Best Universal Remote Available
Written: Mar 08 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive with all the features you need.
Cons: Uses 4 AAA batteries which some may find excessive.
The Bottom Line: The One For All URC-8811 is the best remote available. It has all the attributes you need in terms of balance, weight, size, features, price and usability.
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| cypherdude's Full Review: One For All URC-8811 Remote Control |
After searching many hours for a good universal remote, I found the One For All (OFA) URC8811. I had first purchased the OFA URC6131 but without the "learning" feature, it was impossible to program all the buttons from the original remote. One for All makes 21 different models. The "learning" feature begins at model 8811 and the "modem" feature begins at model 8910. The "learning" feature is used to copy the buttons of your original remotes into your new universal remote. The "modem" feature is used to update the universal remote via the telephone.
Because the 8811 carries such an extensive library of manufacturer remotes in its memory chip, you may never need to update your 8811. If you actually do need to update it with new remote codes, you can send the 8811 to One For All for free. The 8811 is so advanced I bought two, one for myself and one for my father whose own original remote was failing. I was able to replace 3 remotes: my VCR, TV, and air-conditioner. Yes, I was able to copy, or the remote "learned", all the functions of my air-conditioner remote. Also, it only took a few minutes for me to program my father's remote for his TV/VCR combo.
Using the 8811 is very convenient. Because of the "learning" feature, I was able to choose the placement of all the buttons from the original remotes. As has been mentioned in previous reviews, while it is not written in the sparse manual, most of the buttons are "learning" capable. For years I was forced to switch between the original VCR and TV remotes whenever I wanted to "mute" the TV, very irritating. Whenever I wanted to enable or disable the caption feature of my TV, I had to switch to the TV remote and go through 6 steps. Now all I do is press one macro button.
Finally, the 8811 and more advanced OFA models have a little known but powerful additional feature: JP1 programmability. Very few people know this, but there is a standard for universal remotes known as JP1. If a remote has the 6 JP1 pins, a JP1 cable can be used to connect it to your PC. JP1 first used the parallel port but now there are also USB JP1 cables. With a free downloadable program which runs on your PC, you can use the JP1 connector to update your remote in any manner you wish. Be aware you must know what you are doing. Otherwise, you can lock up your remote and you may be forced to return it to OFA for resetting. The JP1 parallel cable is inexpensive and the JP1 USB cable costs twice as much. You can find any information you need using a Google search if you are interested. There are forums specifically for JP1. You can find these forums by doing a "remote JP1 forum" Google search.
While more advanced OFA remotes have an LCD display, I prefer not to have one because the display can break when you drop the remote. Furthermore, an LCD display will drain the batteries quicker. Some people complain about the 8811 using 4 AAA batteries. I don't have a problem with this because it makes the 8811 more compact. In terms of balance, weight, size, features, price and usability, the URC8811 is the best remote available. I am surprised more retail stores do not carry it. It seems the only way to obtain it is through the Internet.
Sincerely,
Daniel L. Martinez
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cypherdude
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Reviews written: 3
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