Black Boxes: Sima SUR-20 Universal Remote Control

by Melinda Adams
Summer/Fall 2002

Sima's SUR-20 Touchscreen Remote Control is among the second generation of coffee table remotes universal units that can control several multimedia appliances by learning their IR (infrared) codes. The Sima ranks as one of the sleekest and least-expensive universals in its class, but still offers some handy extras, such as the ability to program macros. For the average TV/VCR/DVD viewer, the unit serves as an excellent replacement for multiple remotes, but true gadget-heads may find that the Sima lacks a few important features.

Getting Acquainted
One of the most endearing aspects of the Sima was its size. It's just three-inches-wide small and light enough to rest comfortably in your hand. The unit shipped with programmed presets for seven appliances (TV, VCR, DSS/cable, CD, DVD, tape/tuner and amplifier) as well as an AUX button for non-standard devices.

We started by "telling" the SUR-20 about each of our test devices. The manufacturer-supplied codes worked fine on our DVD unit and VCR, but our Zenith TV and Pioneer receiver didn't respond to the standard presets. We used the unit's learning function to program those devices, pointing the TV and receiver remotes at the Sima and recording the IR codes for each function. Even with the manual programming, the setup was straightforward and took less than 10 minutes.

Look Ma, No Buttons
Unlike many coffee table units that offer combinations of physical and touchscreen buttons, you access all controls on the Sima via its LCD screen. This has some programmability advantages, but veteran couch surfers will attest that LCD buttons aren't the preferred method for doing any hard-core channel flipping. Still, the Sima's LCD screen responded well to the touch and its adjustable backlight function made it easy to read, even in dark or brightly lit rooms.

Once programmed, the unit functioned as we expected. We pressed "TV" and the touchscreen showed just the TV controls like Channel and Volume; pressing "DVD" displayed track navigation buttons, and so on. The unit also allowed us to customize the layout of each device's buttons so we could place commonly used buttons where they would be most convenient on the screen. We also programmed a few macros, or multi-function buttons that could perform up to 25 tasks in series (such as turn on TV, then set volume halfway up, then play the VCR, etc.). The macro programming process was very straightforward, a marked improvement over the macro function on many competing universals.

We did find a few drawbacks. If you incorrectly program a device and want to return to the default settings, it's an all-or-nothing process in which you lose all of your previous programming. The Sima does, however, preserve settings even when you change the batteries. There's also a shortage of screen real estate on the LCD.

Our Two Cents
We enjoyed the functionality of the macros, but would have preferred the ability to create custom screens to simultaneously display controls from more than one device at a time.

Overall, Sima has crafted an elegant remote control with some above-average functionality.

SMART SPECS
Capacity: 8 devices with 28 keys per device
Power supply: 4 x AAA batteries (not included)
Battery life: Typically 6-12 months (alkaline)
Infrared: 45° / 25-30 ft.
Backlight: LED
Dimensions: 7(h) x 3(w) x 1(d) inches
Weight: 8.9 oz. with batteries

COMPANY: Sima Products Corp.
CONTACT: (800) 345-7462
WEB SITE: www.simacorp.com
PRICE: $130