How to program home theater master mx-700

Pros Powerful programming interface High quality tactile buttons One of the most ergonomic remotes we've ever used. I was fairly happy with my Yamaha learning remote control, one that came with the RX-V receiver I owned.

What I primarily liked about that receiver's remote was its ability to automatically facilitate audio-follows-video switching and its dedicated receiver volume control. In using the Home Theater Master MX, I underwent an entire change in understanding of how well a remote control can function.

This is true of all learning remotes that I've dealt with over the years, but it can easily be overlooked by a newcomer to the world of universal remotes. That's not bad, but if your computer is too far from the system to make use of the "test" feature which allows you to test any command by operating the program's simulated remote through the real remote's IR emitter and you have to do a full upload to test your setup, you may want to factor this transfer time in.

Overall, the software's foibles are pretty minor. The MX offers much more robust support for macros than the MX You can't make any button a macro, but you can assign macros to any LCD button as well as the two power buttons at the top of the remote. That's two buttons per device including two on the "Main" page plus anywhere from ten to forty buttons per device depending on how many pages are included. The 50 Favorites buttons are also macro buttons of a sort, although they are intended mainly just as a way to send direct channel numbers.

These macros can be very handy. Since the Model allows direct access to radio presets type in "01" to go to preset 1, for example , I added a page to the TUNER device with macro buttons that went to each preset station.

In November , I posted a few tips on writing macros for a new MX owner at Outlaw's forum, and I figured it would make sense to include those tips here as well. This is far from a comprehensive guide on macro writing, but it may help some folks plan their macros. Keep the existing status of devices in mind. This is also true of input toggle commands such as those often used to control TV inputs. If you know where the device started out "INPUT 1" as an example , you can send that toggle command multiple times to get to where you want to be "INPUT 4" after three toggle commands for this example , but if you can't predict where the device will start out then you can't do this.

Corollary: discrete codes are cool. While you can't use toggles for power and input without some care, you can use discrete codes "power on" or "input3" quite freely. Source selection macros can send a "power on" command to the source to make sure it's on and if it already is, it'll just ignore it , a specific input command to the TV to make sure it's on "video3" for example , and set the receiver or processor to the correct input. A global "off" macro can tell every device you have to power off, and you won't have to worry about stuff that's already off getting turned on needlessly.

Simple is best. The fewer steps that you include, the less time you'll need to keep the IR emitter aimed in the right direction and the less likely that casual users will be to assume that the remote is finished and set it down or that something is wrong and start messing with it.

Some devices need time to think about the commands sent to them. When sending more than one command to a specific device in a macro, test it to make sure that all of the commands are received by that device. Consider locating the commands at opposite ends of the macro turn the TV on, then turn the cable box and receiver on before telling the TV what input to switch to.

If that doesn't work, add a delay before the second command and adjust it up and down until it is just enough to give the device time to recover from the previous command before getting the second one. Be creative. The MX will allow macros on almost any button, which can create some unique opportunities. An example is the macro I mentioned above with the Model 's tuner and its direct access to presets by typing the two-digit preset number into the remote.

Remembering what preset each station is set to can be a pain, so I created a page under the TUNER device with nine or ten macro buttons. Each button was labeled with the station There is a huge collection of files available at Remote Central to help you build your own system file.

I've also got my system file available here, along with a number of standalone device files that I have created. I converted several of my device files into a generic format eliminating some of the commands shared with other devices, such as FIXTV. Specifically, when my wife sat down with it.

She considered the old MX to be one of the best home theater purchases we ever made, so I felt pretty sure that the MX would be at least relatively well received. One of the first things my wife noticed was that the MX is slightly lighter than our old MX Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more. It may not be the height of haute design, but the Home Theater Master MX is among the most functional and flexible universal remote controls available.

With the ability to control up to 20 devices, it offers easy PC programmability and a great balance between hard keys and programmable, customizable keys. All of the "pro" Home Theater Master remotes share the same dull but functional design. There are 10 programmable keys with corresponding LCD labels aligned in two rows of 5 at the top, but the accompanying Page Up key makes it easy to assign multiple LCD options to each button.

Frequently used volume, channel, video transport play, pause, rewind, and so on , and DVD onscreen menu navigation and numeric keys are located below.