[John Sparks]

if you go under "more options" for the media center device, there is an option called "Adjust the Delays (speed settings)" than might help with the button pressing issues.

My settings are:

Power On Delay 1500 ms
Inter-Key Delay 0 ms
Input Delay 1000 ms
Inter-Device Delay 1000


I set the Inter-key delay to allow it to respond to multiple key presses faster (like for skipping forward and back in a show)

Also you can teach the remote commands in learning mode if it doesnt know them by choosing the remote type. Just remember the learning port is at the bottom of the harmony remote (at least on the 880) - I kept trying to point my remote at the top of the harmony and it never would learn the commands, until I paid attention that I was supposed to be pointing it at the BOTTOM of the harmony (oops)

But you might have more going on with your 890 remote. Maybe it is broken?

--

One more thing to check. if you are using the MCE IR receiver, make sure the little red light is NOT on when you are not pressing any remote keys. I had a weird problem where the MCE was responding slowly or not at all to my commands and couldnt figure out what was going on, and then I noticed the red light on the IR receiver was on all the time. I put my hand in front of it and it went out. Hmmm. Something was sending IR signals! I found out that it was one of my old remotes. I had put all of my remotes in a clear plastic storage bin and put them under my coffee table. Apparently the weight of one remote was pushing the button on another one and it was sending out a constant stream of IR which was tying up the MCE IR Receiver even though it didnt know the code.