How to Choose a Universal Remote for TV, DVD and Audio Systems

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Universal remotes allow you to, with a single device, control a variety of devices, including your TV, DVD and audio players. In an era where everything is electronic, it can get quite overwhelming having to keep track of several remotes, especially since it has always been hard enough just to keep track of one. Additionally, for many set ups, in order to run a DVD may require as many as three different remote controls. A universal remote bypasses this need and allows you to turn on your television, switch to the appropriate channel, turn on your stereo system and run the DVD player all with one, single remote.

Universal remotes come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and costs. How do you know which one is right for you? Ultimately, cost becomes one of the biggest factors, followed closely by which devices the individual remote will actually run. Prices for universal remotes run between $10 and $350 at the large electronic superstores. Additionally, although most universal remotes are compatible with most brand name products, you might have to look a little bit harder if some piece of your system is a smaller brand or a non-name brand product.

In general, the less you pay, the fewer features you have on the universal remote. The biggest feature you will lose is the number of systems that you can run on the universal remote. As a general rule of thumb (although you can find exceptions), if you pay less than $30, you'll only be able to control up to three devices using your universal remote. The most expensive universal remotes can run up to 15 devices, and some may run more. The other "important" feature that you'll miss out on is how easy it is to program. Some of the more expensive universal remotes allow for programming via the computer or have a "learning" feature that allows it to automatically program, without your having to find the code for your device to enter into the remote (which can be quite time consuming). Other features that may be dropped include an easy to read screen and buttons that light up, though these have varying degrees of importance to different people.

The Phillips 3-Device Universal Remote Control is the least expensive of the options I am presenting here. At between $10 and $15 at most retailers, this universal remote can control only 3 devices, which fits with the schema I presented above regarding cost. However, it does offer the option to automatically search for device codes, which is a feature normally limited to more expensive options. This device is relatively easy to use, with few extra button pushes to obtain the desired result, and, if you only have three devices you wish to run off of this remote, it provides a very low-cost option without missing out on some of the higher end features. Ultimately, though, this particular universal remote is not fantastic. Besides being fairly flimsy (we purchased one and it broke same day), the automatic search does not appear to function properly and codes typically must entered. Although this worked fine for our devices, some universal remote codebooks do not include all of the codes for different brands, and an online search may need to be run to find additional codes. It also does not appear to work with some of the smaller brand names. Overall, if you have big name devices and wish to find a low cost universal remote, I would say that this is among the best of the lowest costing options, but if you can afford a slightly more expensive one, it might be worth the splurge.

The Sony Universal Learning Remote costs a bit more than the Phillips described above, and offers roughly the same features, but the extra cost (retailing for approximately $25) seems to assure that this universal remote works a bit better than some of the cheaper versions, and the fact that it can control up to 8 devices makes it the obviously superior product. Longtime fans of Sony's small electronics, we particularly liked the quality of this remote, though remotes never seem to last long at our house because they wander away or are broken in some freak accident. Perhaps because the emphasis even in this remote's name is on the learning feature, this feature worked particularly well and allowed us to program every device quickly and easily, without the cumbersome project of looking for codes. Also, it did not have the bizarre tendency to "fall out" of programming, like some remotes do. Once programmed, this remote stays programmed. However, like any product, it has some negatives. The buttons do not light up, and, more importantly for many people, it cannot be programmed to run a DVR box to my knowledge.

The Logitech Harmony 550 Advanced Universal Remote offers quite a large jump in price from the previously referenced Sony and Phillips brands (retails around $100), and, with it, quite a jump in functionality. With the ability to control up to 15 devices, the Logitech offers the extreme benefit of being able to control nearly any device controlled by a remote, including lights and fans. It has an LCD screen, making it easy to see and use, and can be programmed easily online or by using the device. Additionally, for those people who get tired of having to manipulate through 7 different buttons just to get shows on your TV, it can be set up to start a whole host of features with a single push of the button. This universal remote is sturdy and dependable, as well. Besides the cost, there are a few negatives, though. The buttons are somewhat hard to push, being small, even if you don't have any sort of disability that may disallow the pushing of tiny buttons that tend to get stuck. It cannot run a DVR device, and there are a great number of complaints about the customer service and the lack thereof with Logitech.

For a little bit more, the $150 Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote with Backlit Keypad offers pretty much the same advantages of the Logitech Harmony 550, plus the backlit keypad and easier to use buttons (though not by much). It can also control 15 devices, and does seem to work with DVR players (though not well). The USB port allows for computer set up. The product is not very durable, however, and quite prone to the "falling out" of programming I mentioned above, necessitating a complete or partial reprogram rather often, which can be quite a hassle.

The most expensive remote that I could find was the Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote. For $350, it is hardly worth reviewing for the average person, but I include it here for diversity. Interestingly, universal remotes tend to work better with off-brand devices if they are more expensive, so the money you save on your television might well have to be spent on a more expensive universal remote. This universal remote can control absolutely anything you can think of. It has a really awesome color LCD screen, which has major advantages over the difficult-to-read text screens of the other Logitech remotes reviewed here. You can use one button to turn on a variety of devices that need to work together. However, you will have to turn off all of those devices before that feature can work. It comes with a charger, which will help save on batteries. As with all Logitech devices, support leaves much to be desired, and there is some complaint of deprogramming in this universal remote, as well.

Overall, there are a number of good options for universal remotes, depending upon your specific needs.