Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote
by Logitech
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Our Price: $159.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $50.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote
Customer Review: I'm elevating my rating to 4 stars - Good design, good customer support - construction could use some work
Summary: 2 Stars
My wife bought me this remote for my birthday in March, 2008. For almost a year it functioned well, and was well designed for use with Tivo. However, after just a few months, the silver exterior finish began to wear off through normal use. A few weeks ago, the LCD display began disappearing intermittently, only to return when certain buttons were pressed. It has now disappeared for good. The rest of the buttons continue to function. I went to Logitech's website to see about the warranty, since it's less than one year old. They provide phone support for the first 30 days, and after that it's either online or email. I didn't see any way to contact online support, besides email. I sent an email explaining the problem. The screen that popped up after sending my message said they were experiencing a high volume (not a good sign), and that I should expect a reply within 3 days. It's now day 4, and I've had no reply yet.
Follow up review: I went to send a new message to customer support after receiving no reply, and it turns out that my first message never went through. Please note that, when using Logitech's site, after you have typed an email and hit "continue", you are taken to a new page that provides additional troubleshooting information - you need to scroll down and hit another button to actually deliver your email. I didn't do this the first time. My "second" email was responded to within 1 day. I was instructed to go through the "download firmware" process, and told that if it doesn't work, to reply with my address. I downloaded the firmware, and it didn't work to solve the problem. I replied, providing my mailing address, and within a couple of hours I received another email stating that a new unit would be shipped, and that I did not have to return the old one. This is really great customer service, I think, and I would now elevate my rating to 4 stars. It would be 5 stars based on the design and general performance of the remote, but I'm making it 4 due to the wearing of the silver finish and the failure of the LCD screen within one year of purchase. The LCD screen issue seems to be a common problem among other reviewers, and is surely something that Logitech is aware of - but they seem to respond well to the issue, based on my experience and that of others here.
Customer Review: Skeptical at first
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to admit, when I purchased this remote I was a bit skeptical at first. I was particularly concerned with the activity based function which turned things on and off. Since much of my equipment only has an on/off toggle, this thing is constantly going to get out of sync with the real world. All I needed was one of the kids hitting a power switch instead of doing everything with the remote. I bought this thing to simplify life for the rest of the family - but was I only adding a new frustration?
So I got the new beast into the house and prepared for the complex software setup (this expectation was set by the other reviews). To my surprise the initial setup was easier than I expected. After 15 minutes I had all the basics in place and things generally worked OK. Over the next week, I tweaked the configuration a ton more times and started to really get a feel for how this was designed. The good news is that the Logitech database for my devices had commands defined that were not available on the manufacturers remote. For example, many of my devices had IR commands for turning a device On specifically, instead of the On/Off toggle which the original remote had. That pretty much solved any problems with devices getting out of sync with the real world.
In the end, I found that I could configure this device to do just about anything with my equipment. I read the reviews that said it would not work with certain equipment and I would contend that the people experiencing this did not play with the configs enough. The Logitech documentation is either non-existent or very bad when it does exist, so you must "discover" how this device works through trial and error.
I gave this device 5 stars because it exceeded my high expectations and was able to do more than I wanted (and yes I truly only use one controller today). The IR signal is VERY strong and I can point the controlled in almost any direction and it still accurately controls the devices which are all in a closed cabinet with glass doors. As I mentioned earlier, the documentation is bad and it takes a bit to get accustomed to how Logitech designed their software. Also, I would like to see a few more additions to their software to make things easier, but these are minor complaints.
Customer Review: Very cool concept, buttons are a little funny.
Summary: 4 Stars
The concept of this remote is excellent. With the click of the button, based on the "activity" (watching a DVD, watching TV, listening to music, etc) the remote automatically turns on the proper equipment, turns off any other equipment, and sets everything to the proper inputs. So, I can watch my Tivo with one button, watch a DVD with the audio coming through the stereo with another button, and watch a VHS tape with my DVD/VHS combo player with another button. It logically adjusts all of the equipment based on the selected activity assigns buttons in a way that makes sense. The volume control, for example, adjusts either the TV or the stereo depending on what I've told it to use for that activity. It's all setup through a quick and easy wizard, and it allows you to make further customizations of buttons if you choose.
The downsides are:
1) The buttons are all the same size so you can't feel your way around the control in the dark. Even the volume control and channel rocker buttons all feel the same as any other button so you have to continually use the "Glow" button to engage the backlighting just to adjust the volume, fast forward, or rewind. Hello? Play should be a triangular wedge, Stop a square, etc. And they should all be in a line, rewind on the left, fast forward on the right, stop, play, and pause in the middle, instead of having those controls wrapped around the OK button in a circle. Overall, it is too visually oriented which is a mistake; it should be tactilely oriented because you don't want to be staring at you remote while you are trying to watch a movie.
2) It makes you create a login username and password on their website to use the simple setup wizard, which by the way takes forever to install and download updates. This is very inappropriate and unnecessary.
3) OK. After using this for 6 months I got a new TV. I couldn't remember the usename and password I created 6 months ago so it allowed me to create a new one... which erased the device. So now I have to start over with the programming. The software provided and the whole username/password provide us with all your personal information so you can use the product really pisses me off and makes me want to slam the product into the wall.
Customer Review: Awesome. Supports every device.
Summary: 5 Stars
I previously had tried "device-centric" universal learning remote controls, but they always failed to work with every device. I use a lot of not well known brands like Soundmatters Fullstage Mainstage HD as my A/V receiver and no name DVD players, and I am sometimes able to use cheaper universal remote controls by learning button by button the original remote into the universal. But they never supported one or another of my components even with learning. The Harmony 670 instead is "activity-centric" and although I personally had no problems pressing TV, Power, Input, Audio, Power, Input, DVD, Play to watch a movie, Now I just press one button "Watch a Movie" and everything is done for me. All appropriate devices are turned on, all correct inputs are selected, and I'm watching my movie quickly and easily. Plus, the remote is easy to use for guests who might not know how to operate your components. They just click on the appropriate ACTIVITY button (Watch TV, Play a Movie, Listen to Music, Play Nintendo Wii, etc) and the action happens automatically. And if for some reason something becomes out of sync, all you do is press HELP and it fixes the problem almost instantly. The only challenge is programming it via the computer, and even that, really isn't a challenge at all. Just tell it what model your TV, DVD player, VCR, or other component, and it asks you how you like to use them and then it upgrades the remote for you. It totally supports all name brands and all of my lesser known brands. It handles my Soundmatters Mainstage HD unit perfectly when my previous Universal R5 and R7 did not. I used to use a universal for almost everything and my Tivo remote for watching TV, and this Harmony 670 remote uses the same form factor as my beloved Tivo remote. It's comforable to hold, has the "peanut" form factor, and the most commonly used buttons are thumb pressable for easy one handed operation. It's caused me to retire my Tivo remote. Great user interface and overall a great remote. Only downside is the 30 minutes you'll need to spend programming it on your computer (PC or Mac), but by having that computer interface you gain a huge advantage in the huge numbers of components and models in the database and the infinite upgradability with it. Get this remote!Customer Review: Great Remote, but very slow start for dial-up owners!
Summary: 4 Stars
First and foremost, the remote works beautifully. My wife loves being able to push one button on one remote instead of dealing with 3 remotes just to watch tv. The remote is comfortable in my hands, and the IR transmitter is strong enough that I don't have to worry about aiming the remote in exactly the right spot like I have with cheaper universals. This remote controls my system wonderfully, and makes it easy enough for anybody to do. In fact, my sister in law came to visit this weekend and got to the house before us. She certainly would never be able to get everything going on her own, but she found the new remote, pressed "watch tv" and was doing just fine watching the TV when we got there.
My only major complaint, and my reason for not giving 5 stars is that the initial setup is excrutiatingly slow if you have a dial-up connection. The software that comes with the remote is nothing more than a go-between so that the online software can control the remote. This works fine once everything is set up, but upon my initial connection, the software needed to be upgraded to the newest version. This process took 4 hours on my dial up connection! This is something that dial-up folks need to be aware of, and if having your phone tied up for this long presents a problem, I would try calling Harmony to find out if they can mail the newest software version to you so that you don't have to go through this.
Once my software was updated, things went much better. Regular programming did not seem to take too long. I would like to mention though, that although an amature can certainly get their Harmony up and running, chances are it will be quirky (turns on too much stuff, doesn't set the tv to the right input, etc) and a true novice may have difficulty in getting the quirks ironed out. However, I suspect that most people who buy this are people who are at least somewhat technically saavy and are buying it for the simple convenience, or so that their family members can operate the items with less difficulty. In these cases, I think the harmony is an out of the park home run. And if you're a "tinkerer" like I am, you'll probably enjoy fine tuning the remote's setup and structure, just like I'm doing now!