Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote Control
by Logitech
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Our Price: $399.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $159.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote Control
Customer Review: This is really, really bad.
Summary: 2 Stars
I cannot recommend any Logitech Harmony device.
We probably all know that any universal remote, especially those controlling multiple devices, is going to be a challenge to program. No, I'm not a luddite. I'm very technically proficient.
The manual is incomprehensible and does not match the actual device. For example, for one of the steps to use the device, the manual tells the user to click on "Remote Preferences." There is no such button in their software. That's just an example.
And then, there's the kind of important section on "Controlling a Device With the RF Wireless Extender." Kind of basic. The manual tells you what it does, but doesn't give you a clue on how to set this option. That's just another example.
I tried calling Tech Support. Guess what? They wanted more than $100 to talk to me. They thought my 90 days was up; it wasn't and they wouldn't correct their error.
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Note: I posted the paragraphs above several days ago. I received some flack from people who appear to like the device. I believe they are well-intentioned; however, I just found out two more things about it that any customer should be aware of.
1. Some devices (such as a TV and a DVD Player) communicate with each other. Let's say you use the Harmony to eject a DVD. Well, the DVD player MAY tell the TV to turn on. If you have some devices behind closed doors, you may not know what got turned on or off or what to do about it. Furthermore, this gets the devices out of synchronization. The Harmony doesn't know what's on and what's off. A nuisance but a problem.
2. I doubt that many people know this: When you use the Harmony software to program your remote, it leaves a Process running in the background on your computer. Even after you exit! Why? There's no reason for it. On my computer it takes 25 Megabytes. It's a bad idea and I don't think anyone really wants an unnecessary process running that may communicate over the Internet running in the background on their computers.
I think Harmony is trying to provide a reasonble product. But this is a tough problem to solve...that is, coordinating amony many dissimilar devices. Harmony hasn't solved it ... or worse.
Customer Review: Horrible design, buttons hard to use
Summary: 1 Stars
I have the harmony 659 which is great. The buttons are well placed and the remote was easy to use. The only issue is that using IR it was too easy to get my components out of whack if I didn't push an activities button and leave it pointed toward my entertainment center for a good 3 to 4 seconds while it was blasting it's IR commands.
I wanted the 890 remote because of the RF extender so I wouldn't have to worry about things getting out of sync. This remote is an ergonomic disaster! All the buttons are pretty much flush and it's easy to fat finger buttons. Some of the buttons are so small I feel like I need a stylus to use them. If they would have kept with the raised buttons this would have been a much better product. You can only cram so many buttons in a space before something becomes unusable.
I also don't understand why you need 2 IR transmitters per cable, since I just ended up tying back the one I didn't use. (There are 4 ports on the extender, but each cable is split at the end with 2 IR transmitters) It makes the extender setup messy. I suppose in a closed cabinet it wouldn't matter but my entertainment center is open and there's just no way to make it look neat.
Last, but not least, it automatically lights up when you pick it up and tilt it. This sounds great but there are a couple of issues: First, you usually have to actually shake it a little for it to activate. Next, because the buttons are so small you have a hard time reading what's on them from the dim blue light underneath.
All in all it's a let down for the price. LogiTech usually makes killer products with well thought out designs. They missed the mark on this one though...
Update: After extensive use, I'd actually rate this a 1 star. Besides all the issues described above, when you go to turn off everything about half the time it doesn't work. It almost seems like the remote 'forgets' that it has things turn on so hitting the off button does nothing. Then I have to grab the 3 individual remotes I need to kill everything. :P
Update 2: After a year or so of use, the remote died. I went back to my Logitech 659 which is still pluggin along after 3 years..
Customer Review: Not as nice as advertised
Summary: 3 Stars
First let me say that I log onto Amazon today to review my new 3-day old remote control, only to find that the price has dropped significantly. Amazon is refusing to guarantee their own pricing despite me just receiving the package 3 days ago. An Amazon rep advised me to return the item (at my expense) and re-buy it again. Some customer service!
Onto the remote...
I have always heard my friends talk up the Harmony remotes. After recently moving all my AV equipment into a hall cabinet, I required a RF remote. I figured the Harmony 890 was the answer. Initial computer setup was decently simple. I was able to find all my equipment in their database. I had all the IR repeaters in place and remote running in under an hour easily. While it does seem to be doing the job, I'm not thrilled with it. First, the buttons have a real cheap feel to them. I have heard people complain that since the buttons are not raised, they're hard to find without looking. Well, that doesn't really bother me.... but each press feels like I'm pressing something out of a McDonalds happy meal. I'm not exaggerating. Second, there is some additional delay from the time you press the button until the action is executed when using RF (nearly all the time). I have tested this side by side with the equipment's IR remote, and then Harmony. It's there. And when scrolling through DVRed shows or the onscreen TV guide, the delay gets extremely annoying. Third, the display is not nearly as nice as pictured on here. The colors are not nearly that bold and clear. And that picture is flat out misleading. Honestly, that kind of upsets me. Because there is no way in hell Harmony was able to photograph their remote with that quality picture on the remote display. On that same note, the buttons do not glow that bright and perfect as pictured.
But as mentioned, it IS working. A lot/all of my equipment features seem to be accessible from the remote. Honestly, if I had the purchase to do over again, I would probably research a little more and attempt to find another product. There maybe no other remotes as complete as the Harmony..... but maybe there is. And it surely would be cheaper...
Customer Review: Awesome remote! Worth the upgrade!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just got the Harmony 890 remote a couple of days ago, and it's AWESOME! I upgraded from the Harmony Xbox 360 Remote because of the RF capabilities of the 890, and I must say that it's been great! My home theater is set up so that the components are behind me, and being able to control them all, without having to contort my self to aim the remote behind my back is HEAVENLY!
The only cons that I've experienced with this remote are:
1. The documentation that comes with the remote is beyond useless. I had to figure out, on my own, how to update the firmware in the RF receiver, as it's not mentioned on the quick set up poster (just so happens you just plug the receiver into a USB port and click "Update Remote". Go figure.)
2. The trial and error of getting everything to work correctly took a LONG time, and can get frustrating. Updating both the remote AND the receiver when you discover something doesn't work correctly gets REAL tedious when you're initially setting the thing up. When you're done, it's worth it, though!
Other than that, I have no complaints with the remote. No, it doesn't power on or off the PS3, but that's because of Sony deciding to use Bluetooth instead of infrared or RF (like ever OTHER device in the world!) It DOES control the other functions of the PS3, if you use the Nyko Blu Wave Remote PlayStation 3 Blu Wave Remote, which is very cool!
Also, the people complaining about having to use the internet to setup the remote... we should welcome them to 2008! Is it even feasible to expect a remote to operate the MILLIONS of different electronic devices in the marketplace WITHOUT downloading codes from the internet? What about newly released electronics? Should it just "know" all of these codes too? Crazy!
All I'm saying is, if you've got a little time (and a wee amount of patience), then this remote is great! If you're actually sick enough to ENJOY configuring electronic devices to work exactly as you wish (like yours truly!) then you will LOVE it!
Customer Review: Excellent and Easy to Use!
Summary: 5 Stars
UPDATE------I have been using this remote for 4 months now. Things I noticed are that with the activity buttons I still have to hit help to get the buttons to do what they are supposed to do. It is a hit and miss feature. The other thing I noticed is that the response time is slow. When you hit a button such as guide for example, it takes a moment to work. That is with all buttons. It is not as instantaneous and the original devices remote. All in all I am happy with the product but it is not worth the hefty price tag. My wife not being a gadget junkie like me hates it for these incontinences. For the money you spend it should not have these little problems.
This remote is one the best universal remotes I have ever bought. You can customize it to do whatever you want. The software can be a bit tricky but after you figure it out it is a breeze. It took me about 30 minutes to undersatnd the programming and then about 3 days to tweek the remote to do what I want. I am sure this would be different for each person. I have a Tv, Tivo, BD, and HD players. The Tivo stays on all the time and you can set it up to keep it on because it turns off whatever unit is not needed. I really can not think of anything to make this remote better. You can even change the background picture but be careful as the resolution is not great and can make it difficult to see the functions. You can also program any button to do whatever you want. Along with that the remote has a help function. For example, If you hit "Watch DVD" and the TV does not turn to the appropriate input, the remote will ask if everything is ok. If you hit no it will continue to run through a few checks until it works. Maybe 5 seconds and then all is well and it is fixed for the next time. KEEP IN MIND..THIS WILL NOT WORK PERFECTLY OUT OF THE BOX. YOU NEED TO TUNE IT TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS. It is a bit expensive but well worth it. The remote can also a=control anything with a remote and with the wireless extender, it can control equipment through walls that use remotes. Again, with some patitence you can setup this remote to do what you want it to do.