ElectroNext.com

Best media center remote (2009-01-25)
Easy installation on my living room media center PC running Vista Ultimate. Used the software from the included CD and even though there is a newer version, decided that if it's not broken, why fix it and refused the update. Works like a charm for the past two weeks. Very easy to program to control other devices with clear and easy instructions. Recognized my Denon receiver and Vizio TV instantly. Simple, with all the necessary media center buttons. Finally a universal media center remote that works and approved by the less techy family members, which does not cost and arm and a leg (picked it up on eBay for about $50).

Buyer Beware (2008-12-29)
I've had my Philips SRM7500 for just over a year now, having bought it from some Remote retailer on the internet for like $179 when I couldn't find it anywhere else.

I can tell you that this remote is utter crap. It loses connection all of the time, the software is terrible, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get the sideshow implementation to work correctly, or even display at all.

The software, oh my - as a professional developer I can tell you that if I released updated software without bothering to increment the version number it would be end of the line for my job. Apparently, this is perfectly acceptable behavior for Philips' software developers because the software version on the shipping CD and the downloadable and visibly different software update from the website share the exact same version number.

Prior to this new version of software (is it? I can't tell by the version numbers) all it would ever say when I try to configure it was that the software was in the middle of an operation - the new software fixes that (90% of the time), but now introduces a new error that essentially shuts off the Media Center remote functionality - it crashes at startup with an intermittent dialog box with a "TODO: " descriptor. The fun part is that you have to get up and remove the USB dongle and plug it in again every single time the software loses its bearings - which is quite often - and then pray that Windows re-initializes it for it to work again.

I've had this thing for almost 14 months now, and completely and wholeheartedly suggest that you DO NOT purchase this remote. I will be replacing this remote with a different model as soon as a new bluetooth "Green Button" enabled MCE remote appears on the market.

Best media center remote (2009-01-25)
Easy installation on my living room media center PC running Vista Ultimate. Used the software from the included CD and even though there is a newer version, decided that if it's not broken, why fix it and refused the update. Works like a charm for the past two weeks. Very easy to program to control other devices with clear and easy instructions. Recognized my Denon receiver and Vizio TV instantly. Simple, with all the necessary media center buttons. Finally a universal media center remote that works and approved by the less techy family members, which does not cost and arm and a leg (picked it up on eBay for about $50).

Buyer Beware (2008-12-29)
I've had my Philips SRM7500 for just over a year now, having bought it from some Remote retailer on the internet for like $179 when I couldn't find it anywhere else.

I can tell you that this remote is utter crap. It loses connection all of the time, the software is terrible, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get the sideshow implementation to work correctly, or even display at all.

The software, oh my - as a professional developer I can tell you that if I released updated software without bothering to increment the version number it would be end of the line for my job. Apparently, this is perfectly acceptable behavior for Philips' software developers because the software version on the shipping CD and the downloadable and visibly different software update from the website share the exact same version number.

Prior to this new version of software (is it? I can't tell by the version numbers) all it would ever say when I try to configure it was that the software was in the middle of an operation - the new software fixes that (90% of the time), but now introduces a new error that essentially shuts off the Media Center remote functionality - it crashes at startup with an intermittent dialog box with a "TODO: " descriptor. The fun part is that you have to get up and remove the USB dongle and plug it in again every single time the software loses its bearings - which is quite often - and then pray that Windows re-initializes it for it to work again.

I've had this thing for almost 14 months now, and completely and wholeheartedly suggest that you DO NOT purchase this remote. I will be replacing this remote with a different model as soon as a new bluetooth "Green Button" enabled MCE remote appears on the market.