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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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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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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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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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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