Rating: 
Summary: The Best on the Market!
Review: I bought this remote about 2 years ago. I had a pretty good Home Theater setup, with all the components to go with it. After seeing reviews on Remote Central and other places, I decided to spring for the approximately $100+ cost of this device. It has worked flawlessly, controlling just about everything I have: DVD, Receiver, VCR, and TV. The MX-500 fits the hand very well, has very tactile buttons that are easy to find, and has a pleasing blue backlite that shows all controls when needed. It even has the capability of adjusting the amount of time the light stays on! The LCD screen displays what component you are using, and has multiple pages for each device. The one minor gripe I have is the 'Enter' button is all the way at the bottom of the keyboard-kind of a strange spot for a button that gets so much use. For my second TV in our bedroom, I purchased a Sony VL900 Universal for about half the price of the MX-500; thought I'd save some money (the original failed, of course). Big mistake! The Sony started losing button functions after just a few months. Should have bought another MX-500 to begin with. I will be doing that shortly. For those in need, the MX-500 is just about as good as it gets. Ergonomically sound, easily visible, relatively easy to program, and very flexible, the MX-500 is the one Universal Remote I recommend over all others. Learn how to use it properly, and you won't be disappointed. The most important thing here is reliability - it works over the long haul.
Rating:
Summary: It just works!
Review: I gave up on my Sony RM-VL1000 and got an MX-500, and am *very* happy with it. The remote is customizable in all of the ways I wanted. There are several macro buttons that you can hit on the remote without having to go through any menus. The volume buttons can be customized to pass through to your amp. It's got a nice joystick. I found the setup process to be very easy and intuitive (I don't think I'll have to reference the manual to tweak things in the future). There's good feedback on the LCD as you do things. It's easy to customize what's shown on the LCD for different buttons. It's got a backlit display, and I like the rubberized feel of the remote. Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase.
Rating:
Summary: By far the best remote and value out there
Review: I had a friend who convinced me to buy this remote and decided I needed to ditch the clutter and take the plunge. Setup was simple after you get the hang of it. I also got a separate remote with a JP1 connector to program discrete codes and it's been a dream.... Hard buttons are the way to go. LCD touch screens have problems with durability and accuracy. Highly recommended. UPDATE: A year later and it's still a champ. Replaced the batteries only once. I am still a strong advocate for buying this as a replacement for the clutter of remotes most people have.
Rating:
Summary: Wow - amazing universal remote
Review: I have to say that I balked at the price, but after all the complaints in my household regarding how many remote controls were sitting on my coffee table, I figured I'd try this out.
This universal remote is incredible - you're able to pre-program it with standard remote functions using various codes found in the manual, or you can actually manual program it by aiming the remote control at the universal remote. Setup is very easy and quick, and it's built very solidly. You can also program macro buttons - for example, I programmed one button when I want to watch regular cable TV which turns on my TV (including turning it to the proper TV/Video input), receiver (including setting it to the TV input), and cable box. Then I programmed my system off button to turn off all my components with one button.
I use it for a Sony 36" TV, digital cable box, Sony DVD, Sony CD changer, and Harmon Kardon receiver, and have had zero issues. Would highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Near perfect universal remote
Review: I highly recommend the MX-500 for anyone trying to control 4+ devices in a home theater system. You can program it to control almost any device with the built-in codes or use the original remote that came with your equipment to "teach" the MX-500 the necessary codes. I use it to control a Directivo, Zenith TV, Panasonic DVD player, Mitsubishi & GE VCRs, Yamaha CD player and a Sony digital receiver. Customization is very easy, with the ability to edit button labels (on the LCD screen) with the names or types of your equipment, and the ability to program buttons for 50 of your favorite channels (a must if you have satellite or cable service of 150+ channels). The MX-500 also permits macro programming, i.e., the ability to execute multiple commands with one button. For example, the "Power" button can be programmed to power on all your home theater equipment; the "System Off" button can be programmed to turn it all off. Three other macro buttons are provided for other customized, multiple commands. You can also teach it, like most higher-end remotes, to "push down" certain commands, e.g., the volume buttons can be set to manipulate the volume of your home theater receiver, regardless of which device you are using (DVD, VCR, TV). The IR range of the remote is excellent: I've changed channels across the room pointing the remote at the wall !! Battery life is also top-notch (it uses 4 AAA batteries) and the user manual is well-written. The one weakness with this remote is that the "select" button (the black center bezel) is a little awkward to use because it's almost too stiff. I tend to use the joint of my thumb rather than the pad to engage it because otherwise I was inadvertently hitting the up, down, or left/right arrows. End-user support via discussion forums and dedicated sites like remotecentral is excellent so you can always find an answer to a question you may have that the manual doesn't cover, as well as tips and tricks for using/programming the remote. If you want absolute customization in a universal remote, then buy the more expensive Philips Pronto (or the costly Pronto Pro) which with available software, permit you to use your PC to edit every aspect of the remote. But if you want near perfect customization at an affordable price, then you can't miss with the MX-500.
Rating:
Summary: Stellar design & function -- a classic now
Review: I looked for a good remote for years before the MX-500 was released. Everything feel short in some way -- not enough or the right buttons (I want "song/chapter skip" AND a "fast forward/reverse" pair), couldn't control a specific piece of gear, too expensive, had a funky design (dozens of identical buttons, or weird placement) or lacked buttons (I like the tactile feedback in the dark, no touch screens for me). I drooled over the early reviews of the MX-500 and pre-ordered one. I've had it for a couple of years now, and I'm a happy camper -- I don't even have a wandering eye for other remotes now. The pluses: * Huge memory capacity so no problem teaching it exactly to the buttons that make sense to you
* While it's a somewhat large remote, it's designed so well that it doesn't "feel" that large. It's well balanced, the material feels good, and the most frequently used buttons fall easily under the thumb.
* Tons of abilities and flexibility, which you can make use of if you need, or ignore.
* Great range and power. Univeral really hit a home run with the MX-500.
Rating:
Summary: I have to agree with the positive reviews!
Review: I too have this Remote. It's by far the best one I've ever owned. I won't just repeat what's been said already, just whole heartedly agree. I've had it a year and have my living room home theatre system wired! To get the most out of it, look into a simple Radio Shacke JP1 compatible remote to aid in discrete code programming this one. Check www.remotecentral.com for about all the information on this you can handle. Buy it GREAT current Amazon price of $90.
Rating:
Summary: The best universal remote control
Review: I tried about ten different universal remotes and found something wrong with every single one, except for this one. This universal remote can learn commands from your other remotes and has a preprogrammed inventory of its own commands. It also has ten buttons at the top for which you can customize labels by changing what displays. These ten buttons can be programmed to be different for each device that you control. Plus, the unit can be programmed to send an IR command whenever you change from controlling one device to another. This is convenient if you have a home theater system through which your audio is routed, and you want the remote to automatically switch your home theater system to whatever device you are trying to control. This remote is relatively easy to program and easy to use. The button layout is intuitive and easy to remember. The buttons themselves have a good tactile feel. The unit works flawlessly.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Remote, couldn't be happier!
Review: I've had the remote for about 8 months now. It has been by far the best remote i've ever used. It looks really cool, feels great in your hands, and operates nearly perfect. I've bought other crappy, cheap, $30 and under universal remotes and always ended up not even using them and just using 4-5 remotes instead. With the ms-500, I've finally put the remotes away for good. Haven't used any of them since I got the thing fully programed. There are just a few negative things about the remote, which don't really take away from it: 1. I've noticed that sometimes the volume on the tv mode won't read through fully and will take multiple hits of the button in order for it to work. These are the only buttons that do this for me, it may just be the TV itself. 2. This is really just a minar pet peeve that doesn't really bother me but it should be noted anyway. The numbered buttons (1,2,3 etc.) are located at the bottom of the remote as you can see in the picture. If you're trying to operate them you have to grasp the remote all the way at the bottom which feels awkward. Or you can use two hands. Many people complain about the middle joystick portion, but I really like this feature. Bottom line: If your looking for a suitable universal remote for 3+ devices, don't waste your money on a cheap one because you'll probably not use it in the long run and you'll regret the purchase most likely. Go with the mx-500 - you won't be disapointed!
Rating:
Summary: Everything you need... where you need it.
Review: I've never had a universal remote that didn't force me to comprimise somewhere. Most "learning" remotes force you to learn too much and the lack of tactile buttons is a negative for the LCD models. The pre-programmed off the shelf universal's are not nearly customizable for my tastes. The MX-500, however, is nearly perfect. I love being able to put virtualy any function into the top LCD area while still being able to control the remote by sense of touch. I had the entire remote configured for my system in about 15 minutes, but I spent an extra hour programming macros and custom functions because it was so cool. When I turn my DVD player on, my TV switches to DVD input, adjusts its color settings to my preferred movie setting, and the remote sets itself into its custom DVD mode on the LCD. All I need is an IR receiver for my lights (which the MX-500 had preprogrammed codes for) and I'll be in heaven!
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