Basic Remote Controls

Inexpensive remote controls for small home theaters

If you want to control only a few components -- a TV, DVD player and cable or satellite box, for example -- a basic universal remote under $30 might be all you need. The drawback is that these simple remotes come pre-loaded with codes for a limited number of devices. If the remote you buy has the code for your particular brand of TV or equipment, you're in luck. If not, you can't hook the remote up to the Internet to get the code, as you can with more expensive remotes.

The Universal Remote Control (URC) R6 (*Est. $20), a basic remote that can control up to six devices, gets good professional and user reviews. Like most basic remotes, users have to rely on the remote's internal database of component codes, although the URC R6 can learn devices for which it doesn't have the code. The URC R6 universal remote is the runner-up to the Logitech Harmony One in a test of 12 universal remote controls conducted by Good Housekeeping. Although the analysis is brief, the editors of Good Housekeeping praise the URC R6 for its quick setup operation. It's also one of the top-rated universal remotes at Buzzillions.com. Most owners are surprised at how well this inexpensive remote works, and the majority say the setup was easy enough. However, a few reviewers report problems when setting up the remote, and some are disappointed that the remote can only learn 40 buttons for any one device.

The Sony RM-VL600 Learning Remote Control (*Est. $20) gets very high marks in owner-written reviews at Amazon.com. It also earns a positive review from RemoteCentral.com, where Daniel Tonks says the RM-VL600 has "managed to position itself at the top of the budget remote category by offering unprecedented power for the money -- a perfect blend of capabilities for a bedroom system or more modest home theaters." Experts and users say the Sony RM-VL600 offers three capabilities that most budget remotes don't. First, it controls up to eight components (most budget remotes can handle only four to six) and it can remember four different macros as one-button commands -- so you'll no longer have to press three different buttons just to watch TV. Users also find that the Sony RM-VL600's learning mode is fairly simple and usually works. Some users note that not all of the Sony RM-VL600's buttons are backlit, making it hard to operate in a dark room. Another recurring user complaint is that the Sony remote control doesn't have codes for some common components, such as Vizio TVs. The Sony RM-VL600 is still available on Sony's website, but it's currently listed as out of stock by many other retailers. If you can still find it, reviews indicate this remote is a great deal.

Another Sony model, the Sony RM-VL610N Universal Remote (*Est. $13), also gets good user reviews at Amazon.com. The Sony RM-VL610N can control eight components with up to 12 macro functions, and it includes learning functionality like the Sony RM-VL600. It also includes three color plates -- silver, gold and bronze -- so you can customize the remote to match your home theater. An identical model, the Sony RM-VL610B (*Est. $25), includes brighter color plates in pink, red and blue. The Sony RM-VL610N only gets about 20 user reviews on Amazon.com so far, but they are largely positive. Owners say the macro functionality works very well with a minimum of hassle, and they love the price. Small, hard-to-press buttons are an oft-cited shortfall, and we saw a few complaints that the remote doesn't work with some DVD players or TVs.

Other basic universal remote earn lower ratings from owners. The Philips Prestigo SRU9600 universal remote (*Est. $40) gets extremely high marks in independent testing conducted by Britain's Which? magazine. The remote can control eight devices, and it's one of the few budget remotes to include a touch screen. Even though it performs very well in an independent test, the Philips Prestigo SRU9600 fails to impress other reviewers. Dave Jansen at Australia's Good Gear Guide thinks the remote doesn't offer enough customization options and he finds the scroll wheel hard to use. "The Philips Prestigo SRU9600 isn't a bad device; it just has the unfortunate luck of being part of a market where it is easily out-classed. With much better remotes available from Logitech, we find it hard pressed to recommend this one," he says. User reviews at Amazon.com are also mixed, with multiple reviewers commenting on the poor user manual and hard-to-use scroll wheel. The Prestigo SRU9600 is listed on Philips' New Zealand website, but it's available from Amazon.com in the United States.

Other basic universal remote controls don't fare any better in owner-written reviews. The Sony RM-V310 (*Est. $14) can control seven components, but many owners say it doesn't work with their particular brand of television, DVD player or cable box. One reviewer says that after a lot of hassle, the remote was "thrown in the trash." The CTA Digital Universal Touch Screen Remote Control (*Est. $20) is another remote that fails to impress owners. A handful of reviewers on Amazon.com say the remote is okay when it works, but don't count on it being compatible with your devices.

These universal remotes draw the same complaints from owners as other budget remotes do: Although some users are perfectly happy with the remotes' performance, others find the built-in code databases are insufficient, and they can't get the remotes to recognize their particular brand or model of TV, DVD player, etc.