We have used universal remotes in the past and whilst on paper they sound like a great idea – as they replace the need for separate remotes by combining their functionality into one - they have normally been hit-and-miss. However, the One For All Smart Control Motion remote is possibly the best we have used.
In terms of design it is almost identical to the One For All remote we reviewed last year. This is not a bad thing because build quality is generally high, yet even with the batteries in place it remains relatively light and the buttons have a nice rubberised feel to them with comfortable travel.
We also noted that when you pick up the remote the backlight automatically comes on which is a great touch for finding/controlling the remote in the dark.
Remote Features
From the top to the bottom of the remote the buttons are adorned with a range of functions that are split into several sections. The first section allows you to switch between your TV, Set Top Box (STB), DVD/Blu-Ray player, amp, mp3 and media player. Directly below are the controls for your Smart control functions (more on this later).
Another section of the remote caters for record and playback functionality, this is of course handy for controlling your DVD and STB such as Virgin’s V+ Box.
Without going into too much depth you'll also find volume controls, red button functionality, a number pad for selecting programs and an AV button for selecting Scart/HDMI ports.
SETUP
Within the box you do get several instruction manuals which contain codes that match up to specific tech models (i.e. DVD Players, STB etc). These may seem scary for newcomers but if you sit down and study them you can work them out and for the most popular models the process is made even easier as you can press the remotes magic button for a few seconds and then key in one code to control the original source.
If your model is not listed you have to consult the code book or their online database (http://www.oneforall.com/en_UK/support). You then have to hold the magic button down for a few seconds, select the function i.e. TV and then key in your code.
In some ways the process does involve trial and error, so for example when we were setting up our Blu-Ray player there was no dedicated section for Blu-ray players so we had to rely on the DVD codes and go through them one at a time before we had full control over it’s functionality.
A similar story was with our V+ box as we had to try a few codes out so we could control the V+ recording side of things. We had 90% success when using the provided codes, but we still found that our Home button was not mapped correctly.
Not to worry though as the remote does have an Ace up its sleeve and at this point you can turn to the copy function.
The manual guides you through the process well, but you still need to use some common sense as the guide shows how to copy your remote’s function to the One For All's red button. You can of course substitute the red button for any button that is spare. The manual however could have explained this better.
Even so the process was painless and we quickly mapped our V+ remote’s Home button to the www button on the One For All (this button was not being used). We also used the opportunity to re-map the V+’s dedicated record button as we felt it was not as responsive as it could be.
While the above does sound complex it’s not really (but it does require patience), and before we knew it we had mapped out TV, V+ box and Blu-ray player up with full functionality.
In use
First we had a dabble with the remote’s motion control feature, this worked with our TV and V+ box and provides you with the ability to mute the volume with a double tap on the remote’s side. You can also rewind, forward and pause/play back with a wave of your hand.
It takes a while to get used to the motion control as it needs subtle movements rather than exaggerated movements. However it does work and brings to the table a whole new element of fun when fast forwarding a program and then trying to play it before the program runs on (you can turn the motion part into a game). If you use Smart Control - which we will talk about next - you can turn the remote over so it’s front faces downwards to turn off all the connected appliances in one go.
Sadly the only niggle is that sometimes you can move the remote in certain ways and it starts to activate the motion function. To be honest when this happens it’s more comical rather than annoying, but if you want to you can always turn it off completely.
Smart control
If you constantly use your TV with your STB box i.e. V+ box, you can setup the remote so that you can control both devices at once. In use we found that we still had to change back to the TV function in order to adjust our HDMI ports, but none the less, the feature is brilliant! We could then adjust the volume and change our V+ channels (including recording) at the same time and by holding down the power button we could switch on/off all the devices at once.
Setting up the Smart control function is a doddle, so once activated a quick press of a button will tell the controller to utilise both devices at once and away you go. Note: You can also set the controller to control your TV, media device and amp, or your amp + DVD player or amp + mp3 (I think you get the idea).
Note: If reading the review from a news feed app you will need to visit the site for the full conclusion and score http://www.crowdedbrain.co.uk/gadgets/one-for-all-smart-control-motion-review.html
