need a cheap universal remote for my Samsung P2550 bluray player. I bought a RCA remote from Walmart that worked great but the "menu" button only get me into the disc menu not the player's menu. As such, I couldn't access Netflix or any of the player's settings. I don't know which universal remote out there has what I need.

You didn't say which RCA remote. Anyway, nearly any universal will map the disk menu function to the menu button. However, remotes made by Universal Electronics can accept user programming onto individual buttons, and so with a few of those remotes, it is possible to add the player menu signal to one of the buttons.

Here are the remotes that I'm sure have a setup code for the Samsung Blu Ray player:
RCA RCRP05B ($20 at Best Buy, maybe still only $9 at Walgreens)
OneForAll URC-8820N or 10820N (Sears)
Radio Shack 15-133/134/135 (discontinued)
and the cheapest of all, if you have Comcast-- the Comcast silver remote with a red OK/Select button. Of course, these are also available on line.

To add the player menu to one of these remotes, first make sure that setup code Video 0199 (20199 on the Comcast) is assigned to a Video (DVD, PVR) device button (Aux on the Comcast). Let's assume that you want to put the player menu function on the Guide button.

1) Tap that device button
2) Press Setup until 2 blinks
3) Enter 994 (2 blinks)
4) Tap Setup
5) Enter 00081
6) Tap Guide
The remote should blink twice to indicate the procedure was accepted.

Thank you so very much 3FG. I got a RCA RCRP05B from Walgreens today and your sequence worked perfectly! Couple of questions though

How do I activate the yellow,blue,red,green buttons for use with my Bluray player (they don't light up)

How can I find out all the hacks for this remote (how did you know the hack above, is there some documentation somewhere)?

Thanks again!

Start here and read the sticky.  Then start poking around the site.  I'm using RemoteMaster (free--read the beginner forum) to load upgrade files, and see what EFCs (for step 5) correspond to the OEM remote buttons.

How much did you pay at Walgreens?

A 00238 (yellow?)
B 00240 (blue?)
C 00236 (red?)
D 00243 (green?)

thanks! payed $9 :)

3FC I've looked at the link you provided and it's very helpful, but I can't find a list of EFC codes anywhere (and obviously the EFCs are specific to the device). Is a list in RemoteMaster? I don't mean to ask all these ?s but I want to learn rather then just bug people.

Regards

There are a number of ways to find EFCs. Here's a little background about IR signals. Components respond to a IR protocol, which is the pattern of light flashes that correspond to device and function numbers. NEC1, Sony, RC5 are examples of common protocols. Any IR remote is capable of sending at least one IR protocol, and universals usually can send 30 or more protocols.

UEI remotes (and most others, too) use a microprocessor and a subroutine called an executor computes the pattern of flashes, using data stored in pages of setup tables. There are pages for Cable/Sat, TV, Audio, and Video, and a setup code specifies the executor (which imples the IR protocol), some "fixed data" which typically includes the device number(s), and EFCs which correspond to the various functions. Many executors (like Video 0199) need 1 byte of data per button, and the EFCs take the form 00xxx, but some use 2 bytes, and all 5 digits in the EFC are used. The 2 bytes could simply specify one of 256 devices and one of 256 function numbers, or some of the bits could be used to select one of several closely related IR protocols, or select a device number from a small set specified in the fixed data. All of this means that the EFC that corresponds to a particular function number isn't obvious.

Major manufacturers of components tend to use the same protocol, device and function numbers across models. That information is available here in the files section, the features section, and embedded in forum posts. Mostly the info is stored here in Pronto Hex format, which can be converted to protocol, device and function numbers using IRtool.exe.

The Files Section at hifi-remote.com contains "upgrade files" which allows users with a JP1 cable to upload a new set of device and function numbers (and executors, if necesary). These upgrade files can be read by RemoteMaster, which displays the corresponding EFCs, and as you have seen, these can be manually programmed into the remotes. Or if you know the protocol, device and function numbers (from Pronto Hex, for example), these can be entered into RM, and it will convert to EFCs.

The Lookup Tool is an excellent and easy source of EFCs, but it only displays those that are factory loaded into UEI remotes.

So, for your Samsung Blu Ray, I downloaded a Samsung upgrade from the Files Section, noted that button A, B, C, and D were listed, saw that the IR protocol was Samsung, devices 32.0, 7, and used the Lookup Tool to find that 7 remotes carry a setup code (Video 0199) that invokes the necessary executor and fixed data, so it is possible to manually program the EFCs to send the correct signals. If your remote doesn't have the executor, or the correct fixed data, then it is necessary to use a cable to upload an upgrade.