Product Review: Cricket Kids Remote
Product
Name: Cricket Kids Remote, from Universal Electronics
Review: By the age of 6, 87% of children can turn the TV on by
themselves and 71% can change the channels with a remote. That's
according to research conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The Cricket remote, made by Universal Electronics, gives you an
effective way to control the channels your kids have access to, while
still empowering them to make their own viewing choices (within the ten
channels that you have chosen ahead of time.) And kids love it.
The Cricket features eight pre-programmed buttons that direct to popular
kids' channels (Animal Planet, Cartoon Network, Discover Kids, Disney
Channel, Toon Disney, Nickelodeon, Noggin, and PBS Kids), as well as two
additional buttons that you can program to direct to your other favorite
kid-friendly channels.
Reprogramming those pre-programmed channels is an easy process (as long
as you have the directions for the device.) My kids are still too young
for many of the shows on The Cartoon Network, for example, so I have
simply reprogrammed the Cricket to display another channel that is more
suitable for my family when one of the kids presses The Cartoon Network
key.
My kids feel very powerful when it's their turn with the remote. They go
nuts for it, actually. They have control over the programmed selections,
plus volume (and a mute button.) There is a volume lock function, as
well.
When you remove the Cricket's screw-secured battery compartment, you'll
find a three-position switch that allows you to put the device in Child
Mode, Standard Mode, or Programming Mode. When you depress the Channel
Up/Down key in Child Mode, the keys cycle only through the 10
pre-programmed channels. In Standard mode, the channel keys will scroll
through all the cable channels available.
We keep our Cricket in Child Mode all the time and use our regular cable
remote for our own viewing.
The Cricket remote also has a circular image holder at the top, which,
when shipped, features a picture of the Cricket, but can be easily
personalized to display your child's picture, favorite character, or
cartoon.
As my kids grow older, their interests are beginning to broaden beyond
the land of PBS Kids, the Cricket allows us to give them an array
choices, while we still, ultimately, control those choices.
Where to buy: Contact your local cable provider or Universal
Electronics: http://www.uei.com
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