Logitech Harmony 676 Universal Remote Control
by Logitech
|
List Price: Our Price: $119.98 You Save: $80.01 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $48.25 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony 676 Universal Remote Control
Customer Review: Excellent universal remote, works better than I expected
Summary: 5 Stars
The remote is better than I expected and I having played with one for a weekend before this purchase my expectations were high. I was not convinced I would like the "activity" philosophy of Harmony, but after seeing how well guests are able to use the remote controlling 4 to 5 interconnected devices, all I can say is it just plain works. It is very nice to have a main set of buttons that anyone can master after a few minutes of explanation, while at the same time having the capability to have every desired option for the power user available with a few more clicks is just what I wanted.
I will say the setup is not for the faint of heart or the impatient, whoever sets this up and maintains the remote will likely spend a while in the setup on more than a few occasions. The setup application is a web-based application and an online connection is needed. The interface can be confusing until, fortunately if you have the make and model of your A/V devices (very important) the first time setup wizard will get most of the major buttons working. If you are like me setting up the buttons are more important than the LCD listing. After getting the basic buttons working you will likely then try to cram more functions on the remaining buttons and soon run out. Initially this frustrated me as I did not want to change modes to access additional functionality. There are so many buttons available, so you need to find out what works for you. Harmony provides quite a few alternatives for you to choose from. These include LCD listings, an individual device mode, Picture and Sound modes, or combinations of the three. Personally I like the Device mode and put functions that map well to the buttons on the buttons and added ambiguous functionality to the LCD, but this is a subjective choice and everyone will do something different here.
On of the big positive aspects of the setup was that the Harmony site is constantly updating for new devices on the market. I was astounded to find a Monoprice branded switch and a brand new (less than 4 months on the market) AV Receiver available with presets. No trial and error with brand odes. This led to a problem, even selecting the exact make an model of a device not all the functions work correctly. The above mentioned AV Receiver was there and about 65% of its remotes functions were listed but I would say only about 20% worked properly. Initially I was upset but I found the learning function of the Harmony works very well. Not only was I able to teach the labels the correct IR command, but I could add the missing ones I wanted and add new lables or rename old ones. Again patience pays off with the Harmony. It might not all be correct but you are able to correct that which isn't.
Last thing I want to mention is customer support. After a year with the remote happily working, my father sat on it and the battery cover no longer latched properly. This caused the cover to drop out and sometimes the batteries. Not a critical problem but clearly somewhat aggravating. I called the support line and found the first rep clearly wanting to help. After getting the particulars on the remote I was told a cover would be shipped right out. That did not happen, instead a series of email ensued to determine exactly what the problem was. After 3 or 4 replies to replies I was promised they would ship one. Within a week 2 new covers were sent, configured slightly differently. The second one fit perfectly. Both were free and ultimately I was very happy with how the incident worked out.
From my perspective:
PROS: Once setup even both of my completely non-techie parents were able to easily watch TV and DVDs without having to navigate 4 different remotes to do so. For all but the most rare use of functionality I do not ever have to reach for my other remotes. If I do I almost always note it and add it to my device listing. When I added a new AV Receiver and removing 2 other devices at the same time reconfiguring the remote was cake, all the previous activity buttons still worked without having to setup again. Having my configuration saved outside the remote means that if I have a disaster with the remote or upgrade to a different remote my setup will be transferable.
CONS: Buttons are a bit small for my hands, but still usable. Some of the labels used do not match the default commands being issued, particularly for new or rarer devices. Battery life has been 2 to 3 months for me, but 4 batteries seems to be quite a load. The application interface is pretty cumbersome, but it does work. The application stays resident in the system tray and occasionally consumes heavily on CPU cycles, but it can be easily shutdown and restarted when needed.
Bottom line, even though the price seems a bit high, it is truly a universal remote that allows you to shelf the others with confidence.
Customer Review: Impressive!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned several universal remotes in the past, including programming remotes with LCD assited labeling and pure touch-screen interfaces. All of them did their job but setup was laborous and changing home theater equipment caused pains relearning miscellanious macros. None of my previous remotes also did a good job of controlling my home theater as a whole. You know the drill - turn TV on, turn receiver on, turn cable box on and so forth. Macros were static, i.e. they operated well only for the most basic commands but could not handle various modes and intricacies of the Home Theater setup.
Finally, I decided, on the friend's advice to give a try to Logitech's Harmony line. From my experience I hated touch-screen remotes as they always required looking at them for pressing pretty much any button. On the ohther hand, pure button remotes were always restrictive and required learning what the generic button means for this or that device. So the combination of the generous hard button layout and LCD screen labeling for device-specific funstions appealed to me. My friend owns Harmony 880 and I had a chance to use it a bit. I was not big fan of the touch-sensisite buttons and the way remote lights up when you shift it. Both were a distraction to me. So I looked at the 6xx series with distinct hard buttons that your fingers learn and can press without glancing at the thing. 676 was on sale and had the best layout for DVR devices which all modern TV boxes are, so I plunged.
The original setup only took me about 20 minutes. I was sceptical at first of 'Activity' based modes because this was not a conventional design, but once I synched my setup back to remote and turned on my Home Theater with it for the first time, I was converted right away. The thing that nobody seems to mention about 'Activity' modes is that this is the first remote (at least from the ones I've known) that remembers state of all of your devices. No more stupid macros that could only work in one mode but were completely screwed up in another. This remote works wonders switching my video and audio outputs, controlling picture and sound preferences for each device in the group. And I have a lot of them. TV, Receiver, HDMI switch, DVD Player, PC1, PC2, Xbox 360, Wii. One remote now made all old remotes obsolete, did not lose any of the original remotes functionality and gained state awareness of each device at any time. Impressive!
Pros:
- easy setup through the software interface
- very impressive online library of devices (including rare ones)
- state-awareness of each and any device at any time
- very flexible setup of video and audio switching - accomodates both direct and sequential switching between inputs
- great button layout - better then the original Manufacturer's remote for DVR
- controls your game consoles
- very convenient in hand
- only three direct activities tied to the buttons but unlimited number of additional activities that can be set up with LCD screen
- MEDIA button - allows to set up favorite channels for your TV, so you no longer have to study TV channel line up and find what obscure channel number is assigned to your most viewed channels
- very useful HELP button - in rare cases when one of the devices in activity failed to either turn on or switch to the proper video/audio input it will correct the situation and remember it, so it does not happen again
- price. I bought it on sale (sixty dlrs) which is unbeatable for the class of the remote you get. Please do not try to compare this remote to the $20 universal remotes found at Wal-Mart. They can not hold a candle to this one in the everyday use
- functionality-wise this remote is the same as any other in the Harmony line, including much more expensive ones. It has the same limitations as well (for example, not being able to control BT devices, like PS3). The software to setup any of the Harmony remotes is the same and they all use the same online database of different Home Theater devices. So if you can control your rare device with one of the Harmony remotes, you can control it with any other remote as well.
Cons:
- really none. The best I can come up with is that it uses AAA batteries instead of more readily available AA. Also, the LCD screen is pretty small (880 model has much better bigger color LCD screen).
Customer Review: Best remote I've used
Summary: 4 Stars
[ This is almost the same as my 628 review ]
I don't have a lot to add to what other positive reviews have said. These remotes are very flexible and you can tweak them to perfection, or at least as close as your equipment allows. I've got a 676 and a 628 for my house, and bought a 628 for a friend. (I bought the 676 first, but after playing with it and a 628 I think I'd rather have a 628. Less clutter and a better Glow button.)
I give 4 stars instead of 5 because the database isn't perfect; I've had a few keys I've had to relearn, there always seem to be a handful of commands that don't apply to my model, and it's occasionally been missing discrete on/off commands that really exist.
Responses to some negative comments:
"It's hard to set up". Well, yeah, sort of. I think that if you take the default setup for your equipment you'll end up in about the same place as you would with a conventional "universal remote". The difference is that you can then tweak this remote so that it really works right... and when you've got it 95% right, the urge to kill off that last 5% can be tough to resist.
"There aren't enough buttons". This is tricky. I think that the right number of buttons is however many you *need*, and not a single button more. You've got the soft buttons and device mode for features that you only need every week or two, and not giving them a hard button helps to keep the remote uncluttered for the rest of the time. I actually prefer the 628 to the 676 because the extra buttons on the 676 add clutter without adding much value - see details below.
"It's expensive". Yep, but not as expensive as some of the other high-end remotes. The 628 bottomed out at a pretty reasonable price; perhaps the later models will drop similarly when they are discontinued. (Sigh, and the 676 has dropped significantly since I bought mine.)
"I don't want to have to go back to the computer to tweak it". I suppose that this is a matter of taste. Indeed, the tweak/load cycle is pretty slow, and should be faster. However, personally I think that's more than made up for by the fact that you can look at pages of programming information at once. With a typical learning remote you're almost flying blind - if you lose track of what you've set up and what you haven't, good luck finding your place.
"Web page is intolerably slow". Hasn't been a problem for me. Then again, I didn't get one for Christmas.
A few detailed comments about the 676, mostly for comparison with other Harmony models:
- The Glow button is hard to find in the dark. It glows a little, and it's directly under the OK button if you can remember that, but it should be easier to find.
- The four arrow buttons on the 628 may be better than the ring on the 676. At least one person didn't automatically figure out that the ring was the arrow pad.
- It'd be nice if play, stop, and pause were more distinctive.
- I think the buttons added on the 676 (vs the 628) add more clutter than value. They are:
Media - I don't watch TV. Perhaps Guide can substitute.
Chapter f/b - map well to channel up/dn
Sound, Pic - I just don't need to tweak those things very
often.
Exit - I mapped "Prev" to DVD "return" on my 628, and was
mostly happy.
Menu, Info, Guide - Do you really need all three? I mapped
the 628's Guide to DVD "menu", and put DVD "display"
on a soft button.
A, B - haven't needed 'em. (and how would I remember what they do? Soft buttons have labels...)
Now, admittedly, not watching TV does make my use simpler. I don't need to control a Tivo, so I don't know how easy that would be to set up. Programming a VCR might be a bit tough when you want the number pad to control the cable box. (Device mode is probably the answer.) I don't use Picture-in-Picture.
One caution: All three remotes have locked up during initial (one-time) firmware upgrades. A tech support call on the first one yielded the solution: boot the remote into "safe mode" (really!) by removing its batteries, holding down "Off", and plugging it into USB. The firmware upgrades went fine then.
Customer Review: A solid choice...
Summary: 4 Stars
You read a lot of reviews about universal remotes, good and bad, but often the writer doesn't say what equipement they are controlling. For reference, I'm controlling a Explorer 8300 DVR, a Panasonic receiver, a Sony TV, and a PS2 I use for both games and as a DVD player. For this this setup, this remote works really well. If you have a more elaborate setup, perhaps that changes things.
I think most of the positives of this remote (the elegant button layout, the very good and easy setup, the intuitive "help" when things don't power up as expected, etc.) have been well covered. But my few complaints on the remote are:
- As others have stated, having the setup software on the web, running through a browser, seems needless and can be problematic. In Windows, because of SP2 browser security, etc., you're always fighting with alerts and right-clicking to allow files to download and open--it would really be a LOT better if they had an app you ran directly from your machine. I have no idea why Logitech chooses to set this remote up through a browser, but no matter how well they have implmeneted this it would be MUCH faster and MUCH more reliable to have the setup application on your machine. It's almost a "square peg in a round hole" situation. Get this stuff in a desktop app.
- Buttons. Why do so many universal remotes (including this one) not have a dedicated "List" button? This is the most prominent key on all the DVR remotes I've seen, yet you have to set this up through the LCD screen. It's strange. Also omitted is a "C" button, which again, is used on almost ever DVR that I've seen. Not sure why these are ommitted and buttons like "Media" have had room cleared for them. "Page Up" and "Page Down" would also be nice additions. I set these up on both the LCD and instead of the "Repeat" and additional "Forward" button are, but these are important features that would be better on the remote itself.
- Media button. I found this whole feature useless. Having any guide or show information coming through a remote, favorite channels, etc.--I just don't use this at all. Would rather they dump this entirely and make way for buttons that to me seem necessary (like List, Page Up/Page Down, "C", etc.)
-The "Pic" and "Sound" buttons are also somewhat limited because you can only specify that they point at one device each. The "sound" menu, for instance, has to point at a receiver, and the "pic" has to point to a TV. This is difficult to explain, but the "Pic" menu, for instance, typically offers things like "PIP" functions. My TV does not have a PIP feature, but my DVR does. But because I can't have any DVR device functions in the "Pic" menu (it points to the TV only), these features are not as useful as they could be. So Pic and Sound would be more helpful if offered greater customization.
- Key Repeats. Don't push on a volume or channel button too many times. If you do, the device will keep advancing/decreasing long after you stop pressing. The remote seems to "queue" up your clicks if you go to fast--that's taken me some adjusting to.
On the positive side, what's surprising to me about it is how much better it is than the remote I eventually got frustrated with (but is slightly more expensive)--a Home Theater Master MX-500. The Harmony remote has a much better key layout and has a much broader range than the MX--you can point the remote almost anywhere and it seems to pick up the signal. With the MX I had to point the remote "just so" to get things to happen.
Overall for me I found this to be a great purchase--but, like me, you'll probably find there's still a little room for improvement.
Customer Review: Excellent universal remote! Great features and nice feel.
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this remote a few months ago to replace an aging Sony RM-VL900. This remote is absolutely perfect for our family. Here are the three things I was looking for (and found in the Harmony 676)...
1) Activity-based remote - the remote is very easy for the kids to understand because they choose the activity that they want (TV/DVR, Video games, or DVD) and the remote then sets everything up for them to control the devices for that activity. FF and RWD control either the DVD or the DVR depending on what you are doing. All the inputs for the TV and A/V Receiver are automatically set correctly. It makes using a system with multiple components very simple.
2) Hard buttons - I have a Pronto but it sits in the closet. Despite the flexibility that the LCD touchscreen offers, there are two big disadvantages: complicated setup and using the remote by "feel" or "touch." I really like the soft rubber buttons on the Harmony 676. It's very easy to use without looking at the remote because you quickly learn where all the transport buttons are. The rubber has a nice feel and they travel enough that you can tell when you have pressed the button down. As a bonus, you get an LCD screen with extra buttons for those commands that don't fit on a real button.
3) Computer-based setup - I liked the Sony VL-900 because of the nice rubber buttons but I lost my learned commands and settings a couple times because the batteries were removed. After programming it for the third time, I vowed that my next remote would have a computer-based setup so that I could save all the settings and restore them if needed. The Harmony remote uses a web-based utility that allows you to save everything should you need to restore your remote settings. The web-based approach also allows you to benefit from all the other users that have already learned all the commands for your devices.
The Harmony 676 met our needs perfectly and I can't say I've ever enjoyed a remote more than this one (and I've tried plenty). The color faceplates are a nice feature. Ours is currently red because we have red accents in our TV room and my wife loves it. The faceplates are a nice deep color too, not cheap and plasticy like you might expect.
Here are a couple more things to consider as you shop around and compare the other Harmony remotes...
The Harmony 680 is similar but has two major differences. First the buttons are arranged so that the transport buttons are around the cursor. I like having the transport buttons at the top where they are laid out in a logical line. I think it makes using the remote by touch simpler as well. Also, the 680 has hard plastic buttons rather than soft rubber buttons. I prefer the feel of the soft buttons.
Some of the other Harmony remotes have more buttons, but they have strange (to my taste) button shapes and layouts. I don't like how the buttons on the 688 are next to each other. It makes it much harder to use by feel. I have to look at the 688 to make sure I'm pressing the right button.
The 659 has the transport buttons at the very bottom of the remote, which is an awful position if you use a DVR to watch TV. We use the transport buttons all the time to fast-forward through commercials, etc. and the 676 has them in a nice place to use often.
When you program the remote, keep in mind that the activity screens and the device screens are different. I spent some time tweaking the DVD layout and LCD buttons only to find that they didn't show up when I pressed "watch DVD." I needed to go back and make the same changes to the "watch DVD" activity that I had made to the DVD device.