Customer Reviews

4-DEVICE Universal Remote

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this remote for one specific reason: For the picture-in-picture button. I got a 40" Magnavox SDTV from a friend for free, to use in my den, but he did not have the original remote. There was no way to turn on picture-in-picture through the TV's menu, and none of the universal remotes I had could either, so I bought this remote, because it was advertised as working with Magnavox TVs, and as having a PiP button.

It worked perfectly! It worked great with the first code I tried, and to my delight also worked with the VCR that I was using to control the second picture. I'm glad I can do it all with one remote, and actually I'm surprised it worked at all, so I was very happy.

I only gave it 4 stars, despite doing exactly what I bought it for well, because it's big. It's bulky. It's not very comfortable. I don't like how the buttons are laid out, and it's difficult to tell which button is which in the dark.

Function is excellent, form is mediocre.

This remote works well, contrary to what the title of this review says. So why
negative review?

Positives
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1. If you want to replace lost SONY TV remote then purchase this. BUT will not
control Samsung HDTV. The digital sub-channel button, the dot ('.') or dash '-',
as in channel 3-1 (Samsung) does not work except on Sony TV.
2. If you have all old legacy equipement (old A/V receiver, DVD player, VCR, etc),
then this would work for you.

Negatives
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1. Remote controlled devices moved on. Every recent TV/Blueray/DVD, have new remote control codes, including SONY, and new class of devices, TiVO, media/usb players (like Western Digital HDTV). This device does not support (fixed codes only) any of new class of devices and is no longer relevant.
2. As stated above, the built-in remote control code is fixed in time where many new devices are coming out in the market. Just does not support recent A/V devices.
3. Note: This device is not bad. BUT it is a BAD IDEA to buy one now, based on the #1 negative above.

Suggestion
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1. Buy Sony RM-VL600 8-Device Universal Learning Remote instead -- around $20. Has slightly improved built-in codes (but not by much), but I found every button on every device selection can be learned from the original remote (and fairly easy to program).

This remore was purchased as a replacement for an old RM-V202.
It works well with a Panasonic TV and Sony VCR, but the PIP
function is incomplete. The button turns the PIP on & off, but
there are no buttons for 'swap', 'move', or channel, within the
PIP feature.

The old RM-V202 had all these functions!

I have used two of these, both of them worked perfectly and I was able to program each one in under one minute. The first one I got for an older Samsung which I had purchased a different remote but the sensor was so weak that I had to be within 5 feet to get it to work so I usually just adjusted it manually, after using the new sony remote I could adjust T.V. from great distances which is great because I thought the problem could have been with the T.V. but with this remote it works great!

This remote rocks! I was able to program my converter (under cable button), my dvd recorder, my vcr and my tv on it and can use it for all four devices - the one failing I haven't (yet?) found a way to put the subtitles on for the dvd. I adore this device and find it incredibly useful! (Mine is black not silver like the picture.)

Lost the remote for our universal receiver (sony). Of course this is the one device that the universal remote would not connect to. Complete waste of money.