There are a few products on the market that i want but i don't want an individual remote for all of them. Untimatly i'd like; An HD TV with Freeview HD, Home cinema, HDD for recording and a DVD/Blu-player. Anybody know of anything that does this 'all in one' type set-up?

And is that in one post or five?

A Home Theatre PC set-up?

Something like an iMac with the little remote control thingy might be one possible solution. Couple of friends have such set-ups, and they're very simple and easy to use, it seems.

LOGITECH HARMONY RANGE IS WHAT YOU NEED.

had a logitec harmony 555 for years – great bit of kit

I have a Marantz RC3200 – you can program it yourself to do everything. Discontinued now but similar products available. Google avforums

Harmony. They're not perfect- the model we've got doesn't support all the functions on some of our stuff, and occasionally it gets it's knickers in a twist, if it tries to turn something on thats already on etc, but it's not too bad. Having said that, we use it as a backup to the original remotes when they've 'gone missing', rather than as the main remote.

Another Logitech harmony fan here. The computer interface makes it much easier to set up than the learning type remotes as well (cambridge audio, one for all etc) and they are always updating with new products as they are released.

Maybe improvise something like "the megatron" from peepshow

Harmony looks interesting. thnx i'll take a look.

Elfinsafety – Don't really want to Hook put a PC to it as i'd only use it for the hard drive space and it's across the other side of the house. thanks for the suggestion though.

Programmable remotes are never that great. They just aren't. Every device will have a few odd buttons like "Picture Mode" or "Super duper setting" which can't be set to a standard button on a programmable remote.

The end result is, you end up with a user interface that you designed, and you probably aren't a user interface designer. Instead of a remote control designed by someone who had an inkling or two about what they're doing. Of course, if you buy cheap kit, the remote buttons are usually applied by shotgun, so you've got nothing to lose.

Personally, I'd use a PVR for freeview & recording, and get a programmeable remote, along with a DVD / 5.1 in system. I'd use the PVR remote for watching normal telly (which I assume will take up most of your remote control usage), and the programmeable one for everything else.

mastiles_fanylion – not sure i know what you mean?

I think he's exaggerating, because you accidentally posted the thread twice.

Ok, but a Home Theatre PC with TC tuner card etc, output to a nice big screen, would do the job. The remote control bit might be awkward though, I suppose. I just mentioned the iMac because it's got a built-in media player feature that seems to be really easy to use.

Apparently, Leonardo DiCaprio has no elbow joints; his arms are just one long bone from shoulder to wrist.

Oh i see, must have double clicked the button or summit. very funny…

Yeah i've seen that on the iMac it's a good little program. It's deffinatly an option, cheers.