Recently purchased the All-for-One URC-8811 (8 functions, learning). Can't get it to control my Apex AD-500A DVD player or my Sony STR K840P Surround-sound Amp/Receiver.

Anyone have codes or advice? I'm really not excited about sending the remote back to UEIC and waiting weeks to get it back.

On the sony, you need to change from AV2 to AV1, then the codes in the 8811 will work. As for the apex did you try both 0672 and 0755?

The 8811 does not seem to recognize DVD/0755 -- it gives a long blink instead of the two short ones. Regarding the Sony, can you explain what you mean about switching from AV2 to AV1?

Sony is using a new code set(AV2), which is the factory default code. AV1 is the old code set, and the only one you will find in any other remote. The problem with your model of receiver, you can only change the receiver to the old code, not your oem remote. If you want to keep your receiver and oem remote on the same code and control your apex dvd, you need to get a true learning remote. Like the sony VL-700, 900, MX-500, and such. To change your receiver, check this link, and that doesn't work then check your manual.

[Link: remotecentral.com]

Thank you, edmund, you rock.

I can now control most of my Sony Receiver, although I'll have to use up the 4 learning buttons on switching inputs, unless anyone has pointers on that? Is there any way I can move a "taught" function up to one of the regular buttons, or switch the function of one button to another? From the manual, it looks like all I can do is map the function of a button from a different component.

I'm also still looking for suggestions on the Apex AD-500A, although I'm not holding out much hope. Does anyone have experience with shipping the remote back to UEIC for an upgrade?

OK, so it turns out that the URC-8811 will accept learning on almost any key, not just the four learning keys. This is what I thought was the case when I bought it, but the documentation led me to believe I could only learn into the four keys. I'm now much happier. Does anyone have any idea what the memory capacity of the remote is? i.e. how many learned keys, favorites, macros, etc before I run out of room? How do I know when it's out of memory?

the memory is allocated in three main sections. One for macros/keymoves, another for device upgrades, and the third for learning. The areas are by bytes. Your problem is if you're not using JP-1, that device upgrade area is totally unused, and it's a considerable chunk. You can't reassign it, delete it, split it up to the other 2 areas. Learning area is usually about the largest, roughly 1022 bytes. That's enough room for 20-30 learned signals. Learning signals is an in-efficient way to store them, which is why it's generally better to find what those learned codes are, and convert them to keymoves, a more efficient way. Learned signals are also a b**** to use in macros, another reason or incentive toget them converted. If you need to use a lot of keymoves toget a device programmed fully, then making a device upgrade releases some of those keymoves and shifts them to upgrade area, which without JP-1 is usually just wasted(or send the remote back to ueic and have them do it--but now your stuck with button assignments, etc. that THEY thing is nice, you may not). If you run out of room in a certain area, the remote just simply won't accept any more in that area; ie it won't learn any more, you get the long led blink. That's independent of how much keymove/macro area is still left. It's like having a dresser, you can fill a drawer until it's full, however, you don't just toss the clothes at the dresser, and the clothes just can't be randomly assigned to drawers. If that was the case you could simply put the clothes in any drawer that has room. with the remote, that's not possible, because "Top drawer" will only accept certain things, "middle drawer" likewise, and same with "bottom drawer". It's not like a garbage can that will just take any and all garbage regardless of if it's paper, cans, or plastic.
Thus, in these analogies, typically, that middle drawer is always empty, the manual programmer (without using JP-1) can only fill the top and bottom drawers, and the middle one will always be empty.
Jim

Jim and Edmund,

Thank you both very much for your quick and informative replies to my posts -- I'm not non-technical, but I'm new to the whole learning-remote thing, and this forum prevented a lot of wasted time and probably saved me from giving up on returning the URC-8811 and returning it for something else. (UEIC, are you listening? Your documentation leaves a lot to be desired!)

I did hit the memory limit on the learning area, with about 25 learned functions, since I had to teach it everything for my Apex AD500A and for the Video-on-Demand controls for my RoadRunner digital cable (Scientific Atlanta cable box). There are lots more advanced functions I'd love to bring over from other remotes, but for now everything critical works, so I'm going to wait and see how the household adjusts to the new remote before I think about whether I have the spare time to get into JP-1 programming.

Thanks again for taking your time to help me out.