Are you tired of juggling three or four different remote controllers to control your home theater setup? With a universal remote control, you can combine the many functions of your remote control into one device. Universal remote controllers are generally programmed in two different ways: by entering a code directly or by searching for the code. See Step 1 below to learn how to learn both.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Remote Control Without "Code Lookup" Button
Using Brand Code Search
Step 1. Turn on the device you want to control
Brand Code Search only supports older TVs, DVDs, VCRs and satellite/cable boxes. It does not support stereo, DVR and HDTV systems; You will have to use the other methods in this article to connect the devices.
You will need the Brand Code from the RCA Brand Code list. This list is located in the remote controller documentation and database on the RCA Support site
Step 2. Press and hold the button on the remote control that corresponds to the device
For example, if you program the remote control for your TV, press and hold the "TV" button. If the device you are trying to control is not labeled on the remote control, press the "Aux" (Auxiliary) button.
- After a while, the Power button will light up and stay on. Continue to hold down the device button.
- Make sure to keep the remote control pointed at the device.
Step 3. Press and hold the Power button while continuing to hold the device button
The Power button light will go out. Continue to hold both buttons for about three seconds longer. The Power button light will turn on again.
Step 4. Release both buttons
The Power button light should stay on after both buttons are released. If the Power button light doesn't stay on, repeat these steps from the beginning and make sure you hold down the buttons at the right time.
Step 5. Enter the Brand Code
After releasing both buttons and making sure the Power button light remains on, enter the Brand Code using the number buttons on the remote control. Make sure you keep the remote control pointed at the device at all times.
- If you enter the correct code, the Power button light will flash once and stay on.
- If you enter an incorrect code, the Power button light will flash four times and then go out. If this happens, you will have to start the process again from the beginning. Make sure that you enter the correct code for your device brand and that the device supports Brand Code Lookup.
Step 6. Press the Power button to scroll through the codes
Each time the Power button is pressed, the following code in order of brand will be sent to the device. The Power button will flash each time a code is sent. Keep pressing the button until the device turns off. This means that you have found the right code.
If you scroll through the entire list, the Power button will flash four times and then go out. You should try the other methods in this article to program the remote controller
Step 7. Press and release the Stop button
This will save the code in the remote control and assign it to the device button you pressed earlier. If you don't press the Stop button, the code will not be saved and you will have to start the process all over again.
Step 8. Try the remote control
After saving the code, use the remote control to try different functions on the device. If you can't control most of its functions, try programming the remote control using one of the other methods in this article. Sometimes, different code will give you a different amount of functionality.
Use Manual Code Lookup
Step 1. Turn on the device you want to control
This device can be a TV, DVD or Bluray player, DVR, VCR or stereo system. The device must from the start support the use of a remote control (for example, many stereo systems do not support the use of a remote control).
The amount of functionality you get from a universal remote control will vary from device to device
Step 2. Press and hold the button on the remote control that corresponds to the device
For example, if you are programming a remote control for your TV, press and hold the "TV" button. If the device you are trying to control is not labeled on the remote, press the "Aux" (Auxiliary) button.
- After a while, the Power button light will come on and stay on. Continue to hold down the device button.
- Make sure to keep the remote control pointed at the device.
Step 3. Press and hold the Power button while continuing to hold the device button
The Power button light will go out. Continue to hold both buttons for about three seconds longer. The Power button light will turn on again.
Step 4. Release both buttons
The Power button light should stay on after both buttons are released. If the Power button light doesn't stay on, start these steps all over again and make sure you hold down the buttons at the right time.
Step 5. Press the Power button to scroll through the codes
Each time the Power button is pressed, the following code in the overall code list is sent to the device. The Power button will flash once each time a code is sent. Keep pressing the button until the device turns off. This means that you have found the right code.
- Going through the entire code list can take a while. Depending on the remote control, you may be able to browse through hundreds of codes.
- If you scroll through the entire list, the Power button will flash four times and then go out. You can try the other methods in this article to program the remote control, but the possibility that the remote will not work with your device remains, even if every available code has been tried.
Step 6. Press and release the Stop button
This will save the code in the remote control and place it into the device button you pressed earlier. If you do not press the Stop button, the code will not be saved and you will have to start the process all over again.
Step 7. Test the remote control
After saving the code, use the remote control to try different functions on the device. If you can't control most of its functions, try programming the remote using one of the other methods in this article. Sometimes different codes will provide different amounts of functionality.
Method 2 of 2: Remote Control With "Code Lookup" Button
Using Direct Code Input
Step 1. Turn on the device you want to control
If you know a suitable code that you must enter to control your device, this method will allow you to quickly enter it. You can find a suitable code by looking at it in the remote controller's documentation or by using the database on the RCA support website.
Some devices have several possible codes, so you may have to try them several times with different codes until you find a suitable code
Step 2. Press and hold the Code Search button
After a while, the light on the remote control will light up. Release the Code Search button.
Step 3. Press the appropriate device button
For example, if you are programming a DVD, then press the DVD button. The light on the remote control will flash once and stay on.
Step 4. Enter the code
Use the numeric keypad to enter the code from the list. After entering the code, the light on the remote control will go out.
Step 5. Test the remote control
Point the remote control at the device you want to control. Make sure that the device is turned on manually. Test the functions like volume, channel and power. If the device responds to the remote control, then no further programming is required. If the device doesn't respond, then you have to try another code from the brand in question.
Using Code Lookup
Step 1. Turn on the device you want to control
You need to turn on the device so that the remote control can trace the available codes. This can take a little longer than entering the code directly, but it's useful if you can find it in the code list.
Step 2. Press and hold the Code Search button
After a while, the light on the remote control will light up. Release the Code Search button.
Step 3. Press the appropriate device button
For example, if you are programming a DVD, press the DVD button. The light on the remote control will flash once and stay on.
Step 4. Press the Power button to scroll through the codes
Each time the Power button is pressed, the following code in the entire code list is sent to the device. The hint light on the remote control will flash each time a code is sent. Keep pressing the button until the device turns off. This means that you have found the right code.
- Going through the entire code list can take a while. Depending on the remote control, you may have to go through hundreds of codes.
- If you go through the entire list, the hint light will flash four times and then go out. You can try the other methods in this article to program the remote control but the possibility that the remote will not work with your device remains, even if every available code has been tried.
Step 5. Press and release the Enter key
When the device turns off, press and release the Enter key on the remote control to save the code. If you don't do this, the code will not be saved and you will have to start the process all over again.
Step 6. Test the remote control
Point the remote control at the device you want to control. Make sure that the device is turned on manually. Test functions such as volume, channel and power. If the device responds to the remote control, then no further programming is required.
