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Universal 9950B00 Mosaic Touch Screen Remote

Universal 9950B00 Mosaic Touch Screen Remote

List Price: $99.99
Your Price: $59.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great remote for the money!
Review: After putting up with four remotes to control my entertainment center for the last several years I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a universal. Since this is my first, I have nothing to compare it to and really can't say how it stacks up with other models so I'll try and be as informative as possible.

The Mosaic is similar in appearance and feel to a large black and white PDA. The dimensions are; 7.25"H x 3.6"W x 1.5"D with a 2.3" x 4" active (backlit) touch screen operating at 160 x 240 pixels. The factory warranty is 1 year repair or replacement.

Programming the Mosaic is simple and intuitive and you can add devices by brand name, search or device code. Searching is basically by trial and error, you tell it what type of device you have (TV, Stereo, VCR etc...) and it will present you with some test keys to try. If those keys don't work you can proceed to a different set of keys to try and so forth and so on until the device responds. Device codes and upgrades can be obtained through the manufacturers web site.

The infrared code database on this thing is huge! Even if your device isn't listed, the Mosaic has a learning feature that allows you to reprogram existing or create new keys using the components original remote. I personally found the built-in layouts a bit too generic with several features found on the original remotes missing. This was easily rectified by using the learning feature to reprogram some of the keys as well as add new ones.

"Theater mode" was also a bit to generic for my purpose as it presents the most basic screens for each device and none of the macro keys show up in this mode. I found it more useful to just create my own screens which is the reason I chose a touchscreen over a hardkey remote anyway.

Macros are easy to setup, if you've ever recorded a macro using one of the popular word processors out there you'll be right at home. Simply access the new macro function and you'll be presented with all of the devices you've setup on the Mosaic, just start tapping buttons in the order you would perform that function manually. When finished, it will give the option to label the new macro key and ask where to place it.

It took about 5 - 10 minutes from the time the batteries were installed to have a basic setup for all four of my components. It took an additional 2 hours to customize everything the way I really wanted it, including macros. Of course there was quite a bit of "playtime" while I familiarized myself with my new toy.

There are six hard keys that control the backlight, volume up/down, mute and channel up/down. The volume, channel and mute keys control that function on whatever device is currently selected on the Mosaic. A useful feature called volume lock can be setup to lock the volume and mute hard keys to a specific device. This is really nice if all your components are plugged into an A/V receiver like mine is.

For the money, I think the Mosaic is a pretty good deal and it has quickly become a favorite in my household, but I do have a couple complaints: The first being that the screen could be a little brighter with better contrast. There is a contrast control but it tends to go from one extreme to the other, a washed out or totally black screen. Another issue is that you can't edit or rename macros. It would also be nice if they had a screen lock feature so you can clean the screen without having to leave the room or cover up the IR emmiters.

I've only had it a short time so I have no idea how long the alkaline batteries will last but I suspect I'll be looking to buy the optional rechargeable battery pack soon.

A definite buy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AWESOME, BUT SUCKS
Review: All I have to say is this remote is awesome, but sucks cause you know sony remotes are better

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome
Review: All I have to say is this remote is awesome. It is so easy to use. The manual tells you eveything you need to know. If you are looking for an awesome touchscreen remote for a cheap price. This is the one for you

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Finally - A user friendly electronic device that WORKS!
Review: I spent about 30 minutes shopping for a universal remote. I based my purchase on the large easy visible control buttons and the great reviews this product has recieved. As others have said, this thing is awesome! I was instantly impressed with the overall quality and ruggedness of this device. The instruction manual is laid out in plain easy to read and follow procedures. I had mine up and running in 5 minutes for basic operation. You dont even have to know your codes..Touch "setup" "device setup" "by brand" select "TV" scroll to JVC (eg) and your done! Several test keys will appear (power, channel change, etc). If these work touch "ok" and the settings are saved. If they dont, select the next choice and run the test. ALL my devices worked correctly on the first option! Tonight I will program the macros to control all my equipment so I will finally have a single button to watch a DVD, VHS etc. I highly reccomend this item to anyone that has 3+ remotes! Well worth the money AND IT WORKS!!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great product....easy to learn
Review: This remote is great. the instruction manual is very straight forward and tells you all you need to know. The device has most codes for devices already built in but my receiver was not listed. I simply chose the basic screen for a tuner and then let the device learn all of the keys. Very easy to use and definitely has cut down on the clutter on the coffee table.


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