Top 3 Universal Remotes

I’ve seen subwoofers that are as tall as a schoolboy, which when turned on can shake the very foundations of any apartment. But what's the use of all this killer equipment without the one thing that controls it all? The administrator of the whole process is the remote control. With each device comes its remote, and to put it briefly, remotes and humans don’t go well; after all remotes were first used to detonate bombs in World War 2. Multiple remotes mean more buttons, more searching for the right app, and yes, more frustration looking for the right remote. The solution is a universal remote, which helps eliminate clutter and minimize time.

Thus here is a list of hit universal remotes in terms of price and performance, released recently.  I've taken the most popular universal learning remotes in the Indian market – Philips SRU9600, Logitech Harmony One, and Kameleon 8 Universal Remote. I did not look at the Logitech Harmony 1000, or the new 1100 as they are expensive.

Kameleon 8
Rs. 5995

I remember when we received the Kameleon One for All remote, it distinctly looked different from the rest. It is a sleek, good-looking device. The body has a brushed aluminum finish with a touch of reflectivity, while the flat front panel sports two rectangular screens and a black bezel. Ergonomics is not ignored, with a nice contoured back that helps in grip.

The remote works on 4 AAA batteries. The monochrome screen uses electroluminescent technology, which means it lights up when you touch it. It's actually more sensitive than it sounds; in fact it lights up on the slightest vibration. The screen supposedly conserves battery life as it only lights up when required. The remote is easy to set up, with an inbuilt database, plus a plethora of codes given in the manual. It has a learning function, which is the straight-up method of feeding each key one-on-one with your old remote. One thing I would like to point out is the necessity of reading the manual, because successfully operating and setting up the remote is not straightforward.

Logitech Harmony One
Rs.18,500

The IR based Harmony One is curvaceous, a welcome change from the previous flat and broad Harmony 1000. A gloss black front panel is strewn with black buttons of similar sizes, though different shapes. This helps as you don’t need to look carefully at the buttons; you can easily recognize them by their shapes. The top end of the front panel has a touchscreen, a compact, sharp-looking color LCD panel.

The package comes with a black flat one that has its front panel carved out exactly in the remote’s shape; the remote sleeps on this and charges via the included AC adapter. With the help of the setup disc/USB cable included in the package, you have to install the Logitech software and keep the remote connected. The compulsory login is a hassle, but then on things are quite easy: the remote takes a minute to connect to the database (Internet connection required, obviously!) and then you have to type in your model name. One can also use remote learning , where  you have to get the actual remote and holding both remotes face to face, feed the IR code. Every function of the remote works very well, but the obvious caveat is price! It’s not for the budget conscious.

Philips SRU 9600
Rs. 12,990

The Philips is a long, straight-edged, rectangular piece, very much like an AV receiver remote control, but of course there is the screen on top– a large one in fact, at 3.5 inches diagonally. It's monochrome, but it's a touchscreen. Philips hardly has any physical buttons on the front panel; only a jog wheel with central select buttons. The front panel is glossy, but not much other snazziness in the design. The best part of the Philips is that it doesn’t require any CD, installation software, or connection to a PC.
You just push the setup button on the screen, browse the menus, and set up your codes. It has quite a few brands already in the database, so even without connecting to the net you could be all set to go. Though, the touchscreen is only for actual device control, the setup is done by the hard buttons. The Philips requires 3 AA batteries, and overall is a good choice for anyone who likes keeping things simple without software and stuff.