JP1 Remotes

I'm looking at getting a new universal remote and stumbled upon the world of JP1 while looking around the web. I was originally looking at the 9960 because of it's sleek design, but was a bit concerned about the "pads-only" IF for JP1 coding.

I am going to be running the following equipment:

Scientific Atlanta DVR Cable Box from Cox Communications
Toshiba Theaterview rear-projection TV
LG VCR/DVD Recorder Combo
JVC A/V Receiver

In addition to the 9960, I am looking at the 8910 and the 6131, but wanted to see if someone could clarify a couple assumptions I have made from reading.

1) The 6131 is billed as the "DVR/PVR Specialist" is this marketing, or is the 8910 not able to handle DVR/PVR out of the box?

2) If the 8910 does not support DVR/PVR out of the box, can it support it with the JP1 programming?

3) The 8910 is a learning remote, while the 6131 is not, but as I understand it, the learning support is disabled when using an extender. Is this true?

4) I've seen many people talk about the wonders of some of the older remotes like the 15-1994, am I better off trying to find one of these used or just going with a new remote?

5) Still liking the looks of the 9960 are the pogo adapters annoying to work with, or is it really no big deal?

6) I saw in the Extender folders the 9964 is listed as having a 4K EPROM, but there are no extenders for it, so would a 9964 w/o extender still provide more memory space than a 9960 with an extender?

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance you can provide.

1= Both marketing and is a very nice remote.
2= Any remote can handle any device an upgrade is build for. As long as it is jp1 capable.
3= Yes extender takes the learning mem and uses it for the other 2 areas.
4= The 1994 was and still is a awesome remote. I just dont like the buttons it is missing. M.H.O.
5= Not that big of a deal. Just has to be held on the pads. Is a problem for some people.
6= I am not sure. I have not had a 9964 in my hands yet to see how it acts.

Get your favourite remote (seems like you're drawn to the 9960) for everyday use and another (8910, 7562 or whatever) for learning and for experimenting. You can kearn codes on one, tinker with them and get a feel for things such as macros and then port what you've learned over to your main remote when ready.

Thanks for the fast responses, there was one thing I forgot to ask.

When I go to my local store will all of the 9960, 8910 and 6131 they have be JP1 or is there a risk they might be JP1.1 or JP1.2? If so, how can I be sure of getting a JP1 without buying the remote, ripping open the package, and taking it back if it is the wrong type?

So far, they haven't re-used old model numbers for new non-JP1 remotes, so if you buy a 9960 or 8910, etc you will be getting a JP1 remote.

The URC-6131 is marketed as a PVR remote because it has extra PVR buttons (primarily TIVO buttons) that remotes like the 8910 don't have, but you can make any JP1 remote control any device, so pick the remote with the buttons that you like.

As for learning, while it is true that the learning feature is disabled while the extender is active, it doesn't permanently kill the learning feature. If you are using an extender and then you buy a new device for which you don't have an upgrade, you can easily de-activate the extender to learn the buttons, decode them and build an upgrade, then re-load the extender when you're done.

If you are considering remotes like the 9960 and the 8910, be sure to compare my prices with the store prices. I have the 8910 for $20 and the 9960 for $40. Plus, I have modified the 9960 to have a regular 6-pin connector so you won't need to buy the Kameleon adapter.

Click here for details...
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=413

Rob:

The stock 9960 can only hold 4 macros. Once you use the extender can any button have a macro assigned to it? Also how many macros will the 8910 allow?

Also, on your JP1 cables you have Simple and Parallel listed, is the Simple a Serial connection? If so do you sell a USB JP1 cable, as I work off a laptop which has neither serial or parallel on it.

Thanks.