This universal easily replaced all my remotes -- and it works through walls

Never having dropped more than 20 bucks for a remote control before, I did a little research and took the plunge with this model. A cool hundred promised a universal remote that would easily learn the functions of up to ten remotes, and even relay commands through the walls and floors. Promise delivered.

LAYOUT. I like the layout of this remote better than some of its pricier cousins, which can have too small, similarly sized and shaped buttons that are difficult for a thumb to differentiate. This one has various-shaped buttons in a layout I'm apt to remember. For instance, the distinctly shaped VOLUME and CHANNEL up-downs, placed conveniently to the thumb. A "donut" directional wheel allows your thumb to discern the location of other buttons, relative to its central position. Other buttons are placed intuitively: fast-forward and rewind are, for instance, to the right and the left of the directional wheel, respectively.

EASE OF USE. An instructional DVD was included with my package, and this provides an easy to understand, step-by-step of how to set up the remote. Of course the more tech savvy will dispense with the DVD altogether and stick to the written manual, which explains things just as well.

LEARNING. The primary way for the remote to easily "learn" the ways of your other remotes is via the included book of codes. Product codes are listed for a host of manufacturers, and by inputting just three digits you can instantly teach your remote to emulate the remotes for your DVD player, cable box, etc. Within a few minutes time my remote had learned to command a Time Warner cable box, my Panasonic and Philips DVD players, an AIWA mini-system, and an Optoma Projector.

However the remote also allows room for fine-tuning -- for teaching your remote specific commands that either (1) it might not have picked up when absorbing wholesale via the three-digit code or (2) may have been placed in an inconvenient spot on your new remote. As with other learning remotes, you teach it specific commands by lining up the two remotes head-to-head, a few inches apart, and performing a few keystrokes as per the instructions. For instance, the remote might have benefited from buttons labelled "A" "B" "C" as are used on my cable remote, but it was relatively easy to teach it these specific commands and store them in a new location.

I did find that sometimes it took a few tries for the remote to successfully pick up a new command -- but this was also true of another learning remote I owned, and may be due to not holding buttons down long enough, or holding them too long, or just some light interference in the room. Once it successfully learns a command, though, it stays learned -- even if the batteries are removed, according to the manual.

LCD SCREEN. At the top of the remote is a small LCD screen that lists up to five items at a time. For instance, you can choose to command one of five components by pressing the corresponding button to the right of its LCD listing -- the way a lot of ATM machines work. In order to access components six through ten, you must first press a "page down" button to access the second list of five options.

Once you've selected a component to command, the LCD screen then offers a list of five commands specific to that component. You can "page down" to list commands six through ten, eleven through fifteen, and so on. It is in this area that you can store commands not otherwise programmed into the buttons of your remote.
Of course it makes sense to keep your most commonly-used commands in the first page, to eliminate having to "page down" to list other commands. (Frankly I never plan to page through such a list, choosing instead to program the first five commands and use only those.)

The LCD allows you total control over (1) programming these functions and (2) editing their names on the LCD read out. For example I have two DVD players, one for normal DVD playing and one for playing files in Divx format. So the second player I changed to read "DIVX" in its listing on the LCD read-out. Another example: I used the learning feature to teach the first three LCD functions specific to my CABLE: the buttons "A" "B" and "C" on my cable remote. I then edited the original LCD listing of those commands, and now they read simply A, B, and C. Done.

RF BLASTER. With the included RF Blaster, the remote promises to relay commands to your devices even through walls and floors. The conveniently small-sized blaster accomplishes this by receiving the signals as RF (radio frequency) signals that are automatically sent when you push a command on the remote, and then turning those signals into the typical IR (infra-red) signals that your components can understand. (Note the RF Blaster is NOT necessary for the remote to function; the remote also sends out a standard IR signal to command your components.)

This feature was key to me, because it allows me to command the cable box even if I'm watching tv remotely in the kitchen or the bedroom. This feature will also appeal to those users who keep their components behind closed cabinet doors, and out of sight.

I was happy to find that set-up of the little blaster was easy -- just plug it in and go -- and that it does in fact relay all the commands, despite my being 20 feet (and two walls away) from the components. (The remote professes to have a 100-ft. reach, but in my apartment this cannot be tested, alas.)

Included with the blaster are a few cords that can be run from the blaster to the infrared sensors of the components, in order to ensure that commands are relayed. However I was happy to find that, with my set-up, it was completely unnecessary to use these cords -- despite my blaster being placed on a high shelf and aimed AWAY from the components placed immediately below it, on lower shelves. (The blaster's infra-red signals to the components must be bouncing off walls, windows, or glass picture frames, I reckon.) Anyway I'm glad to have avoided the need for any wiring.

MACROS. Another higher-end feature of this remote is its ability to learn "macros" -- multiple commands that can be issued in just one keystroke. For instance, if you want your remote to be able to turn on your DVD player, AND switch the input mode on your TV to accomodate dvd playing, AND switch your receiver to output the DVD's audio to your speakers -- this remote will allow you to program a single button-push to accomplish all three tasks in quick succession. However I have not tested this feature yet.

BACKLIGHTING. The remote's backlighting can be toggled on with a click to a distinctive button nicely positioned on the side of the remote. The light is adequate to see by in the dark, but could afford to be brighter. I also wish it were a cool blue or green instead of red, but that's a minor quibble.

VOLUME ("punch-through" commands). Sometimes you'll have a command that you want applied in the same way regardless of which component you are using. Most often this is VOLUME, which, if you send all your audio through a receiver or mini-system, you will want to access in the same way whether you are watching cable, a dvd, or a VCR tape. The remote accommodates this need. Within a few key strokes I had the VOLUME command dedicated to my cheapy AIWA mini-system, regardless of whether I am using the remote to control the DVD player, the cable box, or any other component.

CONCLUSION. Great remote, with intuitive lay-out. Relatively easy to program, it delivers its promise to emulate the commands of up to ten components, even through walls.