Sales Rank: 1050


Features:

Remote control will function with 8 audio/video devices

Glow-in-the-dark keys; LED lights confirm selected function

11 macro control functions; 16 consecutive operations for complex command series

Compatible with most major brands; learning function for other brands

Picture-in-picture function

Average Rating:
Rating: - Almost the perfect remote
I've had mine for almost a year now. I have a fairly complicated AV setup many different brands of products. The RM-VL900 easily replaces all of my other remotes.

The remote itself has 3 macro buttons at the top. These buttons will perform up to 16 commands. Use these for turning on or off all of your components at once with the touch of 1 button. The 8 component selection buttons below also double as macro buttons. Press them to change components, press and hold for 2 seconds to perform a macro. This is a great feature when switching your AV system from one component to another requires multiple commands. These macro buttons not only make it more convenient for you, but also make complicated AV setups much more accessable to non-technical people. Any function that the remote can perform can be included in a macro, including learned functions.

The rest of the buttons on the remote are your standard fare of VCR, DBS, and TV control type buttons. Every button is programmable/learning. You can look for your remote on the list of provided codes, or just program all the buttons yourself using the learning feature and the old remote. You are not limited to traditional layouts and can program any button to perform any function you want. You can even mix remotes under a single component. Use the DBS component mode to change channels on both the VCR and the DBS system without have to switch the remotes component mode if you want. Nice.

The button themselves are well laid out. You have big channel and volume buttons on the bottom. The volume buttons can be set to change the volume on your TV or reciever no matter what component is selected on the remote. The other buttons have different shapes and sizes and are laid out in such a way that you can quickly learn to find your way around the remote without having to look at it. Try that with one of those fancy LCD remotes.

The only 2 minor drawbacks with the remote are that only the component select buttons are actually lit. The others are glow in the dark. This isn't a huge drawback because they glow fairly well, and after you get used to the remote, probably won't be looking at it anyway. The other drawback is that programming it is a little complex, and the manual isn't the clearest. Given all the functionality of the remote, I doubt they could have made the programming much easier, but they certainly could have made the manual a little clearer. The manual, while not clear, is comprehensive. Spend a few extra minutes with the manual and I think most people will be able to figure it out.

This remote doesn't just replace other remotes, it makes using your entire AV Theater setup much easier to use. There's not much more I can say about it, it's just a few backlit buttons away from perfection.

---

Rating: - Flexible, adaptable, superb
After buying and returning about 6 devices, from Phillips, One For All, AND from Sony, I tried the VL900. It is excellent. You can teach almost any key any command, plus you can program macros.

For example, some have complained that the volume "up", "down", and "mute" buttons are located too low on the remote. So what! Most of the time, we use the satellite, so there is no use for the >> or the << or the > or the "pause" or "stop" buttons in that mode. So guess what? Program them, as I did. Make 'em volume up, volume down, mute and previous channel, and to boot, make the << button "3-6-2" which is the Weather Channel, tune to it with one button. Easy to do.

Surprisingly, the Sony Remote didn't recognize a Sony Receiver (DE-685). Again, so what! It doesn't matter with this remote. Just teach it the command you need to control the Receiver, and you're good to go.

I've used One For All remotes for years, tediously (but effectively) programming obscure codes for various functions. This is much easier, much faster, to customize.

Good Job, Sony.

---

Rating: - A great universal remote for a decent price.
With any universal remote, there's always the possibility that it won't be compatible with a device (i.e. TV or VCR) that you have. In that case, a learning function is essential. If it wasn't for this Sony RM-VL900 having it, I wouldn't have been able to use it to operate my Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3250 digital cable box. Once everything was set up, there was no need to use any other remote. This remote is SO fabulous!! Its glow-in-the-dark feature is nice. The remote's keys absorb light & give it off when the sun goes down. Unfortunately, in total darkness, it'll only glow for 20 minutes before going totally dark. I watch TV with the lights on, so it wasn't a big deal for me. I guess it would've been easier for Sony to make the remote (like other competing models) draw power from the batteries to make everything glow all the time. But that would drain battery power, and Sony would've had to install power saving features that limited the functionality ... which wouldn't be a good thing (I used to own a RCA universial remote like that. Didn't like it at all.) Overall, I definately got my money's worth purchasing the Sony RM-VL900. It puts other universial remotes to shame!! :-)

FYI: If you're buying this to replace another because a previous model, you can transfer a lot of what's in the former over to the new one. Learned functions? FUGGETTABOUTIT!! You'll have to teach those to the new remote all over again. The process is relatively painless, though, so it won't take long at all.