# Universal G7 Gamer Remote ($3.50, KMart) Questions



## Mark W (Dec 6, 2001)

Hi Folks,

K-Mart has a Universal Remote called the Universal Remote Control Gamer on clearance right now for $3.50 It was originally $35. It is basically the same remote as the G7, but with some X-Box and Playstation customization. I picked up a couple because the button layout seemed to work well for Tivo. The transport keys are right where your thumb rests. I figured for $3.50, why not give it a try!

It is a learning remote with a large amount of memory for learned commands.

Does anyone use this for Tivo? Does anyone have any suggestions on changing any of the default buttons?

My main question is about macros. I have done some searching, and have discovered that macros can apparantly be assigned to 9 different buttons, the On Button, the System Off Button, and any of the 7 Device Buttons. I have 5 Devices that I need to control, a TV, an HR10-250 Tivo, a DVD player, an audio receiver, and a projector. I would like to assign a few macros to set up the system to watch movies on the projector, watch HD on the projector, and watch TV on the TV. So I guess I would only assign macros to the two device keys that I don't use, right? I need to be able to press a device key to control the device and not have the whole macro run.

Also, is there a way to assign discrete power on/off codes to this remote?


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

Not directly, you need a cheap one-for-all model that accepts advanced codes, then use that remote to teach a learning remote.


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## Mark W (Dec 6, 2001)

Thanks Edmund, that brings up an interesting point. Do you think it would be possible to learn macros from an OFA remote to the buttons that don't support macros natively?


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## Mark W (Dec 6, 2001)

By the way, if anyone goes in to look for one of these, the clearance price tags in various stores have different prices, but people are reporting that they are ringing up consistantly at $3.50. The price stickers on them at the two stores that I went to were $15, and $25. Here is the link to the same remote at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MFLQR4/ref=nosim/?tag=fatwalletcom&linkCode=as1


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## Dkerr24 (Oct 29, 2004)

Wow, I thought K-Mart went belly up. They closed all the stores in my area years ago.


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

Dkerr24 said:


> Wow, I thought K-Mart went belly up. They closed all the stores in my area years ago.


No, they bought out Sears, but they did close quite a few stores.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

Mark W said:


> Thanks Edmund, that brings up an interesting point. Do you think it would be possible to learn macros from an OFA
> remote to the buttons that don't support macros natively?


No, and URC remotes are very finicky learning remotes.

And thank you for the tip, picked up 3 at that price. the remotes weren't with other universal remotes, it was in the cabinet with video games. with clearance price of $27, but rang up $3.50


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## Mark W (Dec 6, 2001)

Edmund said:


> No, and URC remotes are very finicky learning remotes.
> 
> And thank you for the tip, picked up 3 at that price. the remotes weren't with other universal remotes, it was in the cabinet with video games. with clearance price of $27, but rang up $3.50


Edmund, I'm glad I was able to help YOU for once, glad you got in on the deal. I tried out the remotes last night. In the beginning, I was very optomistic. I really like the look of the remote, and like the button layout. It feels natural in my hand. I need the backlighting for basement use. My optomism was quickly shattered when I could not learn one button from any other remote! I tried two different gamer remotes, and tried to learn buttons from three other remotes, my Pioneer Receiver, my Infocus projector, and my DTivo. I followed the manual instructions, is there anything tricky about it? The remote responds the way the manual says it should, but then the buttons just don't work when I try them.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

The recent pioneer oem remotes have given URC remotes fits, the only remedy is to teach to a third remote, then on to the URC remote. 

Some tivo remotes wouldn't allow learning remotes learn certain keys, like FF, later other keys. I have taught the URC R7, the non-Gamer version of this remote four tivo addresses without troubles, but I use other universals to teach, not the peanut remote. 

Make sure you have new batteries in both remotes when tempting to teach.


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## Mark W (Dec 6, 2001)

Thanks, I will try learning from some other Universal remotes that I have. What do you think of the R7 remotes? Did you change the replay and skip to tick keys to map to the R7's Skip- and Skip+ keys?

One nice thing about this gamer remote is that the gaming specific buttons are colored like the DirecTV remotes, so when I have to go up to the HR20 DVR soon, it will match it well.


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## Mark W (Dec 6, 2001)

Well, I tried learning from my Harmony last night, and that didn't work either. Man, this is frustrating.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

see your thread at Remote Central.


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## itzme (Dec 7, 2004)

did anyone get this model to Skip- and Skip+


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

I taught it the replay and advance commands for two tivo addresses.


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## itzme (Dec 7, 2004)

I'm trying to set mine up. Problems I'm having with the G7:

1) I can't find the right setup code for the HR10-250 Tivo. 209 makes the remote go into the TIVO main screen, but no other buttons work. 201 does nothing. Any ideas? Do i have to manually program everything?

2) What did button did you use for the main TIVO/DIRECTV button?

3) Afterthought: I wonder if can control anything on my Wii? I'd give anything if it'd turn on my XBOX (classic).


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

itzme said:


> I'm trying to set mine up. Problems I'm having with the G7:
> 
> 1) I can't find the right setup code for the HR10-250 Tivo. 209 makes the remote go into the TIVO main screen, but no other buttons work. 201 does nothing. Any ideas? Do i have to manually program everything?
> 
> ...


If you press the power key with code 209 in puts into the menu, don't press the power key. Most keys work with both codes 201 & 209, but they don't react until you on livetv. 209 has few more keys preset.

Have 4 Tivos I couldn't use the preset codes, I taught all commands. I put the Tivo/directv key on the Menu key, I left off the thumbs, put the replay & advance commands on the SKIP Keys.

I have the standby command for all 9 addresses, I put standby command on the power OFF key, I will never use the separate power ON key for anything in any of the devices. I perfer the power key on the right side of the remote.

Any device can be loaded with code for any other device like so:

1. press and hold the Device key (to be programmed) & SELECT until light remains on
2. tap the device key you wish the code to come from
3. enter the code
4. press the device you're programming to lock in code


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

itzme said:


> I'd give anything if it'd turn on my XBOX (classic).


The remote is fully capable to do that. The Xbox hardware (in its stock form) is incapable however, of being powered on or off by remote.
You need a hardware mod to add an IR sensor and logic board.


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## itzme (Dec 7, 2004)

RE the XBOX: yeah, I knew that, I was sort of joking. I wish that Microsoft had thought of it with their first xbox. 

RE: Programming the tivo with it. Got it, thanks! Now the specs page of the R7 says it can do mutli-key macros. How? I only see how to program their ON/OFF. Can I program a macros to, say, INPUT-INPUT-INPUT-AUDIO 5-DVD?


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

itzme said:


> RE the XBOX: yeah, I knew that, I was sort of joking. I wish that Microsoft had thought of it with their first xbox.
> 
> RE: Programming the tivo with it. Got it, thanks! Now the specs page of the R7 says it can do mutli-key macros. How? I only see how to program their ON/OFF. Can I program a macros to, say, INPUT-INPUT-INPUT-AUDIO 5-DVD?


The only keys that can hold a macro are the ON & OFF keys, and the 7 device keys. What you include in the macro, the commands have to be already mapped to keys on the gamer.

If you put a macro on a device key, put a pause or two at the beginning of the macro. So it becomes a push & hold macro, that way you if you wish to enter the device only, the macro won't fire when you don't want it to. To put a Pause, you press the Pause key during programming the macro.


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## Mark W (Dec 6, 2001)

Edmund said:


> ...
> If you put a macro on a device key, put a pause or two at the beginning of the macro. So it becomes a push & hold macro, that way you if you wish to enter the device only, the macro won't fire when you don't want it to. To put a Pause, you press the Pause key during programming the macro.


So, Edmund, I'm not sure I understand this exactly. Does the remote treat the pause key that you programmed as a pause in reacting to the sequence and not an actual press of the pause key? So, if I'm in my Tivo device, and I put a macro on the device key with a pause as the first command, the Tivo won't pause? I'd be very interested in using this so that I could still use the device keys as device keys, and holding it down could launch a macro.

By the way, I tried a third gamer remote that I had bought, and that one learns correctly. I can't believe that the first two were just defective like that!


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## itzme (Dec 7, 2004)

Edmund, what you say about device keys and macros sounds promising! I'm not sure I fully understand the programming steps for a device-key macro though. Would you please take me through the steps to program the following macro? When I push (and hold) the DVD device button, I want the R7 to do this sequence, which gets me setup to watch a DVD: 

TV-Input-Input-Input-Audio-0-DVD

note: the first 4 strokes set my TV to the DVD input, the next 2 set my audio receiver to the CD input, and the last one readies the remote to control the DVD player that is always already turned on. 

Can this macro be programmed into the Gamer? When you give me the commands, put those pauses in for me that you mentioned. THANKS EDMUND!


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

Mark W said:


> So, Edmund, I'm not sure I understand this exactly. Does the remote treat the pause key that you programmed as a pause in reacting to the sequence and not an actual press of the pause key? So, if I'm in my Tivo device, and I put a macro on the device key with a pause as the first command, the Tivo won't pause? I'd be very interested in using this so that I could still use the device keys as device keys, and holding it down could launch a macro.
> 
> By the way, I tried a third gamer remote that I had bought, and that one learns correctly. I can't believe that the first two were just defective like that!


The PAUSE key will still pause your tivo even with a macro on the tivo device key. What you can't do is include an actual pause command in a macro, unless you map a second pause command to another key. The same goes for CH UP, since it saves the macro and stops the programming instantly, it can't be included as a step in the macro, unless you have a second key with ch up command on it.

Sorry about the bad remotes.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

itzme said:


> Edmund, what you say about device keys and macros sounds promising! I'm not sure I fully understand the programming steps for a device-key macro though. Would you please take me through the steps to program the following macro? When I push (and hold) the DVD device button, I want the R7 to do this sequence, which gets me setup to watch a DVD:
> 
> TV-Input-Input-Input-Audio-0-DVD
> 
> ...


I'll try:

1. press and hold DVD device key & MUTE until the DVD device lights up
2. Pause
3. Pause
4. TV device key
5. INPUT
6. INPUT 
7. INPUT 
8. AUDIO device key
9. 0
10. DVD device key
11. press and hold CH UP to save

If you asked to power up the individual components during the macro, I would have put some pauses to wait for the device to come on, and then are able to accept remote commands.


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## itzme (Dec 7, 2004)

that worked! I got it now. Thanks


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## itzme (Dec 7, 2004)

Well now that I've had a chance to program and play with the R7, I have to admit that for $3.50 its quite a deal. I seem to be able to program all that I need into it. My only complaints are that its a little 'sluggish' and unresponsive at times, especially if I don't have it pointed directly at the devices. Also, I was hoping that I could use some other keys as macros. My other remote gave labelled 4 keys for macros, so I could do dual-tuner things like (PAUSE-PG DOWN{switches tuners}-PLAY) which is a great macro when watching 2 football games on Tivo. I guess I could use AUX or something to do that. 

Edmund, thanks for all your help. I think your Macro how-to will be helpful to many. I still haven't found that feature in the manual, other than extrapolating from the page on the MacroPower feature, which I wouldn't have figured out on my own.


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## Fungo (Jan 9, 2006)

Sorry to bump and old thread, but has anyone got a code that works for the Gamer for the DirecTV R15-300 DVR? I've tried every code in the manual, but to no avail.

Thanks in advance.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

Fungo said:


> Sorry to bump and old thread, but has anyone got a code that works for the Gamer for the DirecTV R15-300 DVR? I've tried every code in the manual, but to no avail.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


The only current Directv code in the gamer is SAT 173, which is only for directv branded receivers set to the factory default codeset 00001. And of course the receiver has to be in IR mode, or able to receive both IR & RF signals. The R15 & R16 are the only directv receivers that can be set up to do that.


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## Fungo (Jan 9, 2006)

Edmund said:


> The only current Directv code in the gamer is SAT 173, which is only for directv branded receivers set to the factory default codeset 00001. And of course the receiver has to be in IR mode, or able to receive both IR & RF signals. The R15 & R16 are the only directv receivers that can be set up to do that.


Great, that worked. Many thanks.

Now I'll be greedy...
Code for a Samsung HT-Z310 Home Theater System. I think it is a new model and none of the codes listed work. It's a DVD plyer with surround sound (5.1). I tried the codes listed for both Samsung DVD and Audio. I've had this Gamer for a few years now and for 5 bucks it has worked like a charm, but this is the first time it has given me trouble. It picked up the new Panasonic Plasma no problem and the DVR now that I have the correct code. Maybe someone will have some input on the Samsung.

Again, thanks.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

The Gamer is a learning remote, teach the commands using the oem remotes. It won't take that long at all.


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