgijoe said:

Feb 15, 2017 13:49:09 GMT -5 melm said:

Been a Harmony customer for many years, but this summer bought a Ray Remote. All touchscreen, doesnt require a computer to set up. Controls my XMC-1 just fine. Worth a look and good competition for Harmony.

I have a Harmony One that is several years old and have been thinking about replacing it. Using it less and less especially when I add or replace equipment and have to spend time reprogramming it on the computer.

The Ray looks very cool.

Can you give your impressions and any plus/minuses? Would be appreciated.

Sure. I got mine in June and replaced a Harmony 1. I still use another Harmony in the home theater. The Ray is about the size of a small cellphone. There are hard buttons to wake the unit, control volume, and mute the audio.

It has a large database of devices, including Emotiva. It also controls my fairly new LG OLED set.

No computer is used... as soon as you have set your equipment up it auto-backsup to the cloud, and if you ever have to start from scratch, you enter your account details and in a few seconds everything is restored.

If I remember, it's running a variant of the Android OS, and it's quite responsive. You can customize the remote controls, adding or taking away buttons you don't need. It's XMC remote is very complete.

Here are the negatives. Unlike the Harmony, devices aren't turned off when you switch to another activity. That's coming, and the software already has the buttons that control this, but it's not functional yet.

The remote is very smooth (glass and metal) so it slides around a bit on my home theater chair.

Company is very responsive. They answer mail quickly. The remote even has a support section where you can type a note to them right from the remote. You can also control a Nest thermostat and there is a Sonos remote built in too. It all seems to work quite well.

As it is really a small computer, there are endless possibilities.

I ordered mine through Amazon, but they are on back order at present. I think they are available direct from Ray at the same price.

I'll be glad to answer any more questions. I like it better than my Harmony, it's smaller, prettier, and has equal control.

But my Harmony has always worked fine, except for the minor pain of plugging it into my computer for any changes.

-mel

[cawgijoe]

Thanks melm!

It does look very cool. I will put in on my birthday list for next month!

One more question, is it able to turn on several components at once as an "activity", like watch tv, or watch a movie?

[Percussionista]

On the opposite side of the fence from the fancy Harmony's, et. al., there is the Sony RM-VLZ620, which can control 8 different units. It has no screen, it's a generic learning remote, though it does have built-in codes for a lot, likely older equipment. I'm quite sure there is nothing from Emotiva. I own three of these gizmos, one for each room with a bunch of gear (actually, one is an older model). The learning function is very easy, you go button by button and it's pretty quick. Batteries last forever ;-)

I looked around on Amazon, and BOO this has been discontinued. I bought it for under $20 in 2015. It's still listed now from third-party sellers but they all want $35-40!! There are other similar Sony remotes (and other brands), but I would have to do some research. This particular one, and its predecessor, originally had zillions of very positive reviews, and I concur.

UPDATE: There appears to be an almost identical Sony unit, for controlling 7 units, about $18 + shipping, model RMVZ320. Like mine it has dual IR emitters so is quite strong even from a distance, and it too gets a great review score. For sure you will have to use the learning mode for Emotiva.