The question you are probably asking is: Can I finally throw those other 5 remotes in the trash? Well, the short answer is: Probably not, but maybe you can put them away in a drawer most of the time. (Or use them to prop up a wobbly table leg, if you want to put them to real use)

I just bought a DVD player, which has brought my grand total to 5 remotes! You go to grab the TV remote, you get the DVD remote by accident, and two other remotes tumble from the coffee table in the confusion. Does this sound familiar? And of the 5 remotes, some are supposed to be Universal, but they aren’t, and they support 3 devices at most. This One For All remote is the third universal remote I’ve purchased (not counting the ones that came with my electronic components) and while it isn’t perfect, it is by far the best I’ve seen in the store for under $20.

What does it do?
The 5650 comes with support for 5 devices. The buttons are labeled TV, VCR, CBL/SAT, DVD, and RCVR but you can re-program the remote to handle multiples of the same component if you like (such as 2 different VCRs). If you want to use 2 of the same type device, however, programming the remote is slightly more difficult. If you want a remote that supports more or less units, One For All has several similar remotes in it’s product line (the 6000 series supports 6 units, the 3000 series supports 3, etc.)

Programming and Setup:
Programming the remote was simple. As with most universal remotes, you get a list of codes for most companies and devices. You find the correct device in the list and type it’s code into the remote. If you happen to have a device that isn’t listed, don’t despair. The remote allows you to scan through the codes for the correct code, when the device powers up, you have the right code. I had to do this for my Aiwa one-piece stereo unit. As an example, I have the following devices currently programmed into my remote:

Sony TV
Sony DVD player
Zenith VCR
Aiwa Stereo
Hughes Satellite Receiver


What functions are available?:
The remote has buttons for scanning through menu systems, including a Menu button, four arrow buttons, and a Select which are common to many systems and are crucial for VCRs and DVD players. It also has buttons for surround, pip, mute, and some other common functions. You may have to experiment a little to figure out which button does what, however. For example, surround switches the selected channel preference on my satellite receiver.

You can also set up macro keys which allow you to assign one key to multiple functions. You can, for example, set a key which turns on all components at the same time. I haven’t gotten around to trying this, so I can’t tell you how well this works.

What doesn’t it do?
While almost everything I need to do, I have had two minor problems with this remote. The first problem is with my DVD player. Pressing the Fast Forward button (FFD) is supposed to move into Seek forward. Pressing FFD a second time should go to Fast Forward 1 and a second time should go to Fast Forward 2. Only the first level works, which makes fast forward and reverse pretty much useless on my DVD player. Since you don’t tend to do much more than rewind a couple of seconds to catch something you missed in the movie, this isn’t too big of a deal. Of course, depending on which DVD player you have, this may not be an issue.

The more serious problem is the lack of a quit button for my VCR. I can bring up the menu, but I cannot go back out of the menu. I am forced to power off the VCR and power it back on to get out of the menu.

I should also mention that several of the more specialized options are also not available (mostly for the DVD player). You cannot instantly access viewing angle and some of the more specific setup options. You can, however, get to most of these commands through the menu options, which do work.

While these problems may seem like a big deal, this remote supports many more functions than the other universal remotes I’ve dealt with, so I am only dropping it’s rating from a 5 to a 4. If you need absolute compatibility, I would suggest you shell out the big bucks for a ‘learning’ remote. (One For All also sells these).

If you would like more information, you can go to their online site:
http://www.oneforall.com/


Recommended: Yes