URC R50 Digital Universal Remote Control for up to 18 Components (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I really like this remote control. URC did some really clever things when putting this product together. There are some draw-backs to this product that I will discuss in greater detail, but none of those issues are significant enough for me to not recommend this device to most users. On the whole I'm very glad I bought this device. I replaced a Logitech Harmony 880 with the URC R50, and I honestly believe it was the right decision for me.Everyone who has ever used a Logitech Harmony Remote knows that programming a universal remote with your computer is quick and easy. For most users the Harmony software gets the job done and they never consider the possibility that there may be a better alternative out there. This class of consumer is willing to accept the limitations that comes with using the Harmony product to program their remote. I am not one of those consumers.After using the Harmony 880 for five years I learned a few things that are worth knowing about universal remotes:1) Rechargeable batteries are annoying.The Harmony 880 uses a table top dock to charge the batteries on their remotes. Over time the connection between the dock and the remote becomes less true, and eventually I had to balance another remote on top of the harmony to weight it down into the dock so that it would charge. The URC R50 uses batteries, and those batteries can be replaced. The R50 also offers 18 hours of continuous button mashing with 4 AA batteries, or months of normal intermittent use. The URC R50 also has a time out kill switch that will put the remote on standby if one button is pressed continually for more than a minute. In other words, battery saving features make this remote a good alternative to remotes with rechargeable battery packs.2) With the Harmony software comes certain limitations.Using the Harmony software means you have to follow their rules. Don't get me wrong, I like the simplicity of the Harmony software, but I never felt like I had complete control over what is displayed on the remote. The URC R50 isn't a perfect solution, and it too has limitations in what it will allow you to do, but in my opinion, being able to modify my remote configuration without having to turn on my computer is nice. All my macro setup and testing was done in my living room so there was no running back and forth from my computer to my entertainment center to test the remote's configuration. It may be a bit more time intensive to setup the URC R50, but the pay-off is worth the time investment.3) Hard Buttons vs. Soft Buttons.This is a personal preference issue that you won't know you have an opinion on until you've used a remote for more than a year. But I learned after using the Harmony 880 for four years that I really HATE hard plastic buttons on remotes. The Logitech remote may look very sleek and stylish, but in your hand it's just a button mashing device, and those hard buttons aren't finger friendly. The URC R50 has soft rubber buttons the conform more the interaction with the human hand. The surfaces aren't smooth and sleek like the Harmony, but it gets the job done. After a few years of using the Harmony 880, I also discovered that hard plastic buttons don't "wear" well over time. After three years many of the buttons no longer triggered their programmed function. I don't know about the longevity of the R50, but Universal Remote Control has a stellar reputation for making good devices. I guess I'll know more in three years.4) The weaknesses in the URC R50:-- The R50 doesn't come with verbose instructions or a detailed manual containing a code library. All configuration is done on the remote full color LCD display. There are tips and hints built into the remote, but the lack of comprehensive instructions might be challenging for the average user. As a tech savvy user, I saw this as a challenge which ultimately I over came. If you are stifled by a lack of detailed instructions, this may not be the remote for you.-- Because there is no Make/Model code guide, you have to run through a series of trial and error to test which code works best with your devices. The good news is that this process is relatively painless, but as I said before... it can make setup a bit time consuming. My advice: Don't accept the first code that comes along and happens to work with your device. Keep testing until you find one that is a really good fit for all the features and functionality of your device. This can mean reconfiguring the remote a number of times until you find the "right" code kit, but it's not difficult to make a change, so there's no reason not to play with the settings until you find some that you really like.-- Macros require that you know all your desired device settings prior to intitiating the "Recording Mode" for setting up a new macro. Essentially you start the Macro setup process, then run through the process of clicking the functions you want executed as part of the Macro. When you're finished you click the "Done" button, and the functions you clicked are saves as a Macro. This can mean multiple attempts to setup of a particular Macro if you have fat fingers, or make a mistake half way through. I didn't find it too difficult.-- Unlike the Logitech Harmony remotes, the URC R50 does not have "last state memory". It simply executes macros as you programmed them. This means that if you have 2 s-video inputs on your television, and two different devices are hooked up using S-video from your receiver, when you use the macro to switch between the two devices you will switch inputs on your TV from S-video 1 to S-video 2... (or any duplicated input on your display). I solved for this by simply putting a source selection button configured into every device on my R50. If the incorrect input is selected, I can correct it with my pre-programmed source select button. Harmony wins on this point because they have a built in "Help" feature that will auto-correct issues for you. That was a very nice feature, but with the solution outlined above, I don't feel like I will miss it.-- The above lack of "state memory" also applies to power state. This means that when you switch from your Xbox360 to your Blueray player, your Xbox may not turn off without programming that into your macro for the switch. Otherwise you will have to turn off ALL devices before you switch to a new device. This is a configuration issue that can be resolved with clever macro programming, but it is a bit tiresome.After all these consideration outlined above, I still think that the URC R50 is a great device that, with the proper amount of patience and clever macro configuration, can result in a powerful remote that can control every device in your entertainment center. It has a very powerful IR blaster that works really well under almost every living room condition I've thrown at it. At the end of the day I prefer the R50 to my old Harmony 880.

Since I bought a HD set-up, I wanted a universal remote. I tried a few of the Logitechs but wasn't happy with them. I landed on the URC-50 because I wanted something reliable and programmable and I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on an expensive remote. Once you get this remote set-up, it's easy to use. I have had it for several months and it has been solid.I like this remote a lot. It's big(a tad too big, actually, which is the start knock-off) and solid. The plus with the size is that even in the dark, I can press buttons by feel pretty reliably. The downside is that I sometimes have to move my hand around to get to buttons. Not a big deal. The night light button is hard to reach too.Programming. Plan on spending about an hour getting the remote configured and working with your gear. The on-screen instructions walk you through the device options. The remote contains a fixed database of products. Unlike other remote, you can't add more through your PC. If your device isn't listed, then you have to program it in. That's not difficult. Point the remotes at each other, follow the onscreen directions and you are all set. I had to add-in my  Panasonic VIERA G10 Series HDTV , for example.I particularly like the ability to copy keys from remote to another. Unlike Logitechs, you don't create activities like "Watch TV" or "Listen to music." Don't get me wrong, Logitech's programming is very easy for 90% of what people want to do and I wish the URC-R50 had something like it. Instead of activities, you create device profiles for all of your devices. When you want to control a device, you switch the remote to that device. If that was all there was to the URC-R50, then it wouldn't be useful.To make things easier and stop you from switching from device to device, you can copy a limited set of keys like power, volume, and channel changing from one remote profile to another. For example, I have a Tivo that manages channels and the TV manages volume. I copied the volume keys from my TV device to the Tivo device and copied the channel and number keys from the Tivo device to the TV device. That way I can adjust the volume and channels regardless of the selected device. I also copied the TV's power control to the Tivo device since that is the one I am normally using. It's actually pretty easy to configure once you get going.You can get more control with macros and these are a bit tricky to get running. The manual recommends using the remote for a few days to figure out how you use it before creating macros and I agree. After a few days, the only thing I wanted to do was have a button that would take me from watching a Blu-Ray on my  Panasonic DMP-BD85K Blu-Ray  to watching TV (My TV and Blu-Ray have a command channel to switch TV inputs automatically when the Blu-Ray is powered up). This site [...] has a great walk through of all the advanced features plus macros. With a Macro, you record key strokes on devices that you want played in order. I created a Macro that powers off the Blu-ray, brings up the input selection menu on the TV, selects the right input, then switches to Tivo mode. Once the macro is recorded, then I can re-play it. The gotcha with my set-up was that I copied the Tivo number keys to my TV setting so I could change channels while watching TV. That meant I couldn't use the remote to select the correct input on my TV. To fix this, I created a second TV remote profile and hid it on the last page of the remote. Then when I switched to the TV remote to select input, I selected my hidden remote instead. Works like a charm. Be sure to write down exactly what key presses on which device you need to program a macro. It's easy.There are two things I wish it had. The first is light on shake. As it stands, the first key press gets eaten lighting the device. The second is the ability to enter discrete codes (code to turn on, code to turn off stuff, for example). I knew discrete code input was missing from the product when I bought it. When I switch from one input to another, I want the original input to turn "off." I know I can build a macro that to do that, but it assumes power conditions that aren't evident.