I totally agree... I also have a drawer full of useless remotes including three ATI Remote Wonders, both RW I & RW II).
One of my biggest gripes about all remotes is the total incompatibility between the remotes & the receivers.
It has always bugged me why there is not a universal standard for remotes.
I would
LOVE IT if I could find
ONE remote that would work on
ALL of my receivers such as DirecTV satellite receivers, Logitech Z-680 speakers system, & my computer.
I am so sick & tired of every manufacturer trying to re-invent the wheel with remotes. It's Beta vis. VHS all over again with no standards in sight..
Examples...My two RCA DirectTV satellite receivers have both infer red & radio frequency receivers built into them but they will work only with the RCA remote. The ATI Remote Wonder (either I or II) does not work with them... the frequency is different just as it is different between the ATI RW I & RW II. .
For the same reason the RCA remotes will not work with the ATI receiver.
It would be very nice (no, make that simply wonderful) if MC had native ATI remote support as a lot of users have that remote... all ATI A-I-W cards come with it.
Keep in mind that ATI just released a brand new Remote Wonder II which uses an entirely different receiver that is totally incompatible with the original Remote Wonder I receiver.
I recently purchased an ATI A-I-W 9600 Pro (with FM tuner); it came with the RW I but has a free coupon ($15 S&H) for the new RW II which I now have.
It does not work at all with the old ATI receiver.
The new RMII has something like three times the range of the RMI (which was not at all bad).
Also, keep in mind that the ATI remotes are not infer red but are Radio Frequency; that is why they have such great range & can work through walls, around corners & etc.