Product Review - Marantz RC-2000 Learning
Remote Control - June, 1997
By Ralph Calabria
Click here to see larger photo |
Marantz RC-2000 Remote Control; weight approximately 1/2 lb; requires
four AA batteries; $250; Marantz America Inc., 440 Medinah Rd. Roselle, IL 60172 Phone
(708)-307-3100.
The age of home theater is upon us, and with it comes a vast array of highly
technological, skinny black boxes to perform all the great things that home theater has to
offer. And with all the black boxes, comes all the remote controls to operate those boxes.
After all, this is what we expect from our lives (and our home theater) as we approach the
21st century: convenience, ease of use, and simplicity through technology, right?
In a typical home theater setup today, it's essential to own the necessities such as a big
screen TV, receiver (preamp/amp), a laserdisc player, and/or a VCR or two. Most homes also
have the standard audio gear comprised of a CD player, dueling tape decks, and an AM/FM
tuner. Let's not leave out the newer components making their way into our homes such as
DSS and DVD. So, it's reasonable to say that you may have several remotes hanging around
your listening room. I know that if I want to watch a laserdisc, I need a minimum of 3
remotes at my beck and call. As macho as this may seem (come on guys, you know how
difficult it is for you to relinquish control of your remote, let alone three!), it's a
real pain in the butt.
There is a cure to multi-remote disorder syndrome: it's the Marantz RC-2000 Learning
Remote. If you think RC is an acronym for Really Cool, you get partial credit. The RC
(remote control) 2000 (our 21st century buddy and pal) is really cool. It has the
capability to learn just about any infrared command that spews out from a remote. This
little package isn't just your run-of-the-mill learning remote; rather, it mimics more a
computer processor with its added functions such as MACRO programming (discussed later in
this report), and a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).
The RC-2000 has 56 buttons. Each "class" of buttons (e.g., transport, numeric
keypad, direct function) are strategically located and lumped together, making them easy
to find and operate. The top buttons operate power on/off. The next set of buttons are the
4 MACRO and 8 direct-functions buttons. The commands for each direct-function button
(i.e., all special commands for each component) are read on the LCD screen. You may scroll
through four "pages" of direct commands to access up to 32 commands for each
component in your system. The 10 buttons that are used to access each of the components in
your system are labeled: LD, TV, VCR1, DSS/VCR2, TUNER, CD, TAPE1, TAPE2, AMP, and AUX.
There are the usual numeric keypad and transport buttons typically found on standard
remote controls. All the buttons are automatically back-lit (green and yellow) when the
remote senses low ambient light. This is a nice feature. Some of my remotes only have
certain key buttons that are back-lit. I like to watch movies in a very dark room, so a
totally illuminated remote is a blessing for me. To save battery power, the illumination
is on a timer that shuts off the light after 5 seconds if no buttons are pushed. This
timer setting is adjustable through one of the many menus on the RC-2000. There is also a
lighting button on the side of the remote that lets you activate the lighting at will in
low ambient light. Too many buttons? Too confusing? Not really. The 42 page user guide
(not including the 48 pages translated in French) is very comprehensive, and it takes you
through all the RC-2000's capabilities step by step.
The RC-2000 has three modes in which it operates: MODE, CLONE, and MACRO. I'll briefly
describe each of their functions.
MODE: This function is broken down into four subfunctions: LEARN, NAME, RC-5, and USE. The
RC-5 function is used when you have equipment that responds to RC-5 commands, such as
Marantz and Philips. No additional programming is necessary if the RC-2000 is used with
such equipment. These commands are part of the RC-2000's permanent memory and do not
consume any memory dedicated for learning commands. The USE function is the mode the
remote must be in to send out the infrared commands. The last two functions are where the
fun begins. The LEARN function is used when programming the RC-2000 to learn commands from
different remotes. As intimidating as the RC-2000 may be with its 56 button multi-function
capability, learning commands is really quite simple and logical. Here's a typical example
of how the RC-2000 would learn the PLAY function from a laserdisc player remote:
Put the RC-2000 in LEARN mode, place the RC-2000 in alignment with the laserdisc player
remote (back end to front end), press the LD button on the RC-2000, press the play button
on the RC-2000 and while holding down that button, press the play button on the laserdisc
remote. The word OK appears in the LCD window, indicating the operation was a success.
Each learning function takes about 5 seconds. It's that easy. There's no need to go back
to school for your computer science degree. In fact, the RC-2000 learns commands pretty
much like most other learning remotes, only it has the capability to learn LOTS more. The
last subfunction under MODE is the NAME mode. This mode allows you to customize your
RC-2000 by rewriting a function name, status name, or direct function command name. This
mode is not only Really Cool, but it also makes it easier to locate and execute direct
function commands.
The CLONE mode on the RC-2000 is a specialty item that not all of us can afford to use. If
you're fortunate enough to own two RC-2000s, you can use the CLONE mode to copy (download)
all the commands from one RC-2000 to another. There are advantages to this. Considering
how many commands that can be stored in this remote, and the amount of time it takes to
put all those commands into its database, having a backup enables one to sleep better at
night. If you have multiple audio/video systems in your home (in two different rooms), you
only need to program one remote, then copy all of the functions to the second one, and
then you can use both remotes in both systems.
I've saved the best mode for last: the MACRO. Once you've programmed your RC-2000 to learn
all your other remotes' commands, you're ready for MACRO. This mode is by far the
"Really Coolest." The MACRO mode is very much like running macros on a computer
program, that is, executing a series of specific functions carried out in a given sequence
after pushing only one button. You can program 4 macros, each having up to 20 commands in
the sequence. In your A/V setup, how many times have you turned on your TV, set the video
select to video 1, turned on your receiver (preamp/amp), selected the video source (LD,
for example) on your receiver, selected a surround mode, and started the LD player. Well,
with the touch of one button (two actually), all these commands can be executed. Sounds
pretty wild, doesn't it? Programming a MACRO is as easy as using the LEARN mode. Just
think how impressed your friends will be when you hit that macro button, followed by the
PLAY button, and all of a sudden, your home theater comes to life, turning things on,
switching things, starting this and that, and playing your favorite movie or CD track, all
AFTER you've put the remote down on the coffee table! With the MACRO mode, you can be as
creative as you want to be. All you need to do is use the proper sequence when programming
the macro. For example, turning the receiver on in the macro should be done before
selecting the Dolby Pro Logic mode.
As I previously mentioned, the RC-2000 comes pre-programmed with several commands for
Marantz equipment and other gear that utilizes the RC-5 infrared signal. For those of you
who own a Marantz DP-870 Dolby Digital Processor, and you're using it in a separates
(preamp/amp) setup, you'll be happy to know that the RC-2000 is pre-programmed with all
the necessary commands (volume, input select, mute) to operate the DP-870 without having
to get up out of your seat. One additional command that I would like to have seen on the
RC-2000 for the DP-870 is the test mode and channel balancing. This is still a two-person
job (or one very fast person).
The only thing I found bothersome with the RC-2000 is its size. It's fairly bulky, as
remotes go. I had difficulty wrapping my fingers around the remote, so I needed two hands
to operate the remote comfortably. Those of you with long fingers may not have this
problem. In all fairness, however, the ergonomics of the remote are good, considering the
massive number of buttons it has.
I've grown to know and love the RC-2000 over the past weeks. However, I must warn all of
you remote-hogs out there. Spouses that were once not at all interested in using your
remotes, may come to blows with you once the RC-2000 enters your home, so be prepared. The
RC-2000 has changed the way I use my home theater. Life is simple again, and I'm happy.
Ralph Calabria
� Copyright 1997 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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