I have used this remote for a while. While this still may be the best remote for the price, I must reduce its rating from 5 starts to about 3 stars due to one simple shortcoming: it has fairly limited learning memory capacity. Tons of buttons, and all of them can be programmed, but, you will run out of learning memory fairly soon. As a result, you will have all these buttons that you want to program, and they are programmable, but due to no more memory cannot be utilized.

As such, this product is somewhat unbalanced. What good is ability to use any button for learning when you do not have memory to do it. I would have gladly paid double the price for this remote if I got double the memory. As it stands, the memory of the unit is sufficient, just barely, to program custom features for a couple of devices. While you will have most functions, you will still have to go back to original remote for more obscure commands. This learning remote had the potential to eliminate that, if it just had more memory. That's my only complaint.

Original Review:

I never thought I'd need to buy a learning remote.. but the number of remotes kept on growing, and various compatibility issues and limitations of non-learning remotes made me reluctantly shop for one.

I set the limit that I wanted to spend at $30. I thought it was impossible to get a good learning remote for that much. I was wrong. Feature by feature, URC-8811 (identical to URC-8810) has just about everything you would ever want in a remote. Full learning ability to almost any key, lighted keypad that can be turned on and off, key moving feature that allows you to remap any key, 8 devices, long battery life, quality build and good ergonomics.

Forget buying a non-learning remote. If you can get a learning remote like this for under $20, why would you ever want a non-learning one? I spend about the same amount of money on a Sony non learning universal remote, and it was junk.

For example, I had a problem controlling Sony DVD player with a Sony universal remote. A GE television could not be controlled by anything but the original remote either. With this remote, I was able to learn the functions of both units, solving all of the problems.

Specifically, this remote allows you to program just about every key. The documentation is somewhat confusing when it comes to explaining the learning function. Under the section "Using learning keys" it talks about L1 through L4 keys only, which may lead you to believe that those are the only keys you can program. Not so - use the same procedure to learn ANY key on the remote - it works! Curiously enough, the documentation is very good explaining every other feature of the remote.

The best remote for the price, and probably better than other brands thrice the price!

Recommended:
Yes