I'm In... Control

I get what I want. Control... never gonna' stop.

-Control by Janet Jackson

I received a drunken request from Mac and Doug last night to search for the best universal remote control available. I can't believe I remembered the request at all, but somehow through the morning haze, I did. Anyway, there is a great website for all of your universal remote control review needs called Remote Central. It's kind of scary that there is a forum for people to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different universal remotes, but I guess people will chat online about anything these days. There are two distinct types of universal remotes, those with programmable touch screens and those with progammable hardware buttons. I personally prefer the feel of some nice, squishy buttons, but for those out there who enjoy a good touch screen, the cream-of-the-crop of touch screen universal remotes are the Philips ProntoPro NG TSU7000 and Marantz RC9500 Remote Controls. Ranging from $170 for the low end version to $1000 for the color screen version, these puppies are fully programmable and totally customizable. If you want just one big that says, "ON", you got it. If you want fifty tiny buttons, you can have that too. Of course, you can't entirely escape the hardware buttons, even the most expensive touch screen remote still has a few "real" buttons for functionality.

Obviously, the touch screen universal remotes are more expensive than hardware button universal remotes, which you can get at Walmart starting at $16.⁸². Or, for a mere 34.⁹⁹ you can get the highly reviewed Sony RM-VL710 Universal Remote which will control up to five devices, with up to 39 commands per device. It features infrared code learning and preprogrammed codes for more than 500 non-Sony devices. It also features a simplified button set with large, easy to read buttons. If I was in the market for a universal remote, this would be my choice. If I was looking for a touch screen remote, I would go with the $220 Philips Pronto NG TSU3000. But who wants to pay that much money for a remote?