Time to upgrade ... please help me decide

[TheGMan]

Hello ... I'm an old time member and it is good to see things keep rolling along on this site. I have been through several iterations of remotes (15-1994, 15-2116, and 15-133) over the years and it is time to upgrade again as I just can't stand the RS15-133 any longer.

I currently have a JP1.3 cable, a varied equipment configuration (although mostly older equipment), and a complicated remote configuration using all the bell/whistles (extenders, macros, learned keys, phantoms, etc.).

I have the following requirements on a remote and any help identifing contenders would be very much appreciated ...

- Backlighting
- JP1.3 ... not required, but very much preferred
- Available extender ... unless there have been changes that allow for reprogramming device buttons without extender
- Larger buttons ... at least compared to the RS 15-133 buttons which are very small. 15-1994 / 15-2116 button size was nice.
- Reasonable amount of memory ... although I had no problems with the amount on 15-133.

Thanks in advance ... G

[mdavej]

Backlit Atlas (ebay) is about your only option. It's not learning, so hang on to that 133 for that.

[xnappo]

Backlit Atlas (ebay) is about your only option. It's not learning, so hang on to that 133 for that.

Yep - agreed.

Here is the seller that I use:
http://cgi.ebay.com/380171086859

xnappo

[tennessee titan]

Learning Atlas are around. You just have to look for them

[xnappo]

Learning Atlas are around. You just have to look for them

The backlit learners are pretty darn hard to find though.. So if you don't use learning except when you get a new device, easier to just keep the 133 and get the TWC backlit Atlas.

Don't get me wrong - I would love to find a long-term source for backlit learners.

xnappo

[SouthPaw]

I agree with the Atlas 1056 as well. I get my backlit 1056s from here. $10 shipped. They are not learning. http://cgi.ebay.com/110526482531

[xnappo]

I have seen on UEI's site a reference to shipping Atlas OCAP remotes in boxes of 50.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.Fi ... BlPTM=&t=1

Seriously - has anyone asked them their minimum order size? It seems like these eBay sellers are getting these pretty easily, and I don't really think they all fell off a truck.

I would be willing to buy 50 learning backlit remotes if they would sell them to me...

xnappo

[TheGMan]

Thank you so much for the replies.

The Atlas is hideous However by most accounts it seems to be a good remote.

I'll give it a try ... Stay tuned!

[xnappo]

Thank you so much for the replies.

The Atlas is hideous However by most accounts it seems to be a good remote.

I'll give it a try ... Stay tuned!

Really? I actually like the way it looks. It is the most '15-1994' remote there has been in a while - and I also find it ergonomic.

But to each his own of course.

xnappo

[The Robman]

Seriously - has anyone asked them their minimum order size? It seems like these eBay sellers are getting these pretty easily, and I don't really think they all fell off a truck.

I think you'll find that most (if not all) of the Atlas remotes that are sold on ebay have already been branded for a particular product (eg, Comcast, etc) which would imply that the sellers are getting them from the cable companies rather than UEI.

[gfb107]

I got one of the backlit Atlas 1056s to play with. Mine is from Time Warner Cable.

I got it because I wanted a remote with the yellow/blue/green/red buttons that more and more devices seem to use, and my URC-6131 doesn't have.

IMHO quite ugly, but workable. Love the backlight, and that there are so many buttons and they are all in the button map, but...

5 devices is just barely enough (for me).

I'm disappointed that there are no labelled keys for these functions: Audio, Angle, Subtitle/CC, Slow, Next, Prev

Does anybody really still use PIP? The multi-tuner DVR stopped that for me over 10 years ago. That's 5 buttons right there that could have been better used.

And why are there both Page +/- and Ch +/- buttons? I don't understand why anybody would design a UI where you would need both on the same screen(s).

The Day +/- buttons also don't make sense to me, but then again I don't have cable.

Do other cable companies label their buttons differently?

[Capn Trips]

Here is another seller of backlit Atlas OCAPs.

I would point out that many resellers do not distinguish between the "Atlas DVR 5-device" (URC-1054), the "Atlas DVR/PVR (Day)" (URC 1055) and the "Atlas DVR OCAP" (URC-1056), and frequently mix one picture with another's number and have no real clue what they are selling, so caveat emptor.

For my money, the only one worth a darn is the OCAP (URC-1056) particularly because it is the only one that has four "color" buttons, which more and more devices (TVs, Blu-Ray players, etc.) seem to have these days. The three color buttons on the other models just don't hack it (for me).

EDIT: and as for appearance, for whatever reason, although the black Atlases (majority available) are below average for me in appearance, the silver OCAPs I find quite attractive. I am fortunate enough to have scored a pair of backlit learning silver OCAPs back when we first became aware of them. I have not seen any for sale in a LONG time, however.

[Capn Trips]

Yeah the 5-device limit REALLY cramps my style.

[Capn Trips]

Here is a guide to help sort them all out.

[xnappo]

Yeah the 5-device limit REALLY cramps my style.

We are all waiting for the great Vicky there. I am sure she will come through with a prototype that can be adapted to the Atlas.

Regarding track foward/back, see my OCD post here:
https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10375
be sure to scroll down as down I only use the button modification.

xnappo