Jan 09
I don’t consider myself a stupid woman – I have a BA, an MA and a PgC, which should at least prove if nothing else, that I’m good at filling in exam papers! Nor am I one of those odd quasi-academics who have book knowledge but can’t cross a road. However, the set up of this Energy Saver One for All universal remote control completely stumped me. I did wonder whether it was a degree in physics that was needed or perhaps it was a lifetimes practice in Zen Buddhism that allowed you to interpret the koan that is the Energy Saver One For All. No word of a lie I spent over 45 minutes trying to set the damn thing up on my main TV, DVD and Freeview console before giving up and trying it on the bedroom TV and Hi-Fi combo instead.
In my annoyance, I did recheck the packaging while grumbling through to the bedroom and thankfully no “easy set up” claim was given. The One for All’s main claim was it was an Energy Saver, and possible money saver. One For All claim you could save £37 a year using the remote control as it switches off all devices from standby with one click. All of which is very worthy, indeed very green – if, that is, you can ever set it up. But then again at an average price of £35 for the technology itself, it might take you a few years to see a return.
First things first, all power supplies need to be routed through the One for All plug. I only got this part of the set up from the illustration on the box itself; nothing in the instruction manual repeated this. It was a simple enough step in itself. Well, it seems simple enough – unless like me, you discover your Hi-Fi wires don’t stretch and your TV needs to be near the antennae. Level 1, Game Over! In which case it is a bit of a logistical nightmare trying to get all the plugs onto an extension cable – if indeed you have one. You may find you spend the £37 saved through switching off standby on extension cables trying to get the thing to work.
Second room down, I slumped through to the spare room for my third set up attempt.
So, you have all the plugs in the right place routed through the One for All control. Next, you have to syncronise all the individual devices to the One For All remote by pressing a dazzling combination of buttons on the remote. Then trying a series of five digit codes in the back of the instruction manual depending on the brand of TV, DVD, CD player etc you have. It was like trying to crack a safe, with a plastic hammer. My TV is a Sony, which has sixteen codes. You have to trawl through every one to see which one fits – and if, as happened with me, you try all sixteen and none of them work you then have a search you can perform to sync it all up. My DVD player a Bush, which had twenty one codes to try! Twenty One codes! Is it any wonder I opted to leave the living room as it was?
Being both dyscalculia and tempestuously impatient, my amour of the set up process for the One for All Energy Saver was never going to be strong. If you are a “hang the instructions, just start pressing buttons!” kinda gal, this is not the remote for you – no matter how strong your green credentials are.
My advice, stick with the three or four remotes you have and keep your blood pressure at a relatively even level. If you really want to save money and energy – burn a calorie and switch it off at the mains before you go to bed.Available online and from for around £35, and at various High Street Stores.