R7 or R7G, not bad for the price

R7 and R7G are the same remote control, so this review covers both of them.

I was previously using a One For All URC-8910, so I can't help but compare this new R7 (R7G) to that. I could recommend either one of them, with some minor reservations about BOTH of them.

I decided to ditch the URC-8910 as it's major weakness (limited memory for "learned" functions) was annoying. The URC-8910 could not fully control my Pioneer DVR (DVD recorder). There is no 'code' available for it, even if you call One For All to have it programmed over the phone. So all keys need to be learned, But the URC-8910 seems to run out of memory after some number (30?) of learned commands. If you have to 'learn' all the functions of one component, you will run out of memory to learn on the URC-8910. Remember, the numeric keypad is 10 learned keys all by itself.

In looking for a replacement, I didn't want to spend a lot of money, and I didn't want something proprietary (like radio shack branded remotes, for example). The R7 (R7G) was the only reasonably priced remote I could find that I thought might work.

Features:
I know a lot of people still have VCRs, but it's annoying that a brand new remote would have a "VCR" button, but no "DVR" button. (last I checked, Tivo was awfully popular, so why no DVR button?) Luckily I was able to set up my DVR (Pioneer DVD recorder, with hard drive) as an "AUX" component. Before someone asks, the DVD button was already occupied by a Panasonic DVD player. :)
It's also annoying not to have a "SLEEP" button. I programmed "freeze" for the sleep commands in various component modes, because I don't use P-I-P.
I was also shocked to realize that not ONE button on this remote is for learned commands or macros. Basically, if Universal didn't think you needed it, you can't have it. (Just joking.) You can "learn" any function on any key of this remote, but (because there are no generic "learning" keys), the label on the key might not match the function that it is controlling, after you "learn" it. For example, the "freeze" labelled button is actually the sleep button, because there was no "learning" button for me to assign SLEEP to. So I have to remember to freeze when I want to sleep. :)
Oh, and there is no macro function on this remote. There is something they refer to as macros, but this is just for turning multiple components on or off with one button. A real macro key would allow you to do other things as well, with one button push. Example: (macro1 = Sat receiver on, TV on, A/V receiver on, Sat receiver TUNE TO CHANNEL 269, A/V receiver SET TO VIDEO ONE MODE) But on the R7 (R7G) macro function is power only. Quite sad, really. That's not what I think of as "macro".
I like and hate the backlight on this remote. I LIKE that it must be manually turned on, and times out after 10 seconds. That's the smart way to do it, as it saves the batteries. But the backlight is so weak, that it's practically useless.
The remote and all the buttons feel very solidly built. The direction pad takes some getting used to, though. It is very sensitive. It's easy to get two functions in one press until you get used to it. For example, you think you are pressing arrow up, but the remote sends (left and UP) commands.
There is no LCD screen or other indication of what mode (component) you are in. That isn't as much of a problem as I thought it would be, as various groups of functions can be moved from one mode to another. (more on that later)
The buttons are all fairly large and easy to press. The layout is pretty clean and logical also. But I think Universal cheated a bit to achieve this. There are several important keys (learning, macro, sleep) missing, making it easier to organize the remaining ones. :)

Programming:
One major screw-up that Universal made was to ask users to watch for buttons to light up AS THE BUTTONS ARE BEING PRESSED. Anybody else see a problem here? :) Basically, your finger is covering the whole TV button (for example) and you have to leave your finger there until you see the TV button light up. What, you don't have see-through fingers? (!) This is a major design flaw, but one that can be overlooked as the programming only needs to be done once, probably.

Like most good universal remotes, there are the 3 basic ways to program it. First is the 3-digit code method, try several codes listed and pray that one works. Next is the search method. Pour yourself a couple cups of coffee before you start this one, as it takes several minutes and then doesn't work. (!) And finally, there is the learning method after the first two methods fail miserably. I hope you haven't lost your original remotes. :)

The first four devices I had to program into this remote were fairly easy, as they were all common. (directv receiver, panasonic dvd, onkyo a/v receiver, jvc tv) But then came the Pioneer DVR. It's a DVD recorder with a hard drive. It is not a TIVO, and it is not something rented from a 'cable' company. We use it as a DVR. Think Tivo without the expensive service fees. Of course there was no code to control it. First, I couldn't find any DVR codes listed. I tried all DVD recorder codes. Also, 'Search' failed after many minutes of trying.
BUT THERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS HERE:
I had the same problem with my old remote, but I ran out of memory trying to "learn" all the DVR functions into that one. This R7/R7G has gobs of memory for learning functions. The specifications state that 160 functions can be "learned" in non-volatile flash memory (so they're not lost when the batteries die!!!). For the DVR alone, I "learned" 37 keys. My old remote (URC8910) choked halfway through the same procedure with out of memory errors. But to put it in simple Terms, the R7 will FULLY control up to FOUR components that it does NOT have built-in codes for. That's pretty impressive! So this is obviously the budget choice remote for people with unusual components in their home theater system. No code? No problem!

In actual use:
Maybe I should have included some of this in programming. The R7/R7G allows you to assign groups of functions from one "mode" (component) to another. How does this help? Well, lets say you forget that the last mode you entered was TV, but you want to change the satellite receiver channel. No problem . .. the menu, guide, info, arrow keys, etc. from the "SAT" mode are active under "TV" mode as well, because that is the way you have programmed the remote to operate. This is helpful if you don't use the "menu" of your TV much, but are constantly accessing the "menu" functions of another component, such as your satellite receiver. Also, let's say you fire up the A/V recevier to watch DVDs in DTS surround mode. All the play/stop/pause/ff/rew keys in "AUD" mode actually control the DVD player, just like you were in "DVD" mode. It takes some careful planning to assign all these groups of buttons to whatever mode you ACTUALLY want them to perform as when another mode is selected. But once it's set up, it's actually pretty handy. You can always press "SAT" button before hitting "guide" to change channels. But if you've set up the remote right, the "guide" function should usually control the satellite receiver anyway, if your television programming comes from a satellite receiver. That's just an example from a household with DirecTV.

This is generally a pretty easy remote to use, after it's fully programmed. Programming will take a couple of hours if you have a lot of customizing to do. BUT, that only needs to be done once. After it's programmed, this remote is very easy to use, as all the buttons are large and easy to find (laid out in a logical arrangement).

Instructions:
The remote control comes with a printed user's manual and a DVD movie with remote control setup instructions. Oddly, the DVD didn't play right on the better of my two DVD players. It played right on one of them, though. And the instructions on the DVD were pretty thorough. I think the DVD instructions are probably easier to follow than the user's manual. BUT, I didn't realize this until after I'd already set up the entire remote control using the printed user's manual. :) But you still need the printed user's manual, just for the 3-digit codes. If you buy this remote, I would suggest you set it up using the instructions on the DVD. They are easy to follow, and will pause at important points to allow you to review/catch up.