Uli, I hope Fry's won't be selling below your price. Otherwise, I might just return mine to you and get one from them. (Just kidding!)

I haven't had the amount of time I'd like to have to look at the UCommand. Things have been going haywire over here; my home PC and network have been up and down like a yo-yo. However, my initial impressions are that it's a huge improvement over the old version it's based on. Fast, clear, comfortable to hold.

I want to comment to a few of the issues mentioned in this thread.
We (Crisp Solutions) are a small startup, trying to develop a market for a single product we believe in: UCommand
There are similar products in the market, so what makes UCommand competitive?
We provide value add which enables a good product to become a success:
Ownership, documentation, service, quick reaction to our customers suggestions/needs.
Our website is constantly updated according to the user feedback we receive. I believe this is the reason why users feel confident with the product and with Crisp Solutions.
We don't claim to be better than everybody else but we can concentrate on just one product we believe in. This gives us an advantage.

We don't have a large dealer base yet and want potential customers to ask dealers for our product, this makes them curious and hopefully interested in UCommand. Storefront dealers are careful to add a new product from a small company they never heard of, so we have build awareness and earn trust, this takes time.

Frys electronics, one of the largest retailers in the US is carrying UCommand, so it can't be that bad. We hope this helps convince other resellers to also add UCommand to their product line.

Any dealers reading this???

And finally: We don't buy peoples opinion, if they don't like a product they have all the rights to post this and if they like it we do hope they write about it.

I am not sure if I am allowed to post company statements in a discussion forum, please let me know if I should shut up.

Uli Theissen
Crisp Solutions
www.crispsolutions.com

Hi, just received the UCommand but have a couple of questions:

First, all devices are programmed, but when I do a macro for TV power on, Video 1, VCR power on and AMP (Surround System) on it works okay. I go to power off and the TV and VCR go off, but not the AMP. I have to go to the AMP device button and power off from there. What's up with that? Any suggestions?

Second, after powering off everything, when I just put the TV power on and the AMP on, the TV goes into a Video 1 mode!!! How can I get by that? Thanks.

Ambria:
- You've got your retailer question answered. Maybe you've learned something about business. I'm not trying to be smart, but knowing the facts before making a comment is only common sense.
- Thank you, Bryan Scott, for pointing out both the name of the thread and the concept behind remotecentral.com (for which Daniel is to be congratulated). I don't know why there are lots of "100 word" comments about the UCommand, and none about the Pronto... maybe there's a satisfaction-factor in there somewhere?
- "leave this board to us"? Who's "us"? YOU? This board is designed (see "concept" above) for people to share their thoughts, questions and opinions. That's all I and most others do, and pretty much along the way we avoid flaming and being nasty, even though things do get heated from time to time. 'Til now, I guess...
- "Place an ad"? According to your criteria, I already have. Thanks for your complementary ad for the Pronto...

Gleaner: You're suspicious because my comments are so positive? Sorry, I'll try to be negative from now on. Hey, everyone, don't forget: to offer advice today, you have to tell us what you DON't like from now on....

This forum, again, is full of opinions. Someone asks "What remote should I buy for X dollars", I offer an opinion. So do many others. In fact, I see far more people suggest the highly-priced Pronto than anything else in the same threads I check on.

I don't work for UCommand. I did contact the owner as soon as I heard about his product: he turned out to be a very nice guy, and an excellent businessman. His customer service policies, as you can see from both his Website and his comments, are among the best in any business. I just heard from another UCommand owner who can't seem to get his cable box to operate from more than 10 feet away, even though all his other components work fine. Not only is Crisp Solutions sending him a replacement unit, they're loaning him the dealer cables so that he can transfer all the codes to his new unit without having to reprogram. And they're trusting him to send back the original unit and the cable, without asking for any collateral. Where can you get that kind of service these days?

I was asked if my comments could be used on the Crisp Solutions website, along with others. I am impressed enough with the product that I agreed.

I believe the UCommand is the finest Universal Remote Control available for the money. If the Sony 2100 is selling now at the same price, then I believe there are two top-notch remotes available for the money. However, I already own one, so I'm not particularly interested in getting the other, for now.

I will continue to offer my opinion. I don't come to this board for approval; only for advice and entertainment. I've also "met" some very cool people here. ... Mike

Mike Riley:
Thanks for responding to my questions posted on 6/7 - even though you were incorrect in your comments about JandR selling/delivering the Sony. I also appreciate the your comments and those of others, as well as Daniel's diligence and hard work. I too work (sales) for an entrepreneurial software company, and agree with your comments about Crisp Solutions/Uli is trying to accomplish.

The narrowed price difference between UCommand and the Sony AV2100 through JandR make the choice between the two considerably more difficult from my perspective. On the one hand, the 2100 is a much improved 2nd generation product, but bulky; The UCommand appears to be an enhancement of the previously unimpressive Rotel 990 (hence it may also be considered 2nd generation?), but I am unclear about the UCommand's genesis - who is the actual builder and who is maintaining the product development? That said, I admittedly have a bias to small companies with innovative products/services who demonstrate a superior commitment to customer support -the initial hallmark of Crisp Solutions.

I will enjoy monitoring this and the Sony thread, Crisp Solution's web site, and look forward to Daniel's evaluation of the UCommand.

Cheers,
-Doug-

Mike,
I now believe I mispoke. I too am interested in the reality, not the hype. Yes I have a Pronto and after reading the 2100 review I'm considering that too. If your opinion regarding UCommand is sincere, that's great and it may be a wonderful product. I hope it is. My concern was that it appeared that the board was being used to build some sort of hype on the UCommand. Without Daniels review I was suspicious. With the flurry of activity that supported it, I was a little more suspicious. With that said, I will wait and see and offer my apology.

Doug: Yes, I was corrected (if not quite chastised) about that error. I'm glad to see that a dealer who initially appeared to be making empty promises came through.

I can't really offer any conjecture on the originator of the UCommand. I do know that Crisp Solutions has told me that they are committed to improving the product.

Comment: for years I've bemoaned the fact that really good Universal Remotes just did not exist. It seemed that those companies that had the manufacturing capabilities just wanted us to buy their own replacement remotes, at premium prices. Now there is an explosion of well-conceived, very fine URCs in a range of price that suits just about everyone. Along with the new surround equipment and advanced TVs chugging off the lines, this is once again an exciting time to be an Audio-Video nut. I'm pretty confident that we have nothing to look forward to but better times.

Part of those better times, for me, comes from hangin' at RemoteCentral.com, and exchanging yadda-yaddas with lads like you. ... Mike

A. Ambria: Thanks for being so forthcoming in your latest response. To tell you the truth, I had to ponder each time I posted, whether my whole-hearted endorsement of the product I use would come across as advertising; I decided that spreading the news was worth the risk. It's good to be held accountable from time to time, and for that, again, I thank you.

I guess the A. stands for Alright... .... Mike

Mike, you're all right; I don't care WHAT they say about you -- even if it IS true. :^)

I am currently using a Radio Shack remote that has limited memory but does support; Preprogrammed device codes; Learning mode; Advanced Function Codes; Macros. Ucommand does not have Preprogrammed device codes but I would not miss them since it can learn keys so quickly and the Preprogrammed device codesets are always missing lots of important keys anyway. Ucommand appears to have a lot more memory for learned keys and has good macro support in that it supports up to 25 keystrokes compared to 15 for the RadShack.

Ucommand does not appear to support advanced function codes. For example a lot of the Sony equipment has a Toggle Power command, a Power Off command and a Power On command. The remote that came with the equipment might only have a Toggle Power (hit it to turn on, hit it atgain and turns the unit off) but I can get the advanced function code, assign it to a key, and use it in a macro that always powers off or powers on a device regardless of whether it's already on or off. Also there are a lot of neat advanced function codes that for example take a TV to a certain input mode without toggling or stepping through other modes. Very handy if you want one key to always go to VIDEO2 regardless of what input it's currently at.

Can Ucommand handle this? Even without this capability I'm still considering buying one. This is the best documented early release product I've ever seen!


Greg

I've been programming the Ucommand using the original remotes and using the Radio Shack 15-1994 for the
advanced codes.

On a given device, just hit P & the discrete code
number & the RS remote will produce the IR sequence
for that function (i.e. you don't even need to program
it into to the 15-1994). It may be worth buying
the RS/One-for-all remote just to program the Ucommand.
(although this adds an extra $20-$30 to the price).

I'm reasonably happy with the Ucommand. It works as
advertised, delivery was prompt and its fairly easy to use. I bought it direct from crispsolutions.

The main thing that I don't like is that I can't get the beep to stay off - it seems to get accidently
turned on very easily.

I also wish that a macro command could be assigned
to a device button (so that selecting TV or VCR would
power on the device & switch the inputs on the
receiver/television). Instead I've had to configure
a seperate button with a macro to do this.

The manual also says not to mix remotes for a given
device, but for the most part I haven't had a problem
with doing this (in a few cases, the Ucommand seemed
to refuse to learn a specific command & I had to
change that button to a macro instead).

kmo

I am in the market for a good fair priced remote to replace all 7-8 of mine. I have been looking for the past few days and can't make up my mind. I looked at the UCommand website and looked at the button listings but found very few that matched my remotes. Here's what I have:
Mitsubishi 31" TV
Mitsubishi HIFI VCR
Mitsubishi A/V Receiver
Mitsubishi DVD
Sony HIFI VCR
Sony 200 disk CD
I purchased the Mitsubishi M-X255I remote yesterday for $125 and will be taking it back today. Din't even try it out. After opening it found it didn't even have DVD as a choice and no macros. Could have got the same compatibility in a $10-20 remote. Anyway, I'm looking for a good remote that has a majority of the functions of the remotes I have. I mean, why pay $90-500 for a remote if you have to keep digging out the originals cause it doesn't perform all functions. The UCommand looks interesting but I am still concerned about not having all the names of the buttons. Can someone help me out with a suggestion? Also looking at the Sony AV2100, Marantz RC2000MKII, and Universal SL-9000.

Thanks.

Kevin, I had to laugh when you mentioned the M-X255i. I picked up that model about 2-1/2 years ago (middle of the Dark Ages in remote time) at Good Guys for the same price you paid. At the time I just knew it was the best thing since ... no, even BETTER than sliced bread. (It was the only URC the store carried "back in the day.") Now humor me as I recount a sad, sordid tale:

Not long afterward (November '98), the Sony RM-AV2000 came out, and of course being a Good Guys regular (read 'easy sales commission'), I snapped it up for $169 -- no extended warranty, no nothin'. I figured I'd find the time real soon to sit down and replace that horrendous Mitsubishi with a REAL remote. Besides, the girlfriend (now wife) couldn't seem to remember how to use the Mitsu. Oh well, couldn't seem to find the time to program the big Sony ... just too much trouble.

And so it went for one year, then two, then another one-half: Just she and me and my Mitsubishi. "Hey, honey, let me hold the remote so you don't have to worry about all those little buttons." (Heh-heh -- every man's DREAM!)

Fast forward to last month, when, after stumbling upon the wondrous Remote Central ("Come ON, a whole site about remote controls? This is STUPID!"), I picked up first the Home Theater Master SL9000, then the Radio Shack 15-1994 (in fact, SIX of them, for buddies in my wedding party) and now the UCommand, and am still considering the Sony 2100.

The hilarious (pathetic?) punchline to this joke is that, to this DAY, the ONLY remote I've EVER programmed or used at all has been the Mitsubishi. (But boy, those other four sure look GOOD sitting in the drawer, all dust-free.)

Of course, since I 'cut my teeth' on the Mitsubishi, that's where I acquired my love of hard buttons, but listen well when I tell you that it sure is FUN having to remember that in TV mode, for instance, ENTER swithes the PIP and main pictures, SLOW activates the TV's 'Sleep' function (well, both words do start with an 'S'), the left-facing PLAY button opens Guide+ (I left the normal right-facing PLAY button empty in this mode), the lower half of the INPUT rocker switch opens PIP. (NOTE: we COULD use more of those rocker switches on current remotes, yes? Quite satisfying and practical from a tactile standpoint.) Hey, at least POWER and MUTE do what they're supposed to.

Cursor/menu buttons -- what are those? Hmmm ... let's find five unused, non-adjacent buttons for that. OK, we'll use the small ADJUST rocker switch for up-down and, oh, how 'bout these + and - buttons for left-right. AAARRRGGGHHH!!! (Mimics Jim Carey hara-kiri knife-in-the-gut routine from "Liar Liar".)

The moral to this story, boys and girls, is that yes, hard buttons do have their place in God's master plan. So do LCDs. Which of the two you prefer, and in what proportion, is up to you.

I will now close by repeating the mantra of all dyed-in-the-wool LURC (Learning Universal Remote Control) junkies (and all our new friends too) posting on this site: "Where, oh where, can I find the perfect remote?"

Thank you for listening. Must go now; need to find a 12-step 'anonymous' program for LURC addicts. Any suggestions? :^)

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Palo Alto Fry's has the UControl in stock for $99.95.