JP1 Remotes

Mega · Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Posts: 5 Location: San Antonio, TX

I have been researching remotes for about a week now, and I believe I'm down to these three models, URC-8811, URC-8910, or 15-2116:

I found this quote from another thread helpful:

Mark Pierson · Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2004 2:59 pm Post subject:

IMHO (and Steve's too), the $20.00 8810w (same as the 8811) from Wal-Mart is the best. I personally don't like or need and LCD. The 8810w offers the most physical buttons (same as the 8910 I think), and can use one of the best extenders available. In terms of support from the group, it ranks right up there, followed closely by the 2116/2117.
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Mark

johnsfine · Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2004 3:35 pm Post subject:

Mega · Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Posts: 5 Location: San Antonio, TX

Wow, thanks for the quick responses.

It sounds like so far, the clear winner is the 8810w from Wal-Mart. I don't see it listed on www.walmart.com and I hate to driver all over town looking for one in stock... would I be just as well buying the 8811 online, or is 8810w actually better in some way?

One thing I failed to mention was my goal for the remote, in case there are any limitations. I am obviously a newbie to JP1, but I plan to go all the way to get the remote to where I want it.

My goal is to set up macros on the component buttons so I can do things like:

Press DVD, and it sets my TV input, sets my receiver input, changes my A/V switch input. I'd even do power assuming I can find discrete codes (I haven't started that search yet). That would make my HT user friendly for someone not familiar... then I would also want to use shifted presses of those same buttons for the simple "mode switch" in case I need to do a DVD function while watching TV, but not change everything over to that function.

From everything I've read so far, this should be possible using any of the above remotes, but if anyone happens to know otherwise, I'd like to know so I can eliminate the remote(s) from my decision. Even though the two posts already have both stated the LCD is not important, and that 8810w has "one of the best extenders available" does that mean that if I get the 8910 that my extender capabilities would be limited?

I know this isn't the forum for discrete code discussion, but just in case anything jumps out to you guys, here is my equipment list:

Receiver: Yamaha RX-V2090
TV: Mitsubishi WS-65851
DVD: JVC XV-FA900
VCR: Sony SLV-920HE
HTPC: Haven't purchased an IR receiver for it yet (any recommendations?)
A/V Selector: Doesn't say the brand or model on it, but I can prolly just learn it since it only has 3 buttons on the remote. But I might need to get those into the PC to add them to the Macros via JP1... still not sure about that.

Thanks again for all your input.
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-Mega

usblipitor · Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 516 Location: Greenbelt, MD

Mega,

IMHO, the 8810w provides the best value in a remote. For $22 including tax, you get the JP1 pins, the EEPROM, learning, a nice backlight, and it can control up to 8 devices.

After using the 8810w for a few weeks, I found a few things I did not like. I use the DVD player, and if I want to switch audio tracks or subtitles there is no key labelled for this. The 8810w is also quite a large, heavy remote. My fingers do not reach all the buttons, so I am sliding the remote back and forth to reach all the buttons, or giving up and using two hands to control it.

The 6012m is very similar to an 8810w except it is lighter, smaller, and controls only 6 devices. The 6131m is also small and light, but has DVD friendly buttons, PVR friendly buttons, and .. more buttons. about 15 more buttons.

I use my 8810w next to the computer to learn codes for new devices to build device upgrades. I use the 6131m in the entertainment room with PVR and DVD. I use the 6012m in the exercise room (which only has a cable box, TV, and a VCR but no PVR or DVD).

I have in a drawer: RS15-2117, OFA8910 (non-donut version), and all the OEM remotes, all with no batteries in them.

Just my two cents! Smile

Good Luck,
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-Steve
Beginner's Guide
CodeSearchFAQ
JP1Files

usblipitor · Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 516 Location: Greenbelt, MD

mr_d_p_gumby · Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2004 5:26 pm Post subject:

The Robman

Mark Pierson

The Robman

Carwarr · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 80 Location: Las Vegas, NV

The last 2 8810w I bought have green backlights too. I like the look of the red backlights but this is just from seeing pics online. But after reading several comments about it being hard to see in the dark, now I don't know. Or were they just talking about reading the LCDs on the 8910s or 9910s.

Red is supposed to not screw up your night vision as much so maybe that was the reason for going to red on the newer ones. Who knows.

Mitch

Mega · Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Posts: 5 Location: San Antonio, TX

Wow, this community is really great. As it turns out, I ended up being near a Wal-Mart today, popped in, and sure enough they had one 8810w left, so I grabbed it. Before opening, I came back to this thread to see if anything posted would have changed my mind.

Kinda cool to see the pic I found of the 8910-new is now sized to match the others, and hosed here on hifi-remote (thanks Rob Very Happy

).

I don't know enough about JP1 yet to know if I *should* be intimidated by installing an extender, but my assumption was I would have to for what my plans were anyway, so no biggy. After reading so much about how bulky this remote is, I'm surprised how light and small it is... I guess my idea of bulky is the Marantz RC2000 I have collecting dust in the closet... hehe

BTW, my 8810w has a green backlight, and looks identical to the middle photo in my first post... the serial number is G032505 if that means anything to anyone regarding it's "birth date". I haven't even started playing with it yet, but I did just order Richard Hovis's $14 JP1, and I'm eager to get started.

I usually run my posts through a spell checker just in case (since I am a rotten speller and typist) but since discrete is also a real word, spellcheck missed it, but after reading the humorous posts about it, I think I'll remember to discreetly keep discrete and discrete discrete. Wink

Thanks again to all of you guys for the prompt replies. I usually figure on waiting a week to get replies in a support forum... you guys rock!
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-Mega

usblipitor · Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 516 Location: Greenbelt, MD

well, don't sit on your hands waiting for your cable to arrive! you have a lot of READING and DOWNLOADING to do. Hop to it! Mr. Green

Carwarr · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 80 Location: Las Vegas, NV

Yea, start reading and reading... I am very new to this too but just go through the Faq's and attempt to do what they are doing in it. They are out of date and alot of things like what column the info is in, in the exel file is not correct but just follow along and you will get it. It seems intimidating at first but after you play with it a little, you will see how easy it can be. If you really want to see how hard it could be, try to do all this without the excellent KM file, IR.exe and decodeIR.dll (sorry if I left anything out) and you will see that they have made this incredibly easy for us. And when you run into snags, just search the forum and then post here, count to about 50 and see a responce to your message!
(I swear, the guys must be poised over their keyboard just waiting for another post to answer!)

Have fun!
Mitch

Chuck_IV · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 54 Location: Connecticut

I looked at the 8810w before buying the 2117 and there were some major issues I had with the 8810 and their key designs/layout. The first was that the PiP keys were WAY at the bottom of the remote, which would cause me to have to constantly shift my hand around to get to those buttons(I use PiP a lot). When watching TV, I have my thumb on the up/down channel, thus the PiP buttons, should be nearby, like the 2117. Second, I like "rocker" style channel and volume buttons, like on the 2117, not individual buttons, like the 8810w has(this is why I hated the original RS 1994 replacement, the 2104).

About the only thing I don't like about the 2117 is the lack of "extra" buttons. The 8810w is loaded with them, but again, they are poorly places, all the way at the bottom.

Personally, my favorite remote, to date, is the RS 1994, because it is almost the same layout as the 2117 and HAS the 4 extra macro buttons. I still use this on my upstairs TV.