Universal Remote URC300 15 Device Universal Remote Control (Silver & Black) by Universal Remote Control, Inc.
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Digital camera reviews of Universal Remote URC300 15 Device Universal Remote Control (Silver & Black)
Digital camera Review: Family friendly
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this remote for a few years now. We and our kids use it as well. It fell and got smashed so many times, and still it operates like a charm. It is easy to operate so everyone is comfortable using it (including my 4 years old). With the learning function I was able to do almost everything I had in mind.Digital camera Review: Forget The Harmony Remote
Summary: 5 Stars
I did a lot of research and decided on this model. I also bought the RF receiver for it. First let me say that the entire purchase was only $116. This is far less than any similar setup you can buy. It works great with all my components that are hidden away in the entertainment center. I don't have to see any of them to use my entire system.
This remote takes some work to setup but it's fairly easy to do. It doesn't connect to the PC like other remotes so all of the programming is done on your couch. That's not as "cool" as hooking it up to your PC but doing so isn't really necessary. You start by planning out your menu(s) and changing all of the menu text. Then you setup your devices by entering a pre-programmed code for the device. I wasn't too impressed with this idea because it seems dated. Let me assure you that it does work very well though. Not only was I able to setup all of my devices but I was able to use a DVD player to which I didn't even have the remote. Any key on the URC 300 can also be "learned" from another remote so it simply has no limitations.
Beyond initial programming, the URC 300 can be programmed with macros. From the "Main" menu on my remote, I press the on button to turn on every device in my entertainment center at once. It also switches the receiver over to "Video1", which is my Tivo. The off button turns everything off with a Macro also.
Another cool feature is Favorites, which allows you to press a button that says "HGTV" to switch over to that channel. I took that one step further and setup an "XM Radio" menu that lets me pick the station I want, such as "Blues". Just push "Blues" and everything is switched over and turne on appropriately.
Now for the cons. First you have to take some time deciding on the best was to setup your menus. I spent 2 hours planning and programming the remote - however - once it's done you'll be very happy with the results. Everything just works as planned. After programming, you'll find that your wife notices everything you missed. "The volume doesn't work when you select DVD". No problem. Fixing that takes about 5 seconds. Another con is that the menu items on the LCD have to be abbreviated. You don't have an unlimited number of characters to work with. Still, it's adequate and everything is readable. Example, one of my XM stations is labeled "BYNDJ" for "Beyond Jazz".
Overall it's incredibly cool to have one remote take care of everything. You are more in control with configuring this remote than you are with the harmony. Plus the harmony has some reliability issues and their RF setup is very expensive.
Digital camera Review: Functional, Inexpensive and Flexible
Summary: 5 Stars
I have 5 components in my main A/V area of the house and within an hour was able to perform basis functions of five remotes with this one. Since then I have used the macro, learning and editing capabilities of the remote and it makes me feel like my system is more powerful than ever! A previous review noted that he could change the source on his HDTV which I have not yet figured out on my Panasonic but I am hoping to figure this out soon. I was also trying to figure out how to turn on specific devices (i.e. to play DVD only) but have noticed that the On/Off capability of most devices is binary and have specific code for off and one for on. Overall, this device is very flexible and I loved the price as other friends of mine have spent $100-300 on devices that provide very similar functionality. This is a great buy.Digital camera Review: Good Buy!
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased the URC300 on Amazon for $59.95 (limited time) which is a fantastic price for a 15 device universal remote control. Its construction is sturdy and well-designed, however programming is not as intuitive as it could be. It did take some time trying to coordinate the power and volume functions on my equipment to avoid jumping back an forth between the components. The manual does a fairly decent job walking you through this process. I have an OPPO DVD player that did not have a pre-programmed code in the remote so I had to use the "learning method" feature to program each button on the universal to work with this player. While the process wasn't difficult, it was tedious. Overall, this is a good solid remote that operates all of my equipment and for the price you can't beat it.Digital camera Review: Good value for the price
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the URC300 to replace the learning remote that came with my Kenwood A/V receiver mostly for its customizability. It does not disappoint there, with editable soft-button labels, complex macros and the "punch through" feature. All well and good.
Where it disappoints - drives one damn near crazy - is its ability to learn from other remotes. Not its capacity to do so, which it indeed possesses, but the process itself. As others have noted in posts on various remote control Web sites, it is a very particular beast. I found myself contorting my hands to find just the right angle to get a button learned. And it takes two attempts to succeed (or fail, as is far more often the case). This, according to the manual, is by design. More intrepid reviewers have noted a possible design flaw.
An even bigger concern, and the reason I can't rate this unit higher (in fact, the less generous of you out there would probably give it 3.5 or 3 stars) is that at least one remote (Philips DVP-5900) could not be learned. After 15 minutes (enough time for any decent learning remote to learn all six I was trying to teach it) I gave up on trying the original and switched to the already-programmed Kenwood remote. For whatever reason, the URC300 liked that one, so it served as the perfect foil to its finicky replacement; so perfect that I often resorted to using it when other originals proved troublesome.
I should qualify this by stating that I intentionally erased ALL stored commands using the "AUX 155" trick. Since the URC300 claims to be the "Customizer" I thought I'd put it to the test. I did look at the pre-programmed settings for the Philips DVD player, but didn't like the layout. Less picky folk could probably live with it and other pre-programmed device settings (which can be altered by first erasing a button's function - another nice feature - and then teaching that button from the original).
So, great patience is required for those intent on teaching the URC300, esp. if starting from a blank slate. Without my old learning remote, I'd have been sunk.
Once all the buttons are as you want them, the URC300 is a fantastic device. Very sturdy construction and more than enough flexibility make it a very good (almost great) buy for the price. I've read, but cannot verify, that a newer (and so, more expensive) model (the MasterControl RF-30, I believe) does not have the learning issues of the URC300.