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

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(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.

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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.

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Sony RM-AX4000 Home Theater Remote Control Review

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(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.


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Yamaha RX-V2700 - AV network receiver - 7.1 channel Review

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(More customer reviews)The RX-V2700 has more features than any receiver I know of in any category. The main features that distinguish it are:
* Play MP3s (off PC running the proper software)/Internet Radio
* High Power (140x7 - One channel driven into 8ohm from 20hz-20khz)
* Handles 7.1 multi-channel PCM over HDMI, helpful for Blu-ray and HDMI
* YPAO (Automatically adjusts levels, and bass management features; I believe it also has some basic equalization features)
* Three HDMI inputs (not a common feature of AVRs)
* Can pass 1080P
Cons:
* Remote control longer than usual; controlling network features a pain
* Clunky GUI for network capaibilities
I connected a number of component video sources and audio sources and ran a single HDMI cable to my display. I have no video issues with this setup. I used YPAO to do the initial setup. When that was done I set all speakers to small and the LFE/Bass crossover to 80hz. There's no good reason to let your speakers handle bass if your subwoofer can do it. 80hz is what THX has reccommended. Everything worked fine. The diagrams in the manual of the back panel were hard for me to read. This made it harder for me to try to wire it up with less than two feet between it, and the back wall. There are some photos online of the back panel that might be easier to use.Sound quality is good. If you already had a good receiver, don't expect amazing improvements. Amps tend to sound very much alike. Processing modes are typical. Select straight mode, and it should do the right thing most of the time. I prefer 7-channel stereo for normal music listening, though.
As for video, because I have a plasma, and I feel it does a good job deinterlacing (480i -> 480p) and scaling (to it's native 1024x780,) I only use HDMI conversion. I did play around with the 2700's deinterlacer and scaler options. I saw no improvement. I also see no degradation, which is what I expect. I use the 2700 to convert component to HDMI for a DVD player/Tivo box and my XBox 360.
The network features work ok. I see usual problems with disconnects, etc. To stream MP3's from your computer to the RX, you will need Microsoft Media Connect, or Windows Media Player 11 (which comes with Media Connect.) You don't need to run Win Media, Media Connect will run as a background process, which is nice. Setting it up was easy enough, but I have spent my life working with computers. You will need to go into Win Media Player or Media Connect and add the 2700 so you can share music to it. The ability to play internet radio is one I quite like. You can't add stations, and are limited to MP3 (I think.) The 2700 uses the vTuner database, which is extensive, and you can suggest stations to it. The GUI for the network capaibilities is painful. It's slow for one thing. It will stop displaying with no keypress in 5 seconds or so. However long it is, it's not always long enough forcing you to hit the display button on the remote again. Very dissapointing for a product with a suggested retail of $1700.
As mentioned above sound quality is good. It's powerful enough that I can turn it up as loud as I want without audible distress, and I can't say that about other receivers I have owned. Like most receivers, it's only rated with one channel driven, but don't let that concern you. If it's not loud enough for you, you either have a big room, inefficient speakers or a need to damage your hearing. As for it's sound quality being better than other receivers, I can't say that it is. Most receivers sound pretty close (in tests, even trained listeners have trouble picking out one amp vs. another.)
A brief note about Blu-ray and HD DVD. This receiver will handle 7.1 multi-channel PCM at 96khz/24bits. That allows you to take advantage of the lossless audio formats available on the new high def media formats, such as TrueHD. You will need to set your player to output multi-channel PCM over HDMI. Some people have reported diminished LFE (low frequency channel) when PCM was used rather than bitstream. I don't have room for a full discussion of this alleged issue. It is unconfirmed by any formal review, and some people have reported that LFE over HDMI/PCM works fine. This is only a potential issue if you want to hear the best quality from uncompressed audio on Blu-ray or HD DVD. You always have the option to let the player convert to DTS or Dolby Digital and send that via bitstream over HDMI (or S/PDIF.)
As for video quality, all I asked of it that was it converted component to HDMI, which it does with no obvious degradation.
Why would you spend over $1000 on a receiver? Probably for the feature set, and high power. Yamaha also has a reputation for quality. It's my fifth Yamaha receiver, so I am obviously a fan.

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One for All URC 8910 Universal Remote Control Review

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(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.


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

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Philips SRU5106/27 6 Device Universal Remote Control Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have a combo device (TV/DVD combo, Cable Box/DVR combo, etc), avoid this. It does NOT handle these devices well. I have a TV/DVD combo, and my choices based on the given codes when I try to use my dvd player are either to have the selection keys (directions and OK) work, but play, pause, skip scene, etc not work; or vice versa. Also, when I hit certain buttons (menu in particular), it activates the TV functions for those buttons instead of the DVD functions. There is a work-around: you can use the "Learn" function to program totally off the original remote, but this can be tedious. If you do this, make sure to first "clear" the commands from the device you plan to teach because it will display the blinking light meaning "learning error, try again" every time if the button you try to teach already has a command programmed to it (would have been a good tip for the manual).
Speaking of the manual, a company the size of Philips should be able to afford someone to proofread the instruction manual. It gives tips for combo devices and uses the example of a TV/DVD combo (like mine) and in the middle of the description starts referring to a DVR instead without explanation (twice). Another example: a sentence in the book says "Refer to chapter 5.4 'Tips on learning'" but that is actually chapter 5.3; there is no chapter 5.4. This may seem to be relatively minor, but if the company didn't take the time to make sure errors like this weren't printed, I can't believe they dedicated time to troubleshooting the device itself either.
A pro is that it does work with the xbox 360, but you basically have to guess to see what does what aside from power and directions (exit is B, Y is channel up, etc).

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

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(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.

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

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DirecTV RC23 Universal Remote Control Review

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(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.

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

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(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)

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Philips Prestigo SRU9600 Universal Remote Control Review

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(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.

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

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(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.

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Control up to 18 components with NO internet or PC needed

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