One For All Kameleon 8

March 20th, 2006 | by Vince Veneziani

Setup and Use

The top of the remote features eight devices:  Auxiliary, Cable Box, CD Player, Television, DVD Player, Stereo Receiver, VCR, and PVR. Just below is a huge Power button that does a great job of reminding you to turn off your devices.

No more worrying about the codes and troubles that usually come with universal remotes. Kameleon is smart. It comes with a booklet full of codes for all manufactures for all devices. You have an extremely good chance of the code working right out of the book. In my case, however, my cable box was a new type from Motorola. I used the Kameleon auto-search feature to keep trying codes; when it found one, I saved it. Since then, everything has worked without a hitch. The auto-search feature should rarely have to be used, but when you do need it, it's great.

As for software-related options, the Kameleon has none. At times, having the ability to download codes via USB would be nice, but the Kameleon does just fine without it. Perhaps One For All in the future will make a Kameleon with this feature.

When you initially set up the remote, things can be a bit tricky. You'll have to go through many button sequences to get to the setup menu; once you've reached it, the instructions occasionally are a bit vague regarding which step to perform and how to do it properly. Still, 15 minutes after opening the Kameleon, I was able to get it running with a few of my devices. Just make sure you read the instruction manual carefully so that you get it right the first time. Overall, though, the process is similar to other universal remotes, so if you're used to this process, don't fret.

Performance

As far as performance, you won't have to worry. The Kameleon is a strong performer that sends out great IR signals to your devices. An animated icon at the top of the remote shows you when it's sending out the signal, and it will flash if there is a problem.

Battery life, as I mentioned above, is good if you treat the remote well. Do not leave it on the floor, so that it turns on and off whenever you walk by. The price of batteries can add up, and since this remote is a keeper, consider investing in a rechargeable set of AAA batteries. You can usually pick up a set of four with a charger for less than $20.00. If you do plan to use the motion sensor expect to get about two weeks of battery life between charges — just a warning.