(My opinion): The EFCs are a form of "encryption" that UEIC chose to slow down the people (competitors/hackers) that wanted to learn the tables of all the device codes and functions UEIC developed or acquired. The un-encrypted codes are stored inside the remote. The only reason for encrypting is to hide the obvious patterns of OBCs. Until people using Pronto and other remotes to see the actual IR signals, the UEIC codes were almost a trade secret. Now with the JP1 boxes, the remotes have become many times more personally customizable - you can set up each device with the buttons exactly as you wish, and can control devices that were omitted by the factory.