The SL9000 is the best remote for the $$$. It controls everything in my system ~ AV600, AC500, DV414, RCA VCR, Webtv, Sony TV, even my MA500s. I give it 5 stars especially 'cause I won it on ebay for $80. If your looking for a remote and don't want to spend $250 for the RC2000MKII check this one out. You won't be sorry.Jolen

Economical battery consumption (because no one uses it).

A peculiar 'Reset' error, which renders the SL-9000 100% useless as a learning remote, and 100% useless as a pre-programmed remote (that's 200% uselessness).

Lots of glowing, ethusiastic reviews here...but I'm not surprised, as most are based on 3- to 6-months use. Instead, let's see if you all continue to stroke the SL-9000 in the months to come.

Apparently, the "SL" stands for "Short Lived."

After only 6 months of LIGHT (and I mean very light), intermittent use, my SL-9000 resets ALL learned commands for ANY device it can. Today, I can still spend 40 minutes programming it any way I like, and the unit behaves as if all is well during the process (i.e., the LEARN, READY, and SAVED messages continue to flash). But when any command is tested thereafter--say, Power On/Off--the dreaded RESET message appears and then EVERY programmed command associated with the device is purged.

***Moreover (and this is pathetic, plain and simple), the SL-9000 no longer functions as a PRE-PROGRAMMED remote, because now NONE of the published codes work for ANY device in my system***

This remote was never dropped--and in fact spent more time sitting in a drawer than on a coffee table--even when it *was* working!!! Hence, I suspect poor quality control and/or amateurish engineering, both of which are quite comical for a device intended to be handled repeatedly (and dropped occasionally). Geeze, did I perhaps baby it too much? Was I supposed to toss it around a bit to properly break it it in?

I have yet to see the 'Low Battery' warning, but have become very familiar with these five letters: R E S E T.

All in all, I'd say the SL-9000 functioned well (and elimited the need for my stock remotes) for about 6 hours of actual use (i.e., pressing buttons and getting results). Sadly, it was my very first universal remote, and is the LAST one I will purchase from Universal Remote, Inc.

I'll swallow the $119 I threw away on this toy, but I estimate that Universal Remote, Inc. can reimburse me about $750 for my time.

Similar Products Used:

None

Ease of use and programming, backlight, macros, price, easy on batteries, incredibly strong IR signal, relatively small size

Not as flexible as the more expensive remotes, but not nearly as complicated to use either

If you're looking for an easy-to-use, cost-effective remote that can replace up to 8 original remotes look no further--this one's a winner.

Although not as flexible as the more expensive remotes, it is flexible enough to fully control all but the most elaborate systems with ease. And it's not nearly as complex to program or use as those remotes either, so my wife and visitors can use it with little or no instruction whatsoever. Try that with a Pronto. Programming the SL9000 is a breeze once you read the manual, which is also very well laid out and easy to read. Even the macros are a snap to program and easy to use. You need to be a junior programmer with a lot of spare time to take advantage of what the Pronto has to offer and get it to work the way you want. No thanks.

Also, since its got real buttons instead of a touchscreen you can control most of the major functions without even looking at the remote. I find this to be a real bonus.

Some other real-world benefits are that the unit is very good with respect to battery usage. Mine underwent very heavy use for a year before I had to replace the 4 AA batteries. The Marantz RX2000 chewed through batteries every couple months at that rate. Also, the IR signal is incredibly strong and will work even if pointed in the wrong direction or blocked by other objects. Mine even works from outside the room. The Marantz was also weak in this area and needed to be pointed almost directly at the component to work. Lastly, it's small relative to other programmable remotes so it fits nicely in your hand making it easy to hold and navigate the buttons easily with one hand. All these things add up on a day-to-day basis to make this remote an absolute pleasure to use.

As for reliability, as stated above I've subjected my remote to heavy use for over a year and it hasn't missed a beat, and it has been dropped a lot. I've recommended this remote to several friends and family and they haven't had one problem among them either. To the person below, I hope this is not how you face all the adversities in life. It's obvious from reading all the reviews here and on the other post for this remote that this is a relatively trouble-free product and that you are the only one who experienced a reset problem. Why didn't you call the place you bought it from or the manufacturer? My guess is your problem would have been solved under warranty or some other way, but now you're going to have to suffer with either a more expensive, more complex remote or an insufficient piece of crap. You should have given the SL9000 a fair chance rather than just giving up. Your loss.

As for weaknesses, you can't custom-label buttons and there are only 5 macros available, but the unit comes with stickers that help with labeling and 5 macros will probably be more than enough for 90% of users. As for the lack of dedicated direction keys, I've programmed transport functions into the CD area and use the DVD area for menu navigation which works fine since I don't need all 8 functions for my system. My only other minor complaint is that you can only run macros from certain functions, which is inconvenient at times but not a big deal.

So if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive universal remote that's extremely easy to use with the flexibility to replace every function of every remote you have, don't buy anything until you take a look at the SL9000. Guaranteed to make your life easier.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz RX2000, Philips Pronto

Many buttons!

Only one set of transport/menu buttons

Well, I've had the whole day to program my rev 3 of the SL9000 and I think I will keep it. I thought I would want rev2 where the device buttons can send a joined/learned input selection on the second press, but as it turns out I don't miss that feature (which was excluded from rev3).

See http://www.remotecentral.com/sl9000/index.html for a review of rev2 of the SL-9000.

As it turns out, I don't even use that feature with rev3. Using the joined command doesn't allow for tuner or phonograph, so it's easier to keep all input buttons below together. With the included stickers as a guide, I have enough keys in all modes to do everything I need.

My one caveat was a single set of arrow/joypad keys. Since my DVD player is also my CD player, I simply let the DVD device keep them as transport keys, then program the CD "device" to do the menu commands (and then some). It's one extra step, but works out really well as is pretty intuitive since the directional keys are actually pointing the right way, as opposed to putting them on the two rows at the bottom. This same limitation also doesn't allow for me to use the VCR transport functions while in TV mode, since I need the joypad for TV menu commands.

I would rate this as the best tactile button remote on the market, but not the best tactile remote "possible." Indeed the Radio Shack 15-1994 has both transport and menu keys separate, but it doesn't have that much memory to learn commands. The SL-9000 has only one set of joypad keys which double as menu or transport depending on how you program it, but it has memory out the wazoo. I used a LOT of learned commands to re-arrange keys on my A/V receiver and DVD player. I never ran out of memory.

If the manufacturer wanted to make the best possible remote without going to one of those expensive LCD remotes, the Home Theater SL-9000 should be revised to include both transport and menu keys separately. That will give "Universal Remote Control" something to strive for. As it stands now, I give it a very high 4.

I recently bought a SL9000 to be given away as a gift. I spent some time programming it for the intended user. I own a RC2000Mk2 myself.
In Canada, the SL9K is much more pricey than in the US at $300 suggested retail but can be had for less. The Marantz sells for about $300 with a list of $350 Cdn. Anyway, I heard good things about this based on the reviews above and the review in Home Theatre magazine.

The remote feels good in my hands. Slim but long. Quite light. Buttons have a good feel and remote is well balanced. It takes 4AAA batteries. The backlighting is pleasant and bright. Preprogrammed codes were set up with not much of a problem. But not all the buttons matched my Panasonic VCR for any of the codes. No problem, since I can reprogram any of the buttons I want anyway.

One thing about this remote which is the major fault of it. The buttons in the bottom half are labelled stuff like NEXT, INFO, ALT, FAV, Delay+/-, Rear +/- etc. No remote on any of my systems corresponds to any of these labels. I think they could have labelled them with buttons that are more representative of real world remotes. For example, Clear, Memory, Setup, Index, Slow, Audio, Title, etc. Coming from the Marantz, this is the major sore point since it has a nice screen to label the custom buttons up to 4 characters. Since the keys on the SL9000 are prelabelled, this leads me to guess and remember where I programmed the functions. They do have some sticky labels that you can stick over the function labels but of course you can only have one label on one key. This is a problem if I want the Delay+ key to mean PIP Channel+ in TV mode and then Setup in VCR mode. Also, the remote's default assignment to some keys is not always intuitive either. I will have to draw up a map to remember where the less frequently used buttons are.

Secondly, the teaching sequence does take longer than expected. You have to pressed the sending remote's key twice (press once for three seconds to pick up the signal and a second time to confirm). This redundant sequence may make for a more reliable learning sequence, but it does take longer. The Marantz learns the key with one stroke and will say "OK" once it learns it.

In the end, it took a shorter time to set up this remote than the Marantz. But the whole thing took much longer than I expected because I had to try to find the right code. And even then, not all the functions are assigned in a intuitive manner. There was some trial and error to figure out if the keys did what they were supposed to in the preprogrammed mode. Even though setting up the Marantz takes longer, it seems more straightforward.

There is a punch through feature which lets you preset the volume control to only control one device regardless of which device mode the remote is working in. (e.g. even in DVD mode, the volume will still control the receiver) This is too restricture so instead, I just reprogrammed the volume through the learning function. Now, in DVD or CD mode, the volume operates the receiver and in TV or VCR mode, it operates the TV volume.

This is a remote that *can* replace all other remotes since almost every key can be reprogrammed, but because of the labelling problem, it is not a remote you can pass around to others and have them use it. This is not true of the Marantz or other touchscreen remotes. I have every key programmed into the Marantz and you can figure out the obscure functions (I programmed all of them into the LCD direct-action keys and assigned them a label). And I still have plenty of custom keys to spare on the Marantz. With this one, I had to leave out a few keys from my Sony TV since I ran out of custom keys.

All in all, I can't recommend this remote if you were to buy it in Canada because of the high price. I would suggest going to the RC2000Mk2 at about $50-100 Cdn more. The Marantz has less battery life, is much heavier and less balanced but in every other way is a better remote to replace all your remotes.

Works everything

Transport for DVD

This remote is a major step up from the one that came with my RXV-800 and also is better than the Cinema 7 I had previously.It controls all my equipment including webtv.It's easy to setup and use.The backligting is great when watching movies.It fits the hand well and most functions can be used without looking at it after you get used to it.So far I've had no battery use and no problems at all with the unit.

Similar Products Used:

One for all cinema 7,Yamaha RAV212

easy to use, easy to program and takes control of your complete system! back-lit too!

slow responce on some buttons that you choose to program to your equipment

the coffee table is almost clear! this has been a great product to use and give you the maximum control of your HT system. for the $$, about a buck-forty a year ago, it is worth every penny! being able to control my a/v receiver, tv, satelite receiver, two vcr's, dvd player and cd player all with one remote is the best. and because it's a learning remote, you can teach it any function from just about any type of "ir" remote. it can be confusing trying to remember what every programmed button is for each device, but with time it becomes second nature.

It has none that i can see

Doesn't work on everthing like they say.

This is a peice of junk. What a waste of money. Won't work on my JVC RX-1028VBK receiver, or my Toshiba 3109 DVD or the Toshiba TW65H80 TV. About half of the functions work on my 4DTV Satellite receiver.
Called there number in book for help, but they are very rude people there. They told me that they have never heard of my remotes when i gave them the numbers off of them. I end up doing some of there leg work by calling JVC and Toshiba about the spec on there remotes. Called Universal Remote back with info, this guy was worst than first one. Finally he said that I would have to send in all my remotes so that they could try and reprogram theirs, but couldn't say for sure that they could. Sorry fellows!! I would give a 00 to but the lowest in a 1. What a waste of money.

Similar Products Used:

None yet. open to suggestions

Every button is programmable. Powerful IR.

Missing dedicated menu and transport buttons.

The fact that every button can be programmed (5 of them with macros) allow this remote to replace all of your others. A little bit of fine tuning and you'll have it doing just about everything you need. As others have pointed out, the SL-9000 doesn't have two sets of keys for dedicated transport and menu functions. To remedy this, under the "DVD" device I have the arrow keys programmed for transport functions. I then programmed the "Aux" device to replicate all of the "DVD" fuctions except that the arrow keys now control the DVDs menu functions. This way I can just tap one of the two device buttons at the top to change the way the arrow keys work without having to remap the functions to out-of-the-way buttons. Also, the IR on this remote is incredibly strong. I can aim it at the couch, the floor, a pile of pillows, whatever and it will still control all of the devices. I appreciate not having to aim it right at the equipment, especially when the macros are running.

Ease of use. Easy to program. Look and feel. Backlight real nice

none so far

This remote is great. It is very easy to program. My JVC cd player took up most of the time to set up because several of the codes provided actually work. I just eliminated all except the one that I had to do less programing with. I now have one remote instead of (6) six. My only complaint is that it would be nice to have the words light up along with the buttons. Maybe too much to ask. I got mine from consumer-direct.com for $84.95 plus s/h.

Similar Products Used:

sony, yamaha