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: Very Nice, But Not Perfect (Yet)
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
First of all the packaging was a thing of beauty. You open this, pull that, lift this and voila there it is, obviously a lot of engineering went into it and for what it was worth it made it a very enjoyable experience.
Step 2 read the instructions. Again obviously well thought out, they have you go around and find all of the model numbers for the devices you want to control ahead of time and write them down and they were very clear and easy to follow.
Step 3, the software. This installed without any issues and the onscreen step-by-step instructions were very helpful and clear. So after I went through and did all of the telling which devices were needed for which actions etc I only had 1 issue. It could not find the model number for one of my TVs. So it had me take that TV's remote and hit some buttons for it to learn, it was happy after about 5 buttons and then I went to try it.
I hit the watch a DVD, watch TV, Play VCR, Listen to CDs, Play Game and Listen to Radio activity buttons and everything worked except listen to CDs it had my stereo on the wrong input, but then when I hit help it figured out what the problem was and fixed it for me. So these buttons all worked pretty well. The list seemed a bit limited and I didn't really notice a way to add to it, but then again I can't really think of anything off the top of my head that I want to do not on the list, it just seemed rather short.
OK, so then I went through device by device to see what I could do. The screen shows pages of options for each device, most of which I don't want, some of which I'm pretty sure that device does not even do. I see that there is a way to edit this list, but without a little more effort that I'm willing to put into it, that's not going to happen. Most of the things I need to do I can with the buttons and if I really want to do something special every now and then I'll just scroll through the pages.
When I tried to control the TV that it had me use the remote to learn from, it did not work correctly, some things worked, but when I hit channel up it went to menu and a couple of other problems...so I'm not really sure what to do about that other than just use the TV's original remote I guess.
I also set up a photo slide show where you can put 8 of your own photos on and it plays when it is charging or if you select slidshow from the options menu. This is pretty much useless but nevertheless interesting. You do have to format the size and make sure you pick portrait vs. landscape or else it will distort badly.
Another thing I liked was that it let you set images for your favorite channels in the watch TV action, however the software only had fox channels to pick from so I had to go out and find images for every other channel and import them which didn't always work out to the correct dimensions. So they don't necessarily look the best, but it is still a nice feature, it would just be better if the software at least had a list of most basic channels to pick from so they actually looked good.
The device that I was most concerned with was my Xbox which I use as a DVR in conjunction with a computer in my basement. And although it can't turn the Xbox on because you just can't with any remote, it did work very intuitively once I got it on to navigate through the media center menus and do all of the things I needed to do.
The only complaint I have about updating the remote with the software is that it takes several minutes to transfer the settings even if you just change one small thing, but really after you get this setup the way you want, this should not be an issue.
So other than the few little issues I mentioned above everything else about using this remote has been logical and well designed. The good thing is that the software can be updated to fix all of the problems I have outlined, so there is not necessarily any long term issues that I have found.
Customer Review: Simple to use, feature-packed
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The amount of work that has gone into producing the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote is as impressive as its name! This thing is really quite incredible.
I am going to start the review in a natural progression from the time I opened the box to now, some weeks afterwards. The box is sturdy and the contents are well-packed. It was easy enough to open and get at the contents: the remote control itself, the charging base, the usual manual and software on CD in addition to a cleaning cloth.
The remote control is sleek and beautiful with a shiny black sheen all over except underneath which is a soft gray padding that keeps the remote control secured on just about any surface. The contours also underneath make holding it easy. The small screen is colorful and what's more, touch screen!
On power up, nothing much happens although you can touch the screen buttons on the screen. Each touch causes a small beep. The buttons on the remote control itself are easy to manipulate with a pleasant, springy feel as you push them.
I have to confess that I was a bit intimidated with set up believing it was going to be a real bother. I am so happy to say that nothing is further from the truth. Both in setup and use, the speed with which anyone even the most untutored can use this remote is impressive considering the functionality. But more on that later.
As I said, set up was easy. The package included a USB cable, one end of which goes into the remote control and the other into the normal USB socket on a PC. This happens after installing the software first so that on connecting the remote control, the computer recognizes the remote control and starts the setup. Wizards and clear instructions guide the user as they set up their devices, a process that includes creating a Harmony account on the computer so it remembers your settings.
The manual, which I read in passing, suggested I record the make and models of each device I wanted to control with the remote control. I didn't have that already but I was able to walk over to collect this information--from four devices. Then, following the easy instructions and answering quick questions, I was able to program the remote control. It took me all of 10 minutes before I could start using it. According to the documentation, this remote control is capable of controlling more than 225,000 devices from more than 5,000 brands! That is truly incredible.
If you run into any problems, live (and free) support is available.
Here's the really intelligent part of using the remote control: it's all activity-based. With my other remotes, if I wanted to watch a DVD, I had to use the DVD remote to turn it on, switch the carousel to the DVD I wanted to watch then hit play. Right at the same time, I had to turn on the TV and switch its input to the DVD. Then, with the receiver, I had to switch the audio to the DVD.
With the Universal Remote, on the full-color touch screen, I simply touch Watch A DVD and that's it! The DVD is on, the receiver is on and switched to the proper input as is the TV. I was blown away. Here's another brilliancy: when the remote is put away, simply *moving* it turns on the backlight so that all the buttons are on and easy to see.
The design of the remote control is such that each button is easy to find after a few uses so that you don't have to look down, even in the dark.
My wife had wanted a quick tutorial on how to use the remote control, but I wasn't able to so she decided to go it alone and she was able to figure out every single operation within a half-hour, without ever having read a manual. It's so easy to use.
In fact, I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this remote. It's exemplary and worth every penny. There are now four remotes that have been replaced by it (the receiver, the cable box, the TV, and the DVD). Incredible.
Customer Review: The One Remote to Have!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I love my Harmony One remote. It is high quality and elegant. It feels great in your hand. The software makes it easy to setup and gives you enough low level control to tweak it for complex setups (i.e. make techno-geeks like me happy). It took me a little while to recognize the difference between activity mode and device mode. Once I did I was really able to use it to it's full potential and save tons of key strokes on the remote. I try to explain it below. I highly recommend the Harmony One. Below are my comments and observations on the remote.
- My Setup: DVD Player, Ultimate TV (DirecTV DVR), VCR, DVD Recorder, Archos TV+ (DVR), Receiver, TV
- Some of My Activities:
-> Watch Ultimate TV: Turn on TV and Receiver, Set Receiver to Sat Input for sound, Set TV to correct Video Input. Ultimate TV is set to remain on at all times.
-> Watch DVD: Turn on TV, Receiver and DVD player. Set Receiver to DVD, set TV to Component input. Note when switching away from this activity the DVD player is turned off.
-> Watch Archos TV+ : Turn on TV, Receiver, Archos TV. Set Receiver to ArchosTV sound input, set TV to Component in. ArchosTV is turned off when another activity is chosen.
-Device Mode: When you select a device on the Harmony One, the buttons control the device you selected. I don't use device mode much since I have all the activities set up the way I want them and all the buttons I need programmed on the keypad or in the touch screen menu for that activity.
-Activity Mode: When you select an activity, the remote becomes a hybrid of the remotes of all the devices in the activity. For example the Volume buttons control the receiver, the channel buttons control the DVR, and other buttons may control TV functions. You do not need to change modes to control the different devices. If you run out of keypad buttons to program, you can add more functions to the menus on the touch screen. This is all setup through the computer software that comes with the remote. For each button in an activity, you can pick what device you want it to control, and watch function it should perform.
- The Touch screen: The touch screen is awesome. The screen shows 6 buttons at a time. You can cycle through multiple screens of buttons. You can program a button to do anything you want and label it. It can be tied to an activity or a device. You do have to be careful when using the touch screen because it is easy to hit the wrong button or two buttons at once.
- Customer Support: I wanted to add a discrete "ON" for the TV to my activities to make sure the TV was always turned on before any activity. I called customer support and the woman didn't understand what I wanted. I then emailed customer support and got the answer the next day. I was impressed with email support. There is a large FAQ that is helpful as well. The customer support staff have access to your remote setup since it is stored on line. This lets them know exactly what you are doing and help with it.
- Every button is programmable plus you can add more buttons via the touch screen.
- The setup is straight forward plus you can dig deeper into it if you are a more advanced user.
- The Harmony Once can learn commands from remotes when you can't find it in the online code set.
- When you pick up the remote, it knows it and the touch screen turns on. This is really cool.
- The off button turns off everything that you have programmed to turn off for the current activity.
- You need to keep the remote pointed at the entertainment center when you select an activity. It takes a second for it to transmit all the codes. You can reduce the delay in the setup to speed this up, but I haven't tried that yet. ==> Update: I reduced the delay for the TV and Receiver and it really speeds up the activities. The default delays are very conservative.
Customer Review: Nice remote with a few quirks
Summary: 4 Stars
Previously, I owned a Universal Remote Control (URC)MX 700. URC makes a nice product but they went from direct to consumer to direct to installer in 2006 and pulled all the on line updates for the IRC codes for equipment and reserved them for approved dealers only. Bottom line is that URC screwed over prior and prospective customers. I was not about to pay $200+ for a URC remote and then an installer programming fee of $125 (base price)and then another $50+ every time I needed an update on the URC so I tried the Harmony One when I changed to FiOS TV.
The Harmony One is slick in terms of usability and programming which is good but also slick in that it's like a greased banana. It's so smooth and slippery that it's ten times easier to drop or mishandle than the URC remotes which are non-slip. Mishandling means sending all sorts of weird commands to equipment and dropping means potential damage to the remote. I had hoped the Zagg folks who make protective non-slip coverings for cell phones and related devices would make a full body covering for the Harmony One but they don't - only a screen protector.
On the plus side, the on line IRC codes for the Harmony One are extensive and accurate. It is fairly inutive to program and it has a ton of capability. The color touch screen is bright and adjustable and the onboard accelerometer that turns it on when moved is a nice touch. My local URC dealer basically lied to me when he told me that the Harmony wasn't as capable of complex macro sequences as are the URC remotes - it is, you just have to figure out how to make those work. The reason URC dealers don't like the Harmony One is that they can't bilk you for the programming fee. The Harmony is a lot more user friendly for people not familiar with your system and once you get the cable favorites progammed, the on board station artwork and logos are cool. The USB cable hook up is nice and works well. Many of the older and even some current URC remotes are still using antique serial cables not that it matters anymore because URC won't let anyone but dealers program the units on line.
On the negative side, programming the cable favorites on the Harmony One was a real chore but once it's done, the art work for the stations will make any tech junkie happy. The more complicated your system is, the more complex it is to program the Harmony One. Stuff like 12 volt triggers on interconnected audio equipment can give you fits until you figure out how to deal with these quirks. Other reviewers report that the screen is a fingerprint magnet and that is dead accurate. I will try the Zagg screen protector to eliminate this issue. [...] To reiterate, my bigggest complaint about the Harmony One is that it's like trying to hold a fresh trout with WD 40 on your fingers - it justs want to flop out of your hand.
In summary, the Harmony One is an impressive unit, it will run just about any equipment and the learning curve for programming is a function of how complex the system you are trying to control. There are a LOT of sub functions that require some skill and a potentially high learning curve so don't think you will be able to set this unit up for a 6 piece system in 30 minutes. It took me 3 to 4 hours to really get the programming accurate and I'm still tweaking it from time to time. The rechargeable cradle is nice and works well. The color touch screen is bright and all the keys light up which is really nice at night but it's easy to hit the wrong button when you fumble with the unit which is inevitable. $200 is a lot of dough for a remote but compared to the URC remotes which cost at least $200 plus the dealer programming fee of $125+, it's a bargain. If you are truly a tech junkie and have some computer ability, the Harmony One is a good choice.
Update - I've had this remote about one month and my opinion of this unit is not as favorable as it was initially. The commands work sporadically and I've reprogrammed it a few times to get it to behave. Simply stated, it's not the remote I reach for regularly because it's so slippery, it's very touchy and it's not as intuitive as the URC MX 700 I have had for a few years.
Customer Review: Great Remote!
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the Harmony One about three weeks ago and have been using it for the past two weeks. I love this remote. I have a Samsung HDTV, Pioneer VSX 1120-k a/v receiver, Cox cable box (Scientific Atlanta) and a Sony PS3 that is also used as my BluRay player (yes I bought the Logitec PS3 adapter).
I found the software and setup procedure very easy to use. It took me about one hour to get it setup. I did this the in the following order:
1) Hooked up my Logitech PS3 adapter
2) Wrote down the Name and Model of the components listed above
3) Wrote down the "input" for each device (HDMI 1, Component input, etc)
4) Loaded the software that came with the Harmony onto my PC
5) Followed the directions as prompted by the software
a) set up the devices
b) choose the activities
c) set up the "favorites screen"
d) connected up my Harmony via the USB cable and updated with settings
6) Once I finished on the PC, I took the remote into the family room and tried all the Activites and they all worked!
Even though everything worked flawlessly, I wanted to "refine" the settings. I went back to the PC and did the following:
1) When I set up the Activities, the first one was "Game Controller" followed by DVD and then TV. I was able to change the order so TV is on top, followed by DVD and then Game Controller. This is the order of most used first.
2) I wanted to change my Favorites screen from showing the station names (i.e. HBO, CBS, FOX, etc) to their actual logo. These logos can be downloaded from IconHarmony website: http://www.iconharmony.com/icons/home - this was a strictly cosmetic desire but it really looks cool.
I couldn't believe how well the Harmony handled my most complex device: the Pioneer a/v receiver. This is a new model released eight months ago. There are dozens of settings/commands on this device and the Harmony has them all: at least as far as I can tell. I just choose Devices, Receiver on my Harmony and it lists 14 sub menus which include all the commands that were on the receiver remote and it is a lot easier to read and understand.
In summary, the things I liked about the Harmony One:
A) Easy to use setup: walks you through each step in an easy to understand method
B) Button and screen backlight that comes on automatically when you pick up the remote
C) Customizable buttons and names
D) Help screen: not that you will need it
E) Your remote settings are saved on your PC so you don't need to re-enter.
F) Easy to change order of listings such as which networks show on which screens
G) Works great with my PS3 (you will need to buy the Logitech PS3 adapter).
H) Charging cradle is convenient. Just place the remote on it and it keeps it charged
I) The software gives you the option to leave your cable box on all the time or power it on and off when watching TV. I chose to leave it on since there is a delay when the box is turned on. This way I can switch from watching a DVD to cable instantly. Nice feature.
J) Looks: The shiny black finish is nice looking and I don't have any real problem with fingerprints like others mention. I wipe it down with the microfiber cloth that came with the remote once every couple of days and it looks great!
K) Last but certainly not least, my wife can now watch TV or a DVD on my PS3 with the touch of a single button (actually the touch screen). A happy wife trumps all the other pluses!
Things I don't like: Have to come back later when I find something!
Finally I bought this on Amazon for approx $150. That is a great price for a great remote! Anyone wanting to be able to watch TV with a single button or switch to watching a DVD etc, by touching just one button, this is the remote for you. By buying on Amazon, I knew if I did not like it I could return it within 30 days with no hassle. Unless something goes wrong, there is no way this remote is going back to Amazon. Sorry Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO), it's mine! Oops, no it's my wife's!