Universal Remote Control SL-9000 LCD Remote Control

Pros: Very easy to learn commands, backlight, easy to use, great level of customization.
Cons: Somewhat large, may be costly to some.

PICTURE THIS: On our wedding night, while we were relaxing in the Presidential Suite at our hotel, my parents were at our home freaking out believing that they had damaged our new TV. The next morning when we returned home, my sister told me that my ...

Pros: Nice feel, Good display. Great IR range. Lots of flexibility. Learning.
Cons: Programming Macros needs patience/planning, standard templates usually need some reorganizing.

This remote has been reviewed a lot and the reviews are very good. So why am I making another review. Well, in spite of all these reviews, I was unable to find it available from a local merchant so I had to buy it on-line. This meant that I was making a ...

Pros: It works superbly.
Cons: Some button mapping anomalies. I secretly miss my bucketful of zappers :-)

My experience of universal remotes has been limited to the unit that came with my Harmon Kardon AVR-7200 receiver and is also included with other models from that brand. That sleek silver unit looks like it was designed in outer space. It works, after ...

Pros: Packed with features, very easy to configure and "teach", extremely powerful macros.
Cons: A little pricey, select button under joystick a bit hard to use, no auto-repeat configuration

Kudos!! Bravo!! Bravo!! What a wonderful product! The MX-500 is truly a testament to American engineering. Finally...a remote that I can hand to the babysitter, and with about 2 minutes of training, she can run my (rather complex) home ...

Pros: Amazing and complete flexibility! Durable build quality.
Cons: Initial complexity and learning curve

This review is for the MX-700 model, which is essentially the same as the MX-500, but allows you to use your computer to set up the controls, and then download them to the remote. Since epinions doesn't have an entry (yet?) for the MX-700, and since much ...

Pros: Durable with unbelievable IR strength, great ergonomics and tactile feel, highly customizable, powerful macros
Cons: Somewhat short, but not bad, battery life. No PC connection

I've actually had this remote for a couple years now, but two factors led me to come to and write about it. First, it's still available and it is inexpensive given the quality and usability of the remote. Second, we have a son that is now 2.5 years ...

Pros: Hard Buttons. Turbo charged emitters. Easy to program, super easy to use.
Cons: The joystick is a little too firm. Accidental drops can turn off your system.

After buying our first ever home theater sound system, we reached critical mass with eight remote controls on the coffee table. My wife and I were baffled over which remote was the correct one to use for each component and mode desired and in which ...

Pros: Works On A Wide Variety Of Home Electronics
Cons: High Price, All The Buttons Might Scare People Away Thinking It Is Too Complicated To Understand

After going through about 10 different universal remote controls trying to find one that worked with everything I owned, I finally bought this one and I can say it works for everything I have that is electronic. I shopped around for months trying out...

Pros: battery life, powerful range, easy to teach
Cons: price, no cursor keys

The Home Theater SL-9000 is the first programmable remote control I bought. There is an excellent *extremely* detailed analysis of its features on www.remotecentral.com so I will only summarize it here and offer my insights as a user who's owned several...

Pros: excellent preprogramming, with learning capability
Cons: none

With some oversimplification, there seem to be two basic types of universal remotes:

- lower end ($20-80) "preprogrammed" remotes where you type in codes for your equipment and get a subset of commands that the manufacturer thought...

Pros: It works!
Cons: Having patience to read through and understand the manual

This was the perfect answer to my multi-remote dilemma! I have 4 remotes to operate the A/V in our living room, and it was quite cumbersome to keep track of them all. I was hesitant to spend the money for a $300 remote, so, after a little research,...

Pros: Well designed, compact, feature rich. Easy to learn how to use/program.
Cons: DishPVR 501 didn't work with the Echostar codes.

I purchased this remote because I grew tired of having 4 remotes to control my equipment.

I didn't want to shell out $200 for the savvy Sony Remote Commander only to have my little one drop it on the floor and break it. That got me looking...

Pros: Easy to program, lots of flexibility, great range and power, lots of buttons.
Cons: Slightly confusing instructions, only four readily usable macro buttons.

The Home Theater Master SL9000 is a great remote. I have a number of components from a number of manufacturers. All of these were bought a various different times (Panasonic VCR, Toshiba TV, Denon Receiver, Philips DVD player). Yet the SL9000 was able...

Pros: Stylish, well laid out, macros, learning
Cons: fragile

After I got a DSS and a home theater receiver, things got too complicated for my wife to operate. I do not like the concept of touch screen remotes as I like the tactile feel of buttons in the dark. For those that defend the backlighting of touchscreens,...

Pros: The macro programs are perfect for people who can't figure out multiple remotes.
Cons: None so far.

I bought this for my dad, who refuses to touch computers and gets frustrated with the 6 remotes my mom has accumulated for her home theater system. The reviews here sold me on this one. It has been great! I had all of the devices PLUS a couple of ...

Pros: Powerful and very versatile.
Cons: Somewhat of a learning curve to do the initial programming.

I read the reviews on the Universal Remote MX-500 remote control and decided to try to get rid of the six remotes that cluttered my ottoman. The MX-500 is all that the reviews say it is, maybe better. This is the second universal that I have owned, the ...

Pros: Awesome Concept!!!
Cons: No updated codes on their website, too "smart" to learn to control new devices....

A year ago this must have been the ultimate remote control. Unfortunately for them times have changed. My first impression was “wow what a great design!” The concept is spot on and the design and execution are so very close to being perfect. Just ...

Pros: IR learning, overridden keys, LCD-labeled tactile keys, 1..10 fully-customizable components, macro learning.
Cons: None.

Short Review: very, very nice remote, for a good price. Details: Since I found myself with a big Toshiva TV, a nice Onkyo surround sound, a Dish satellite receiver, and a Panasonic DVD, I felt that a universal remote was in order. Despite that ...

Pros: Everything about this remote is a "pro".
Cons: Nothing.

This remote is great. Been using it for over a year and it's still going strong. I have a home theater system which includes: Tivo, Cable box, Satellite box, VCR, Computer, DVD player, CD Player, HDTV monitor and AV Receiver. This little dynamite ...

Pros: Simple setup, very versatile, and only $100!
Cons: 3 seconds of button-holding to reach the editing screen was quite annoying during setup

After much research, I decided on this remote mostly because of the reviews it received here on Epinions and on other places like Amazon. Here's what I needed to control from it: - TiVo (most important to me!) - Primary DVD player (Sony) - ...

Pros: Everything about it.
Cons: none

This thing is awesome! It does everything claimed on the package, and it does it very well. I just need to find more things to remote control! I ordered mine from surfremotecontrol.com. I also ordered the MX-700. The people were very helpful over the ...

Pros: Does everything you want, and makes it look easy.
Cons: Middle part of joystick can be tricky to push. But seriously, that's about it.

I've had this remote for 2 months now and its still one of the coolest "toys" I've ever bought. I looked around at a lot of different programmable remote controls and this has the best of both worlds: it has the LCD screen that changes menus based ...

Pros: Easy to program, can learn unique original remote functions, and illuminates.
Cons: Stickers that can be placed on the remote to rename functions.

The time came when I got sick and tired of having five to six different remotes sitting by my recliner. It was a joke. Don't waste your time with the ones on the shelves for about 20 bucks because they won't do what you want in every case. I shopped...

Pros: Fully learning capable, Macro memory commands
Cons: none

The Home theater master SL9000 is in my humble opinion the best remote control center on the market ( for the money, that is ). There are clearly better units available with backlit LCD displays, and smartchips etc, but if your looking for rock solid,...

Pros: Price, enough devices, plenty of macros, activity based ability, price.
Cons: doesn't get all functionality from Pioneer components, otherwise great

I got this remote because of all the rave reviews and the relative price compared to Harmony 880. I've been using it for a couple of days now, and so far it's been doing a great job controlling my home theater (TV, Receiver, DVD, VCR, lights, heater, ...

Pros: Fully customizable LCD tags for buttons. Backlit display. Ton's of memory. Powerful IR transmitter.
Cons: it's a bit larger then a normal remote.

If you have 3 remotes sitting on your coffee table, you MUST get this all in one remote. This is the #1 rated remote at remotecentral.com and for good reason.

Most remotes are either hard button or LCD. Hard button remotes give you the...

Pros: Outstanding design and operation at a great price
Cons: None that I have found

My wife and I were frustrated by too many remotes. We had purchased entertainment devices at different times and each was a different brand. As a result, we had one remote each for our Quasar VCR, Sharp TV, Motorola cable box, Pioneer tuner and Toshiba DVD changer. While a couple of the remotes could control multiple devices, operation was not intuitive. When I learned about the MX-500 I didn't hesitate, and I can't praise it enough.
So many products seem to have been designed by someone who never uses them, but the MX-500 is not one of those products. The design of the remote, the layout of the keys, the LCD display, even the feel of the materials used are outstanding. I had a little difficulty finding codes for some of my equipment, but I found that it was very easy to 'teach' this remote from my old ones. I've setup macros to power on and configure combinations of devices. That process takes some thought and experimentation, but it works great.
I would not hesitate to recommend the MX-500, and it can be had at a great price if you shop around.

Pros: Easy to program over unwanted buttons, "Learns" from other remotes, macro functionality works great!
Cons: A little large, setup takes some patience, wish you could store macros against every/any button.

I purchased the MX-500, because my 18 month old son dropped my Logitech on our hardwood floor and it stopped working. My initial impression was that the MX-500 was much more difficult to setup, but once I figured out the setup process everything else was smooth sailing. The MX-500 is MUCH sturdier than the Logitech and has an easy-to-use Learning functionality that the Logitech does not have. Other than the setup process, the only negatives are that the MX-500 is quite a bit larger than the Logitech and that macros cannot be stored against all of the main remote buttons. There are 15 buttons that you can use to store macros on, however, so this is only a minor complaint. I love this remote!

Pros: One remote that can replace 10 different remotes, cost
Cons: Wish it had more Macro buttons

For the money this is one of the best hard button remotes you can get. This remote will let you program 10 different products and the size of it fits in your hand. I have tried a touch screen and they are so large it is awkward to use (for me) so I went and bought another MX-500. The mx-clone software program you can purchase makes programing even better, You can edit and change everything on your computer and then download it to the remote. The macros let you program multiple functions with the touch of one button ( my wife likes this since she has a hard time with all the different remotes laying around ) Now she has one remote that does it all.

Pros: Flexibility, quality construction, signal strength, ease of programming.
Cons: Rare glitch with digits added to favorite channels choices (i.e. "822" instead of "82")

With 5 remotes on my coffee table, at least 3 of which were "universal"(meaning they could run about half of any other components features), I had to get a single remote that would FULLY run all of my stuff. The MX-500 fits the bill perfectly. You can find it out there for about $110 including tax and shipping.

I have a Sony widescreen TV, digital cable, a CD player, VCR, and receiver all running perfectly with this remote.

Easy to program, easy to customize, easy to write macros. Powerful signal (don't have to hold the remote over the coffee cup on the table anymore). Construction is high quality, very solid.

Only glitch so far is a little trouble with the favorite channels feature--every so often I get channel "822" instead of "82". Not sure what is doing that--but it is rare.

Pros: Does everything, 40 ft range, indestructible, almost never needs batteries.
Cons: At only $80, it makes me want one for every TV in the house.

I have owned one of these for 2 years and I regularly search ebay for one for every floor of the house.
This is an awesome, required, beautiful piece of engineering that belongs in every theatre. The learning feature and the flexibility in how you program it means there is nothing it can't do. It replaces every remote - from your latest TV and 7.1 audio to your $20 POS VCR player you keep for legacy reasons. I set mine up so even on when using my HD digital cable, it knows volume is the audio reciever, lights are the IR remote on the wall, pip is the TV, channel is the cable box etc, all without shifting modes like other "all in ones".
Huge part of what makes this the best -
1) Battery life - 4 AA's about once a year. unbelievable.
2) Indestructible - This remote has been buried, soaked, and dropped/spun across a hard wood floor numerous times and there is not a scratch on it. Long after lesser fancy LCD screens would have packed it in, you can do everything but open a beer with this one.

Pros: Customizable LCD, Fantastic Ergonomics, Long Battery Life
Cons: Laborious if you want to rearrange LCD buttons

I spent a good few weeks researching different remotes before deciding to purchase the MX-500. I am very satisfied. The big differentiator for me was that I could get a customizable LCD screen for the price of a remote with no screen. It may be an older remote, but its design is near perfection. Button layout and customizability are top-notch. The only downside is that if you want to rearrange the LCD buttons to better suite your tastes, you will spend a lot of time re-entering names for the various functions of the device. But since I'm such a geek anyway, I kind of enjoyed it.

Pros: Well thought out in every way
Cons: None

After using many remotes, this is THE BEST! Easy to program, tons of buttons (all but 3 are programmable), LCD screen easy to read without my glasses, hard buttons easy to find and press without looking at the remote. Button layout is very easy to use without looking at remote. Someone put a lot of thought into designing this remote.

A note: if you get a touch screen, instead of hard buttons, you will have to look at the remote every time you need to press a button. Touch screens are very impressive looking, but impractical, since you can't just press the button you need quickly. Instead you have to look at the thing each time. Stick with hard buttons.

For a more comprehensive review of this remote, see remotecentralDOTcom

Pros: Learns,learns,learns, great feel, back light, and buttons,transport buttons are centered
Cons: None that I can find

After having purchased an All for One URC-8910 I discovered it had a very limited learning ability. I returned that and with a little more research choose to get the Home Theater Master MX-500.

The main sell for me was the claim to be able to learn up to 53 commands per device!

I ordered the remote online from bluedo.com on a Tuesday and it was waiting for me at my door on Thursday. Quick! Bluedo also gives you a free 2 year warranty.

Aside from the learning ability this remote looks great, feels solid, has a good back light, good buttons, fits well in my hand, and has the transport controls and joy stick located almost dead center of the remote. The 8910 had the transport toward the bottom and the joy stick toward the top.

The response time between button push and action seems instantaneous. I don't detect any lag.

The macro's work very well. My DVD macro turns on my receiver, switches it to DVD, turns on the TV, turns on the DVD player and opens the drawer.

What can I say, I'm the happy owner of a great universal remote.

Pros: Super simple to program, customize and use. Can modify/change nearly all screens/formats.
Cons: None as yet.

I've searched for a long time for a combination button/touch screen remote that would closely replicate the complex Scientific Atlantic cable remote used by Cox Cable out here. I also wanted to marry up the requirements of a top end Sony receiver, TV, VCR, and DVD that was easy to use in the family. My final selection of the MX 500 was based on the ability to customize, add/delete, move nearly all functions,keys,and screen presentations of the 500. I had it programmed and customized in about two hours (a real record for me) and taught to the wife in about 30 minutes. It's easy to hold and operate with one hand with the buttons situated with functional reality. All of this for about a hundred dollars and two day delivery from the great folks at Avstreet made this purchase and selection of seller a real pleasure.

Pros: Easy to learn, program and use and handle.
Cons: Wish there was an automatic backlight.

After a long search for a "User Friendly" Universal remote, my search has ended. We recently had a home theatre put in our home and desperately needed a remote that can work all components to the system. We tried other remotes and returned then due to either not being able to learn some older components or difficulty in programming them. This remote is by far the fastest, easiest, remote made. My husband who is a skeptic to just about everything, cannot say one thing negative about this remote. He LOVES it and so do I! It's easy to program and it learns other remotes with ease.

It's the best.....BUY IT!!!

Pros: Easy to operate, can control a lot of devices.
Cons: Preprogrammed codes.

Not to much to say. Easy to operate. Controls everything I have. Easy to program. I only find 2 bad things. The first one is that the codes don't work as good as I was expecting, but I just used the learning feature. The second thing is that it is hard to punch the numeric keys when you only use one hand to hold the remote and press keys.

Pros: If wish I knew.
Cons: Not supported by Comcast Digital Cable systems.

After reading all the reviews I couldn't wait to get one for myself. While going through the cable setup, I noted there is no 3 digit code for Motorola or Comcast. Comcast states they want their customers to use their own remotes. Motorola has not responded to requests for a 3 digit code.