I needed a no-frills, easy-to-use universal remote. The ideal remote would control at least four devices. I'd seen ads for Zenith's "ZN-501S 5" device, and it seemed to fill the bill. I also sought a bargain price tag. That requirement meant comparison shopping, bringing me to Amazon.

When I noticed the Zenith prices at Amazon Marketplace, I couldn't believe my eyes. No control could beat Zenith's combination of features and price. Also, the Zenith closely resembles a Philips PM435S universal remote that we already have. The Philips unit is excellent, and very easy to use. Yet the less-expensive Zenith can control one more device. I wondered if the Zenith could equal the Philips' performance. Maybe they both came from the same Chinese source?

For the great price, I took a gamble and ordered the Zenith. When I received the Zenith, I noted that it was about an inch shorter than the Philips unit. In fact, size was the main difference. When I compared the two manuals, I found much duplicate language. The two units have to be related. In tests, I discovered that at least some Philips codes work with the Zenith!

The Zenith can operate our odd mixture of components: Products by a spectrum of manufacturers. The remote includes buttons for TV, VCR, satellite, DVD and cable devices. The product design is thoughtful. Despite the small size of the remote, the buttons are well spaced. Programming is logical and reasonably simple.

+++ Small Gripes: On some DVDs, the chapter up-down controls don't work. The remote also can't turn off our old Fisher stereo. The Philips remote has these same minor quirks. The Zenith includes a "shift" control that I find slightly annoying. That is, some buttons serve two purposes. I'll get used to this feature. Still, the Philips performs just fine without a shift key. Score one point for Philips. Avoiding the shift key was a wise choice. At least Zenith lights an LED when you're using a button's shifted function.

+++ Big Positives: Both remotes allow you to use any memory for any device besides a TV set. For example, we control the stereo with the "cable" button. This "any memory" feature enables extraordinary flexibility. Another plus is the "punch-through" feature. For example: Even though you've set the control for "TV," you can operate the DVD directional buttons.

If you want a basic remote at a nice price, I highly recommend the Zenith. It's definitely "the little remote that could."

Product Overview

Zenith Electronics is focused on the digital future, building on a proud heritage of leadership in entertainment products for the home and professional markets.

Product Feature

• Operates TV, VCR, DVD, Cable, and Satellite
• Advanced DVD functions including subtitle, repeat and chapter scan
• Advanced Satellite functions in an easy to use keypad design
• Full Menu control
• Easy to program

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 18, 2010 05:48:48