HEY! I got my first diamond for my Sky+ review :-)
HEY! I got my first diamond for my Sky+ review :-)
Member since:10.12.2003
Reviews:9
Members who trust:13
As in a lot of households, we were becoming snowed under with remote controls… the TV, video, DVDplayer, Sky box and stereo all had them… and, to be honest, I was getting fed up with (a) the clutter and (b) having to keep picking up different controls to do different things. (How lazy does that sound?!)
So, I turned to the internet to solve my problem and came across the One For All Kameleon 6remote control. It seemed the answer to my prayers – and it looked very cool too with its blue illumination!
I have now had the remote for about a year – it has proved to be a real talking point with visitors and has been in use every day, so I feel well placed to write some useful comments about it, so here goes…
KEY FEATURES - Operates up to 6 devices - Motion activated illuminated touch sensitive screen - Slim design - Upgradeable for new devices - Programmable - Animated display - Intelligent display alters the visible buttons depending on function in use
IN THE BOX The remote comes with the required 4
AAA batteries and a very clear 128 page user manual. This is multilingual so only the first 16 pages of the book are in English. The back 15 pages contain lists of products for which the remote functions are already programmed in. This covers all major makes of electronic equipment. Instructions are laid out very clearly with appropriate diagrams.
THE REMOTE The remote itself is 24cm long by 7cm wide and 2cm deep. It feels slimmer as the sides taper to about 0.5cm thick. The bulk of the body is aluminium with the top and bottom a sturdy black plastic. The screen itself is blue and, although fairly firm, it is a bit squishy… as if there is a thin layer of gel between it and the touch sensitive switches. When it is left alone, all you can see on the screen is a row of four small coloured Kameleon logos across the bottom the screen. These correspond to the coloured buttons on Sky or “fastext” remotes. It is only when you move the controller that it springs into life and all the other functions illuminate. The lights switch off after about 10 seconds.
The remote feels very sturdy and well made. The metal casing also ensures that it stays cool in your hand and doesn’t get all warm and sticky like cheaper plastic ones. Mine has been dropped a few times (albeit onto carpet) and it has shown no signs of any damage.
GETTING STARTED
Once you have fitted the batteries, there are several ways to set up your remote to work with your equipment. The easiest is to find your equipment in the list at the back of the manual and enter a four digit code. You then have to hold down a key called “magic” until it animates and a rabbit pop out of the hat (silly – but fun!). This indicates that the settings have taken effect. This is by far the simplest method and takes no time at all.
If your equipment is not listed, you can either get the control to scan through the functions in its memory until it finds a mode that works, or you can teach it the individual functions by pointing your original remote at it and setting it in “learning mode”. This function also enables you to programme in ALL of the original functions of the remote onto your new Kameleon if there are any missing. Obviously this does take a little longer.
I found that the Kameleon recognised all my equipment, with the exception of the video which we had to “teach it” step-by-step.
It is also possible to program “Macros” which is the ability to program sequences of commands you perform regularly to one key stroke. For example, you could program the remote to turn off the TV, Satellite and DVD player when you press one key.
It is worth noting that if you, for example, don’t have a separate CD player, you can change this setting to operate a second TV or something… although the icon will still say “CD”.
IN USE The top two rows of the screen have icons for the six main functions of the remote… TV, Video, DVD, Satellite, Hi-Fi and CD. When you press one of these it will animate to show clearly which function is selected. (i.e you will see lines moving on the tv icon, the video tape icon appears to move, the musical note representing “hi-fi” starts to dance around).
More importantly, the rest of the display changes so that only the functions you need for that piece of equipment are displayed. To my mind this is the beauty of the remote as it makes it simpler to find the function you want quickly. There is an intelligent aspect to this too… they call it “punch through”, whereby the volume control still affects your TV when you are in Satellite mode. I have tried to illustrate the six different modes in the pictures below, rather than listing them in detail.
Certain modes, such as “Sky” have more than one screen of functions. You just press the “Scroll” key to access these.
There is also a sleep timer function so that if your equipment is not capable of doing this itself, the remote can be set to turn it off after a certain amount of time.
The movement sensor is quite sensitive which means that just walking across the room can cause the remote to light up for about 10 seconds. This isn't really a problem. The batteries last about 3 months even with this happening. This is with use every day.
UPDATING
The manufacturers claim that the Kameleon will never become obsolete. This is because, as you buy new products, you can download the functions required either via their website or by phoning their customer services team. It is then a matter of holding the remote up to your computer speakers or phone earpiece and the required codes are sent through to its internal “modem”. No connections required!!
As yet, I haven’t had to try out this facility, so can’t comment on its effectiveness. CONCLUSION
All in all a great piece of kit. It does exactly what it should and has the flexibility to add further functions and customise keys which most “fixed button” remote replacements would not have. Its upgradeability also makes it “future proof”. It is also very trendy looking, generates lots of interest from visitors and is a great “boy’s toy”!! I paid about £75 for it a year ago but I have just found it by searching online for about £59. Good value I think!
MANUFACTURER’S WEB SITE www.oneforall.com
Pictures of One For All 6 Kameleon Remote Control (URC-8060)
Top lines of remote - function select
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Great review!! I NEED one of these. No really, I do.....
jedi_kickass 05.05.2004 13:59
That was a wonderful review. I write mainly electronics reviews & I dunno how I missed this out. You certainly deserve an E for this. jedi_kickass ( ' _ ' )
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