Review:

Besides being one of the leading suppliers for cable and satellite providers, URC is also an OEM supplier to many leading high-end audio manufacturers. While they’re best known among consumers for their popular Home Theater Master line of universal remotes, most of the products in that line are directed toward custom installers who would typically program the remotes for their customers. Demand for a user-friendlier, easy to program universal remote solution led to the development of the new URC lineup of universal remotes. Building on the platform established by their Home Theater Master (HTM) lineup (particularly the very successful MX-500), the URC line consists of three remotes that offer varying degrees of programmability and each offers RF capability when combined with the optional RF base station. For this review, we have chosen the middle remote in the line-up (and so far the most popular), the URC-200.

At a retail price of $129.95 for the URC-200 and $59.95 for the MRF-100, the remote itself is more expensive than an MX-500, but the combination is less than an MX-600 (which uses the same RF base station). There are some big differences between the remotes, which are outlined below.


Physical Layout and Capabilities





Those familiar with the MX-500 will recognize the similar shape of the URC-200. The 200 is slightly shorter and slimmer than the MX-500. It has only one column of five LCD-labeled buttons (as opposed the two columns of five each on the HTM remotes). Like the MX-500, it can control up to 10 devices. That’s pretty much where the similarity ends, because the URC-200 incorporates some features only found on the MX-700 and 800, as well as a different learning method.

The URC-200 has up to eight pages of LCD-labeled buttons for each device, providing a total of 40 LCD-labeled buttons for each device (as opposed to 20 for the MX-500). Unused pages can be hidden, so you only access those pages that have commands on them. Borrowing one of the better features of the MX-700 and 800, any LCD-labeled button can have a 190-step macro (a series of commands executed with a single button push) programmed to it. These macros can have delay time added at any point in the macro, so they can be instantly executing when the button is pushed, or requires that you “push and hold” the button down to execute the macro. There are also eight pages of “Favorite Channel” buttons accessible when you push the FAV button. These buttons can contain macros with the channel numbers of your most viewed channels and can be appropriately labeled (ie: ESPN, HBO etc.). Unlike the MX-500, these can also be programmed just like any other macro and are not restricted to using certain buttons. As is the case with the MX-series remotes, the LCD labels can contain up to 5 characters, which can be a combination of letters, numbers and special characters.

Dropping down from the LCD screen, the rest of the button layout is the same as an MX-700, without the dual labeling or the dedicated macro buttons of the MX-500. After some complaint about the center “Select” on the 5-way thumbpad of the MX series remotes, the URC lineup uses a separate “Select” button in the middle of a 4-way thumbpad. This is a much better arrangement in my opinion.

The URC-200 is fully backlit and contrast of the LCD screen is adjustable.


Programming

Programming the URC-200 is a straightforward process. In addition to the owner’s manual, the remote comes with a DVD that visually takes you through all the programming steps. You enter the programming mode by holding down the MAIN and ENT buttons simultaneously for three seconds to enter programming mode and from there select the type of programming you’re going to do. Like the MX-500 and many other universal remotes, there are a number of built-in codes for various manufacturers. You find the three-digit code that works with each component and the commands are assigned to the hard-labeled buttons and default labeled LCD buttons. While this is the quick-and-easy method, it’s often much better to change the LCD-labeled buttons for each device to match the labeling on the original remote, then learn all the commands from the original remote. This way you can both label and place the buttons where they’re most convenient to you.

Learning to the URC-200 is quite simple, although it’s a little different than the MX-500 or many other remotes in that it requires a two-step process referred to by URC as “double tap” learning. When learning a button from another remote, you push the button on the URC-200 that you wish to learn to, then push the corresponding button on your original remote. You will then get a message that says “RETRY” and you then push the button on the original remote again. While this may seem to be unnecessarily time consuming, it actually improves the reliability of the learning process and enables the URC-200 to learn commands that are difficult or impossible to learn to other universal remotes.

Once you’ve learned all of your components, it’s time to move on to some of the advanced abilities of the URC-200. As mentioned previously, macros can be programmed to any LCD-labeled button, as well as the “ON” and “OFF” buttons. You can “punch through” volume, channel, transport (FF, Play etc.), thumbpad and Power on/Off commands from any device to another, enabling you to control aspects of multiple device while on a single device page.

RF Operation

The optional MRF-100 adds the ability to use the URC-200 without pointing it at your components, or for equipment behind solid doors or from another room. The MRF-100 comes with 6 wired IR emitters, each 10’ long. You would typically hide the base station somewhere behind your components (or along side them), run a wired emitter to each component and use the peel-and-stick pad on each emitter to affix it to the component at its IR receiving eye. It also has an IR blaster on the front of it that can be placed in front of your components if you do not wish to use the wired emitters.

Once set up, the MRF-100 has exceptional range. I tried a macro from the street in front of my house, approximately 70’ from the components and through two walls without a hitch. The URC-200 emits both IR and RF at all times, so you can operate your equipment either way. Using both does not affect operation. The MRF-100 is a highly recommended option for those either needing or just wanting to control their equipment without a direct line of sight from the remote.


Conclusion

URC has come up with a winner in the URC-200. The only problem is its limited availability, as it’s restricted to brick-and-mortar retailers and not available to custom installers or other authorized Home Theater Master dealers. While there are a few things I’d like to see changed (the addition of dedicated Chapter Skip forward and back buttons near the thumbpad come to mind), the URC-200 is a solid performer in all respects. Highly recommended!

Features:

• Transmits both IR and RF signals
• Create custom text labels on expanded LCD screen
• Replaces up to 10 remote controls
• Instant access up to 40 favorite channels with the press of one button
• Punch through operation for easy control of frequently used functions
• Automate regular activities with 432 macro buttons, each with up to 190 commands
• Retains programming without batteries up to 10 years
• Works indoors or outdoors with the optional MRF-100 RF receiver