One For All URC 6131N 6-Device Universal Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Like many people, I have a motley assortment of audio/visual equipment of various brands and ages - fairly old RCA VCR, a relatively new Samsung DVD player, a brand new Toshiba TV and a Scientific Atlanta digital cable box, all with remotes. Although there was some overlap in function, each remote had one or two functions it alone could perform - VCR remote for programming timer recording; digital cable remote for the "info" and "guide" functions; DVD remote to search by chapter. I got the One for All (OfA) hoping to consolidate.
Set-up was quick; it took about 10 minutes to program all my devices, and that included some time spent browsing the manual. The unit is compact, which is a plus for me, though some users might not like the small, closely spaced buttons. The OfA uses two AA batteries, and I've noticed no unusual battery drain. (It is neither backlit nor equipped with an LCD display, so I expect the battery life will be comparable to my other remotes.) It has a few neat features - I particularly like "volume lock," which allows you to assign volume adjustment to just one device no matter what mode you're in. As my TV's volume is much more sensitive than any other device, I've "locked" the volume control in TV mode.
After a month of use, the only drawback I've found with the OfA is that it can't perform the functions of three specialized buttons on the digital cable remote (A, B and C.) This is very minor to me, since I don't use those buttons very much. It's possible the OfA models with learning capabilities would be able to handle those functions; some of them don't cost much more, so it's probably worth a look if that's important to you.
Overall I'm very pleased with the OfA. It's inexpensive, easy to use and works well with my variety of devices - I couldn't ask for more.

Click Here to see more reviews about: One For All URC 6131N 6-Device Universal Remote Control

Known as the DVR/PVR Specialist, One For All's URC 6131 remote control is an upgradeable universal remote capable of operating up to six devices at one time: TV, VCR, DVD, PVR, cable, satellite, and surround receiver or amplifier. A master-power key turns all devices on or off simultaneously. High-tech households will enjoy the remote's full DVR/PVR (digital video recorder) compatibility and support, as well as its handy picture-in-picture and surround sound selectors.The URC-6131 features intuitive, easy-to use buttons and color-coded keys for popular functions. The device requires two AA alkaline batteries (not included) and some simple programming. The remote is preprogrammed at the factory to operate an RCA TV, VCR, and satellite receiver, a Philips TiVo DVR, a Toshiba DVD player, and a Pioneer audio receiver/amplifier. To control devices other than the default brands, simply find the manufacturers in the provided code library and load them manually.Other features include direct code setup for easy device programming, step-and-set code setup and code verification (for an alternate way to program devices), and device key re-assignment to remotely control a second (duplicate) device.What's in the Box Remote control and a user's manual. Two AA batteries not included.

Click here for more information about One For All URC 6131N 6-Device Universal Remote Control

Read More...

Sony RM-AX4000 Home Theater Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Added to original review on 5/11/2007. **THERE IS NO VISTA USB DEVICE DRIVER FOR THE RM-AX4000** Upgrading our home computers to Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition has rendered this remote control useless.I recently purchased a RM-AX4000 to replace my existing Sony RM-AV3000 universal remote and hopefully *FINALLY* have a single unit to replace my seven currently used remote controls...
The remote control itself is well designed, has a nice display with a blue backlight, and is well built with a silver brushed metal front panel and rubber buttons.
However, the included software works reasonably well but could be a lot easier to use.
Initially I setup the unit without using the PC based software by inputing the four digit preset codes for each component. This worked but gives basic functionality and no macros (which Sony calls "XPRESS Functions").
Using the included software to configure the remote requires that you run a wizard which steps you through configuring the unit. I found that it worked better to use the preset codes rather than trying to have it learn from each individual remote.
However, once I did this and downloaded the settings to the remote, the "ALL OFF" button (which is intended to power off all of your A/V components with a single button press) stopped working properly. I have an A/V system consisting all recent model Sony components and for some reason I can't quite fathom the "ALL OFF" button powers everything off, except for the receiver. The "ALL OFF" button on the existing remote which came with the receiver works fine.
After spending two days messing around with the configuration of the RM-AX4000 I was unable to resolve this issue. Also, you must run another initial wizard in order to configure the macros. This whole process requires you to teach it, using the existing remote control for each component. This takes time, and the resulting macros needed tweaking to get them to work properly. This whole process could have been better.
After spending two days learning how to configure the RM-AX4000 using the software I have a single remote which works well......
Overall, I rate this item 3 stars because of the poorly implemented PC software.
Update - a new version of software, AX Remote Editor 1.1, is available for downoad from the Sony Website. You are now no longer forced to run the initial setup wizard !
Update II - the AX Remote Editor 1.1 software seems to run OK on Windows Vista, but THERE IS NO VISTA USB DEVICE DRIVER FOR THE RM-AX4000.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony RM-AX4000 Home Theater Remote Control

Click here for more information about Sony RM-AX4000 Home Theater Remote Control

Read More...

Sherwood RX4503 100 Watt RMS Dolby Virtual Surround Sound Receiver (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)These days, it's getting harder to find stereo only receivers. I needed one for my garage and parties.
I really did not want to buy a home theatre system with all the extra video ports that would never be used.
This receiver rocks! Lots of power, an MP3 jack in front, optional bluetooth adapter (which I'll never use).
The AM/FM reception is very good, I'm almost 30 miles from most transmitters.
The dial cranks up to 70 for power. It is crisp and clear up to about 64. Then a little bit of distortion
enters into the picture. That's pretty respectable. Even cranked up for hours it seems to run cool enough.
Great bang for the buck and highly recommended. Take advantage of the subwoofer out and add one to your system.
I paired it with two Sony SSF-5000 speakers, and the Sony SA-W3000 subwoofer. Turns out to be a good balanced system.
I can even listen to it a quarter mile away in my sweet corn field!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sherwood RX4503 100 Watt RMS Dolby Virtual Surround Sound Receiver (Black)

Get 26% OFF

Click here for more information about Sherwood RX4503 100 Watt RMS Dolby Virtual Surround Sound Receiver (Black)

Read More...

One for All URC 8910 Universal Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After considering the highly respected Unifier URC-100 by Universal Remotes (which sells for nearly $100) I decided, on a whim, to give the OneForAll 8910 a shot. I was replacing an older, simpler Sony universal remote because I'd recently purchased a Samsung Home Theater unit (DVD/Tuner/Receiver/SurroundSound) and I knew I'd need a new universal remote to have any chance of success with this new breed of component.
First lesson - the "learning" function of the 8910 remote really does work, and is very simple to use. The LCD screen at the top makes all the difference - it walks you through the process and lets you know exactly what's happening. No guesswork involved. So, even though there was no code included with the remote for my new Samsung Home Theater Unit, I was easily able to "learn" the most important functions. The catch is that the remote can only hold about 25 commands total in its "learned" memory - so you're not going to "learn" all the buttons from several remotes.
Second lesson - the "upgrade" system really works! I was dubious, but I called the OneForAll customer support number early one morning, and the phone was answered so quickly I thought I'd dialed a wrong number. A very friendly and capable service agent immediately looked up my Samsung unit, had me type in a code and my remote reponsed with an error message. So he said, "Right, I'll have to upgrade you. Please hold the back of the remote to the speaker on your telephone headset." There's a modem microphone hidden behind the plastic, and after playing modem tones for about 10 seconds, the remote's screen blinked "success" and instantly the appropriate code for my Home Theater System was accepted. Worked perfectly. Almost like magic (and this was actually over a cell-phone). I've heard other stories of remotes needing to be mailed in for the upgrade, but this is a 5-minute, over the phone system that really works. The database is constantly updated (my Samsung unit is very new to the market, and they already had it programmed) so you can call and "upgrade" your remote each time you get a new component.
As for my older components (RCA TV, Toshiba VCR, etc) the pre-installed codes worked fine. The macro functions and volume-lock features work as well as any other universal remote I've encountered.
But there's even more...
Third lesson - This remote has a JP-1 connector! If you're so inclined, you can order a special cable for about $15 and download software that will let you completely program and customize this remote using your Windows PC. Program any command to any button. Thanks to the "learning" feature, you can input a command from a component's original remote, then map that command to any button, or download command sets made by other users off the internet specifically for your device. This means that even unusual units such as home security systems or wireless home-network media centers can be controlled fully - not just STOP and POWER ON. (I've just finished setting up my 8910 to work with a Netgear MP101 Media Player.) All this programming is direct to the unit's main memory, not using the "learned" memory space, and thus overcoming the 25-learned-button restriction. Granted, it requires a little work and the software isn't easy, but that's the wonderful thing about this remote: It will work out of the box for most devices, can be easily "upgraded" over the phone by OneForAll, and if you really want, it can be completely customized by programming and downloading command schemes from your PC.
These are features I never imagined would be available in a $35 remote. Not to mention the fact that the buttons are quite well laid out, the backlight is crisp and clear, and while it is large, it's comfortable to hold.
I've gone from being dubious to being astonished at how powerful this unit is.


Click Here to see more reviews about: One for All URC 8910 Universal Remote Control

10-22-2007 - Brand New Item. Description - ONE FOR ALL URC8910 8-DEVICE A/V PRODUCER 8 ;LEARNING IR HOME THEATER REMOTE

Click here for more information about One for All URC 8910 Universal Remote Control

Read More...

Yamaha HTR-6130BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First I confess. I am technically challenged--I have trouble working a cell phone. But the manual was VERY detailed, if somewhat overwhelming, and the connections were easy because of labels and diagrams. As mentioned, the HDMI connection only passes the audio through to the TV--will not route it to the surround sound speakers.
So I knew I needed a second audio connection for my dvd and cable inputs, but I still had trouble getting any sound from the speakers from my DVD player and had to call tech support. They explained that this unit was designed before HDMI and that the connections were added later as a pass-through for convenience. I wondered why they would have designed it that way to start with--turns out they didn't! But all is well that ends well.
Tech support was EXCELLENT. Although I had connected everything properly (digital coax audio cable for DVD), they walked me through the set up menu choices to get the sound working properly. They even helped me with the settings on my Sony blue ray player! Saving the setup via scene buttons will allow me to to recover the settings without remembering the details.
The first movie I watched, I thought I was in a theater!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha HTR-6130BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

High-value receiver with an impressive array of features and technologies to enhance the audio/video experience, including HDMI switching with 1080p video pass-through, iPod and Bluetooth audio compatibility, CINEMA DSP, Compressed Music Enhancer, and four SCENE buttons.

Get 13% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha HTR-6130BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

Universal Remote Control URC-WR7 7 Device Remote Control with 4 My Favorite Channel Buttons Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this to replace my universal remote that the dogs chewed up. This remote has several features, and lots of buttons. I like the red light up buttons as it makes it so much easier to find the button I am looking for in the dark.
My favourite thing about this remote is the many ways in which to find that pesky code. I find that often typing in the code for your brand of TV, VCR, whatever doesn't work and you can spend hours trying to figure out the proper code. There are at least four different ways (including a list of codes) to program this remote so something will work for your device. My favourite thing is the "learning" mode. You simply put it into "learning" mode and then copy the functions from your old remote to the new one and you can choose which buttons go where. I programmed my TV, cable box, and DVD player all within about 5 minutes and without having to enter a single code. Brilliant! Plus I was able to transfer the sleep function onto a key of my choice (that is the only button that seems to be missing from this remote).
My only complaint is that it is rather large, but that can be a good thing too as it's easier to spot in the couch cushions or under a blanket.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Universal Remote Control URC-WR7 7 Device Remote Control with 4 My Favorite Channel Buttons

Preprogrammed and Learning remote control combines 7 remote controls into 1. 4 My Favorite Channel Buttons. MacroPower and SimpleSound Volume Control.

Click here for more information about Universal Remote Control URC-WR7 7 Device Remote Control with 4 My Favorite Channel Buttons

Read More...

DirecTV RC23 Universal Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My wife needed a remote for her night stand so we could both control the Direct Tv receiver. It is an exact copy in every way of the original and works great. I thought this was a great investment.

Click Here to see more reviews about: DirecTV RC23 Universal Remote Control

Get 74% OFF

Click here for more information about DirecTV RC23 Universal Remote Control

Read More...

One For All URC 10820 10 Device Learning Universal Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This remote has a lot of capability for the price. When building my home theater I was looking for a remote that could handle my TV, A/V receiver, VCR/DVD combo, Cable box/DVR combo. This remote was much cheaper than the Harmony (would have loved one of those) and could handle these devices as well as others. I am still tweaking the macro's but I am off to a good start.
Pros: Works with combo devices, macro and learning capability, price
Cons: Still have to use individual device's remotes to perform certain functions (maybe i just need more practice)

Click Here to see more reviews about: One For All URC 10820 10 Device Learning Universal Remote Control

Get 57% OFF

Click here for more information about One For All URC 10820 10 Device Learning Universal Remote Control

Read More...

Philips Prestigo SRU9600 Universal Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The remote looks very cool and was easy to set up, but it the end it went back. The scroll wheel is isn't that smooth and while clever is really annoying since you need to scroll through the different actions or devices.Direct access to functions would be easier and quicker. Also, touch screen would shut down quickly (probably to conserve batteries) but it became annoying since it was too quick. Decided to try the Harmony One.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Philips Prestigo SRU9600 Universal Remote Control

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Philips Prestigo SRU9600 Universal Remote Control

Read More...

Sony DAV-C990 DVD Dream System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've owned this system for a couple months now, paired with a matching 42" Sony WEGA Plasma TV. I use it in my bedroom as a second home theater. I can say that while it's very stylish, it's a few features short of a "Dream System". I'm a life-long Sony loyalist and fan of their industrial design, but they always manage to blow something important in each of their products' core usage scenarios. For example:
1. The unit utterly fails to give priority to dts soundtracks on DVDs. You have to manually inspect and select dts before playing a movie.
2. There is only one optical sound input jack on the back. This means I can't connect my XBox and my Sony 301-DVD jukebox at the same time unless I forego digital sound on one of them -- ...
3. There is no S-Control jack on this unit, which means I can't interconnect it with my Sony Plasma TV and stash the amp in a drawer or cabinet.
4. Why would I want to hide it? The fan is too loud and distracting at low volumes. Since when do amplifiers need fans anyway? This system is ideal for bedrooms, but compounding this white noise with that of their Plasma TV's internal fan is simply unbearable. Consumer electronic companies should be forced to disclose whether their products have fans and what decibel levels they produce.
5. In Tuner mode, you can give the radio stations custom names but you can't do so for all the various inputs -- which most people use 100x more often. You also can't skip inputs like Video 2 that may not be in use. This problem's even worse on their Plasma TV's 6 input modes.
6. ... you cannot hot-swap discs in the changer while one is playing. This turns out to be more inconvenient than you'd think. The auto-resume feature helps out a little here. Also, it's too easy to eject a playing disc by mistake.
7. You can't put in 5 DVD movies (like a boxed set) and have them auto-play. This is more of a media/menu navigation problem, but even so -- it's just not very "Dream"-like. I get so sick of wading through previews and gratuitous menus before the feature actually starts. This would be easy to fix if Sony cared.
8. There are a plethora of useless Sound Field choices, but not a single one can play a regular 2-channel stereo music CD through the rear speakers as well as the front without applying a lame digital delay effect. ...
9. The clumsy remote control is not only uncomfortable to hold, but it includes some very obscure buttons (like Stereo/Mono, Name, Clear and Memory) and excludes some vital functions (like Wide Mode and Jump). Therefore it is unusable and must be replaced with a learning remote.
10. Even with a Sony Universal and/or Learning remote, some of the unit's functions will not respond and cannot be learned. I've heard that this is an AV1/AV2 problem, but if so, there is no apparent way to switch that mode on the unit.
11. The fast-forward and reverse functions only operate at 1x and 2x speed, and are often very sluggish and unpredictable. If you're searching for a scene or backing up to catch something you missed, this is like waiting for ketchup to come out of the bottle.
12. The remote forces you to cycle through the four main functions, which sucks if you hit a button by mistake. It would be better to have a single button for each.
Even with all of these problems, this product is a good value and it never fails to impress those who see and hear it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DAV-C990 DVD Dream System

Click here for more information about Sony DAV-C990 DVD Dream System

Read More...

Universal Remote Control URC-R50 Digital R50 Universal Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I went from hating this remote and being really sorry I had purchased it, to liking it. There is truth to all the reviews, I found,and so I hope this one will be useful. While I would not classify myself as being technically inclined, I don't think I am a complete dufus, owning many, many gadgets/ electronics and having had no trouble in the past. Thus, I thought that programming this could not be so bad. How wrong I was. It really was painfully slow for me, with a lot of trial and error, exactly because of the absence of the manual. With hindsight, I think the quick start guide was trying to tell me many things, but in a slightly abbreviated form, and sometimes with crucial or helpful steps missing. Like many poorly written instructions or bad teachers, these assume a certain knowledge, and also that one can fill in the blanks. If you fall into that category of being able to make some leaps without detailed instructions, or you are good at reading between the lines of general instructions, you will have no trouble. Otherwise, take the attitude that the setting up has to be done just once (however slow and painful) and THEN comes the good part. The macros (quick start tries to explain these -- sort of) are exceedingly useful. Buttons are easy to learn, based on their layout and their different shapes. You can teach any button to learn anything within a device category, and you have the capacity to re-label everything also. You can choose the brightness of the color screen. And so on. You end up with a very useful item which is exactly what it is: a Universal Remote Control.
Update: I have added the Roku to the list of devices and have used the volume and channel cut and paste functions, thus one is able to do favorite channels and change volume super easily. Also, when programming macros, make sure to do a practice run and jot down the exact steps, taking nothing for granted, THEN program the macro on the URC.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Universal Remote Control URC-R50 Digital R50 Universal Remote Control

Control up to 18 components with NO internet or PC needed

Get 48% OFF

Click here for more information about Universal Remote Control URC-R50 Digital R50 Universal Remote Control

Read More...