long term memory after batt failure. Cloning ability, easy programming, learning ability, flexibility, just to much to list.

Joystick takes a little to get used to. you gotta click it just right. Not usb programmable but the 700 is, but the 700 is missing important buttons. Delay between macro commands.

I wonder around at electronics stores always glancing at whats new in remotes. Still today nothing can beat this little jewel. Probably the best electronic investment I ever made. I originally wanted a Marantz rc2000 then I stumbled upon the mx500 review at remotecentral.com. One thing that caught my eye was the extra fast forward buttons around the joystick that would let me use the skip 30 sec feature on my Dish PVR while not sacrificing the normal fast forward button. Thats the only thing that kept me from buying an mx700 or better. This baby has been a wonderful workhorse. all my kids can use it easily. The backlighting is very very cool. I love to show it off. Programming it is a cinch albeit a little time consuming. I have found it dead a couple of times and panicked but once the new batteries were in all of my programming was still there. The volume punch through feature is great where you can default your reciever as the volume in any mode. For that matter you can make this thing control anything and in any way you see fit. Mine is programmed to turn on/off 5 components with one (system) button. You can make any button do any multiple command in any mode. If you want it to change your tv input then your reciever's input and the satellite box's channel all at once you can. I pipe everything (aud,vid) throgh my receiver but say you didnt and wanted to go from listening to a cd to watching tv by pushing one button this will do it. the only downside is the macro's are not instant. You must hold it at the devices until its done transmitting all the commands. With fresh batteries however you can point it in just about any direction and it'll be recieved. The mx500 has big guns that will reach farther than any remote I have ever used. I have 4 kids and my mx500 has been through h#@l. I couldnt count how many times its been dropped and sat on. A couple of times its had a drink spilled on it but everyone knows to panic and dry it quick or suffer my wrath from killing Daddy's beloved remote. A fate worse than death. Finally after we installed a tiled floor it somehow hit the floor just right and broke the light button on the side. The backlighting no longer works but everything else works fine. Im thinking of getting another and letting the kids use the broken one. I dont think ill ever use any other remote. The button arrangement is so well laid out that I never need to look at it except to see what mode it is in. It is very comfortable to hold and I dont think ill ever want a touchscreen cause the tactile feel of a pushbutton remote just cant be done in the dark. Get one

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Over 50 different remotes.

Seemingly infinite memory.

6 month battery life

This is the end all be all programmable remote control. It is the swiss army knife of remotes. Not a touch screen remote but has LCD menu screen for devices with lighted hard button beside each LCD line. Also has joy stick wobble button. Tons of preprogrammed codes but I found very little use for any of these. This thing's greatest feature is it's learning mode where you put this remote, head to head with each of your A/V remotes, punch each button on the OEM remote and punch corresponding or addressable buttons on the 500 and you are done. Put your OEM remotes in a drawer. This handy handfull gadget does everything except for allowing computer upload/download once it's programmed. You have to spend a lot more to get this feature from Theater Master (see 800 or 1000 model). Also, this is a infra red line of sight remote not radio frequency. Univeral/Theater Master makes thes as well but again a lot more money. This remote will do fine for 99% of A/V systems and owners. It is without a doubt the coolest gadget I ever bought.

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RCA, Rat Shack, Universal, One Touch etc.