One For All URC 3050 Makes Remote Replacement A Snap!
Written: May 12 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to set up and use, basic features, combines up to three items.
Cons: Might be too basic or not have enough features for some people.
The Bottom Line: Sick of having three remotes lying around? Combine them easily with the One For All URC 3050!
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| Freak369's Full Review: One For All URC-3050 So Easy Universal Remote Cont... |
The time had finally come, one of the remotes in the kids play room found its way into the bathroom toilet thanks to a curious little girl in pigtails who wanted to see if it would float or not. I knew it was only a matter of time before one of the remotes would die, get lost or chewed on by a dog – but I never expected it to go for a swim in the toilet. Thanks to my neighbors daughter we now know that remotes aren’t meant to go for a swim and I think after she saw all the cute little bubbles coming out of the remote as it went down like the Titanic, she learned a valuable life lesson.
As luck would have it I came across a remote control at Wal-mart that was in the clearance bin. The package was a bit beat up and it looked like it had seen better days but for $5.00 I couldn’t pass it up. From what little information was on the front of the One For All URC 3050 package it seemed like it would be simple enough for me to program the codes into it and for the kids to use. Plus I’d only have to replace batteries in one remote instead of three. One of the nicest things about this remote is that it gives you the ability to program three items – television, cable or satellite and VCR. This was exactly what I needed for the play room and I hoped that it would eliminate the need to have three remotes laying around – the only obstacle was this – would there be matching and workable codes for the television, cable and VCR?
One For All URC 3050
I’ve had some luck with other remotes from this company, namely the One For All 4081 Universal Remote that I purchased when a rabbit named Mr. Fluffy started to snack on the one in the livingroom. This time it was a curious little girl that wanted to test the dynamics of water verses electronic remote control. In that arena, water will win every single time. This is a basic remote that will allow you to program up to three items and control them from one single remote. If you just have a television and VCR or DVD player, this would make a great choice to combine the two. Got cable? No problem because you can also program this to replace your standard cable box remote. For satellite users, no fear here, you also have the option of programming in your code instead of cable. I am not very technically inclined so I wanted something that I would be able to program without losing brain cells in the process as well as something that the boys would be able to use without any major issues.
Functions
Glow Pad
This might be a bit misleading to some people, the pad does glow but it is not backlit. You have to expose the section of the remote that glows to a bright light for about 20 seconds to have it “light up” for you. Of course this only lasts a limited amount of time and will need to be recharged in order to get it to work again. This does save some drain on the batteries but you don’t get the benefits of a backlit remote.
VCR Controls
You have the ability to play, record, fast forward, rewind, stop and pause using this remote. If you are going to program a DVD player instead of a VCR, you will not be able to forward scan at multiple rates or access some portions of DVD bonus screens. Additionally, when I tried to use this with the GoVideo deck, it would not fast forward scan though VHS tapes but it had no trouble working in this manner with the boys Magnavox VCR. Considering that this was a cheap remote, I am just glad that I could get it to work with the television, VCR and cable.
Volume Control
There are two buttons to control the volume which is a feature that I don’t like but since this is in the kids play room, it doesn’t matter if I like it or not. They seem to like having the independent buttons so who am I to complain. You can press it once to have it raise the volume or press it once and not release it to raise it several levels.
Channel Control
Just like the volume control, there are two buttons for the channel selector. One to move it up and one to move it down. I don’t really care for the independent controls since I am a true channel surfer and like to have one button that I can press up or down on instead of having to move around the face of the remote. Since the boys mainly use the television in the play room to watch movies, this wasn’t really a big deal to them.
Programming
To program the remote you have to first find out the make of the products you are dealing with then find the code on the fold out sheet. It might take a few tries for some brands like Memorex or Sony that have a numerous codes listed but I had this programmed and working in less than ten minutes. If you know me and my past electronics curse, you might know that I am not gifted in this area so ten minutes is great by my standards. You might want to write down the correct codes once you find them on the list so that if the batteries die or the remote is accidentally reset, you won’t have to look for the sheet or try to remember which code is the correct one. There is a section on the instruction sheet to write the codes down but this does you no good if you lose or misplace that sheet.
Battery Specifics
This remote takes two AAA sized batteries that slide in to the compartment easily and lock in to place. There is no safety screw on the back of the remote so please make sure that smaller kids don’t have access to the remote. I’ve only had this a short period of time so I can’t comment on the battery life, but I will update this when I need to change them. The remote sees a lot of use between changing channels, rewinding movies and playing around with the volume so it will be interesting to see exactly how long they last.
Design
The lay out of the buttons is nice and the boys have had no trouble getting used to this. It is small enough for them to use but not so small that they end up pressing the incorrect button. Since this is going to be used most of the time by the kids, it will be their ultimate decision on whether or not they like this remote. So far they haven’t had any complaints about it and have been adjusting to it nicely. It doesn’t have any type of contour on the bottom of it [something that I look for in a remote] but since the kids have smaller hands, the lack of any fancy design or contour is a plus in this situation.
Warranty
The One For All URC 3050 comes with a 90 day warranty against manufacturer defects or general failure providing that the remote hasn’t been misused, opened, battery leaks and all other terms that usually come with electronic equipment [alas, this includes being tossed in the toilet]. If within the 90 day period [from the date of purchase] the remote breaks, you can return it for a replacement or refund. You have the choice or returning it to the store you purchased it from or sending it back to One For All. If you purchase it from a place like Wal-Mart or Target be sure the check and see what the return policy of the store is. Some offer a 90 day return and others 30 – 60 days. If you can get away with returning it to the store, you can avoid paying postage and a handling fee.
The Bottom Line
This was easy to program, has just the right number of buttons and features and was at a price that I simply couldn’t pass up. If you only have a handful of electronics that need to be streamlined then this would be a great choice. With the VCR or DVD controls you get the basics to play, rewind or fast forward a tape but when using it with a DVD player, your choices are a little hampered. For a replacement remote or something to consolidate multiple remotes, this is a great choice if you are looking for something basic, inexpensive and easy to use.
As always, thanks for the visit …
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Need something with more gadgets and buttons?
One For All Video Expert Universal Remote Control
Recommended:
Yes
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