Replacement Remote Control

I am unable to find a new remote which is a suitable replacement for the original.

Does any one here use a universal remote which is worth having?

I liked my Logitech programmable remote until Comcast's voice-activated remote came out.

Now it just sits in a box. Want it?

Thanks for the offer, but that sounds like too much hassle for me.

For grins, I went to the Logitech site and checked to see which of my devices their remotes would control. Every damned thing I entered, it said "All Harmony devices can control this device." I entered a bunch of old and new stuff - Pioneer, Sony, Samsung, JVC, Yamaha, Denon. Even an old Pioneer CD changer. Some of this stuff was twenty-five years old. It said it could control all of them. Just to see if they were lying, I entered my Epson scanner. It said they could not control that and that I should quit fucking with them. Or something like that.

Both of my Samsung remotes (BluRay and TV) have crapped out. They were lousy when they were new. I ordered new remotes from two different places, because no place had both of them. The BluRay controller is on its way here from China. The one for the TV got here quickly, and was the wrong one - not the one that was on the web site. It was one that is for "Hospitality" televisions - hotels and motels. There's a tiny screw that has to be removed to change the batteries (to keep the customers from stealing their batteries, I guess). It did not have all the necessary buttons and was not what I ordered. Assholes.

I think I might buy two of the Logitech Harmony 350s and set one up for the TV and one for the BluRay. That should remove all the hassle.

Having two remotes (plus one for the DVD player and one for the DirecTV, and one for the receiver) is no problem. When I had two S-VHS decks, a LaserDisc player, a CD changer, a cable box, a television, a receiver, a DVD player, etc., I had no problem with picking up the proper remote and punching the right button without having to look. I don't want one remote that controls everything and takes forever to change the settings so that I can push one button.

I went through a lot of universal remotes before the top-drawer Logitech Harmony Ultimate.  It was far & away the most functional of all the ones I tried.

But Comcast's voice-activated remote beats it hands down for functionality.  You don't have to fumble with software buttons. Just say what you want.

And it doesn't have to be programmed using your computer.

And the binary on-off was a PITA, always requiring a reboot of everything when switching from broadcast TV to movies or anything else.

Now, I still carry two remotes, one for the DVD player and one for everything else -- but that's less confusing than the fucking universal.  I mean I could usually get stuff working to my satisfaction, but the Mrs quit using it altogether in frustration -- it would get hung up in neverneverland and she'd have to call me to come fix it.  It required a lot of rebooting.

• Comcast universal remote - comes free with Comcast service.  Has 1,000 buttons, but works to control most devices.  I have six of 'em.
  
• Panasonic Home Theater Universal Remote - came with my sound system.  Works to control most devices, but has 650 identical unlit buttons
  
• Samsung EP10-000522 - Dunno where this came from.  An earlier TV maybe.  Has such unhelpful buttons as "T," "PTZ," "Alarm," "+10." and "ID Reset."
  
• Logitech Harmony 600 - my first programmable remote.  Black & white screen.  Glitchy.
  
• Logitech Home - sending unit + app for my iPad.  Worked, but was frustratingly slow and confusing (signal had to go through internet back down to the TV!)
  
• Logitech Harmony Ultimate - color screen, most buttons are software except <<, >, >>, vol up/down, channel up/down, and power.  Functional, but required an advanced degree.
  
• Xfinity Voice Remote - does everything but play DVDs.  Fairly logical layout, lit buttons, voice-activated.
  
• Pioneer XXD3090 - came with my sound system maybe.  Small and covered with tiny buttons.
  
• Universal Remote WR7 - storebought UR, with lighted buttons and programmability.  I used it for a while.
  
• Philips Universal - another storebought UR, with bigger well-lit buttons but not everything was recognized by it.
  
• Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Player remote - can be programmed to be a UR, but I never bothered.  I just use it to watch movies.
  
• Samsung Smart Hub - came with newest TV (curved screen, 4K resolution).  Small, logical, not overly buttoned.  I still use it when the Xfinity remote gets confused.
  
• Pioneer Remote Controller - WTF is this?  Don't recall ever seeing this before.
  

I have another 4-5 remotes in my music room.

Our dog alerts every time a dog comes on TV (or horse, or cat, or cartoon dog, or rabbit, squirrel ... anything four-legged that moves quickly). He jumps up and down in front of the TV, barking his fool head off, bouncing off the TV cabinet.

Once in a while he hits the on-off button on the sound system.

A couple time he managed to hit a mode button on the front of the sound system, sending it into some other input. That took a while to figure out.

There is no mute button on the dog.