One For All Smart Control

The Smart Control sits in the gap between ordinary ‘universal’ remote controls that can be difficult to set up and more expensive fully programmable models.

It can control up to six devices, each assigned to one of the ‘category’ keys. Built-in Simple Set codes for most popular manufacturers make programming easy: press the Magic key, a category key, a single number key (from the list provided) until the device turns off, and that’s it. It even supports games consoles.

Codes can also be entered manually or it can learn from any working remote using a very simple procedure. We successfully used this to replicate a Windows Media Center remote control.

Three special ‘smart control’ buttons (Watch TV, Watch Movie and Listen to Music) cleverly combine functions for up to three devices, such as TV, DVD player and hi-fi. This worked pretty well, but it doesn’t support multiple sequences of commands so it can’t turn the devices on or off simultaneously, for example.

The Smart Control looks good, is well built and is comfortable to use (although having black keys on a black body is a bit silly).

But overall it is an absolute bargain for those fed up with multiple remote controls cluttering the house.