Sony RMVLZ620 Universal Remote Control (Black)

==== ORIGINAL Nov 8, 2010 ====Short of the Harmony remote series, there is NO other remote that even compares in this class. Both in terms of price point and versatility, I would not consider anything else. I can't believe I waited so long and tried other brands. Pre-programmed codes were trivially easy to enter. Manual programming from other remotes, though it took me a minute, were just as simple. At first I tended to agree with other reviewers in disparaging the new setup instructions. After using it a couple times I found it much easier than the VL900, my previous Sony remote. My only "complaint", You will always need a manual to program it, but I can still download the manual to my VL900 from Sony Support. I'd still be using the VL900 except for the lack of good transport control buttons for DVR use.Complaints: It still requires a 2-button press to enter some setup modes. With the use of "9" codes (9xx) to access advanced setup functions, I think they would have found a way around that now (4/5). Tactile response is still not optimal (3/5) though obviously much better than the VL610 (1/5). And why oh why couldn't Sony keep the glow in the dark buttons, though they keep the device button tally so you always know which device is being transmitted (4/5).Bonus: I did find the device select "power on" code much simpler to manually program for any device. On the VL900 this was only supported on Sony devices, but did work for non-Sony devices (+1).==== UPDATE Oct 11, 2011 ====I now have two of them, one in the living room and one in the bedroom coupled with an A/V switch/repeater for the DVR VCR ... . All of that and it still passes the wife test :) AND unlike the Harmony .. the todler test.==== UPDATE Jan 1, 2013 ====Having had this remote for over two years now, I can say that it is still my favorite choice though I have a had a setback. It seems the two buttons I use most are starting to die (DVR and skip ahead). That isn't suprising considering how much use the remote has seen. My second remote which is only 8 months older is doing just fine. I expect some time in the near future I may be buying a third as a replacement.==== UPDATE Oct 28, 2016 ====Yep, still works great. I'm still on set number 2, and my original remotes are safe from abuse.

I purchased this remote to replace a well-worn Sony RM-VL610 that had served me well for a few years, but was starting to show its age. I think it's a nice evolution of the prior model. Subtle but notable changes (upgrades?):- Ergonomic refinements: a ribbed back and rubber strip around the edge (which I missed from my old RM-VL900 way back in the day) make it easier to grip, and the more conventional battery cover is more secure than on the VL610, which had exchangeable colored backs that were kinda neat but slid off too easily. The VLZ620 is slightly longer at the bottom, which makes the lower buttons more comfortable to use. The all-critical Button feel is pretty much identical to the old model - firm with decent feedback. It's not as tactile as the RM-YD029 that came with my Sony XBR TV, but better than the typical cheapo universal remotes from the cable company.- Range and spread were always good on the VL610; never had any complaints. The VLZ620 packaging boasts "Ultra 3X" spread, with an illustration showing the IR waves spreading past 180 degrees. The IR lens has 3 convex bubbles which ostensibly spready the signal, and sure enough, you can point the remote almost completely backwards and it'll still register (at least on my Sony TV). Pretty impressive.- The component buttons have been modernized: CBL/SAT is now the 2nd button next to TV (instead of DVD), the 3rd button button is now DVR/PVR, a BD (BluRay) button has been added, and TAPE has been removed (who has a tape deck anymore??). They also added a dedicated hard button just for TV power - very handy if your turn-on sequence gets out of sync and you need to power up/down your TV w/o leaving CBL mode.- The numeric keypad has been swapped with the playback controls, so they're now below the volume/channel buttons at the bottom. I think another reviewer felt this was more awkward, but I actually find it to be a more natural setup - you can quickly grab the bottom of the control and operate the most critical buttons for TV watching w/o having to slide your hand up the wand.- There's now a dedicated INFO button (yay, finally), arrayed around the cursor control along with GUIDE, FAVORITES and LIST, all of which are cable/satellite friendly. PAGE +/- are now just above the cursor, naturally positioned to the left and right. Overall the layout feels better generalized and more intuitive.- The "record" function now takes only a single button to engage (it used to have a safeguard that required simultaneously pressing the play button) - more appropriate for the "record all the shows all the time RIGHT NOW" DVR age.- The pre-programmed code for my Comcast Motorola DVR was not perfect, but a lot closer than the last model - I only had to reprogram a few functions. Looks like Sony put some effort into updating the codes.The only negative I can think of is that the programming procedure is a bit more convoluted than before, requiring the entry of random 3 digit codes to enable different modes. Also, the remote times out programming mode a bit too quickly, annoying when you're rifling through the documentation looking for codes and sequences. Overall though it's all pretty straightforward and workable.All in all, a solid 4-star product; for around 20 bucks, i'm uprating it to 5 stars for value.p.s. I've seen a few comments about the remote requiring new alkaline batteries to function properly. Just FYI that I'm using a set of freshly-charged Sanyo Eneloop rechargeables with no issues at all, including the learning function. Other brands of NiMH rechargeables may not be as consistent (Eneloops are amazing), so YMMV; when in doubt, use fresh alkalines.