Universal remotes, such as the popular One For All units, contain preprogrammed infrared codes for most popular types and brands of equipment. All you have to do is punch in the code of the unit you want to control, and the universal remote automatically transmits the proper codes for that component. Most universal remotes contain codes for some combination of the most popular brands, the most popular components, and the most recent models.
And you may already have a universal remote control. Many TVs and some audio/video receivers come with a remote that can control your other components. All you have to do is program the remote with the codes for your other equipment.
There are several advantages to using a universal remote. First, it's easy to get the remote up and running for a particular component; just punch in a three- or four-digit code. Second, if you have relatively standard equipment, chances are this one remote is preprogrammed with the proper codes, so you can use it to control multiple components.
The disadvantage to using a universal remote is that it typically isn't programmed for older or nonstandard equipment. So if you have a 10-year-old VCR or a high-end component only available from specialty retailers, it's likely the remote won't recognize the equipment. In addition, the buttons on universal remotes are somewhat generic -- you'll probably find some functions available on a particular component aren't available with a universal remote.
