Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote with Color Touch Screen
by Logitech
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote with Color Touch Screen
Customer Review: A Long Time Spent To Not Solve a Nonexistent Problem
Summary: 1 Stars
I'm giving the Harmony One one star because it failed to improve my home theater and I spent a whole frusterating day figuring that out. Other people with different setups might very well love the Harmony One. The remote costs as much as Blu-Ray player, so everyone should have super high expectations. Good universal remotes can be had for 1/5 the price.
My main setup is a DirecTV HD DVR, an Onkyo receiver, a Samsung HDTV and a Toshiba DVD recorder, all of which less are than a year old. I also have a PlayStation, an old VCR, a camcorder and a TV/DVD in the other room that the remote was supposed to control. I never got that far.
An online wizard programs the remote, which sounds good. In my case the wizard immediately asked nonsensical questions. For example, it asked me to choose an input mode for the DVD recorder from a list the recorder doesn't support, in an activity where the signal doesn't even pass through the recorder. The wizard doesn't have any knowledge of how the system is connected or what the components can do necessarily, it only knows the codings for the remotes.
This wouldn't be a problem if it were possible to bypass the wizard and simply set the remote up to do what it should do. Instead it's required to get through the first part - wrong answers and all - and try to correct the problems in the main page.
I was encouraged by the main page in the software. I spent hours setting up activities and mapping buttons (the defaults were nowhere close to right). The software design requires a lot of navigation back and forth, and clearly isn't intended for advanced users. To me the point of buying an expensive remote was to do everything the other remotes could do in a better, more efficient and more consistent way. This turned out to be a very time consuming process in the Logitech software.
After downloading the data to the remote the real problems surfaced. Activities didn't turn the components on. No problem, there's a Help button. The Help button asks a lengthy series of questions, tries different combinations, and after a few minutes of pressing remote buttons the components turned on to watch TV.
Clicked the button to turn everything off. Nothing happened. Repeat the long, tedious Help process - only this time it asks questions for all the components that weren't involved in the first place. Frusterating.
If this were a 1-shot process, where Help just corrected the settings for use next time, it wouldn't be a big deal. That isn't the case with my components. Despite my best efforts something regularly went wrong, requiring the Help button to step through the procedure.
The activities always try to set inputs on components, even if the inputs never change. That can cause flashing that wouldn't appear otherwise. In the case of my Onkyo receiver the Harmony remote repeatedly sends the input command which causes the relay to click over and over. In my setup the change is unnecessary in the first place, and tripping the relay repeatedly each time I turn on the TV is needless wear and tear.
At this point I'd spent over 6 hours programming and debugging the remote. I'm an engineer and programmer by profession.
I wrote up a detailed email to Logitech support from inside the program. When I clicked "Send" the page said "You were logged out" or something like that, and offered no way to go Back to copy my message. My long, detailed email to Logitech was gone.
At that point I realized that even if I could get the remote to operate my setup efficiently - and that would involve probably hours on the phone with Logitech - the benefit just isn't there. The Harmony One is fancier than the DirecTV remote, with better materials and button feel, but it's a little bigger, heavier, the DVR functions are too low and the touch screen can't be used reliably with one hand.
As part of my day trying to set up the Harmony One I discovered that I could fix all of the startup irritations in the setup by changing the input assignments on the Onkyo and by adjusting some of the cryptic HDMI-CEC settings on the components. I should've taken a closer look at what my components provide before solving a problem that didn't exist.
"Activities" is a nice idea, but it's really just an abstraction of the buttons on the existing remotes. For a complete home theater it takes a lot of work to set them up, and in my experience the result is fragile. I've since returned the Harmony One and am content with my original set of remotes.
Customer Review: A worthy replacement for any universal remote new or old!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just received this new gadget and although I have not had it for a long time, my initial impressions are overflowing with praise. Logitech upon acquiring Harmony has somehow found the list I made a few years ago about everything I thought was wrong and would do differently with the Harmony line of remotes and have found a solution to them all in this magnificent new version. At least that's what it seems like.
This remote will be replacing my trusty old Harmony 880, which will be relegated to the bedroom after I had inadvertently sat on and crushed the lcd screen on my relatively new Harmony 550 (may it rest in peace). Apparently, the Harmony 880 is a bit more durable than the slimmer 550 because I've been known to sit on that by accident on several occasions without inflicting any damage to the unit. I'm hoping this new beautifully designed Harmony One will be have also have durability to match its looks. Only time will tell, and I will update this review in the near future after I've spent some more quality time with the device.
The quick and dirty:
Form factor and Ergonomics: Brilliant! Fits nicely in my medium sized hand, comfortable to hold, and nicely weighted. Logitech has answered one of my few complaints about the 880 by having raised buttons on the new Harmony One to offer the user some tactile sense of which button to press without having to look down. Also, the rearrangement of buttons makes everything more accessible and the new touch screen looks sharp and works very well - the icing on the cake.
Ease of Use / Programmability: Harmony remotes have always excelled in this regard. The web-based software is intuitive and very easy to setup. It is always updated and has improved greatly over its many versions though the years. Works with both PC's and Macs with a USB port in terms of programming. The activity-based setup with the help functions makes this easy for anyone to use, including the most technology-phobic or electronically-challenged individuals, like my grandmother. My only wish is that perhaps a future software update will allow the user to further customize the icons and graphics on the touchscreen to suit personal tastes.
Functionality: It does everything you need a remote to do. It would've been nice if it had RF and bluetooth functionality (to control the PS3 and other specialized devices) but there are very viable workarounds to that (Nyko bluwave IR for the PS3) and in reality, I have no need for RF functionality. Harmony offers the 890 and Universal offers a few models that do RF but none of them can match the Harmony One's user-friendliness. Perhaps Logitech will release an RF version of this remote in the future, but there is likely a small market for it. Lastly, the charger base is a significant improvement over the 880. For you 880 owners out there, I'm sure you've found its charger base to be unreliable and often unwilling to actually charge your remote unless you position it just right. Logitech has fixed this on the Harmony One. Yet another problem solved. We'll how see it holds up over time but so far, this remote is approaching perfection.
Value: Is this remote worth $250? Depends who you are. Are you a techno-geek gadget-freak or a more practical and sensible person? A Harmony 550 can do just about everything the Harmony One can at a fraction of the cost but then it doesn't look, feel, and work as nice. The Harmony 550 is your Toyota corolla of remotes: dependable, practical, reliable, economical, until you bang it up by accident and it doesn't hold up very well (in my case, inadvertently sit on it). The Harmony One is your Lexus of remotes (or BMW or Mercedes, pick one). It does everything the toyota can but just better and more upscale, and it appears more durable and just feels much nicer... you know, in case you're wondering where the $250 went.
Conclusion: Highly recommended! If you don't have a decent universal-type remote yet, you can't go wrong with this one. It's the best out there but comes at a price. If you already have an 880 or 890, it's a tougher proposition unless you really have $250 burning a hole in your pocket. If you have a 550 or similar and wished it was nicer or just jealous of the Harmony One's fancy touch screen, perhaps you might accidently sit on it and justify an upgrade? It's ok, I won't tell.
Customer Review: Harmony One Review
Summary: 4 Stars
After a number of universal and/or learning remotes failed to master all of my A/V components, I used the Logitech website to first verify that they would handle all the components I had purchased over the years. Being able to go on the website and get an affirmative response for the unit's presence in their database of controls made me a lot more comfortable ordering the unit.
Happily, the unit is performing flawlessly today; it took about 45 minutes after opening the box to get it correct.
The next most endearing characteristic of the unit is that it lights up when you move it, so I don't need to turn on a light or push a button on the remote to see what I'm about to do !
My Sony AV receiver is listed as covered in the database, but the wizard asked some questions about how the unit switched input sources where the answer was not obvious. I had to go back a second time to try another answer when the first one failed, and then had to "teach" the remote the appropriate input switching commands with this second choice. The important point here is that the unit has teaching as a backup, so you can probably make most any unit work where you have the original remote available. The wizard is very easy to use with most components; this Sony AV receiver with the problem had a very complicated remote that had to handle the A/V Receiver's two separate internal amplifiers (there to allow for totally separate control in two different rooms).
Since most components only "toggle" power and some other commands on, and then off when you give a appropriate IR command, the Harmony One is not foolproof ... it can get a component "out of sync" with the rest if you don't keep the remote aimed at the components for about 2 seconds (a 'transmitting" icon on the display shows you how long to keep it aimed at the components). To fix this condition, you have at least two choices. The Harmony comes with a Help Button Wizard that will walk you step by step through a series of questions that will put you back in sync by the time you finish. (Based on your responses to questions about your device states, it then changes them to where it thinks they should be). Alternatively, you can just hit the POWER button of the remote (on the top left of the remote above the screen) to shut things down, and then go to your components and manually set their states to where you taught the Harmony One to put them when it powered down (for mine, all are powered off except the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD cable box which stays on at all times).
The IR is widely dispersed and pretty powerful with a fully charged battery (and since its batteries are rechargeable and kept in the charging cradle when not in use, that's all the time). The result is that it rarely misses changing a component, even when not precisely aimed, and therefore I haven't even bothered to hook up my IR relaying system yet to assure signals aren't missed (used originally as my TV IR sensor and component cabinet are 5-6 ft apart).
I read on the Logitech Harmony site about owners with complaints that the IR code transmission was slow and inefficient compared to one particular brand of "universal" remote that competes with Logitech. That is far from the truth with my components. Time Warner changed their cable box software in the last year, and it was markedly slow(er) in response time afterwards using their remote. The Harmony One gives a great feeling of responsiveness on DVR commands to the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD cable box ... FF, Slo-mo, REW, Play commands control the picture playback much more accurately than the Time Warner remote ever did.
After you select an activity (Watch TV, Watch a DVD, Listen to Radio, Listen to CD, etc.) the hardwired keys on the unit that apply are enabled, and the touchscreen at the top gives you specialty commands for that device ... those that they provide automatically, and those that you create later. To access "all" of the commands that Logitech knows for that device, you hit "Devices" at the bottom of the touchscreen, pick the particular device where you want to send a special command, and then touchscreen(s) of multiple extra commands for that one device appear for your use. Just "Return to Activity" when you're done.
A great bargain for a device that finally gets us down to one remote that anybody in the family can use.
Customer Review: Very good product, but not perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I've tried other universal remotes in the past, but always discarded them and went back to the individual remotes. I bought the Harmony One based on a number of favorable reviews. I've used it a little over a month, and although it has its faults, it fits the bill better than any others I've tried. Aside from the space they take up, I have never minded too much having five or six remotes to use. But when my wife wanted to watch something it was another matter. In the past she followed a detailed list of instructions, like a pilot's pre-flight check list. The Harmony One addresses that issue perfectly. Now it's a simple matter for her to look at DVDs or TV. So for that issue it is a home run.
The unit has some nice features, including lighted buttons, touch screen and an accelerometer to detect motion. Programming is done via a computer connected to the internet. All you need is a list of the model numbers of the equipment you want to control. Setup was a snap, and it can be changed easily by running the setup again. When complete the settings are downloaded into the control. It has a rechargeable battery, with a stand that recharges the battery when the unit is on the stand. I found the battery life good enough for several days use without charging, perhaps a week if not used too much. (Picking it up turns on the lights under the buttons and the touch screen, which shortens use time on a charge.) The design of the unit is well thought out. The functions of the physical buttons are intuitive. The same button may perform different functions depending on the equipment being controlled. For example, the play, pause and stop buttons work for both a DVD player and a DVR. For a given piece of equipment, the functions are assigned to physical buttons in a generally logically consistent manner. Those functions that are not assigned to a physical button are put on the touch screen. The screen can display three pieces of equipment or major functions at a time. If there are more than three, there are page buttons to scroll the display. As part of the setup process, some functions are assigned to the touch screen. I'm sure Logitech attempts to assign the most frequently used leftover (not on a physical button) functions, but not always. I found the touch screen is not as reliable as the real buttons because there is no tactile feedback, and because of their location are difficult to actuate with one hand. If you want to use a function that is not on a physical button or on the first page of the touch screen list you can access additional functions by pressing the Devices button and selecting the device. Once that is selected the screen will show all otherwise unassigned functions in a 6 to a page layout. The labels on the virtual buttons are quite generic, and it is often difficult to determine what each does. For my A/V receiver there are 19 pages of these functions. For my DVD player there are 16 pages. Alas, they seem to have used a generic set of functions which don't necessarily exist on the equipment you're attempting to control. My DVD player, for example, has a nifty high speed playback mode with sound. It's great for listening to lectures or playing through boring parts of a movie without missing anything. There are no buttons for this function, physical or virtual (or I haven't yet found it due to the cryptic labels on the virtual buttons). There are also functions on the touch screen that don't exist on the equipment it is controlling. An example: For the DVD player there are Disk 1, Disk2, etc. to 5. This is probably intended for a 5 disk DVD/CD player. So Logitech apparently uses a generic list of functions for a particular class of equipment rather than customizing them for the equipment. The other slight annoyance is that they may put a frequently used function on the touch screen rather than assigning it to a physical button.
So while the Harmony One isn't perfect, it is the best I've seen so far. It does what I expect from a universal remote - it allows casual users to operate even a complex equipment setup with ease. I was so pleased with it at first I took the batteries out of all the individual remotes and bagged them for storage. But after a week or so I got them back and keep them handy for times when a function that is not on the usiversal remote is needed.
Customer Review: A few minor negatives, like no RF support, but an outstanding remote!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This is one high end remote, and for as sophisticated as it is, it works wonderfully in a beautifully designed ergonomic frame that is easy to setup and use.
Presentation: Logitech presented the Harmony One in an elegant display box, showing the gleaming black case through clear plastic. The box graphics are nice and do a good job adding to the whole experience. No blister packs here, this feels like you are opening something important.
In the box you will have the following:
Universal Remote
Charging Station
USB Cable
AC Power Adapter
Lithium Ion Battery
CD-Rom with Logitech Software
Installation Guide
Setup: Setup is a cinch, though I must admit I did have some trouble connecting this unit to my Intel iMac. After installing the software the unit did not want to acknowledge my USB connection. There was a number to call. The call center help was very friendly and helpful. Above average tech support. The problem was resolved and we moved forward.
The software is easy to install, and once installed you hook up your remote to your computer through the supplied USB cable. The software then asks you for the items you want to control. (Note: It would be helpful in advance to have the makes and model numbers of everything you want to control.)
After you setup all the items you want to control, the software then asks you how you have your components set up to work. For example, if I want to watch TV, I need to turn on my Dish DVR and turn my TV on and to Video 1. These are called setting up activities, and I'll get to a little later.
After this is all setup to your liking, the software installs the information to your remote, reboots it and you are off to test it out.
I mentioned before the concept of "Activities". One of the major drawbacks of universal remotes in the past was having to control different components, and switch between them to do tasks. This remote does it for you. When you want to watch TV, you simply push the "Watch TV" icon on the color touch screen. The unit will then do all the tasks, turning on the DVR, TV, Sound system, etc, you had to do separately. It is really neat, and a nice time saver.
If you are having trouble, and the system is not working as desired, you can either hook the unit back up to the software or you can utilize the on remote help. The remote will guide you through some dialogue boxes on the color screen to help you resolve your problem.
Remote Operation: The remote works with easily with a surprisingly large number of units. I use a DVR and the buttons seemed laid out perfectly for DVR operation. It also worked my VCR and DVD recorder/player as if it was designed for it, unlike most universal remotes I've used.
It also worked a few things things I never thought of. It works my Sirius Starmate Replay, which I have in its boombox on the living room table. It also worked my relatively cheap Durabrand amplifier as if it was designed for it. For each of these speciality items, special control buttons appear on the touch screen for controls that are specific to that unit and that unit's remote.
Another nice feature is the motion activated backlight. The unit itself is a shiny jet black, and in a dark room you would never be able to find the buttons. But simply pick up the unit, and it lights up, buttons too, for you to easily control.
The only negative I've found is that it doesn't have RF support. I have a Dish Network DVR, and the second television needs to control the DVR through RF, which this unit cannot utilize. So be warned if you need RF, this unit will not do it.
Bottom Line: Few glitches aside, I was extremely impressed with this remote. It is smart, sexy, and works great. From those of you with just a few items to control, to those with dozens, this remote has more than what it takes to control all your audio, visual, and other household units.