URC URC-RFS200 PowerPak user reviews

Pros RF signal - strong IR output on the blaster

Cons Switching between components (small con)

Summary So you want a home theater. Your wife says yes if you can hide that hideous stack of black boxes. Sounds simple. This remote makes it very simple. I shopped the competition's options from Monster to the massive home theater controllers. Since my budget was not $500-$1500, I had to avoid the big controllers. It was between Monster's and Universal's.

Most of my components were in the "code list" and worked perfectly with just the code. My TiVO/DirecTV was the exception. The TiVO code only made the TiVO work and the SAT code only made that part work. I used the learning capability on the remote and even though I had to program every button, it was fast and painless.

The RF features of the remote work perfectly also. I have my components in a cedar closet about 20 feet from my projector and couch. It goes through the walls fine. The Powerblaster that transmits the IR signal in the closet is not even facing the components and works due to the high IR signal it outputs.

The macros for turning everything on/changing the input on the projector are also easy to program and work very well. For the $100 I paid for this, it was a steal. There is no way the Monster counterpart gives enough additional functionality to warrant the high price.