It's not a remote - It's an Apollo 13 simulation game!

I picked up this remote because it had a learning feature. We had just bought a 32" Akai flatscreen (which I have also reviewed) and the universal remote that came with our Brighthouse-provided Scientific Atlanta cable box/DVR didn't have a code for the new set.

The remote is advertised as controlling TV, DVD, VCR, DVR, Satellite/Cable, Audio, and two auxiliary devices. I was thinking it would be a snap to unify everything in sight. And I did wind up having some success. But here's the problem: the remote only has slots to program a maximum of 34 buttons. A little basic math will tell you that if you don't have codes for any of the eight devices, you'll be able to program just over four buttons per device. Perhaps the On/off button, volume up, volume down and something else.

As it turned out, there were codes for *some* of the devices, but far fewer than I expected, and the codes I was provided gave, as the manual stated "basic functionality" for each component, meaning that for any additional buttons to work, I would have to use up one of my precious button-programming slots. How many devices did I actually have a code for? As it turns out, two ... and in the case of the cable box/DVR, a code was provided only for the cable box functions, so perhaps the real count is one and a half.

For the record:

Akai TV/DVD ... no codes provided worked, item had to be learned as a TV and as a DVD player.

Scientific Atlanta Cable Box/DVR ... code provided worked for the cable box, DVR functions had to be learned.

JVC audio receiver ... *all* codes provided sufficed to allow volume control, however no other features were accessible without learning.

Denon DVD changer ... a single code was provided. It didn't work. Learning did work.

VCR ... I haven't entered its code yet, but since it's a GE I'm sure I'll have no problem ... I haven't hooked it back up since getting the new Akai TV.

So I wound up performing the Gary Sinise role from Apollo 13: I had to make a chart on a yellow pad of each device and the functions I might want the remote to access for it, then prioritize the devices and their functions so that I allocated the precious 34 slots--believe it or not, the manual says there may be fewer slots, depending on the complexity of the signal ("some learned signals require more memory than others. In these cases, fewer key commands can be learned").

In the end, I was able to achieve acceptable functionality on the most crucial components. And it's nice that the remote's keys light up. But I wouldn't recommend it unless all of your components are 2-5 years old and high-profile name brands. Older, newer, and off-brand items are unlikely to have codes available.