very good value

I bought this as an open box item and it came without the DVD so I was forced to read the manual. I was relieved to see that the manual is straight-forward and well written. It could have given some more examples of macros and explained how to undo a punch-thru I'd set up, but overall, it was fine.

I wanted to eliminate three remotes (TV, cable, and AVR) and this remote did the job, but it was not without some initial frustration. I first tried the pre-programmed codes of each remote and though I found the codes for all of them in the manual, the remote would not work right afterwards, in a number of ways. For examples, the volume buttons for the AVR worked when I was testing a code, but after I saved it, they wouldn't. Then, when I'd power on the AVR, it would also turn on the TV (the original AVR remote did not do this). Some of the buttons to control a device worked, others didn't, and some seemed to be controlling the wrong function. I repeated the programming steps and tried other codes that seemed promising. To no avail.

I reset the remote back to its factory settings and decided to abandon the pre-programmed code method and just have it learn from the three remotes manually. This involved pointing the remotes at each other and pressing a corresponding button on each, and then doing this for every button I cared to have it learn. This was a bit tedious (though not as bad as you'd think) to do for all 3 remotes, but it had one big advantage over the code method. The RFS20 worked flawlessly afterward.

Next I set up the volume and channel punch-thrus and they worked great. This allows you to use the volume buttons on your AVR even when the remote is in cable or tv mode, or the channel buttons of your cable box when in tv mode.

Next I tried the On button macro described in the manual and it worked flawlessly. Now by pressing the On button the Cable box, the TV, and the AVR turn on. I amended the macro to have it go to an initial favorite HD channel. The Off macro is similar and turns everything off at once.

Next I set up the RF/IR box in the closet where my cable box and AVR are located and I shut the door. The components are on separate shelves, so the Blaster had trouble reaching them all. I pasted an IR wire over the front panel of the AVR where the IR sensor is, and the volume button works beautifully. The cable box was and still is somewhat problematic. I tried finding a place to paste the IR wire but couldn't find a spot that made the channels change well. The best solution I found was to place the RF/IR box right on top of the cable box and have it bounce the signal off the louvered door. Numbering in a channel doesn't always work, but the Up/Down channel buttons are much more reliable. The remote works much better with the closet door closed.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with the remote and it was a good price considering what it can do.