JP1 Remotes

Hello JP1ers,

I've had a URC WR7 for several years now and I have never been crazy about its ergonomics. Lately it's been mysteriously forgetting key functions and requiring some force to register keypresses on certain keys. I am ready for a replacement, and I was hoping for some advice from the knowledgeable folks here.

Here's what I am looking for:
1. Good build quality - solid feel to the remote & buttons; no plastic creaking
2. Ergonomic & sensible button layout - volume/channel & d-pad where your thumb naturally rests; exit/menu/info/guide situated around d-pad, etc.
3. 4+ devices
4. Learning function (but maybe not essential if remote is PC programmable)
5. Backlit is a nice plus but not essential
6. Roku support - I own a Roku 3, which responds IR but does not include an IR remote. What I've read suggests that no remote has very good pre-programmed support for the Roku, but I'd rather not buy the Roku IR remote just to teach my universal remote if I can program it without it.
7. Under $50 preferably

Here are the remotes I've been looking at (est. price includes shipping):

UEI URC2025 Champion - $8
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151238856935
pros: looks nice
cons: no learning, no keymoves

UEI URC1056 Atlas - $10
http://www.ebay.com/itm/330916349388
cons: big & ugly, no learning (that I've found)

RCA RCRP05BR - $18
http://amazon.com/gp/product/B0028IKXLS
cons: build quality? ugly, small buttons

Philips SRP5107/27 - $18
http://amazon.com/gp/product/B004PYS45K
cons: build quality?

Sony RMVLZ620 - $27
http://amazon.com/gp/product/B00385XUG0
cons: odd button layout, not backlit, hard to program

Vizio XRU9M - $28
http://amazon.com/gp/product/B003YEZT1E
pros: looks nice
cons: not backlit, discontinued, confusing top keys

Vizio VUR8 - $18
http://amazon.com/gp/product/B002JW7BN6
pros: looks nice
cons: discontinued, small volume/channel buttons, limited pre-programmed device support

Logitech Harmony 600 - $35 (refurb)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111313255425
pros: PC programmable, activity buttons
cons: discontinued

Logitech Harmony 650 - $50 (refurb)
http://amazon.com/gp/product/B00I54C0GA
pros: PC programmable, activity buttons
cons: expensive, loose battery reset issue

Pros/cons are my perceptions, but please correct me if I am off on anything. I look forward to any advice you can offer.

Best regards,

Anthony

I highly recommend you check out the Xsight Touch remotes currently on eBay for $40-$50 shipped(shipping from China).

They say 'used' but every one I have ordered has shown up in a beaten up box, but in 'like new' condition.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AR-Acoustic-Res ... 2c7bcb6062

RM-IR support is there - though still a bit beta.

Ergonomics are pretty good in my opinion - the buttons 'click' which is the only annoying thing to me.

It keeps you in the family and adds a touch-screen!

The Xsight Color is slightly cheaper(~$30) with the same layout. It has buttons NEXT to the screen instead of touch screen which is actually ergonomically better IMHO. It uses three AAs though, so not nearly as svelte as the Touch.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acoustic-Resear ... 2c7bcb6a80

xnappo

I like Xsight too. But a step down would be the VUR8. Limited device support doesn't matter with JP1 since you can load whatever you like. The only drawback is no extender support.

We have Roku device upgrades for JP1 remotes, so that's not an issue.

If you don't get a JP1 remote, the Harmony 600 is a very good remote for the money. Just be aware of the 5 device limit. I use one all the time for harvesting codes for my JP1 remotes.

The other non-JP1 options on your list are ok but nowhere near as extensible as JP1 remotes. I personally wouldn't bother with any of those. I wouldn't bother with the Champion either.

My favorite cheap backlit JP1 remote is Insignia (we have a thread about them), but they can be hard to find.

I have the RCA RCRP05BR and have found the buttons are just too plain difficult to use. The buttons are crowded, and if you don't wear your reading glasses when you are using it you'll have a really difficult time handling it.

I also a JP1.2 version of the Atlas. I've long held that this is the ugliest remote I've ever used, but the key placement is a huge improvement over the RCA remote. The buttons are also color coordinated, so even without my reading glasses I can distinguish the different groups and the placement of the keys is unique enough that I don't have to look at the remote at all, which is a really nice. If you can get by with 5 devices the Atlas is a great choice. But learning versions are hard to find. Even though these are not learners, they do have learning memory and can send learns, or you can use that learning memory for an extender. Some Atlases have backlighting. but I don't have any experience with those. The thing with the Atlas is you want one from the mid-years. The latest version 1056B03 don't have full support, and the early JP1 variety are buggy as can be. So you want an OCAP (4 color buttons) that does NOT say B03 in the description.



A learner is always nice to have on hand. I'd recommend having at least one learner in the stable.

vickyg2003 wrote: I also a JP1.2 version of the Atlas. I've long held that this is the ugliest remote I've ever used, but the key placement is a huge improvement over the RCA remote.

LOL - Ahh- so functionality finally won out over beauty.

The Atlas is the best non-Xsight remote to me too. You just can't beat the layout and number of buttons.

I actually have a bunch I would sell, but they are so cheap on eBay probably not worth the hassle.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNIVERSAL-REMOT ... 3f32259cbf

I do also have a sticker template for 'track forward/track back' that I put over the F1/F2 buttons if anyone is interested.

xnappo

xnappo wrote:

vickyg2003 wrote: I also a JP1.2 version of the Atlas. I've long held that this is the ugliest remote I've ever used, but the key placement is a huge improvement over the RCA remote.

LOL - Ahh- so functionality finally won out over beauty.

Pretty never wins out over function!

The Atlas is the best non-Xsight remote to me too. You just can't beat the layout and number of buttons.

The price on those XSight remotes is really a turn off for me. I have 40 remotes in play, not to mention the stack of "spare" remotes, that is as tall as I am. There isn't a seat in any viewing area where there is not a remote within arms reach. Each bedroom has two, one for each side of the bed. So when you guys start up with the expensive remotes it just baffles me.

I do also have a sticker template for 'track forward/track back' that I put over the F1/F2 buttons if anyone is interested.

My kids got me a little label maker that makes laminated labels, and some white on black label tape. Those can really make the black remotes look sharp. The back says "Press TV Power after replacing the batteries", so I don't worry about my users not being able to restart my extenders. The oddball functions are written in a tiny font and goes over the button.

For my silver remotes, they gave me black on clear.

Really makes for nice looking easy to use remotes. Now if the Atlas didn't look like a snake that swallowed a toad, they would really look nice LOL.

I like the idea of using those buttons for the skip buttons though. I've been using page up and page down, which works really well logically for me, but they are not in as convenient a location.

Many thanks for the advice (I knew I came to the right place)!

The xSight remotes look cool, but I'd rather not wait for delivery from China. The positioning of the D-pad also looks like it would be easy to press the Vol or Ch buttons accidentally (the D-pad gets used a lot with the Roku).

Does anyone know anything about this guy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251476880575
Says it's a UEI URC1056, but obviously not an Atlas.

Other than that, I think I've narrowed it down to the VUR8, the Insignia NS-RC05A-11 (anyone know where you can get the backlit model?), or the Atlas (not sure about WAF). Decisions, decisions.

Either way, is this the cable I'll need?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/330809610323
<edit>
or will this work:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161181323524

The seller's description of that 1056 is wrong. If you zoom in on the back, you can see the model number RC122, which I don't recognize as a UEI number. It's probably made by URC, the same maker as your WR7. You could always ask the seller if he would open the battery bay door and look for 2 rows of 3 pins.

That USA cable should work, theoretically, but I haven't tried that particular one myself. If it works, that's a lot better source for us in the US. The only problem is he has no description of which wire is which.

Review the Insignia thread for backlit sources. I haven't run across any lately myself. The ones that used to be on Amazon are all gone now.

Atlas is a great remote, aside from the styling, which I don't care for. My wife couldn't care less what our remote look like, as long as they work. I'm the one who insists on a cool looking remote.

Unfortunately backlit JP1 remotes are rare these days.

vickyg2003 wrote: The price on those XSight remotes is really a turn off for me. I have 40 remotes in play, not to mention the stack of "spare" remotes, that is as tall as I am. There isn't a seat in any viewing area where there is not a remote within arms reach. Each bedroom has two, one for each side of the bed. So when you guys start up with the expensive remotes it just baffles me.

Well, $40 shipped isn't that much considering that they use USB(no interface needed) and have an awesome learning capability(they learn from the bottom, making it easy to learn a lot of keys for analysis quickly). So, for someone with no setup they get the whole package for $40 - which is probably less than a remote+interface+IR widget.

Now... I do know what you are saying. I have gotten used to being surrounded by remotes so I have bought 8 Xsight touches from eBay over the last few months

I'll stop now. Honest.

xnappo

So THAT'S where the world's supply of Xsights has gone.

mdavej wrote:So THAT'S where the world's supply of Xsights has gone.

Seems like there is still a warehouse full in China. Just received a shipment from this guy, and he posts another 11 available...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191124154395

FYI cyberdawg - the d-pad does not interfere with the volume buttons...

I just placed an order for the FTDI cable from the vendor in the US. I'll post when it arrives and I have had a chance to test it.

EDIT: I got the cable in just 6 days and it works fine. That doesn't do anyone else any good because that vendor now posts none available.

Make that 10. Darn you, xnappo. You just made be buy yet another remote I don't need. If I don't hide this one from my wife, I'll be in big trouble.

mdavej wrote:Make that 10. Darn you, xnappo. You just made be buy yet another remote I don't need. If I don't hide this one from my wife, I'll be in big trouble.

LOL - oh good - I'm not the only one opening boxes of remotes in my car and smuggling them past my wife

JP1 is indeed a sickness.

xnappo

cybrdawg wrote:The xSight remotes look cool, but I'd rather not wait for delivery from China. The positioning of the D-pad also looks like it would be easy to press the Vol or Ch buttons accidentally (the D-pad gets used a lot with the Roku).

Some comments on the Xsight remotes (I have a Colour and a Lite):

(1) All four Xsights use a bog-standard USB cable to program; no special cable required.

(2) The top three (Touch, Colour, Plus) all have back-lighted keyboards.

(3) The Touch and Colour have clicky buttons; the Plus and Lite have silent buttons.

(4) The directional pad on the Plus and Lite is clear of other buttons, but (as previous poster stated) the directional pad on the Touch and Colour does not interfere with the volume up/down and channel up/down buttons.

(5) The Touch is discontinued (at least, in the UK).

(6) The touch-sensitive screen on the Touch has a poor reputation on Youtube.

(7) The button layout on the Plus and Lite makes it difficult to find buttons (different groups of buttons are not distinguished by colour).

(8) The "soft" buttons on the Plus and Lite are completely idiotic, requiring multiple button presses; the Colour wins here (3 buttons on each side of the LCD screen).

(9) The Touch and Colour have really nice transport buttons, but the rest are poor (too small, and almost flush with the body of the remote); the Plus and Lite buttons stand well above the body, but are on the small side.

As you may have deduced, I am still searching for nirvana (i.e. the perfect remote).

-- from CyberSimian in the UK