Robert Silva has extensive experience in consumer electronics and home theater product sales and sales supervision; he has written about audio, video, and home theater topics since 1998. Robert has articles published on HBO.com and Dishinfo.com plus has made appearances on the YouTube series Home Theater Geeks.
Updated on June 14, 2023 Reviewed byMichael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
In This Article In This ArticleA universal remote makes it easier to control your TV and other components. Here are some general steps for how to set one up to manage a variety of devices.
Specific programming options and steps may vary with each universal remote control brand and model. The following are examples of options you might see and steps that may be required.
The easiest way to program a universal remote is to enter a code that identifies the product you wish to control. Codes may be provided via a "code sheet" or a web page where the codes are listed by brand and type of device (TV, Blu-ray Disc player, Home Theater Receiver, Cable Box, VCRs, and sometimes media streamers).
Although the buttons may be labeled for a specific device, you can use them for any compatible device; you must remember which one corresponds to the device you are controlling.
If you're using Direct Code Entry, write the successful code(s) in your user guide for later reference.
You can use Auto Code Search if you don't have access to the specific code for the brand or type of device you wish to control. The remote will search through its database, testing several codes at a time.
Here is an example of likely steps:
Using a similar procedure as Auto Code Search, you may be able to narrow down your search to just a single brand. This search comes in handy if the brand provides more than one code.
Here are the steps:
Instead of having the remote scan through all, or brand, codes automatically, you may also be able to program the remote by having it check each code one at a time. However, keep in mind that this process can take a long time since there are so many codes.
These are the steps to initiate this option:
If supported, the IR learning method requires placing your universal remote and the remote of a device you wish to control so that they are pointing at each other. This process allows IR control light beams to transmit from the original device remote to the universal remote.
This process is long and tedious, especially if you have several devices you want to control. However, if you don't have access to the remote control codes or other methods fail, you may be able to use the IR learning process as your last result, provided your Universal Remote supports this programming option.
Another programming option available for some remotes is with a PC. One brand that supports this option is Logitech Harmony.
Instead of searching for the correct code, you plug a Logitech Harmony Remote directly into your PC via a USB connection. Then you do all your programming online through the Logitech Harmony website, which not only has a continually updated database of about 250,000 control codes but saves all your programming setup preferences for easy access when needed.
The typical setup includes:
A universal remote is a great way to clear that space on your coffee table, but also keep the following in mind:
To program an RCA universal remote that doesn’t have a Code Search button to work with any TV, turn on the TV, aim it at the TV, and press and hold the TV button on the remote. Keep holding the TV button when the light turns on and then press and hold the Power button on the remote until the light turns off and on again. Next, press the Power button on the remote for five seconds until your TV turns off. The TV turns off when the remote finds the correct universal code. You can also use these directions to program an RCA universal remote to a DVD player without codes.
When you want to program your GE universal remote to your TV but don’t have the code, turn on the TV and press the Code Search button on the remote until the indicator light turns on. Next, press the TV button and then press the Power button until the TV turns off. After the TV turns off, press Enter on the remote to save the code in the remote.
How do I program my Philips universal remote?If you don’t have the code for your Philips remote control, turn on your TV, look for the Setup or Code Search button on the remote, and hold the button for 10 seconds. Then, press the TV button on the remote and press the Up or Down button until the channel changes. When you can change the channels, press the Power button on the remote to turn off the TV and complete the programming.
How do I program an Innovage Jumbo universal remote?If you don’t know your Jumbo universal remote code, you must use the code search function. To begin, turn on the device you want to control, aim the remote at it, and press the Code Search button until the light stays on. Then, press the button for the device you want to program. When the light on the remote stays lit, press the Power button on the remote until the device turns off (you may need to press the Power button several times). After the device turns off, press Enter on the remote to save the code.