MX-950 Aurora Programming, Support & Conclusion
MRF-300 RF Receiver Base Station
In Reference System 2 , I utilized 5 of the 6 IR flashers and connected them to the front of my devices. Locating the RFX-150 antenna on the wall outside of my equipment rack I was able to get a nice clean RF signal with little interference. I located the MRF-300 base station away from my equipment and utilized some of the ample length provided to the IR blasters to accommodate this remote location.
The MRF-300 features adjustable IR output levels for each of the six IR emitters (blasters). You'll need to use these when connecting to most cable or satellite boxes as they require a lower level of IR in order to function properly (their IR receivers tend to get easily oversaturated.) For those who are able to position the MRF-300 in front of their equipment, you can enable the unit to function as an IR blaster, increasing the number of devices you can control beyond the six IR emitters.
Overall, the MRF-300 is a fantastic device to use with any of Universal Remote's RF-capable remote controls. It enables true care-free remote control over your system and is absolutely essential if your equipment is not all located line-of-site.
Programming Tips and Special Features
The first time you use the MX-950 you'll be greeted to something not common on prior URC remotes -
sound.
In addition to the exceptional programming capabilities of the MX-950, now you will be
able to program feedback into the remote for various macros or functions. The remote shipped with a
default button sound and I toyed around with various "completion" sounds to let the user know a macro
was being run or had finished. These are things you can do to help make the client's experience with
the remote control more successful.
Custom Graphics
How about some more? The MX-950 also accommodates
basic graphics. You can select from the included library or import your own JPG or BMP files. We
snagged the Audioholics logo and entered it in to see how it looked and were rather pleased with the
results. A practical example of how to use a graphic would include setting up a "waiting" or
"macro-in-progress" screen that you could trigger at the start of a complex macro, then jump to the
destination page at the completion of the macro. It's these types of niceties that spell the difference
between a "nice remote" and a truly functional system controller. The graphic system is drag-and-drop
so you simply pull a file off of the image gallery, and drop it onto the remote screen where you want
it to appear. You may want to create a hidden page to house specific graphics that can be used during
the course of executing macros and commands.
IR
Database Navigator
The IR Database Navigator is a very direct way to call up
discrete remote codes from any device in the Universal Remote Control library. Using the MX-950 Editor,
simply select it from the Tools menu, choose the brand and model of the device control you wish to
procure and then drag it to a button on the remote control. This is a very quick and easy way to
utilize commands from devices other than the currently selected one without having to learn them
(assuming the required codes are in the database).
Universal Browser
The Universal Browser works much
like the IR Database Navigator in that it allows dragging and dropping of IR data from one source to
another. The difference is that the Universal Browser opens and reads .MXF, .MXA, .MXT, and .CCF files
from other remote controls and displays the resulting button layouts in its Panel View window.
Flexible? Yes, absolutely.
Technical Support
During the course of this review I contacted technical support regarding some RF issues I was having with a particular piece of electronics. I received a response within 48 hours in the form of a phone call and was able to go over my problems in real time while we both looked over my MX-950 Editor file. Customer service treated me like I had a brain and listened to my feedback regarding what troubleshooting tips I had taken to isolate the problem. It was nice to be talking with a person who was not in a third world country reading off a list of troubleshooting steps from a computer screen.
Whether typical users will get the same customer service as a reviewer is
unknown, but my advice is still to have a custom installer purchase and configure your remote for best
results. That way you'll get a unit configured in the most optimal manner - and have a phone number to
call in case of any difficulties or product additions down the road.
Conclusions
The MX-950 has finally displaced the MX-700 as my all-time favorite remote control. If you're a touch-screen kind of guy, check out the MX-3000 - but I, for one, appreciate the feel of tactile buttons and something I can teach my hand to memorize in the dark. The MRF-300 is a necessary addition to this package if you want true freedom in a remote control. Without it, you're still in "point-and-shoot" mode and you might as well not spend the additional money on RF capability.
We really want to see Universal Remote improve their IR database. With the competition heating up, this is one place you do not want to cause any difficulty. While the global remote codes may suffice for any missing products, there is simply no substitute for well-laid-out buttons and IR codes for the newest, and even the most obscure, devices. If adequate staff cannot be set aside to create the device files, then perhaps they can improve the way these files can be collected and submitted by custom install users.
If you're looking for a Cadillac remote control with all of the trimmings, this is the one. As a custom installer, you simply could not hand your clients a more useable and powerful remote control for the price.
Universal Remote Control, Inc.
500 Mamaroneck Ave.
Harrison, NY 10528
Ph: (914) 835-4484
Fax: (914) 835-4532
http:/www.universalremote.com/
MSRP (MX-950):
$699
MSRP (MRF-300):
$200
Universal Remote Control, Inc.
Universal Remote Control is a world leader in the custom design, engineering, manufacturing and
distribution of high-quality remote controls and home automation products. With more than 20 years of
experience, Universal Remote Control produces a family of innovative IRRF products to meet customer
requirements around the world. Our remote control products range in complexity from a multiple function
universal and learning remote control with DVD tutorial, to a feature-rich, PC-programmable remote
control with color touch screen.
The Score Card
The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:
Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating
Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.
Audioholics Rating Scale
— Excellent
- — Very Good
- — Good
- — Fair
- — Poor
| Metric | Rating |
|---|---|
| Build Quality | |
| Ergonomics & Usability | |
| Ease of Setup/Programming/Integration | |
| Features | |
| Performance |  |
| Value | |
