An Extremely Impressive Remote Control
by Philip Chien
What do you do when you've got so many electronics devices that your living room is overflowing with remote controls?
One friend noted that I had eight different remotes and wondered why I needed so many. There's one for the television, DVR (Digital Video Recorder), Blu-Ray player, Cable box, DVD-VHS unit, and home theater unit. (Okay, I admit it - I've got a lot of electronics.) In addition I can use remotes to turn my computer monitor on, select tracks on a CD player, and a multimedia remote for my computer.
There are lots of universal multi-device remote controls, but they generally suffer from one of three problems - they aren't that "universal", they're expensive, or they're difficult to use. Philips electronics has an under $20 remote which controls seven devices. It's relatively easy to use and it's as universal as any universal remote I've ever come across.
The Philips SRU5107/27 has three methods of programming devices - search by brand, search through every possible code, and a preprogrammed database with hundreds of different devices.
In addition the SRU5107 is a learning remote. With a learning remote you can add additional commands which aren't pre-programmed into the remote. This is especially useful when new devices are introduced which are not preprogrammed into the remote's existing database or devices come out which need new buttons. For example, when Blu-Ray players were introduced they added additional functions, most notably the red, blue, yellow, and green buttons used for additional commands. If you had an ordinary "universal" remote designed before those buttons were added it almost certainly wouldn't have those commands.
Eventually almost every electronics product becomes obsolete and there's no doubt that includes this remote; but at least it will be useful much longer than ordinary remotes.
Besides the red, blue, yellow, and green buttons there are two spare buttons. Those buttons, or for that matter any of the buttons, can be redefined using the learning mode. The learning mode only works if you've got access to the original or a fully compatible remote for your device. The pre-defined devices programmed into the SRU5107's memory don't require the original remote - especially useful if the original remote is lost or not functioning properly.
The most important button the SRU5107 is missing is an eject button. Apparently the designers thought that most users would use the eject button on the front of the device and wouldn't need it on the remote too. I was able to easily add the eject function using the SRU5107's learning mode.
The seven mode buttons on the SRU5107 are labeled TV, DVR, DVD, CBL, SAT, HD, and AUX but you can assign any electronics device to any of the buttons.
Besides the flexible ways to program the remote the feature I find most useful is the ability to control the speaker volume for all of my components. In most remotes the volume buttons only function on devices which have adjustable volume (TV speakers, home theater systems, some cable and satellite boxes which can control the output volume). Pressing the volume control while watching a DVD does nothing. With many remotes you've got to switch to the device with the speakers (TV or home theater system in most case) to change the volume and then switch the remote back to the device you're watching. This is especially annoying if you're using the Mute button on the remote to shut off the speakers during commercials or when the phone rings. It's highly desirable to have a remote where the volume and mute buttons control the speakers you're using while watching a cable show, DVD, or other device.
With the SRU5107 you can specify which device's volume is controlled by the volume buttons. You can select your television or whatever device you want. Many universal remotes have the capability of controlling your TV volume while watching a DVD, but the SRU5107 is the only one I've seen where you can set which devices are controlled by which audio output.
In my case I need to control three separate sets of speakers - my home theater system, the speakers on my computer monitor, and the multimedia volume when I'm using the remote to control stuff running on my computer.
I was able to figure out how to use the Philips multiple device volume control while still retaining the ability to specify which devices need independent volume controls.
First I programmed the remote for my television, DVR, Blu-Ray player, cable box, and home theater system. Then I instructed the remote to use the home theater volume for all of those devices. Finally I programmed the remote with my computer monitor (a high definition television set with a VGA computer input jack) and my computer's multimedia infrared receiver. The important rule is to program the devices with independent volume settings after you've told the remote which device to use for volume commands for the rest.
Whenever I watch the television, Blu-Ray, cable, or home theater the volume buttons on the remote control the home theater system's volume controls. But when I press the remote's button for the computer monitor the volume buttons and mute button control the computer monitor. It's a bit confusing until you get used to it but then you'll appreciate how flexibility it can be to control several different electronics components with a single remote.
Here's the seven remotes replaced by my Philips SRU5107 - a Sony television set, ReplayTV DVR, Sony Blu-Ray player, Scientific American cable box, Microsoft Media Remote, RCA home theater, and Polaroid VGA monitor.
Links
Order the Philips SRU5107/27 7 Device Universal Remote Control
from Amazon.com.
About the author
Philip Chien has been using high tech electronics for most of his life.
copyright 2010 neatinformation.com. All Rights Reserved.
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