Just got a Cisco ISB7050 whole house DVR and would like to find a universal learning remote with the following features:

1. Need at least 20 steps per macro to turn captioning on using one button, and 20 steps per macro to turn captioning off using a second button. (It's unbelievable that captioning is buried 20 steps in the ISB7050 DVR's menu.)

2. The hard drive controls (Play, Stop, Pause, fast fwd/rev) toward the front of the remote where they are easy to press. These are the buttons I use the most while watching recorded TV programs to skip commercials, pause to answer the phone, etc. so I want them in the most convenient positon.

3. Learning capability to support unique remotes.

Thanks,
Raptor

1) I am going to keep my anwer short and sweet. Yes there are plenty of universal remotes on the market that can perform 20+ step macro's. Unfortunately trying to perform something like that on a cable box is a recipe for disaster.

I could go off on this subject for about 10 mins, but here is why... they are poorly made, unreliable, and pain in the ass. You are just going to have to live with manually turning on or off the closed caption (unless there is some discrete code I don't know about because I don't have a lot of experience with Cisco boxes). If you really need me to explain this in further detail I can.

If you were to try this (which you shouldn't) you should use a Wi-Fi or RF enabled remote with a remote control processor &/or something that uses trigger commands. A trigger command sends one command to trigger an event, for example a 20+ command macro. So instead of trying to send 20+ commands you send one making it a much more reliable solution.

2) These functions are usually located in the middle of most hard button remotes which is honestly the best location for them. I think Harmony (which I am not a fan off) just released a remote with most of these functions on the top of the remote. It got a poor rating as a result. When most hard button remotes are in your hand the middle of the remote is near you thumbs, thats why they are located in the middle and not the top.

If you are dead set on having these functions near the top of the remote I would suggest a remote with a customizeable LCD or touch screen at the top of the remote. Or some sort of Android or iPad solution with an option for custom graphics, because then you could put them wherever you wanted.

3) Most half decent remotes offer this option, but because I am a custom installer I am going to recommend URC, RTI, or ProControl. If you were looking for a DIY solution I have heard decent things about iRule. I am not sure if they offer learning capability, but I would imagine they probably have a large database of commands.

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your response.

If anyone has a recommendation for a specific remote that meets my requirements, please let me know.

Thanks,
Raptor

Update:
I settled on a URC-RF10 remote. It has 50 steps per macro which should turn the captions on/off with one button press each. It also has the navigation and transport buttons in easy to press positions.

Thanks for the help,
Raptor

Have fun trying to program that macro on that remote.

After a few hours your going to want to blow up the remote and shoot the cable box.

Could you please explain why?

Thanks,
Raptor

I received the URC-RF10 and discovered what you meant by programming macros is a bitch (paraphrasing). See my "RF10 Mini Review" here:

[Link: remotecentral.com]

Raptor