Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've been here and I see that the URC board is still active, so I thought I'd say hello!

It's nice to see a fantastic resource like Remote Central is still helping people after all these years!

Howdy ole neighbor!

Hey! How've you been?

Hey, doing good. Still plugging away at URC, designing products and UX/UI. Like you, I don't make it back to RC here that often since we no longer really have a consumer line, but I like to drop in because the place is still kinda "home" to me. If it wasn't for the file section here where I uploaded my Pronto files, I wouldn't be in the career I'm in. So I like to keep up and answer a question or two now and then. How are things on your end?

You do realize that a large % of the posters here are installer/dealers right? Maybe as much as 1/2.
And considering how dead URC's own dealer forums are (literally only about 12 posts a month there - on a good month), I would think URC would have someone here more active officially. Since it sees more traffic about URC than their own forum.

Burning questions like = What is the official stance on CCP software for DIY consumers? If they have a URC remote and submit the serial number, can they have a consumer account? Have seen this be a hit or miss with people's reply on the forums over this last year.
Things like the above really sour people's opinion on a brand. Just look around anywhere on the internet at the tons of negative ratings for URC products everywhere. "It makes it that much harder to sell URC to my customers", when I'm having to spend an hour explaining things to them as to why it's actually a good product.
And Lee can tell me how URC is doing better than they ever have, sales are thru the roof (conversation I had at the end of 2021 I believe), I don't believe him! I think he's lying based on all the evidence I see in the field and on the forums.
Consumers (average consumer) would rather chop their hands off than pay for a universal remote these days. This is in no small part due to the horrible experience some have had with installers selling a remote to them, 1/2 arse programming it, and leaving with the check. Again, it takes hours to explain & demonstrate how the hardware is good, it was bad programming/installation.
This is URC (and other control companies if we are being honest) own fault for pushing boxes in volume, rather than focusing on quality of the customer's experience.

Sorry for the long reply. I know none of this is in your wheel house anyway. Just frustrating to see over the years. I was selling URC back in 1995/96 with the Starlight remotes (SL7000). My how URC has changed, especially in the last 10 years.

This is a strange post to jump up on the soap box to complain about URC.

Most of the URC forum traffic seems to have migrated to their dealer only Facebook group.

Brad, I'm not any kind of official spokesperson for URC, but I can tell you that URC's lack of official presence is, in large part, specifically because we don't want to foster the impression that we sell direct-to-consumer products. As you can see and have directly been involved with, any attempt we make at answering any burning questions nearly always sets off a wildfire. When someone asks, "Why can't I download the software," they don't really want to know why URC's policy is what it is—they are asking for the policy to change.

I'm not part of any of those decisions, though obviously I do share important interactions I have on RC with the rest of the management team when it seems appropriate. I come to RC because one day around 25 years ago I was poking around the internet to see if anyone else was programming their Philips Pronto with the kind of graphics I was creating for mine. There were folks who made better files than me, and folks who were just looking for better graphics than they knew how to create. But it was a community. We were all amazed and fascinated by what each other could accomplish, and who we could help out, and how. Early on I had somewhat of a rivalry with Daniel Tonks himself, because as much as I hated to admit it, his files were cleaner and had more attractive graphics than mine did. I think we both (among others) pushed each other to make our work, and the expectations of what a touchscreen remote could be, into both art and science. So Daniel inadvertently, both by creating Remote Central, and by challenging me, introduced me to a hobby that soon became a career. My children grew up watching their dad tinker with adding the Christmas lights to the remote when no one else was doing that. I used what I learned to help automate the home of a friend who became a quadriplegic in a terrible drive-by shooting. My elderly parents are no longer afraid to try new (to them) technologies like Roku or Disney+ because they count on their son to "make it easy."

So when I say I come here because it "feels like home," that's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. Seeing old friends I used to chat with about home theater, automation, and lighting isn't just me checking in on the fringes of my job. I miss the community that led me to skills that changed my life, bought my home, and fed my children. I honestly don't think more than one or two people at my job have any idea how much this industry is a part of me or how much it means to me to try to contribute to it in a meaningful and positive way. But URC doesn't sell direct-to-consumer anymore, so it's important that I not hover here too long and give the impression that we have an official presence on a forum that exists for the general public. I'm not an ambassador for that policy or even for the company; I'm a guy travelling once more to his "home town," hoping to experience a little but of nostalgia without aggravating anyone or complicating any issues while I'm here.

I understand your frustration. I am probably the dictionary definition of Home Theater and Automation Hobbyist. It literally became my life. And yes, I'll share your thoughts with the team. But I won't debate the points or the reasons; that's not in my wheelhouse. What I will do is offer you a virtual mug of beer and sit down with you to enjoy the view here in this lovely little community that Daniel Tonks built. We can reminisce about the old days and dream about what will be and what could have been.

Sure, I can't call this my home anymore, but it's where I began. I miss it, and I still enjoy taking part, if only for the occasional drop-in to tell everyone hello.

Have a wonderful day, and may your sales and work satisfaction equal your passion to make our industry an always-improving place.

I know, I know. I started out pointing to the consumer vs. dealer involvement on this forum and it kind of spilled out from there. :)

"dealer only Facebook group". *facepalm* I don't ever remember seeing a notice or news about this on the dealer site. I certainly didn't get an email. My rep Steve B. left URC last year and I have no idea who my current rep is.
Is there any reason to chase this down and join the FB group? My experience with FB groups so far has been 'they are all a waste of screen time'.


Darnitol, maybe I'll see you at one of the trade shows later this year. I can buy you a drink there :)

We're all in this together, man. It's all good. I can't say much about the dealer group because I kind of gave up Facebook a few years ago. But I do hear folks at the office praising the open communication there. I keep wanting to check it out, but I don't know if I'm willing to go back to Facebook to do it.

I was selling URC back in 1995/96 with the Starlight remotes (SL7000). My how URC has changed, especially in the last 10 years.

That was my Introduction to URC remotes, the SL-7000 with the extra buttons for C-band satellite receivers that no other universal remotes I had ever seen before had.

I also fondly remember my Home Theater Master MX-650 that could control my Monterey 95 C-band receiver over RF.

I now in my house have 4 MX-980 remotes, 2 MX-990 remotes, an 890 and 4 KP-4000 In-wall keypads. I also have an MX-6000 I picked up off Ebay to play with, I have spent quite a lot of money on URC remotes over the years and now if I am in the market for something new I am locked out of the new line as a DIY user, I have CCP access but that seems like a dead end.

I feel like URC is giving people like me the finger.
You not only lose me as a future customer, I no longer recommend URC to people like I did countless times in the past.

Aaaand this is what I get for trying to say hello to a friend.

I am a total DIY, I too have spent a lot of money* with URC and continue to use my remotes almost every day. Kinda hard to fault URC, they are still in the remote business while several others have come and gone. If URC came out with an updated CCP MX-5000 I would purchase day one.

In the meantime I keep an eye on Remote Two and Allonis SmartRemote.

* 5 - MX-980, 1 - MX-5000, 1 - MX-850

Hey Control Remotes and Darnitol. Glad to see y'all stopping in occasionally.
8 - MX-850's in the family (I keep them updated as components change)
1 - MX-780

Been using URC remotes for about 26 years. Started with program on the remote itself (URC-8080), moved to the MX series when the 500's came out and quickly moved to the 700's when they became available. The 850's were the best of all of them. These things are tanks - just keep working.

Don't want to start anything but it sure would be nice if the 850's were available again along with the software (and updates). Seems that since Harmony has gone, there would be a market for these for DIY'ers.