Sweet, and CHEAP remote from Radio Smack

[mkenyon2]

I was in radio shack the other day, and I always look at remotes. Complication of remotes is an issue with the wife.

So, I see this 7-in-1 remote for $14.99.

I look through the manual, and see that it doesn't do Hauppauge, but it does do Media Center PC, Microsoft, and Logitech. It will learn and it does Macros.

I bought it, brought it home, and within half an hour had it running everything in my system!!!

It even maps volume control. We watch cable through the TV mostly, and volume is through the TV. Everything else goes through the receiver. It was a pain to be running the DVD player, and have to switch the remote to the receiver, change the volume, then go back to DVD mode.

With this one, you lock all (except for the TV) the devices to the receiver for volume. It's sweet!!!

For the Hauppauge stuff, I remapped the input controls and PIP controls at the bottom. Most of the other controls were already mapped.

This is the second Radio Smack remote I've gotten to use with my Media setup. I have a 6-in-1 voice prompt remote that actually has Hauppauge codes in it that was once $20!!!

[scb147]

Which one of the two remotes you mentioned do you recommend? I have a MCE Version 2a remote now and my A/V receiver remote. I'd like to combine them into one for the WAF.

I'd like the remote to be as close as possible to the Hauppauge/MCE remotes, as my wife as already become accustomed to them.

Thanks for your input!

[mkenyon2]

The first one, 7-in-1, has 4 PIP buttons at the bottom that I've mapped to the colored buttons.
This is what I'm using for my main entertainment center.

The 6-in-1 I use for my DVD/TV/MVP setup in the bedroom, and my wife thinks I got it because of the female voice on it.

Neither has colored buttons.

[TornadoTJ]

"but it does do Media Center PC, Microsoft, and Logitech"

What is required on the HTPC side to work with this? I'm currently using an RF ATI remote, which works great, but we are constantly having to grab for one of 5 remotes.

[wtg]

I just bought this remote yesterday and it's quite good, and being a JP1 remote should be fully programmable from your PC with the appropriate JP1 cable. But it does have a few annoying limitations.

First, it has no dedicated Page Up/Page Dn buttons. This is a must with cable when you have 900 stations to sort through on the guide. I was able to map a couple of the unused buttons for this purpose but you shouldn't have to do this.

Second, many of the buttons are very small with very small text accompanying them. They're just hard to read and with a so many buttons and not being illuminated in anyway, it's gonna be a hassle to use in the dark.

Finally, and most strangely, it's learning function does not work with the TV device. It doesn't tell you this anywhere but in the learning instructions the TV device option is strangely omitted. And sure enough, when I tried to assign a learned function to a TV device button, the remote wouldn't accept it. All the other device assignments work like a charm but not the TV settings. It's particularly annoying since my TV is actually just a monitor so in TV mode I wanted the Guide button to activate the cable guide, and the arrow keys and Ok button to work with it. No dice. Instead I have to press the Cable/Sat device button to use the guide button. I shouldn't have to do that.

On the plus side, it does have fantastic device support. My TV less than two years old and virutally all it's functions are fully supported. Menu and PIP functions, and most of the dedicated input buttons too. My TV has 7 inputs and the remote's dedicated input buttons let me switch quickly to just the DVI inputs or just the components, etc. However, it doesn't have a dedicated VGA input button like my TV's original remote does, and due to the annoying TV learning limitation I mentioned above, I couldn't assign one of the extra input buttons to this. I can get to it by cycling through all inputs, but that's slow with 7 inputs. In the end I mapped one of the DVR device input buttons to the TV's VGA input command, which is fine since I'm wanting the DVR controls in that situation anyway.

Also nice, I was able to map all the Hauppauge buttons to the DVR device. Following mkenyon2's lead, I mapped the unused PIP buttons to the colored buttons and used some fine point permanent colored markers to note then as such. Works quite well, though I would have mapped the dedicated input buttons to this instead of PIP if I'd have been thinking. Since my TV supports PIP, I should have copied those functions here. Still could I guess, but I've already added my little colored dots.

All in all, it's a nice remote but still not perfect. The price is nice though, and I'm hoping when I get my JP1 cable that I can find away to map my TV buttons just the way I'd like. Very, very strange that it isn't learning-enabled for the TV device.

[mkenyon2]

Thanks for the input. Let me know what you find. I may get a JP1 cable too.
(I think the 6-in-1 remote has that also.)

BTW, the 6-in-1 has lights.

[gapgapman]

Thanks for the info, I picked up the 6-in-1 remote today and its working for my TV, DVD/VCR, Audio system, and MVP. I have been trying to get a remote for years that would do my TV and DVD/VCR, but I am just unwilling to pay much for it. So I am blown away that it does all that AND the MVP, just for $15. Another big plus for the WAF, getting rid of three remotes for just one. I also used one of the macros to automatically start the MVP, turn on the TV and change to channel 3, Turn on the DVD/VCR and put it on input 2, and then go back to the MVP to enter emulation--so by the time the screen comes on--its on the GBPVR menu screen. Anything I can do to make it easier for her, makes her like and use the system even more. More than once I have gotten the frantic call at work when she couldn't get the sequence right to turn on something for our pre-schooler... and that never goes over well. Thanks for the suggestion, another reason why I love this forum.

[mkenyon2]

Duh to me, a macro to put the TV channel at the ready. I've got to try that.
I have a panasonic, and have not found an input button that works, so the slow way is go to channel 2, press channel down, and you're in Aux/VCR mode.

i wonder... I have to play with the macro stuff. It's amazing that these remotes are so powerful. Usually Radio-Smack has high priced stuff, but these prices, I almost want to buy more as spares.

[gapgapman]

Duh to me, a macro to put the TV channel at the ready. I've got to try that.
I have a panasonic, and have not found an input button that works, so the slow way is go to channel 2, press channel down, and you're in Aux/VCR mode.

I have to do the same thing on my DVD/VCR--I put it on the lowest channel and then channel down to get to input 2. Works well though.

[TornadoTJ]

I wasn't real impressed by this remote. The "home theater" mode (think that's what it is called) does not work. When I try to program it as the instructions say, when I enter the 3 digit code (9??) it does not blink as described and won't program. I also can't figure out where the FF/RW Skip (program search) buttons are.

The remote got sent to the bedroom, where it works good enough for $15.