Audiovox SC-570 Remote Control

The Remote: a symbol of control and power of unparalleled importance, the scepter of the Electronic Domain. A talisman of good. The defender of high cholesterol and every beer belly the world over. And yet the playing field of Universal Remotes is not equal? I have found one that rivals all other remotes in its price range.

Let?s get this straight from the outset ? I am not a purveyor of electronics reviews. My first electronics review (on the Palm IIIxe) averaged a not-helpful rating and if you?ve seen any of my other reviews you know how bizarre that is. If you happen to be a hardcore electronics junkie, I offer many apologies to you for my feeble attempt here. And if you read my other reviews ? and are much happier with a book in your hands ? feel free to pass up this review. I will be less than offended.

The problem is that I just HAVE to write this review; I am way too excited about this product! I was joking with my wife that I was seriously thinking about sending out a mailing to all my friends (something along the lines of those annoying Christmas picture-cards that arrive during the holidays from friends with whom you haven?t spoken in 10 years), letting them know about this Holy Grail of electronics.

What?s The Big Deal?
For over a year and a half now, I have been looking for a remote control that will seamlessly handle the various components that comprise my home-theatre system. Seems like a simple feat, but ? alas, it isn?t. Many aspiring universal remotes have fallen into the hardware store Return Bin, simply because they couldn?t handle one or more of my various components. I even tried using my Palm IIIxe to handle this problem! It actually would have worked, but the interface and GUI were a kludge to operate; basically, a programmer would have been required to make the arrangement work.

The Challenge
Being the bargain shopper that I am, I didn?t stick with a particular brand of electronics when I set up my stereo system. I have an in-store display RCA television, a Panasonic 5-disc DVD player, a Kenwood Dolby 5.1 surround sound receiver, and a Sharp stereo VCR ? four separate components and four separate name brands, creating a pretty hefty challenge for any universal remote to solve.

Now, I know that I could have found a $300 universal that would take care of this problem ? It would have also flossed my teeth and tucked me in bed at night! I just can?t see myself spending that kind of money on something, just so I don?t have to watch a movie with four remotes in my lap to make it work. It?s annoying ? but not $300 worth of annoying. Not to me, anyway. I figured $20 to $30 dollars would about tap my annoying rectification budget ? so I set out to investigate every universal remote I encountered in that price range.

The Competition
I tested out a veritable cornucopia of products in this price range. Some of the initial remotes I looked into were three-product universals ? meaning they could only handle 3 different devices at the same time. A few could handle four, and rarely they would even handle up to six different devices. Here is a small sampling of the various remotes I investigated:

Philips REM250
Zenith ZEN777
RCA RCU300WG
RCA RCU500
RCA RCUSAT-1
Jensen SC-570

The problems I had with these remotes fell into two distinct categories. The first, and the most frustrating, of the problems was that the remote control wouldn?t have the code necessary to handle my specific device ? even if the package indicated compatibility with components of that particular brand. The second problem was the ease of use. None of the remotes I looked into (besides the Jensen) were capable of handling all of my various hardware systems with ease and precision. If it takes both hands, a foot, and someone else to assist in getting your DVD player turned on, IT?S TOO DIFFICULT. (Sorry for yelling.)

The Jensen ? Light Of My Life
My wife and I were at Blockbuster, preparing for a movie night, when I spotted a universal remote on one of the end caps. Frantically flipping the package over, I was astounded by the list of various brands indicated as compatible with the Jensen Universal. In the back of my mind I thought ? ?maybe?? Taking the remote home, I first approached the hardest nut to crack: the Panasonic DVD player. If the Jensen was going to fail on any of my devices, this would definitely be the one. To my surprise, it worked like a charm! Moving from the DVD player to the rest of the components in my home stereo system, I realized I was in luck ? each piece was handled with ease and precision.

Admittedly, it took me a few minutes to figure out how to program each component ? But once I realized I could either allow the remote to auto-detect my system (a very cool process that reminded me of Twinkie?s chest display panel from Buck Rogers - with all the blinking and flashing lights necessary to make a techno-weenie like myself partake in much conviviality), or I could try the various codes myself ? and I was in business. So there I was, randomly turning on and off the various devices, volume up and down. An onlooker might have thought our speakers were possessed. And that is just a small taste of what this universal remote can do ? because the Jensen can ultimately and simultaneously handle the following seven different types of components:

Televisions
Satellite Connections
Cable Boxes
Video Cassette Recorders
Audio Receivers
DVD Players
CD Players

Aerodynamics
This is not a flimsy remote you have here sports fans. It is just the right size for the many functions it handles. A sleek silver molded plastic design created especially for hours and hours of comfort filled remote manipulation. Carpel Tunnel is not in your future if you go with this remote. The Jensen SC-570 will look good on your couch armrest regardless of your interior decoration. (Please laugh with me? cause I know I sure am as I write this! Hehe.)

The Downside
I would say that the only down side to this $19.99 bargain-matinee product is the fact that four AAA batteries are required to make the Jensen function. But then again ? what else should I expect? Any remote that can keep codes memorized for 25 minutes after the batteries have been removed HAS to have a nuclear reactor at its core, right?!? Oh, there is one other downside (admittedly ALL universals have this problem, but still...). I find it impossible to remember where to point when switching from one device to the other. It?s a bit of a trick, after having four separate remotes these past few years.

The Bottom line
This is a lame product to get all worked up about, UNLESS you have had to go through what I have gone through to switch from DVD to VCR and turn the volume up a bit, all at the same time. Discovering the Jensen is almost like having a nagging toothache finally fixed. It is a marvelous experience. I am certain there are other universal remotes out there that will work with my (or your, for that matter,) particular set-up, but this is the first I have found that works and works well. And for that price, too ? just an amazing bargain!