Customer Reviews

One for All URC 8910 Universal Remote Control

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

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.

This is an amazing product which really works. I am currently controling the folling products using this remote:
1. Panasonic TV
2. Norcent DVD player
3. Panasonic VCR
4. Dish Satellite receiver
5. JBL Simply Cinema Home theater system
6. Pinnacle showcenter

Though the codes that came with the remote controlled my TV, Satellite receiver and VCR, I had to call the customer service to download the codes for other products.

Customer service is very good and they answer immediately. I was really amazed by the way the codes can be downloaded to the remote. I never thought I can control my JBL and Pinnacle systems with this remote since none of my earlier universal remotes worked with them. Not all the buttons could be used and learning feature runs out of memory very quickly. The memory limitation should be for the entire remote rather than just 4 buttons for each device. This could have given more flexibility in learning.

I also found that the unused device modes can be programmed to use for other devices. For example the CD mode can be programmed to use for DVD players. I am not sure if this is mentioned in the user document.

I would have rated it as 5 stars, except for some of the problems which are already mentioned by other reviewers.

I am going to try to program this using the JP1 cable, which I have alreay ordered. In one of the forums they have mentioned that the memory problem can be overcome by programming directly into the remote. I'll update this review once I could program this remote with the JP1 cable.

Overall I am happy with the remote....

Let me start by saying that I NEVER write these reviews. I was so impressed by this thing that I felt compelled...

Just bought one a few hours ago. I have everything programmed in to it already and it is working great! It is VERY easy to setup! The learning functions allow me to make the remote work with some of my older components which is awesome. Personally, I prefer the feel of this remote to those membrane switch, LCD remotes that are out there. It just provides a nice tactile feel. There are a few negatives but they are very minor and should not detract most from purchasing this product:

1) The codes provided do not seem to match the functionality of the original remotes in all cases. All of the most important functions are mapped, but if you have a favorite function that is a little less common, be prepared to use the learning function.

2) Its got a BIG footprint. There are a lot of buttons to reach which can be a minor distraction.

3) All of the buttons set aside for learned functions are at the bottom and ergonomically speaking, they are a little tougher to get to.

BUT ON THE PLUS SIDE:

1) Backlight feature is awesome. It can be set to turn on whenever a button is pushed. It is bright and very helpful!

2) Its got a BIG footprint. You are going to have a hard time losing this bad boy.

3) In most cases you can re-program keys that are pre-programmed using the learning function (i.e. you want to change the volume on the TV rather than the cable box. You can program the cable mode volume control to change the volume on the TV instead without having to switch between component modes to do so.

Great product!! If you are looking for a great universal remote at any price, I would get this product!

We originally purchased this remote because it was the only one we were told would control the ILO DVDR04 we had purchased from Wal-Mart. It was an "out of the box" item and had no remote control. Once we received the URC8910, I decided to see what else it could control. In addition to controlling the ILO, it turns out we were able to use it with every other device we own including a Durabrand 32" TV, an RCA 5 Disc CD/Stereo/MP 3 Player, our Durabrand surround sound system (a real cheapie from Wal-Mart), and our Satellite receiver (DirecTV). We did require some codes to be downloaded into the remote, a process accomplished by simply calling customer service, holding the remote to the phone, and allowing them to download the codes accordingly via what sounds like a fax. They were always available, very helpful and we never had to wait more that a minute or two at the most to get through. The buttons light up nicely and I am pleased to go from five remotes to one. This remote is an excellent buy for the price, and because it is able to receive updates through the phone, a good investment as well.

For the price, this is a great little remote.

Out of the box it had the codes for four of my five devices. For the fifth, a Sony STRDE955 audio receiver, I tried all the built in codes but none worked.

I called One for All's technical support line and after asking me what device I was trying to enter they pulled up the device from their database. Then they had me press a few buttons on my remote and hold it up to the phone while they downloaded the codes to my remote. Downloading took just a few seconds.

After that I used the remotes learning capabilies to enter the handful of functions that I needed but weren't already built in.

As a bonus, if you are a very technical person, you can do an internet search on "jp1 interface" and you will find information on how to hook you remote to a PC. This will let you program it to handle almost any RF device.

Bottom line. You can find a better remote but you will have to pay a lot more for it.

Nice remote, nice idea, upgrade didn't work. Tried cell phone, 3 different phones in the house, and a pay phone. They said the fact that I had digital phone made a difference, so I went to the pay phone, that didn't help either. I even tried a second remote from Best Buy...no luck. Check the web site first and make sure the equipment you want to use it with is already programmed into the remote. Learning also not a great option because it cannot store very many learned functions. The component I was trying to get an upgrade for was a DirecTV receiver, D10...forget that one. SPEND A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY ON A LOGITECH HARMONY REMOTE...DON'T BUY THIS ONE FIRST AND END UP NEEDING TO UPGRADE A FEW MONTHS LATER.

I wanted to chime in here because of some reviews questioning service. I emailed one for all several times with questions and problems in that a couple of components did not have a code consistent with the remote. One for all answered all questions immediately. When I was ready for the telephone update of codes, I called the service and a live person picked up the phone after one ring. We went through the upgrade and the whole process took about 5 minutes. I would rate the service here at 5 stars.

As to the remote itself, it is serviceable but not exciting. There are not enough buttons and the buttons are small and hard to read for us older folks. I have tried a number of universal remotes (the absolute best has been the learning remote which came with my NAD T763) including one Harmony and for the price and service, I would not hesitate to recommend this remote. I would add this caveat: I don't know how long the batteries last and I have been told that you won't lose the programming when you replace the batteries. My review assumes neither of these are a problem as each would be a deal breaker for me.

I finally found a remote that controls all of my stuff. Previous remotes that I had only controlled 3 devices. This has room to spare. It worked with my scientific atlanta digital cable box, my sony dvd and tv, my sharp vcr. The learning function allows you to teach the remote any buttons that don't work when you first program it. You just put it in learn mode and select a button to use, then point the original remote at the one for all and hold the button you want to teach it. It worked a few times for me, no problems. Using Macro's was great. My wife complained that it took 4 buttons to switch from my cable input to my dvd input. I programmed this remote to do all 4 entry's with the push of one button. So far it's great. I've had it for 1 week. If I have any problems, I'll add another review, but this was well worth the 40 bucks to get rid of 4 other remotes. (Even my sony tv remote wouldn't control my sony DVD).

This remote control is an excellent value and controls all of the devices in my home theater system. Their customer service is outstanding with quick responses to a phone call and an email. It is not difficult to program with a little practice and they emailed sound files to upgrade the remote with codes for an Oppo DVD player and a Vizio LCD TV. Even controls my DISH satellite box. Used an expensive universal Logitech 880 remote previously and it was a total waste of money. I just ordered another 8910 for a second home theater set up. I highly recommend this One For All Universal Remote.

Talk about finally being able to stash away 4 separate remote control units.. this one finally did it for me. At the time of this writing, you can't find any codes for SyntaxBrillian's Olevia brand 532H 32" LCD HDTV set. Not a problem with this remote. It learned it. The learning keys and the macro keys are good too. Bright red backlight makes for perfect operation in darker environments. Don't waste your money on remotes with screens that have icons and text you can't hardly see anyway. This is your new remote control.