OK, I got your attention. The 15-1996 is not really here, but I have written up what I would like it to be like it and when it does come.

Follow this link to my idea of the perfect remote:
[Link: hifi-remote.com]

Rob.
http://www.hifi-remote.com/

I like it Rob!! Swapping the number pad with the arrow keys is a good idea. I also like the DVD and receiver button. Why they didn’t label these buttons as such on this model is beyond me. I mean who doesn’t have a receiver for Christ’s sake.? A couple of things that I’d like to see. A small LED beside each device button to indicate which device your on. That way we can tell at a glance without pushing the device button. A 15 second back light would be handy. I’d even settle for 10 seconds if battery life was an issue.

Lets hope that the folks at universal electronics see your improvements and incorporate them into the next model.

Frank

Radio Shack has some kinda problem with DVD's. I thought it was just an oversight when there wasn't a DVD button on the 15-1994, but when the 15-1995 came out and DVD's were still missing, then I knew something was up.

You see, the 15-1995 uses the same LCD program as the Producer 8 remotes, but the 15-1995 version has the DVD codes mixed in with the LDP (Laser Disc) codes.

Rob.

Frank: Love the idea of the LED beside the device..... I was thinking I'd want an LCD for that, but no need with your idea!!! And yes, about 12 seconds would be good for the backlight!!!

Rob: IMHO, I love the additions you've thought of..... (checked out the URL). But, I would rather have taken the 1994 and just swapped the number buttons with the transport buttons and then incorporated all the rest of your additions. Then, to me, the cursor control, vol/channel, and transport buttons (the most used by me), would be perfectly placed on the remote. Just that positioning and everything else you've come up with is great in my books!!

- Greg

Jeez, Rob, I think you oughta contact Radio Shack's R&D team and offer them your services at a fairly substantial contractual rate. Just a glimpse of your "product manual" for the 1996 (retitled 2001, of course)and a flash of the image of the remote itself should be enough to convince them. Why, with your improvements and enhancements, they could save a fortune on retooling, and make a fortune on sales.

I'm not kidding, man. ... Mike

Radio Shack didn't actually design that remote. ;-)

They didn't design this one either, hee hee!

For those that don't know what Daniel's referring to, check out his CES 2000 International Report:

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Design Innovations
Last but not least, I had the pleasure of meeting one of UEI’s lead engineer/designers. His team designed a number of remote controls for Radio Shack, which some of you know as the six-in-one backlit 15-1994 learner ($40) and seven-in-one backlit IR/RF 15-1995 ($70). Indeed, the 15-1995 was a 2000 CES Design Innovation award winner and was on display in a special section at the Sands convention center. The other models are available as the four-in-one backlit 15-1993 learner ($30), four-in-one backlit 15-1992 ($25), four-in-one 15-1991 ($15) and three-in-one 15-1990 ($10). With smart, clean styling and logical button arrangements, these remotes have proven to be remarkably popular.

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Rob.
http://www.hifi-remote.com/

Hi Rob,

I support you on the 15-1996 drive to have R/S or OFA
hear our voice.

The SL-9000 comes very close to your 1996. granted SL-9000 is $92. Tiny keys for transport functions.
Funky dual learning procedure. Funny macro keys.
But it is available for quite some time.

Sl-9000 comes with lots of keys, learner memory,
backlight on all keys, LCD with backlight, sticker
labels, small, light and compact.

I tried the SL9000 at one point, but I returned it because of the dual transport/menu keys. I don't like having to put functions that I use all the time on buttons that are labelled wrong. I think this is a MAJOR oversight on the part of it's makers. My guess is that they'll fix it when they make the next version.

Here's a feature that I'd like, but I don't think is realistic knowing the way Universal makes their remotes. I'd like each button to have it's own independant lighting (like the Sony VL900), this is so that we could adopt the uCommand learning method where the next available button lights up ready to be learned, now that'd be cool.

But, even so, if someone where to make a remote like the one I just designed, where you can create your own device codes, and then use advanced codes to create the discrete codes for that device, this remote would KILL all challengers. Every Pronto owner would get one of these just to save them having to manually edit the code to create discrete codes.

Plus also, this fictitious remote has an internal modem so that codes can be downloaded over the phone. Several Radio Shack remotes, up to and including the 15-1925, did have these modems installed, but for some reason they were dropped from the 15-199* series.

The reason that I added the next & prev track buttons is to make the remote more compatible with PTV's (like ReplayTV and TiVo), where you need to have these buttons AND the channel buttons.

Also, I trashed that hard wired P&P device button. I think that RS has been doing themselves a dis-service by hard-wiring that thing. I don't think anyone has run out and bought Home Automation stuff just to use up that last device key. By making it optional, but still including the button labels, you can use the device button for either home automation or something else.

Rob.

Hi Rob,

These IR learners have both transmitter and receiver for these IR light. If they can be adapted for regular light and if they can be placed at one corner of the remote, they can be used as a barcode reader, can't they? Bar code can be printed by anyone with a decent printer. Bar-code can be easily shared and file away. With barcode programming, it might saves all of us valuable time punching S* 994 S ### 394 times can become a chore. If memory limit is hit, clear the remote and re-barcode the sequence the way it will best fit ones need.

Bar-code with no extra H/W cost. May be a few line of code to translate barcode into remote's memory map.

Has this been tried or proposed before in your memory,Rob?

The parent company, UEIC, was demonstrating barcode reader remotes at CES 2000. They also have a system where you download a .WAV file over the internet and play it back through your computer's speakers to upgrade the remote. Sort of a quick version of their phone upgrade technique.

You know what I forgot to out in there, PC hookup! We all know that the technology is already in the 15-1994, all UEIC has to do is create a version of the software that they are prepared to release to the general public.

Rob.

With the Internet, who needs a full fledged modem? An RS-232 circuit ought to be real cheap to include inside the remote. Yeah, I'd love USB, but the memory requirements are going to be so "small" that a 192000 connection will be sufficient.

BTW, if you kept the learning phototransistor along side the infra red LED, it might be possible to use them as an infrared comm port like they have on laptops. Of course, they would need to sell an interface to get it to connect to your computer...

Regarding the modem, did you know that many of the Radio Shack remotes up to and including the 15-1925 all have internal modems. You can call up UEIC and have them "play" the codes over the phone, you hold the remote up to the earpiece and it updates itself.

This is the same technology that they are going to use in the new Mosaic, only now they've made it even better because you can download wave files to your PC, then play them and update the remote using the PC speakers.

If you see a 15-1917, 15-1918, 15-1919 or 15-1925 remote on eBay or something, pick it up, it has a modem inside!

Later,
Rob.

I've got a 15-1917 phone up 4 with manual I don't use anymore anyone wanna buy it?