# Best 3rd party remote for VIP 722?



## ljsss (Jun 4, 2008)

I just got my Dish 722 installed last Friday. I have an "Integra" A/V receiver (Integra is made by Onkyo). I have tried all of the Onkyo codes in the Dish remote but I still cannot get it to control my volume on my A/V receiver. I thought that I would just deal with it; but after a week of having to always find the other remote to change the volume, I am going to be forced to buy a universal remote that will control all of my stuff on one remote.

What is the best 3rd party universal remote for operating the VIP 722? I have heard of the Logitech Harmony remotes, but I don't know much about them. Is there a better brand than that? Thanks very much for any advice!!


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## Todd Nicholson (Jan 7, 2007)

I love my Harmony 550. Lots of features, can be programmed to operate just about anything, backlit keys and screen and a relatively good price. I'm using it with my 722, DVD, receiver, and disc changer.


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## leemathre (Sep 25, 2003)

I agree, Harmony is a good choice. I am using a Harmony One with four Dish 622's. Works great.


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## EXTACAMO (Apr 7, 2007)

Harmony :joy: I have an old 659 that works perfectly with my 622.


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## rickc (Oct 7, 2005)

Another vote for the Harmony series. We really like ours.


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## tcatdbs (Jul 10, 2008)

I have the Harmony 880. Have the 722, Onkyo 606, OPPO 980, and 50PX600U, all work flawlessly. Allows a sequence of button pushes to be programmed into one button, very handy. All your programming is stored online in case something ever gets screwed up.


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## ljsss (Jun 4, 2008)

It looks like Amazon has a pretty good deal on the 880. Is that better, or should I go with the 670 (that Logitech says is made "specifically" for TIVOs and DVRs)?

Also, I am assuming that these expensive remotes will hold macros (one button to turn on TV, Dish, & A/V Receiver), correct?

Thanks again for the replys!


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## ljsss (Jun 4, 2008)

TCATDBS,

I was typing my reply while you posted your answer. Looks like you have answered my question about the macros. Thanks!


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## Lostinspace (Oct 25, 2007)

Just picked up a Harmony 620, which is basically a 670 but in black, for $50 at Costco after the coupon in this months coupon book. A single button (watch TV) turns on the 722, an Onkyo 504 and a Panasonic plasma. It took a bit longer than the "30 minutes" Logitech claimed for setup, but it works well for the price.


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## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

I'm using the Harmony 880 works great


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## ljsss (Jun 4, 2008)

Is the 880 better than the 670? I know the number is higher; but Logitech says that the 670 is specifically for DVRs.


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## Lostinspace (Oct 25, 2007)

You can compare the two with this link from Logitech:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/r...en&page=&view=comparison&compProducts=372,377

A bit different key layout, the 880 has rechargeable batteries, with a color display, and $100 more.


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## nick58 (Mar 12, 2007)

I recently purchased the Harmony One. Works great. Controls my ViP722, Pioneer A/V receiver, upconverting DVD player and Pioneer plasma flawlessly.
Biggest problem was getting the wife to keep the remote pointed at the equipment long enough for everything to change.


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## girdnerg (May 17, 2007)

ljsss said:


> Is the 880 better than the 670? I know the number is higher; but Logitech says that the 670 is specifically for DVRs.


All of the harmony remotes work in the same fashion. They are activity based remotes that you program on your computer.

The main differences are the hard button layout and lcd screen, so pick the one that you can live with.
-color or monochrome lcd screen
-touch screen or hard buttons beside the screen
-hard button size and layout
-regular or rechargable battery
-ir or ir/rf

I ended up with the Harmony One.

A really budget remote is the radio shack 15-100. It has an LCD display, setup wizard, custom device labels, the ability to use advanced codes and program complex macros on nearly any button. I think it runs from $15 - $30. I've never owned one, but a lot of folks on avsforum like it.


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## lzielen (Aug 27, 2007)

I have a Harmony 670 and love it! Controls dvr, tv, receiver, dvd player, audio switch, xbox 360. Web based programming is very easy and flexible. Allows reassignment of codes to hard keys or soft (ie lcd) keys. One button turns on devices needed for an activity - such as watch tv (DVR, TV, Receiver) or watch DVD (DVD, TV, Receiver) - and sets each device to appropriate input. It is smart enough to switch between activities - ie it knows that the tv is already on. It also tracks which devices are on and turns off appropriate devices when you press the off key. Harmony programmers did an excellent job. 

The programming described above applies to all the Harmony remotes.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Harmony 880 here. Great remote.


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## Rob Glasser (Feb 22, 2005)

Like just about everyone else, you can't go wrong with Harmony remotes. I have an 880 for my upstairs receivers and a 670 for my downstairs receivers. Great products.


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## jkane (Oct 12, 2007)

I have had dozens of remotes over the years. There are a couple really good ones out there. The Harmony is by far the best! I love the web based programming feature it has (they use a USB connection to the remote). The concept of "Watch TV" or "Watch DVD" of "Watch Dish" is so simple, almost anyone can use it. You have to have some savvy to program it, but the web interface is really helpful with that.

The only draw back I have found is the logic becomes too much for it if I want to also be able to turn single devices off. What this means ... is if you have a "old style" remote where each device is controlled by a single button at the top, you can simply push the button followed by the power to turn on and off. However, the great thing about the Harmony, is that it keeps track of what is on and off and powers them on and off for you as you change devices.

This is great for most situations. However, if I want to pause a DVD and then watch a TV show for a while, I can either tell the Harmony to always leave the DVD on, or always turn it off when I leave it. If I leave it on, then I can press play and continue where I left off. If I have it turn it off, then I have to find where I was in the show next time. If I tell Harmony to always leave it on, the the DVD player is ALWAYS on. And if I want to turn it off for since I won't use it for a while, I have to press more buttons to control that single device and power it off.

A Big deal? Not really. The trade off is much more logical and easier use most of the time.

There is a work around too. You can program any button using the web interface. So just add a power toggle for the devices like the DVD player to each function and then you have a single button way to do this. I don't bother, but I know it confuses some other people.


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## swissy (Oct 26, 2007)

Since everyone is on the Harmony kick, I'll offer an alternative. I really like my URC-200 (now called the URC-RF20). The MX-350 is a great remote. I would choose this over the new RF-20.

I know everyone likes Harmony, but at least check out the URC line of remotes before you make a decision.

www.remotecentral.com is a great place for reviews and specs.


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## jkane (Oct 12, 2007)

The MX series would be my second choice. Had one for so long, it was sent in for repairs twice! Kids kept dropping it. The advantage the Harmony has, and why I changed to them after the last drop/break, is the USB programming and web based storage of settings. Made restoring the many customizations much easier. Not sure if MX has one with something better than the JP1 connection now, but at that time it didn't. I really liked my MX-500 though! It had the 3 specific power buttons at the bottom to solve the issue I described above.


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## swissy (Oct 26, 2007)

The newest MX-900 can be had for about the same price as a Harmony 890 and it has USB and PC programming capabilities.

The feature I like the most on the URC remotes is the "pause" for making a macro only fire if the button is held down. Perhaps the Harmony has this, but I find that feature invaluable. It makes the WAF much higher because she can see the label and hold down the button and everything switches for her. And I can still switch between components without the macro getting in the way.

I am a URC fan, but I can see why so many people like the Harmony 880. It is a nice remote.

BTW, I loved the JP1 and the ability to enter hex codes for customizing the remote! However, I must admit, USB is easier for most people.


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## leemathre (Sep 25, 2003)

jkane said:


> The MX series would be my second choice. Had one for so long, it was sent in for repairs twice! Kids kept dropping it. The advantage the Harmony has, and why I changed to them after the last drop/break, is the USB programming and web based storage of settings. Made restoring the many customizations much easier. Not sure if MX has one with something better than the JP1 connection now, but at that time it didn't. I really liked my MX-500 though! It had the 3 specific power buttons at the bottom to solve the issue I described above.


I think you can solve the issue you describe about your DVD player not remembering the last location when you pause it and switch to a different activity. Logitech, for some reason, defaults to sending an extra stop command to the DVD player when you exit the activity. I have fixed this on at least three different brands of DVD players by changing a setting in the Logitech setup. Login to your account, select activities and on the activity you want to fix, select 'settings". On the settings page, select "change options". The last box on that page is "Stop on Exit" and it defaults to "Send Stop Command". Change that to "Don't Send Stop Command". I do not guarantee that this will work depending upon your brand of DVD, but it is a change that is easy to try and has worked for me. I cannot claim this as my fix, because I found it in the Harmony One support forum on avsforums. Hope it works for you.


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## msf676 (Apr 29, 2007)

I use the URC R7... $29.99 from Best Buy


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

Hey,

Late to the party here but just picked up a refurbed Harmony 880 from Amazon for $69 with free shipping (Prime) ! Looks brand new. Set up went well but I have a couple of questions for anyone with a Dish 622 or 722 DVR.

I have a 58" Panny Plasma 
Onkyo AV Receiver 
Toshiba HD-DVD A20
AppleTV 
Dish 722

I was flabbergasted by the lack of any sort of hard DVR button on the 880. I got around it by teaching the command and using the + button on the lower left of the 880. I added a DVR button to the menu but could not get it to the top screen in "activities" - Watch TV. You had to hit devices then PVR then it would show up on the menu. I didn't want to have to hit 3 buttons just to get to the DVR button so I used the + button.

Is anyone else doing something different or perhaps more novel/better to get the DVR button programmed in to an easier to find area?

The lack of a hard DVR button is really puzzling for such an advanced remote. Other than that its a pretty darn cool remote. I may finally have the one remote to "rule them all"!

The seamless integration of the Onkyo for audio is perfect. I am all HDMI with 4HDMI in (PS3 as well) and only one HDMI out to the TV. 

I need to check out a couple more things like how it handles (or if) the Zone 2 speakers etc but very pleased out of the box!


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## tcatdbs (Jul 10, 2008)

I programmed the hard "Menu" button to be the "DVR" button, since it is really a "menu" of your DVR recordings. I added a "VIP722 Setup" button to the #7 upper button as the 722 menu button. You can move any of the programmable buttons to any page and change the order on each page. 880 remote is great.



ibglowin said:


> Hey,
> 
> Late to the party here but just picked up a refurbed Harmony 880 from Amazon for $69 with free shipping (Prime) ! Looks brand new. Set up went well but I have a couple of questions for anyone with a Dish 622 or 722 DVR.
> 
> ...


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## FastNOC (Sep 11, 2007)

I'm using the Harmony '1' and i love it. It's not cheap. I had a harmony 1000 advanced and hated it.

The 1 is very nice, has touch screen and the buttons are all in the right places and match up well with Dish


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

I'll cast another vote for the Harmony 880. Love ours, got it as a housewarming gift. What a great gift!!

Plusses: It does everything, literally
Minuses: Buttons are a little small for us older types to see. Wife won't use it for that very reason.

Vip722, Yamaha-661, Oppo 980, Ipod, Mits 65732
.


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## david_jr (Dec 10, 2006)

tcatdbs said:


> I programmed the hard "Menu" button to be the "DVR" button, since it is really a "menu" of your DVR recordings. I added a "VIP722 Setup" button to the #7 upper button as the 722 menu button. You can move any of the programmable buttons to any page and change the order on each page. 880 remote is great.


OK I am pulling what little hair I have left out over this one. We had a Dish DVR 510 and we upgraded today to VIP722. OK the transition is unbelievable, but I am having trouble programming my Harmony 880 for the 722. I deleted the 510 and started over. No DVR button just like the 510I tried making the remote learn the DVR button, which it did. It put it on the 1st page of soft keys as number 8 and if you go to device and DVR the DVR button is on the bottom right of the display and pushing the button brings up the DVR menu no problem. OK well I tried mapping the DVR button to both the + and enter keys to no avail. I changed it in the setup, but the remote will not bring up the DVR menu when I push either of those buttons. Also when in activity mode the only key on the LCD screen for the DVR is the * STAR key. Is this the default? I can't seem to figure out a way to add the DVR button to that screen. Any help would be appreciated.


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## olguy (Jan 9, 2006)

David, are you using the Harmony software? If so, in the Additional Buttons page of the Customize Buttons section you should be able to move the soft buttons up or down on the page using the yellow arrows. And I have one soft button on the first page of each activity that uses the 622 labeled DVR that uses the DVR button I taught my Harmony One. I have another soft button labeled List that sends 2 clicks of the DVR button because I'm lazy  I also have one labeled Cskip that has 4 clicks of the 30 second skip. I very rarely use the individual device buttons outside of an activity so I didn't bother customizing the buttons for the device.


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## fsquid (Aug 30, 2006)

I believe that I'm getting the one for Xmas so I'm glad to read that many people are having an easy time using it with the 722. I just need to find a website that has those icons.


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## david_jr (Dec 10, 2006)

olguy said:


> David, are you using the Harmony software? If so, in the Additional Buttons page of the Customize Buttons section you should be able to move the soft buttons up or down on the page using the yellow arrows. And I have one soft button on the first page of each activity that uses the 622 labeled DVR that uses the DVR button I taught my Harmony One. I have another soft button labeled List that sends 2 clicks of the DVR button because I'm lazy  I also have one labeled Cskip that has 4 clicks of the 30 second skip. I very rarely use the individual device buttons outside of an activity so I didn't bother customizing the buttons for the device.


Yes I am using the harmony software. So if I move DVR from 8 to 1 it will then show up on the first page? Is there a reason why it won't map to the + key? Thanks for the help!


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## SaltiDawg (Aug 30, 2004)

david_jr said:


> Yes I am using the harmony software. So if I move DVR from 8 to 1 it will then show up on the first page? Is there a reason why it won't map to the + key? Thanks for the help!


1) You do not need to Learn DVR. It is already in the 722 device. You need to simply map that command to a button.
2) A suggestion is to map the DVR to each of the two *tiny* hard buttons immediately below the <, >, up, down, select group. Those buttons are so tiny as to be nearly unusable. By mapping both of them to DVR it allows you to push them as if they are one button, also the location becomes intuitive because after selecting DVR you will be using that cluster of buttons to navigate and select you viewing choice.

EDIT: I have the 890 PRO, not the 880, but as far as button arrangement they are identical.


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## olguy (Jan 9, 2006)

david_jr said:


> Yes I am using the harmony software. So if I move DVR from 8 to 1 it will then show up on the first page? Is there a reason why it won't map to the + key? Thanks for the help!


Yes, you can move it up to the first page. I don't have the 880 but the software is the same. I have the Harmony One. I don't know why you can't map the DVR to the + button. You might get help with that on the Logitech forum at http://forums.logitech.com/logitech/?category.id=harmony_remote_controls or the Remote Central Harmony forum at http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-harmony/list.cgi


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## olguy (Jan 9, 2006)

fsquid said:


> I believe that I'm getting the one for Xmas so I'm glad to read that many people are having an easy time using it with the 722. I just need to find a website that has those icons.


Try this one http://www.iconharmony.com/icons/?wicket:bookmarkablePage=wicket-0:com.thompson.harmony.user.index.page.IndexPage There may be others but I found this one on the Remote Central forum at http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-harmony/list.cgi. The fellow that put this together is a frequent poster there.


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## FastNOC (Sep 11, 2007)

iconharmony is where I got my icons for the Harmony One. It's by far the best I found on the web and the icons are superb. So is the developer who wrote the site. you select the icons you want, keep going through them and when you're done it generates a zip file and gives you the icons you chose.

I wish there was a 'view all' option, but other than the author did a great job.


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## PanamaMike (Mar 31, 2004)

Which of these remotes is most Tivo Like? Meaning there are key buttons in DVR operation, such as the 30 sec. skip and menu buttons.

Also, how durable are these remotes? I'm sure it will get dropped a few times.


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