Universal Remote Control (URS) RF20 User Manual

1 2

The RF20 Remote

WELCOME

CONTNETS

The RF20 Remote

LOCATION OF
CONTROLS

Keypad Layout 3

GETTING
STARTED

Overview 4
Battery Installation 4
Activating Component Commands 5
Light Button 6

BASIC SETUP

Overview 7
Pre-Programmed Code Method 7
Learning Method 15
Transmitting (Busy Signal) Icon. 19
Child Lock Feature 19

CUSTOMIZING
YOUR RF20
WITH SPECIAL
ADVANCED
FEATURES

Customizing the LCD Screen 20

Favorite Channel Setup 23

MacroPower™ Setup 26

SimpleSound™ Setup &
Other 'Punch Throughs' 30

Setting Backlight Options 32

Hiding & Adding Pages 33

Recalling Pre-programmed
Setup Code Numbers 35

Cloning other RF20s 36

ERASING
COMMANDS

Overview 37

Erasing Learned Button,
Macro or Favorite
Channel Commands 37

Re-setting RF20 to Original
Factory Default Settings 39

THE OPTIONAL
POWERBLASTER

TM

PowerBlaster

TM

41

PRE­PROGRAMMED
CODE TABLES

TV 45
CABLE 48
DVD 50
VCR 53
AUDIO 55

SAT 58
CD 59
DVR 61
AUX 62

NOTES 64

Pre-Programmed Code Tables 44

PREPROGRAMMED
CODE NOTES

Pre Programmed Code Notes 43

OTHER
INFO

FAQ 65
Warranty 66
Specifications 66

Congratulations on purchas­ing Universal Remote
Control’s

MASTERCONTROL™
RF20 Pre-programmed and
Learning Remote Control!
You now have the power to
control your entire home
entertainment system with
one easy-to-use remote.
The RF20 can be used with
thousands of audio/video
Components because of the
extensive code library
pre-programmed into the
remote. And, the RF20’s
impressive lineup of special
advanced features can
automate and customize the
operation of your system
in many ways. So... get
ready to sit back, relax
and simplify your home
entertainment experience.

The Quick Setup DVD
Program Guide supplied
with the RF20 will assist you
in programming your remote
by guiding you through an
easy step-by-step process.
This Owner’s Manual is
designed as a companion
reference source to the
DVD Guide, should you
need to refer back to a
particular section, or review
certain instruction detail not
covered in the DVD.
However, if you are unable
to watch the DVD Guide for
some reason, everything
you need to know about
programming the RF20 is
contained in this Manual.

Congratulations!

500 Mamaroneck Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528

Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

MASTERCONTROL™ RF20 Owner’s Manual

© 2006 Universal Remote Control, Inc.

The information in this manual is copyright protected. No part of this manual
may be copied or reproduced in any form without prior written consent from
Universal Remote Control, Inc. UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL, INC. SHALL
NOT BE LIABLE FOR OPERATIONAL, TECHNICAL OR EDITORIAL ERRORS /
OMISSIONS MADE IN THIS MANUAL. The information in this manual may be
subject to change without prior notice. MASTERCONTROL, PowerBlaster,
MacroPower, and SimpleSound are trademarks of Universal Remote Control,
Inc. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective companies or organizations.

3 4

Keypad Layout

CONTROL LOCATIONS

GETTING STARTED

Overview & Battery Installation

Battery Installation

The very first step is to
insert the four AAA
batteries that are included
in the package into the
battery compartment
located in the back of the
remote. Just press the tab
and lift off the cover.
Please be sure to insert the
batteries correctly as you
see in the diagram.
Remember, there is a
positive and negative end to
each battery and you can

tell by the + (positive) and

- (negative) symbols. Once
the batteries are correctly
installed, replace the cover.
Now you’re ready to start!

Getting Started-Overview

This is what MASTERCONTROL™ RF20 is all about!

The RF20 is designed to operate up to 10 different
Audio/Video Components and is pre-programmed to
operate virtually all brands of TV, VCR, DVD and CD Players,
Cable Set Top Boxes, Satellite Receivers, TiVo and other
DVRs, Audio Components, Tape Decks, Multimedia PCs,
XM Radio, Ipod, X-Box, Lighting Controls and other custom
installation products. It also offers an impressive lineup of
special features designed to provide you with many
time-saving conveniences and enhance your overall
entertainment experience. However, we strongly
recommend that you fully complete all of the Basic Setup
steps before proceeding to customize your RF20 with any of
the special advanced features.

LIGHT

BUTTON

SCREEN-LABELED
DISPLAY BUTTONS

TITLE

FAVORITE
CHANNEL

BUTTONS

changes the page of

buttons displayed

PAG E

NUMBERS

MAIN

BUTTON

takes you to the main menu

FUNCTION

BUTTONS

PAGE

LIGHT

BUTTON

MAIN

BUTTON

TV DEVICE

BUTTON

5 6

Activating Component Commands

GETTING STARTED

GETTING STARTED

LIGHT BUTTON

Activating Component Commands –
Simple, Easy, Intuitive

Once you’ve programmed
RF20 for your Components,
all you have to do to operate
a specific Component is
first, press the MAIN but­ton. This will display Page 1
of the MAIN menu on the
LCD screen. Page 1 of the
MAIN menu displays five
Components. Then, simply
select the Component you
want to operate by pressing
the corresponding Screen­Labeled Component Display
Button on the right side of
the LCD Screen. As an
example, if you press the TV
Display Button, the display
label at the top of the
screen will change from
MAIN to TV, and all the but­tons on RF20 will work your
TV. To operate another
Component, simply press
the MAIN button again to
return to Page 1 of the

Light Button

The fully backlit keypad makes the RF20 easy to use in the
dark or dim lighting conditions. Simply press the LIGHT
button to backlight all the keypad buttons and LCD screen.
To turn off the backlight, press the LIGHT button again, or
just wait ten seconds (the backlight automatically shuts
itself off). Lights out!

Try it out!

MAIN menu and select the
next Component you want
to operate.

If you don’t see the
Component you want to
control on Page 1 of the
MAIN menu, just use the
PAGE (

) ( ) buttons on the
left side of the screen to
bring up Page 2 of the
MAIN menu which displays
an additional five
Components.

Each Component is
provided with five pages of
pre-labeled command
display buttons (or space
for additional command
display buttons). Once
again, simply use the PAGE
(

) ( ) buttons to take you to
the next command page, or
return you to the previous
command page.

MAIN

ENTER

BUTTON

BUTTON

7 8

Overview &

Pre-Programmed Code Method

BASIC SETUP

BASIC SETUP

Pre-Programmed Code Method

STEP 1:

The pre-programmed 3-digit
codes are found in the back of
this Manual on page 44. The
codes are listed by Component
category (i.e., TV, VCR, DVD,
etc.), then by brand name. For
instance, if you want to locate
a code for a Sony TV, first
locate the TV category, and
then look for the Sony brand.

Once you have located the
3-digit code (or in some cases,
several code numbers) for the
Component that you want to
operate with your RF20, write
them ALL down on a piece of
note paper. It’s important that
you write down all the codes
because only one code is going
to work for you.

STEP 2:

Now, turn on the Component
you want to program... let’s say
your TV to start. Look up your
TV’s manufacturer setup code
from your reference list.

STEP 3:

Press and hold the MAIN and ENT
(Enter) buttons at the same time
for approximately 3 seconds, until
the word “SETUP” is displayed at
the top of the LCD screen. This
signals that you are now in setup
mode.

Pre-Programmed Code Method

Basic Setup - Overview

There are two ways to program the RF20:

• The Pre-Programmed Code Method

• The Learning Method

The Pre-Programmed Code Method allows you to set up
all the buttons at once, so it’s the fastest and easiest of
the two methods. The Learning Method allows you to
transfer functions from other remotes (old or new), one
button at a time.

IMPORTANT:
You now have 30 seconds to perform
the next step while you are in SETUP
mode. If you don’t press a button
within 30 seconds, SETUP will disap­pear from the screen, signaling that
you have exited setup mode and you
will need to start over.

9 10

Pre-Programmed Code Method

BASIC SETUP

BASIC SETUP

Pre-Programmed Code Method

P-PRO

BUTTON

FIRST FIVE

DEVICE NAMES

PAGE

BUTTONS

STEP 6:

In this step you verify the type
of component you plan to
operate with this component
button. For example: If you plan
to operate the TV component
with the TV button, simply press
the TV display button once
again. However, if for example
you are setting up AUX to
operate a second DVD Player,
you would first need to press
AUX in Step 5, and then DVD
in Step 6.

STEP 5:

Press the Component display
button you want to program.
For example: If you want to
setup the TV Component
button, press the TV
Component display button. The
display at the bottom of the LCD
screen will flash
“FROM - TABLE”.

The screen will then display the
five Components from Page 1 of
the MAIN menu.

To display Page 2 of the MAIN
menu that lists an additional five
Components, simply press the
PAGE ( ) ( ) buttons.

STEP 4:

Press the P-PRO display button
to select the Pre-Programmed
Method.

ON

BUTTON

VOLUME

BUTTONS

CHANNEL
BUTTONS

PLAY

BUTTON

STOP

BUTTON

NUMBER

BUTTONS

UP & DOWN

BUTTONS

11 12

Pre-Programmed Code Method

BASIC SETUP

BASIC SETUP

Pre-Programmed Code Methoda

NOTE:

If the Component fails to turn off after you have
entered all the code numbers listed for your brand,
you can scan through all the other code numbers
that are pre-loaded into the RF20 for that Component
(in this case TV) by using the UP or DOWN display
buttons on the screen. (There is a chance that your
Component was actually manufactured by another
brand.) However, most of the code tables are so
large that it is usually faster to use the Learning
Method on Page 15.

STEP 7:

Point the RF20 toward the
Component you want to
program, (in this example, TV),
and punch in the 3-digit code
that you wrote down for that
specific Component. Use the
Number buttons 0-9 on the
remote to punch in the code.
If the 3-digit code number that
you just punched in is correct,
the Component will turn off.
If the Component does not turn
off, continue entering code
numbers from your list until the
Component turns off. Some
brands have several possible
code numbers.

STEP 8:

When the Component turns off,
press the ON button to turn the
Component back on. Now you
can test the Volume and
Channel buttons (for TV), or
PLAY and STOP (for VCR and
DVD) to make sure they all
work. If any of the buttons do
not work properly, you need to
find a new correct code. For

example, maybe your Sony TV
turned off with code number 147,
but the volume controls did not
work properly. If this is the case,
try the next code number listed
for that Component until you find
a perfect match.

SAVE

BUTTON

MAIN

BUTTON

13 14

Pre-Programmed Code Method

BASIC SETUP

BASIC SETUP

Pre-Programmed Code Methoda

STEP 9:

Once you have found the right
code, save the code number by
pressing the SAVE display
button that appears on the LCD
screen. The LCD screen will
blink “SAVED” two times,
signaling that the code number
has been successfully saved.

STEP 10:

Exit SETUP mode by pressing
the MAIN button two times.
When the LCD screen displays
MAIN, you are back in normal
operating mode.

NOW, PROGRAM THE REST OF YOUR
COMPONENTS BY REPEATING STEPS 1
THROUGH 9. IN MOST SYSTEMS,YOU
CAN FINISH BASIC SETUP IN JUST A
FEW MINUTES AND PUT ALL YOUR OLD
REMOTES AWAY.

IF YOU ARE STILL MISSING
COMMANDS TO CONTROL ANY OF
YOUR COMPONENTS, USE THE
LEARNING METHOD
ON PAGE 15.

15 16

Learning Method

BASIC SETUP

BASIC SETUP

Learning Method

Learning Method

The RF20 can actually ‘learn’ commands from other remote
controls (old or new), one-button-at-a-time, so it will never
become obsolete. RF20 is the last remote you’ll ever need!
Just follow these simple steps:

STEP 1:

Line-up the RF20 with the other
remote control, head-to-head,
one or two inches apart.

STEP 2:

On the RF20, press and hold
the MAIN and ENT (Enter)
buttons at the same time for
approximately three seconds,
until the word “SETUP” is
displayed at the top of the LCD
screen. This signals you are
now in SETUP mode.

STEP 3:

Press the LEARN display button
on the LCD screen. The top of
the screen will change to
“LEARN” and display the five
Components from Page 1 of the
MAIN menu.

STEP 4:

Select the Component you
want to teach commands to
by pressing that Component
display button on the LCD
screen (in this example, TV).
The top of the TV screen will
change to “TV”.

To display Page 2 of the MAIN
menu that lists an additional
five Components, simply press
the PAGE ( ) ( ) buttons.

IMPORTANT
You now have 30 seconds to perform
the next step while you are in SETUP
mode. If you don’t press a button
within 30 seconds, SETUP will disap­pear from the screen, signaling that
you have exited setup mode and you
will need to start over.

NOTE: If you want to teach any command
to a Component button, press the
desired Component display button once
the top of the screen displays “MAIN”, by
pressing the PAGE button.The top of the
screen wil change to “READY”. Then go to
STEP 6.

MAIN

BUTTON

LEARN

BUTTON

ENTER

BUTTON

17 18

Learning Method

BASIC SETUP

BASIC SETUP

Learning Method

STEP 5:

Press any button on the RF20
that you want to teach a
command to. The top of the
screen will change to “READY”
and the bottom of the screen will
display the button name you
pressed.

STEP 6:

Press and hold the button on the
other remote control that you
want to ‘teach’ to the RF20 until
the LCD display on the RF20
changes to either “GOOD” or
“FAILD”. If the “GOOD” label
appears on top of the display,
you were successful. If the
“FAILD” label appears on top
of the display, try ‘teaching’ the
same button to the RF20 once
again by repeating STEPS 5
and 6.

STEP 7:

Now, continue to teach the RF20
any other commands from your
other remotes by repeating
STEPS 4 through 6 (to go
back to STEP 4, simply press
MAIN once).

STEP 8:

Once you have completed
teaching all the button
commands to the RF20, return to
normal operation by pressing the
MAIN button twice.

• Move to another room. Plasma
TVs, sunlight, halogen or quartz
lighting can interfere with the
learning process.

• Even though the old remote
seems to be working fine, put in
fresh alkaline batteries.

• Gradually vary the distance
between the remote controls.
Try 1”, 2” and so on,
up to 4 feet.

• Try tapping the button on your
old remote instead of pressing
and holding it during the
learning process.

Some additional Information
regarding the Learning Process:

• Learned functions override
any existing pre-programmed
functions on the remote control.

• All buttons can be learned
except for the PAGE, MAIN
and LIGHT buttons.

• Learned functions are
automatically erased when
a new function is learned on
the same button.

• Learned functions are retained
even after a different Setup
Code Number is programmed
into the remote.

• To return to an original
pre-programmed function, a
learned function must be erased.

NOTE: If you don't see the display
button you would like to teach on

the LCD screen, use the PAGE
(

) ( ) buttons. The only
buttons you can't teach are the
PAGE and MAIN buttons.

NOTE: Test all your new commands.
If any of them don’t work, try the
Learning Method again, following
these suggestions:

19 20

Transmitting (Busy Signal) Icon

BASIC SETUP

CUSTOMIZING

Customizing the LCD Screen

Transmitting (Busy Signal) Icon

When a command is being transmitted, an icon will appear
in the upper right corner of the LCD screen. This indicates
that a signal is being sent. This is particularly useful when
setting up Macros and FAVs, since it flashes with every step
of a sequence of commands.

CHILD LOCK FEATURE

This ‘child-lock’ feature prevents the unauthorized use of
the remote control by children. It blocks all operations of
the remote control.

To Activate:

Press the +10 and ENT (Enter) buttons simultaneously for
3 seconds. The bottom of the LCD will blink “LOCKED” three
times and then display “LOCKED”.

To Return to Normal Operation:

Press the +10 and ENT (Enter) buttons simultaneously again
for 3 seconds. The LCD will display the last use mode.

Customizing Your RF20 with Special
Advanced Features

After you’ve finished all your basic setup, you can choose
to make operation easier by customizing the RF20 just the
way you want, using the Special Advanced Setup Features
described in this section.

Customizing the LCD Screen

You can easily edit or change the name of any of the
display buttons (including Favorite Channels) on the LCD
screen by following these steps:

STEP 1:

Press and hold the MAIN and
ENT (Enter) buttons at the same
time for approximately 3
seconds, until the word “SETUP”
is displayed at the top of the LCD
screen. This signals that you are
now in setup mode.

STEP 2:

Press the EDIT display button.
The LCD display will change to
the EDIT menu.

STEP 3:

Press the TEXT display button.
The screen will display the list of
Components and “EDIT” will
appear at the top of the screen.

STEP 4:

Navigate to the Component and
page where there is a button
label you want to EDIT, selecting
between the FAV, MAIN, COM­PONENT display buttons; then
using the PAGE button.

IMPORTANT:You now have 30 seconds to
perform the next step while you are in
SETUP mode. If you don’t press a button
within 30 seconds, SETUP will disappear
from the screen, signaling that you have
exited setup mode and you will need to
start over.

NOTE: If you wish to change the name of
a Component button, press the Page (

)
Up button twice.The top of the display
will change to MAIN, and you can navi­gate to MAIN page 1 or page 2 before
going on to Step 5.