My wife let me buy a $90 remote control for my TV
Logitech Harmony 659 Universal Infrared Advanced Universal Remote
I never thought that I would get away with spending $90 on a universal remote control for my home entertainment. Heck I figured my wife would say NO WAY! Well she let me buy it after I talked her into it though she was not happy with me. Such is life in marriage I guess. 
We had the remote 2 days and my wife told me it was wife approved and well worth every penny we spent.
Anyway about 2 months ago I ordered the Logitech Harmony 659 Universal Infrared Advanced Universal Remote. This thing is sweet. I was able to get all of my devises to work. Heck my receiver is a Sony from 1994. Getting it to work on any universal remote is always a task. But this time it wasn’t.
Ok let me explain how this remote works. It connects to your computer via USB 2.0. Once connected it has software that goes out to the internet and gets all of the access codes and control settings that it needs for the devices that you enter. I presently have 7 devices programmed into it. Ok so you say so what I have 20 in mine. The coolest feature on this remote is the activity buttons. The activity buttons are basically macros that allow you to easily start your favorite activities with just one press of a button. It took me about 10 min to get all of my activities setup. After I got everything setup I decided to go and test it to see if everything worked. I found that almost everything worked but I was missing a few buttons. Well that wasn’t a problem because this remote is also able to learn buttons from your old remote.
Example of one of my macros
1. turn on the tv and set it to channel 3
2. turn on the vcr (for passthough)
3. turn on the DRV
4. Turn on the Receiver
Ok so now I can watch tv.
But on most remote controls you have to push the receiver button to change the volume on the receiver and the DVR button to change the channel etc….
Not with this remote.
It sets the volume control buttons so they change the volume on your receiver.
It sets the channel buttons so that it changes the channel on the dvr.
It turns off all of the buttons for the vcr since it is just a passthough and it does the same for the tv since it is just displaying the picture.
The other great thing this remote has is a help button that will try and fix a problem.
Say you pushed the watch tv button. On my system that requires the following
1. turn on the tv and set it to channel 3
2. turn on the vcr (for passthough)
3. turn on the DRV
4. Turn on the Receiver
Ok now what happens if one of the kids walks in front of the remote and blocks the IR signal and the DVR or the VCR doesn’t come on. You press the help button. It asks you if each device is on and if you say no it will turn it on.
Very sweet.
There are lots of over goodies with this remote but I will stop here.
So if you are in the market for a new universal remote control and you want one that is wife approved I recommend this one.
Watch a demo:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/demo/US/EN,crid=2084,contentid=8865,sh=1
Best price I found was at NewEgg.com
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16880100710