Reddit mentions of Sony RMVLZ620 Universal Remote Control (Black)

OK, so for remote I use this with a flirc. That way I have a truly universal remote with physical buttons (better for operating in the dark) for not a lot of cash. I do have a Logitech K400 for the rare times when I need a full keyboard.

For a case, I have the Silverstone ML03B. Small form factor and really blends with the other components. Depending on your CPU, you may not even need an aftermarket cooler. I have the i3 4130T with a stock cooler and it's dead silent. I built 2 years ago, and at the time, the only gaming I was doing was emulating old-school NES through some Gamecube. EDIT: So I only used the intel integrated graphics (HD 4400). /EDIT If you do want/need a GPU, you'd need a half-height to fit the case. Just last week I picked up a GTX 750 ti. It improved Dolphin emulation dramatically, and runs Skyrim at 1080p on Ultra settings at 60 fps.

Hopefully that answered some of your questions. If you have any more, feel free to ask.

BetterTouchTool is an app that makes creating custom functions for input devices really easy. I know you said you have it, but I'm writing about it here as a lead in to my next Gotta Have It item. BTT is for creating hotkeys for your keyboard, custom functions for all kinds of trackpad gestures, reprograming what an Apple Remote can do, and a heck of a lot more. One of my favorite custom gestures is 3 finger swipes. I have 3 finger swipe left and right set to switch tabs to the left or right. BetterTouchTool is free, but even if it cost $25, I'd still highly recommend it. This app is awesome.

Flirc isn't exactly a Mac app, but it's one of my favorite things, and it's worth mentioning here because it can be used to turn a universal remote into a keyboard, and it works great with BetterTouchTool. Flirc is a usb dongle with an IR receiver that learns remote control buttons, but your Mac sees it as a usb keyboard. In other words, plug in Flirc. Launch the Flirc app to teach Flirc what you want a remote control button to do. For example, have the Play button on your remote trigger an F8 keyboard key press. Whenever you press the play button on your remote, your Mac does an F8 key press. It's pretty amazing! You only need the Flirc app for teaching the Flirc dongle remote control buttons. Once you've set up your remote, you don't need to open the app because your Mac sees the Flirc dongle as a usb remote. If you're like me, you have a multiple component universal remote for your TV/stereo/etc, and there's probably an extra component set sitting unused. Assign those functions to your Mac. I made a series of smart playlists in iTunes, and I have the 0 through 9 buttons on my remote set up to start playing those playlists. Volume up/down obviously controls the Mac's volume, plus mute, and the media buttons, etc. But you can do anything, especially if you use both BetterTouchTool and Flirc.

BetterTouchTool + Flirc = AWESOME home automation potential using something as simple as a cheap universal remote like this.

Sony makes some nice 6 device universal learning remotes l, <$20. I use one in my living room.


Edit: this is the one I use, $25. Works great.
Sony RMVLZ620 Universal Remote Control (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00385XUG0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Afo4xbD8XP2TK

If you can get a hold of one of these, then you should be able to switch inputs via the remote control if the lighted panel is indeed not functioning. Hope this helps!

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-RMVLZ620-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B00385XUG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1422484250&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+universal+remote

Do you happen to live near a Fry's? If you do, they have the Andrew Jones Pioneer set of speakers go on sale pretty regularly. The center usually goes for $50, a pair of bookshelf speakers for $68 or the single tower speaker for $68 as well. 2 pairs of the bookshelves and the center, plus a Monoprice sub ($100 + shipping) and you've got a really nice 5.1 setup for about $300. Or if you wanna go even bigger, get the two towers as your front L and R speakers for an extra $70.

Use the remaining $200 and find a 1-2 year old receiver on ebay or Craigslist. Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha and Pioneer all make solid products. Just do a little research on the specific model to make sure it does 4k HDR and all that.

Finally, a lot of people recommend the Logitech remotes. They're nice, but they're also expensive and can be overkill for some users. I have this Sony universal remote: https://www.amazon.com/Sony-RMVLZ620-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B00385XUG0 It lets me control everything, and was super simple to set up. Worth trying to see if it will meet your needs before dropping $70+ on a remote.

Hope this helps!

Are you sure the remote isn't a typical IR remote? You could get one of these https://www.amazon.com/Sony-RMVLZ620-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B00385XUG0/ remotes that allow you to teach it the codes from another remote as long as the other remote uses infrared. I programmed mine to work with a Roku, which isn't technically supported.

What, $20 is going to put you in the poor house? This thing ought to do what you need.

Maybe I should have explained better. I have this HDHomeRun plugged into my router with an ethernet cord and my antenna plugged into it.

The HDHomeRun is a networked tuner that you can then access from any of the computers connected to that network. So I loaded the HDHomeRun software and NextPVR installed on my old laptop that runs 24/7. This acts as a server/DVR and allows me to watch the broadcast channels through Kodi and set up recordings which causes the shows to be recorded to that old laptop.

I have a Fire TV box in my living room and another one in my bedroom. I also decided to get a Flirc and universal remote for each room so that I could control everything with one remote, but that's just my preference.

If that doesn't answer your question, let me know and I'll try to explain how it works better.

I used to love my MCE remotes, but nowThe Sony RMVLZ620 mixed with a Flirc is the best solution i've found. The Sony has IR learning and macros, while the flirc lets you easily program all the buttons to any keyboard shortcut imaginable.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-RMVLZ620-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B00385XUG0

My first gen can't control volume. There is an option for it in the menu, but it doesn't work... so I'd presume it only effects the analog audio output.

I have a Sony universal remote that I've been very happy with, but I'm fairly certain it's discontinued. I got it open box at Best Buy around 5 years ago. Hard to go wrong with a Sony. Any unit with a learning function will do. I'd go with this one which is apparently just an update to the one I have. It's on the chunky side, but assuming it's similar to the older one it has good range and a great button feel. You can also program macros, like powering on multiple devices at once, and you can set the volume buttons to always do the same thing regardless of source selection.