They’re the bane of any consumer that gets into home theater. With the great technological prowess of consumer electronics to bring the movie theater experience home, comes the unwieldy pile of remotes needed to control it all. They can all be replaced by the coveted universal remote that offers the nirvana of full control via a single remote and with so many different remotes out there it can be hard to find best one.

Don’t Overgeek It
The goal of a universal remote is to simplify your life not complicate it. It can be easy to think that a universal remote that connects to a PC for customization is the best way to go. In the sub $1000 market this couldn’t be further from reality. The learning functions on remotes work by simply pointing the original remote at the learning one, pressing the buttons you want to learn, and repeating that step for each button you want a customized action.

If you wanted to do that via a computer (assuming everything works after you’ve installed the program and connected the remote) you would have to look up codes that could, stress “could”, work with your component.

All learning remotes come with a set of pre-made manufacturer codes that enable to the remote to work with different brands for different functions. Most of these codes work pretty well at getting the remote close to what everyone needs. A remote with learning capability lets you alter the button configuration to remove the functions you don’t want and add the functions you do.

The basic point is not to limit yourself to a certain price range or function based on your perception of what may be easier. We all know how quirky PCs can be, why add computer issues and installation complexities into the mix? In five years your remote may work fine, but the PC software to connect it may not. The best advice is to leave PC connection remotes to the pros, and more advanced DIYers out there.

Sub $100 Remotes
If you’re looking for the most basic functions such as volume and DVD menu navigation, a sub $100 remote may work for you. Many TVs and receivers now come with learning remotes that offer the same or better capabilities in this price range. If you still need more after trying out your TV or receiver remote, a sub $100 universal remote may provide you with what you need.

The downside is that many sub $100 universal remotes simply don’t offer all the control options one needs per component. These hard button remotes may offer learning capabilities. In this price range you have to remember what each button does regardless of the button labels as remotes in the price range do not come with LCD screens capable of customizable labels that more expensive remotes have.

$130-$500 Remotes
This is a hot price range with universal remotes. In this range you get some type of customizable screen big or small, and some massive learning capabilities. If you want a remote that does both basic and advanced functions, semi customizable labels, and great learning capabilities, a remote in this price range is for you.

High-end Remotes $1000+
High-end remotes start at $1000 and offer color screens with full interface customization from the look of the buttons to how they’re arranged on screen. Usually these systems are too cumbersome and complex for most consumers to program so a professional installer is the best way to go.

Then There’s Sony
For $130 or $199 Sony offers a customizable, universal remote with a sizable monochrome LCD screen that’s downright big compared to most other remotes.

Based off the original RM-AV2100 that came out a few ago, these Sony remotes are roughly 5x7 inches and feature a 4x3 inch display with hard buttons for each component resting below the display. The large LCD display features a grid of buttons that changes depending on the component selected. Besides the hard buttons for component selection the Sony remotes also feature hard buttons along the bottom for volume, channel, mute, and DVD navigation.

The LCD display is monocrome (much like a digital watch) and backlit. The screen has many squarish buttons featuring three semi-custom labels each, and since the labels are permanent they’re easy to read as opposed to dot matrix displays that allow for full custom labels at the cost of much less legible text.

These remotes incorporate multiple IR emitters that make it easy for the remote to find components. So easy in fact you may be surprised at the extreme angles you can use these remotes.

The battery life of these remotes is simply great. You can get anywhere from 4-8 months per set of batteries, and the battery indicator will let you know when you’re running low.

Summary
It’s really hard to find a much better universal remote than what Sony offers for $130 and $200 in the sub $1000 price class. There’s a lot of remotes out there for you to look at, so try out a few to see what they have and how they work, then take a look at the Sony remotes.

There’s no better product recommendation than one that’s actually used. I’ve been using the original Sony Remote Commander for over 4 years now couldn’t imagine not having it. It’s the remote I recommend to all my friends and family and plan on using in the future.

Although, since one remote won’t be to the liking of everyone I still recommend looking at other remotes in case you come across something you like better. Happy hunting.