One For All Six Way Remote Control - any good?

[WelshBluebird]

It's come to a point now, where I really need an all in one remote for downstairs. With the TV, VHS, DVD recorder, HiFi unit and sky box, its got a little crazy in terms of remotes lol.

Been having a look, and I've seen this One For All Six Way Remote Control in argos for £20. Seems good and is cheap. Any opinions or suggestions (under £25 really).

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...2Bcontrols.htm

Thanks.

[Pincho Paxton]

I suggest you forget the £20 remotes, and go for £40+ Harmony remotes. The difference is that the £20 remote will expect you to press a button for each device, but the Harmony will control all of your devices in one go.

[WelshBluebird]

Originally Posted by Pincho Paxton

The difference is that the £20 remote will expect you to press a button for each device, but the Harmony will control all of your devices in one go.

don't quite understand what you mean by that

Do you mean that with the cheaper ones you have to manually change between the device its controlling? If thats the case, then I actually think thats a better thing, as my parents would have a better time understanding it I think.

I'm not really looking a the Harmony's cos I think its a bit too much for the parents lol. Their just fed up of loosing the different remotes, and having to press a button to tell the remote which device to control would be an afwful lot better than having use the five different remotes atm.

Although for myself, I like the look of the harmony remotes , and would quite like the Harmony xbox 360 one for myself. Maybe out of the money I get from my xmas job. Would be very welcome in my bedroom (TV, VHS, DVD recorder, Sky, Radio set, Xbox 360) lol.

[JimBobVFR400]

Well instead of turning on the TV, switching input, turning on the sky box etc just to watch TV they can press "watch TV" and the remote does it all, finally jumping to the the sky device for contolling it and the TV volume (maybe the HiFi if they use it for TV sound) What could be easier than that.

Same goes for watching DVD etc. an activity button will turn on all the devices needed, switch inputs etc for you. I couldn't be without this functionality now I'm used to it and even my wife can use my fairly complex system properly because the remote does it all without her worrying about switching amp inputs etc, no sound wrong TV input etc

[Schrijf]

Regarding macro / activity, the OFA 6 also have Macro & sequence functionality and supports discrete Power & Input programming. In fact the OFA 6 has a bonus because of its Home Theatre Mode. However, there are important differences between the Harmony 525 and the OFA 6 series:

Look: the OFA 6 looks very dull & simple, even a Granny can use it. In fact my Mom (65 years) & Dad (71) use the URC-7560, which is the older OFA 6 version of the URC-7562. I also have one, my brother has one. And we haven't used the original remotes of their AV equipment since then.

The Harmony does have the Geek bonus because it is impossible to set up without computer and connection to the Harmony web site (and Logitech's permission, some people wanted to set up a 2nd hand Harmony and had no joy, the first owner already used the right to use).

Ergonomics: the H525 casing is crap, but you can buy the more expensive 555 which is OK, the OFA 6 has by far better ergonomics! Because of the shape of the buttons, you can feel & press the right button (or start the macro / sequence you want) without looking at the remote. Also the rubber strips & curved shape make the OFA 6 a pleasure to use. And you can hide functions you do not want to use that often or want to avoid that are pressed by accident (e.g. tuning in Channel functions) under the flap.

Built quality: just look on e.g. remotecentral about the (lack of) quality of the Harmony 5xx and 6xx series. Statement of the Harmony support: life is 10 years devided by number of devices. So if you use 5 devices, it won't last longer than 2 years. I bought my OFA URC-7560 in 1999, have used it in these 8 years for 5-7 devices (the OFA does allow you to merge functions from different modes) and it is still working.

Battery life: Harmony 525 up to 4 months - OFA 6 app. 2 years with only 2 AA batteries
BTW the more expensive Harmony's have a charger, you can charge, charge, but do not forget to charge!

IR compatibility & signal quality

The Harmony 'database' is a collection of learned signals. Learned signals are never 100% correct, but in most cases it will work. If not, you can adjust the signal (just as with old taperecorders you could increase / decrease the tape speed untill the output was more or less correct). If your lucky, another user has already done this for your devices, otherwise you can spent a couple of hours to make it work. Harmony claims to have more than 175,000 models included in their 'database', however most models are incorrect entries of users.

If your unlucky, you have a device that is using an IR protocol with a very low, very high frequency or even without modulation. In that case the Harmony will not work.

The Harmony 525 will work for (most) devices that use IR modulation between 30 KHz and 70 KHz.

It will not work with Low frequencies, e.g. the Blaupunkt / Siemens IR protocols that use frequencies between 16-25 KHz.

It will not work with the Pace cable boxes that use IRDA.

It will not work with 200/400 KHz protocol (used by e.g. Thomson and Telefunken)

It will not work @ 455KHz (B&O, some Kenwood & Sony Receivers)

(Please note that other manufacturers can also use these protocols for their equipment!)

Now the good news is that Harmony also offers a 6xx and 7xx series that will work with the Pace cable boxes and a 8xx series that will work with most (but not all)High Frequency protocols.

But the best news is that the £20 OFA 6 does offers an incredible IR range from 10-1020 KHz, it has no problem with any of the above mentioned protocols and can even control Sony VisionTouch amplifiers what is still impossible with the Harmony 1000 that cost you a few hunderd £.

Why: because OFA is using the UEI database for IR protocols. It generates the IR signals by using protocol information instead of sending out a good (or bad) copy of a learned signal. And the OFA 6 has a wireless modem, if you have a device that needs new protocol data, you can phone the helpline, tell them which device you want to control and the OFA will be updated by phone. The update takes less than a minute! It is also possible to update the remote by internet, but I have to say that I don't like the OFA website, I prefer updating by phone.

Even better: if you learn a function, the OFA decodes the learned signal and use its internal protocol data for error correction, unlike the Harmony you don't have to mess with timings and delays to correct the learned signal, it recognise the data and use the protocol information to generate the correct signal.

There is here a B&O shop around the corner, Bang & Olufsen remotes are difficult to learn because of their wavelenght and frequency modulation, I know the shop owner and because he wanted to sell universal remotes that can control B&O, we did a couple of tests. The Harmony's can not learn the B&O signals, the OFA 6 learn and control the B&O's with ease.

Is the Harmony that bad? No it isn't, it is just that the OFA 6 is so much better. My brother bought a Meridian CD player & Amp and because the shop did not had the Meridian system remote available, he received a Philips Pronto instead. But because of its ergonomic shape, he prefers his OFA 6.

(but a Philips Pronto or the Harmony 1000 are better "show off" remotes)

[Interceptor]

I rushed out to by the One For All Six Way Remote Control from argos for £20. So far so good. It easily controls my TV and DVD player. However, the big problem is that I can't seem to get the code right for my Hitachi HDR080 freeview PVR. I bought the PVR from Richer Sounds and my 3-year old daughter has managed to render the original remote control useless. The code One For All supply is 0455. Has anyone else managed to get the Six Way Remote working with the HDR080?

Any clues gratefully received!

[d_pete]

Sorry I haven't got an HDR080, but I do have a OFA6.

Not having a working existing remote is a bit of a hurdle

The OFA 6 can be upgraded by phone (call OFA support, number should be in the manual or on the website I guess) or by playing an audio file downloaded from the OFA website http://www.oneforall-int.com/

The OFA6 is a learning remote - perhaps Richer Sounds would let you learn from a shop demonstration machine?

There's also a way of stepping through all the codes to find one which conrtols power at least - try the manual for details. Sometimes other Hitachi codes might work. Manufacturers tend to stick to the same IR codes.

Finally and most difficult, the OFA6 can be programmed by computer - try the JP1 website http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/index.php


Good Luck

[Interceptor]

I've take the Six Way remote back to Argos and bought a 5-in-1 remote (One for All URC 7555) from Currys. The Six Way remote had a few features I couldn't get on with - like the very middle button (ie the OK button on every other remote) acts as the mute button.

Anyway, I prefer the 5-in-1 remote but it still can't perform half the functions my PVR remote used to. Very frustrating!

[d_pete]

That remote looks like a good match for a pvr - lots of buttons with the right labels.

I know how frustrating it is not to be able to get the remote to do what you want. If you really don't want to be beaten by the URC7555, then I think you'd have to go down the JP1 route. I think it doesn't have the built-in modem upgrade capability.

For the URC7555 you'd need a JP1.2 cable, but these can be bought relatively cheaply from the JP1 website. The forum there has lots of helpful people on it and I'm sure, with a bit of perseverance, you could get your 7555 controlling the PVR pretty much as you'd like.

You could download the JP1 software for free to try it out and get a feel for it, then if it seems promising, get a cable. I'd start with the java based RemoteMaster software and IR (keymap master and its excel spreadsheets are confusing)

On the other hand, at least some of the PVR functions are working now

[Schrijf]

"I can't seem to get the code right for my Hitachi HDR080 freeview PVR"

The oneline code lookup shows code 2034 that can be downloaded to control Hitachi HDR.

"The Six Way remote had a few features I couldn't get on with - like the very middle button (ie the OK button on every other remote) acts as the mute button"

The OFA-6 has a very clever feature, when in Menu mode, and using the Menu-navigation, the "Mute" key change automaticly to "OK" function. When not using the Menu or Navigation keys in the last 10 seconds, this button switches back to "Mute" again.

It is also possible re-program this button in order to act as a permanent "Mute" or "OK", or use it as "OK" in primary mode and "Mute" in secondary mode or vice versa. You can also do this customization mode independent. E.g. my ow setup: in TV mode the default "Mute/OK" toggle, in SAT/STB mode "OK" primary and "TV Mute" secundary and in AUDIO mode as "Mute" primary.

Regarding the 5-way URC-7555, I noticed on the OFA website a similar styled 12-way that seems to have many interesting features:

http://www.oneforall-int.com/?pag=39&prodnr=237

- wireless upgrades of any new device codes
- Features LCD for time and device display
- Built in clock for sending timed macros
- Light Control to switch on/off or dim your lights

Anyone familiar with this remote (and how much does it cost)?

[GoonerEm]

Hi Schrijf,

Can you tell me how you program the middle mute button as an OK funtion for Sky? It's a Pace box. I have searched the net but cannot find a way of doing this!

Thanks!

[Schrijf]

There are several ways, but I recommend to use the "Key Magic" feature to customize the "OK" key for the Pace Sky. In SAT mode the program sequence would be:

Magic** ; 994 ; Magic* ; [function code "OK"] ; "Mute button"

You can also use "Key Magic" to copy functions. If you want to have the "Mute" in SAT mode as secundary function available to mute the TV (or in case you connected the SKY to your Audio system, to mute an AMP or Receiver), just copy the function:

Magic** ; 994 ; TV (or AUD) ; Mute ; SAT ; Magic ; Mute

If you have done both steps, the OFA will in SAT mode have the OK function picked on the "Mute" button, still gives OK when in Menu mode and you still mute your TV or Audio equipment without heaving to leave SAT mode by pressing the Magic button followed by Mute.

Please see manual for more Key Magic options. Tip: instead of asking OFA's customer support only the function/Key Magic codes you want to program now, send a mail to support, mention the devices you have got and ask for the complete Key Magic tables for your devices.

Received for my own TV codes discrete input functions that were not even available on the original remote

It is also possible to use the learning feature, however if your Pace SKY box is using a "bit toggle" to check if a key is pressed longer or more than once, this check might fail, if you use "Key Magic", the OFA will toggle the control bit.