I just bought an RCA tube tv/vcr/dvd combo set from a friend. He does not have the factory remote, and the model is not available from any source (I checked all over). It is a multi function remote, model rca 262906. I have looked at the user manual, and the remote has many special buttons that are required to operate certain features such as the vcr speed button, commercial advance, quick view, subtitle, dvd menus etc.

Can anyone tell me if I can replicate ALL of the buttons with either a single universal remote, or a set of 2-3 different remotes (either RCA factory or generic) that would be customized for that particular device? Can you suggest any possible models/solutions, and explain how this could be accomplished?

The TV combo model number is 27f500tdv.

hifi-remote.com has an upgrade for a RCA 20F510TD which is TV-DVD combo unit. It's a similar model number.

It uses the Konka IR protocol, which is pretty rare. The TV section responds to device 2, while the DVD responds to device 6. If your unit uses similar codes, I suppose it would be not too hard to find the device number for the VCR section. It is very likely that the buttons like Vol+/- use the same function numbers for all three device numbers.

The remotes that I know about are made by UEI, and the only UEI remote available in the US that can shoot Konka is the OneForAll URC-8820N, and it can only send out device 2 (the TV section). The remote is less than $20 at Sears. In order to load in device 6, and to find the mystery device number for the VCR, it would be necessary to buy a flash JP1 cable ($29) or to make one yourself if your computer has a serial port.

You could also imagine getting Logiitech to load Pronto Hex for the TV and DVD sections, since we already know those IR signals. It might be difficult to get them to take part in multiple loads of Hex codes while you look for the VCR device number.

Thank you for your response. I have a few questions and comments, obviously. In no particular order:

1. What do you mean by logitech and pronto hex? Is this expensive or difficult?

2. If I make my own cable, it appears to use a serial db25. Do I need this connection or can it use a serial db9 instead?

3. Currently a universal ge remote is operating the basic functions, including the dvd and vcr. But the special buttons are not there. Does this help at all? In terms of availability or identifying the right system.

4. If you find the right code, is it possible to replicate EVERY button somewhere on the replacement remote? You appear to be saying that you found the codes for the TV and DVD. Does this mean all the buttons will work, even the unique ones?

5. How can you find the right code? There are THOUSANDS! Is it a reasonable likelihood to find every rare code if you have the cable and software?

6. Is there a workaround to get the function of some buttons with no remote at all? It seems the TV buttons are lacking and what if the remote is not available?

7. There is a website that sells a ready-made "clone" remote that they claim is a direct substitute for the original. It is about $40. That's almost as much as I paid for the whole TV, so not an option given that it only has one purpose. But knowing this, does it give you any insight as to how easy it would be to find a way to enable the special buttons somehow?

8. Is it possible (and is it common) to map each button manually, one by one, so that you can be sure you have every button you want?

It appears that the model you found is far different from my model. It may still work, but it seems so different in style that it would appear to be a different setup.

Here is a picture of the one I need:

[Link: dvdremotecontrols.com]

Would I still be able to create a clone from scratch if the files listed are no good?

Currently a universal ge remote is operating the basic functions, including the dvd and vcr. But the special buttons are not there. Does this help at all? In terms of availability or identifying the right system.

OK, that's good.  Almost cetainly then your combo unit uses the RCA IR protocol, and not the rare Konka protocol.  If that's true, we can make this work and you won't need a cable (DB9 is fine, BTW).

The RCA protocol sends a device number (15 for TV, 5 for DVD, 14 for VCR) and a function number ranging from 0 to 255.  So there are in principle 768 possible combinations, but we already know most of them.  For example VCR Speed is function number 70. 

Remotes made by UEI are unusual in that buttons can be manually programmed for any function number, provided that they have a setup code that sends the correct device number.  There are 50 different UEI remotes (that we know about) which can send the DVD commands, 70 that can do the VCR, and even more which can handle the TV device number.

Can you find an old cable remote, like Comcast, or the Atlas remotes provided by many other cable companies?  Nearly any OneForAll remote would work.  Some Radio Shack stores have the 15-134 on sale for $0.97.  But most RS remotes are not made by UEI, so they can 't be manually programmed.

I think you can find a pretty cheap remote to control your combo unit.

That is excellent news. I am trying now to locate the RS 15-134. It appears the closest store so far that has it is 160 miles away, so I'm thinking about solutions.

While I work on that, a few more clues and questions, please :).

1. If I can get a 15-134, will it give me all the special buttons, or will I need a more sophisticated remote? I am sorely lacking things like the display, sleep, and cc buttons for the TV, display, slow, tracking, NUMBER buttons, 30sec adv, speed, timer record, eject for the VCR... and almost every button for the dvd (menu, numbers, zoom, angle, etc). Even the arrow keys.

2. I do not have an old cable remote, but I *do* have a never used directv remote with aux1 and aux2 settings. Will this work and will it enable the special buttons?

3. I was able to play around with 2 generic remotes- a ge universal and an RCA brand universal. Between the 2, I could find settings that would work almost all of the basic functions, but the number keys would not work on the dvd or vcr, and the dvd main menu and other functions did not respond. Basically all you can do with a dvd is play/stop/ff/rw. Given that the remote can control the device in some ways, does this mean the other commands can be easily programmed with a better universal remote?

1. No universal remote will have buttons which all have exactly the labels you would like. So the remote probably won't a button labeled 30sec adv. But with a UEI remote, you can easily assign the correct function number to some button. For example you could assign the function 30sec adv to the button labeled PIP Ch+.

2. DirectTV remotes are made by UEI, but they do not respond to the 994 command that is used to assign functions to button. So it won't work.

3. Yes, you will be able to control everything that the original remote could do, and perhaps have a few extra functions, if the combo unit is programmed at the factory to respond to the IR signals.

So if I understand you correctly, I can assign keys that are not needed on the universal remote to a function which is labeled/available on the oem remote. Now my concern is (a) will there be enough "spare" buttons on the uei remote to give me all the special functions I need to duplicate the original and (b) can the programming be done without a cable and without having the original remote for learning?

Regarding remotes, does the 15-134 have enough re-assignable buttons for my purposes?

What about a one for all urc 10820? (will it work)

RCA RCRP05BR? (will it work)

If I buy a used Comcast remote, which kind should I look for, and will it have enough free buttons?

To assign functions to buttons, follow the 9XX Command instructions, using 994 EFC keymoves.  I can provide more detailed instructions (specifically, which setup codes to use, and the list of EFCs that you will enter manually) once you get a remote. You do not need a cable, and it will take 10 minutes or so. The EFCs are already known, so learning isn't necessary-- somebody has already done the learning, and posted the results at hifi-remote.com.

You can roughly double the number of keys on the remote using the "shift" concept.  Nomally, one presses a button, and that sends a IR signal.  You can assign a function to a shifted button, and you would invoke the shifted button by tapping the Setup button just before tapping, for example, the Fast Foward button.  Assuming that you had made the appropriate assignment, now the remotd would send Next Chapter.

Most button can be shifted.  The Setup button, device mode buttons, and for some remotes, the Power button can't be shifted.  If you assign a function to a shifted digit button, you'll need to tap Setup twice before tapping the digit button.

Any of the remotes you mentioned will work.

Ok, I am going to do some shopping and looking around to find a remote, and then I will advise which one I got when I am ready to start the customizing.

Again, what type of Comcast remote should I be looking for if I choose to get one of those? They seem to be easy to find at a cheap price.

This will work.  One that has a Red OK/select button in the middle of the 4 arrow keys is even better, but is likely to be more expensive (the one pictured has grey  button).

Avoid the ones that don't have the 5 PIP buttons below the number keys-- You'll want as many key as you can get.

Still trying to locate a 15-134 on closeout. They are becoming hard to find. I'm optimistic that I'll be getting one and settling on making this my chosen solution.

Please leave this thread open while I try to get a valid remote in my possession. If the RS hunt fails, I guess I'll look at the comcast. Either way, I'll come back here for the actual programming instructions.

BTW, do you know if the 15-134 has a JP1 port and if so is the connector already installed?

Thanks.

Yes, the RS 15-133/134/135 series (internally identical) have a JP1.3 6 pin header installed. I own a 15-135, and use it all the time for learning with a JP1.3 flash cable. Comcast remotes also have a the 6 pin header, and work fine with JP1.3.

3FG wrote:
One that has a Red OK/select button in the middle of the 4 arrow keys is even better, but is likely to be more expensive (the one pictured has grey button).
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The above refers to the comcast remotes. I have looked at pictures of both, and they appear to be the same, except for the red/grey middle button, and other color differences. Why is the red one better?

Separately, regarding the 15-134, will the jp1.3 work with the "homemade" jp1 cable, or does it require a more modern updated design? And you mentioned the homemade will work if you have a "serial port". Don't you mean parallel? The instructions show a db25 connector, and the documentation discusses a parallel port.

The Red button version has 3X more memory to install upgrades, keymoves, and macros. But either will work.

All of the remotes discussed here are JP1.2 or JP1.3 remotes. The communication protocol through the 6 pin connector is asynchronous serial (similar to RS-232). The interface that you seem to be looking at is a JP1 interface, for which the communication is by I2C. It is possible to use a parallel port to simulate I2C, but no parallel interface is available to use with JP1.2 or 1.3 remotes.

See this thread, and use the link under Flash Serial Port to get the correct schematic.