Harmony SST-768. I've owned one for about 7 months and am very happy with it*. It's compact, (one-hand operation), easy on batteries, huge memory (2MB), easy to program and to change the settings via your own personal page that you set up at Harmony's website.
It retails for $299 but is still inexpensive by Crestron standards. It's the only remote I know of that you program based on "activities". Just key in your components and how they are connected using their website "wizard" and it automatically creates the macros and hard-button mapping for each activity. It essentially creates a "block diagram" of your whole system which you download into the Harmony. And it loads every command from your OEM remotes for every component automatically from their database. Using the LCD, you can pull up any and all commands from the original remotes for every device in your system. Cool!
It also remembers the "state" of all the components in your system (whether on/off, which input, etc.) and spits out the right combination of IR codes to change to whichever activity you want (watch DVD, for example). It even has a HELP button. If things ever get "out of sych", you press it and it will get things back on track by asking simple questions on the LCD screen. It works because it has your whole system's block diagram stored in it's memory.
Genius!
It works as advertised. They even include the USB cable which the Pronto does not (last time I checked). The few times I needed tech support it was topnotch (and free).
Nitpicks - It would be nice if the hard buttons were backlit in addition to the LCD (they do glow in the dark on mine, however).
*I'm not a Harmony dealer or anything, just a satisfied customer! JZ
It retails for $299 but is still inexpensive by Crestron standards. It's the only remote I know of that you program based on "activities". Just key in your components and how they are connected using their website "wizard" and it automatically creates the macros and hard-button mapping for each activity. It essentially creates a "block diagram" of your whole system which you download into the Harmony. And it loads every command from your OEM remotes for every component automatically from their database. Using the LCD, you can pull up any and all commands from the original remotes for every device in your system. Cool!
It also remembers the "state" of all the components in your system (whether on/off, which input, etc.) and spits out the right combination of IR codes to change to whichever activity you want (watch DVD, for example). It even has a HELP button. If things ever get "out of sych", you press it and it will get things back on track by asking simple questions on the LCD screen. It works because it has your whole system's block diagram stored in it's memory.
Genius!
It works as advertised. They even include the USB cable which the Pronto does not (last time I checked). The few times I needed tech support it was topnotch (and free).
Nitpicks - It would be nice if the hard buttons were backlit in addition to the LCD (they do glow in the dark on mine, however).
*I'm not a Harmony dealer or anything, just a satisfied customer! JZ