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 Picky and Very Satisfied
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading many of these reviews and cruising the web for several days regarding this product, I sprang for the Harmony One for a very reasonable price off of Amazon a week ago.
It's very important to approach this remote as an "Activity Based" device rather than just a remote that can control a bunch of equipment one at a time. Touch the "Watch TV" activity button and all needed components turn on and set themselves to appropriate inputs. Touch "Watch DVD" and unneeded devices turn off (like my Cox Digital Cable box) and the other components set themselves to the right inputs. Hit the Off key and every component shuts off. Although previous remotes from this company performed Activity Based commands, none do it in such an elegant, pleasing package that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand.
Everything I've ever read about this device (all the positive things) are more than true - this is an outstanding all-in-one IR remote and quite possibly the best ever made. From the look-and-feel, design, charger, software set up and customization, I can easily appreciate the thousands of hours of R&D that went into this beautiful device. And it's my FIRST universal remote ever.
(To make my entertainment set up "visually clean", I purchased a Hot Link IR extender, as I have all of my components in a closet off of the living room and I ran wires under the house and up through the floors in key places.) The only equipment one sees in the living room is the 46" plasma on a pedestal stand and a few little BOSE satellite speakers. Here's what I have:
Panasonic TH-46PZ800U
BOSE DVD/FM/AM/Surround Lifestyle 38
Cox Communications Digital Cable Box
Bang & Olufsen Beocenter 7700
Apple iMac w/Front Row for iTunes
The Harmony One handled them all - and thanks to this thread and others, I found the "trick" to get the BOSE device to "read" IR commands - all these years I never knew that it COULD read IR - they promote their RF remotes as some kind of godsend, and I always thought I'd always have to end up with two remotes no matter what I did to alleviate the problem. Even the software that you use to program the Harmony One via your computer knew about this and showed me the actual page from the BOSE owners manual!
After that hurdle was jumped, it was off to my old B&O Beocenter 7700, which is my record player and cassette tape player. (I still have a lot of records that I treasure and can't find in digital format yet.) Even though everything I've read said the B&O IR from older machines was impossible to teach to the Harmony One, I took a chance and set up the B&O as a device and successfully taught the ONE the key commands I needed from the old remote. To my complete shock, it worked.
I've already shown off the Harmony One to some pretty tough customers - fellow IT workers who pride themselves on being very, very technically inclined. They were blown away and are seriously considering a purchase.
The Harmony One, in combination of hiding away all of my components via the Hot Link IR extender (which GREATLY increases the already excellent sensitivity and range of the ONE via a hyper-sensitive IR "eye") has made me feel that I have a brand new entertainment system. I'm still having fun tweaking and playing with the device to bring it to ultimate perfection - but even with just the initial ACTIVITY set up and not tweaking a thing it will handle your basic needs in 1/2 an hour's programming time.
Readers may be interested in two very nice web sites regarding this remote - there is an excellent discussion forum- Google for "Official Logitech Harmony One thread". There is also a wonderful site that a "fan" created where you can download and install beautiful TV station color logo's to the Harmony One's touch screen - imagine going to your favorite TV stations by simply touching the station icon! Just Google for "Icon Harmony".
I'm very hard to please and very picky about my technology - I'm a firm believer in technology serving the user, elegant useful interfaces and ergonomic and pleasing design - this has made me one happy customer!
Customer Review: One Remote To Rule Them All!
Summary: 4 Stars
The Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote is one of the sweetest remotes on the market.
Although the price is a bit steep for a universal remote, but I can almost guarantee after you have bought this, you will NEVER need another remote again.
Only reason I gave this thing 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the price tag.
After installing a simple application that comes with the remote, this puppy plugs into the usb port on your computer, walks you through a setup wizard for each component you want to control with it, and basically you are ready to go!
You will need the part number / product number for each component you want to add to the control in order to get a flawless and complete list of commands that came with your old remote.
Using this remote is very simple, although for those less technologically advanced, it may take a day or two to get used to it since it is a change. But once you learn how it is setup and all, it becomes very easy to use.
You will basically control all special remote functions through the touch screen. There will be menus you can scroll left and right to browse all the functions of the old remote, so don't worry about missing critical buttons from the original, they will be here on this menu if you entered all the correct information when setting it up.
You can also go into the software and edit which buttons from your original remote you do not use and remove them easily from Harmony One.
Also there is the ability to arrange them so that the buttons you do use most are always right there and you will not have to flip through the pages to find what your looking for.
If for some reason you get lost and can not quit figure out the function of the remote, or something does not seem to be working properly, all you have to do is hit the 'Help' button and a guide that walks you step by step will pop up on the touch screen and most of the time work out the problems you are having. (I personally have not had ANY issues getting this thing to work with any device so far.)
The Harmony uses lists of 'Activities' which are basically one touch functions like: TV on, Turn on the CD Player, Run the DVD player, so you only have to hit one button and your ready to go.
No more scrolling or surfing through menus to get to a device on your entertainment center. One touch will bring you right to the selected device.
It has an auto off function to save battery life. Pick up the remote and it instinctively comes to life and is ready to go :)
Also it comes with its own charging station, so you wont have to worry about replacing batteries anymore :)
The touch screen is backlit full color. You can even change the theme of the touch screen for your own customization if you do not like the default one. This can be done through the included software. I haven't checked yet but there may be downloadable themes as well.
All of the keys glow a soft white, so you can make them all out clearly in the dark.
And finally this is not just a remote for your living room entertainment. This thing can control lights, climate control among other things. Here is a direct link to the compatibility list for the remote:
[..]
I guess you can purchase a RF wireless extender as well so that you do not need line of site to control a hidden device.
So far I run:
-42in Samsung Plasma
-Panasonic Blu-ray home theater AIO
-PS3
-Media Center from the computer
I am sure if i find anymore wireless devices, I will add them to the list :)
So in closing, if you have the money to toss at a universal remote that can ultimately replace ALL other remotes in the house and control other devices as well, BUY THIS! You will not regret it!
On the other hand if your not too keen on spending this much for a universal remote, I am sure the cheaper ones will do you fine in the end.
Customer Review: A device seeking a reason for its own existence
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I am not a fan of this device. Maybe if I had 15 components in some elaborate home theatre system I would think it worth the effort to set it up. But I have only four components and, frankly, the setup wasn't worth the effort.
In my opinion, the setup is the killer for this device. First you have to load software for the device, which takes suprisingly long.
Then you have to gather up the model numbers of all your devices. For many, this may be quite a chore since they have long since lost their manuals or invoices and will need to look on the back or buttoms of devices. A lot of work considering that the next step still involves lining up the remotes so the Harmony can read the signals of the other.
The process is marred by imperfect English in the setup screens. For example, I was instructed to press the "Power Toggle" button. This instruction appeared next to the words "Power Toggle" on a colored bar. Duh . . . so I pressed on the Power Toggle button. Sure looked like a button to me, ill-designed, but not unlike some I've seen on websites.
Nope. They mean the power switch on the remote for the device you are trying to emulate. The on-off switch, power switch, what Americans call it, which is not the "Power Toggle".
The Harmony doesn't want to admit that its database is incomplete. As it happens, my digital cable box is a brand new model which apparently hasn't made it into the Logitech database. (It is so new that the techs at Comcast had never seen or heard of it either.) So rather than confess its ignorance, the Harmony setup process simply ignores the fact that I have cable television. In its much-touted ability to set up macros for all your devices for processes such as watching a recorded TiVo program, because it couldn't find information on my cable box, it simply didn't offer me the option of watching television. Pride goeth before the fall, I guess.
Although I provided the requested model numbers for each of the components, Logitech apparently doesnt have a complete or accurate database. For example, it refused to acknowledge that my television has a Video 1 input . . . or again in an example of language difficulties, it thinks that "component input" is Video 1 because it does offer me the option of Video 2 and Video 3, which are also component inputs. I sure can't figure out what Logitech is trying to tell me.
In any event, though I correctly specified the input for my TiVo, the Harmony ignored me. There was a spiffy correction routine though.
Battery life appears to be short so you'd probably want to keep this in its charger near your setup, which may be easier said than done in many homes.
The design is nice. The touchscreen is pretty cranky it seems, but to be honest by the time I was able to start using it, I was pretty cranky too.
I don't think the utility value of the Harmony is very high. I doubt that I'll be using this all the time because, frankly, the TiVo remote handles all the functionality we need except for the DVD which as a simple remote. And I seriously doubt that I could convince my far better half to even bother with the Harmony.
On the whole, I think Logitech missed the boat on this one with its cumbersome setup process and poor translation of the instructions to English. Logitech advises to allow 30 minutes for the setup process. Took longer than that for me.
As I said, maybe if you have a humongous home theatre setup, the time investment in learning the vagaries of the setup process might be worth it. For our paltry few components, it is not worth the bother.
Jerry
Customer Review: Expelliarmus! ...
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
1. The remote came so well-packaged from Amazon I thought it was Easter, as it was surrounded in its box by that type of green plastic grass that you usually see in plastic Easter Baskets with chocolate.
2. The remote fits nicely in the hand, looks good and is easy to control. The docking bay looks sleek, very cool and is unobtrusive to the eye as it lays flat when docked.
3. The software was easy and simple to use and I had no difficulty interfacing with it. I have numerous devices (12 in all) and it was able to control each of them, even my VCR that's closing in on 15 years of age. I was able to get through the set up pretty quickly. Although it does require a certain amount, and type, of patience when programming a universal remote. I didn't experience anything troubling or hard to get past. In fact, the remote seemed to learn my devices mostly by itself and required very little extra programming, by me, for most of my gear.
4. One thing to be aware of though - is SONY equipment. There are proprietary issues with Sony that seem to trump here and get in the way of things with the remote. But this is the fault of Sony and not Logitech. You may have to program all your buttons with your Sony devices like any other Universal Remote from the old days, so if you're already accustomed to it, you won't feel put out and it doesn't take that long anyways. But seeing the remote learn your other devices in a matter of seconds, with no extra input, is pretty cool.
5. I was able to program other custom buttons for devices that are harder to find in the search database like my HDMI A/B Switch, which I'll probably replace now anyways. But it learned it quickly and I was able to put away the cheap remote that came with the switch that hardly ever worked.
6. The touch screen is very well laid out into simple menus that can be completely customized if you so desire. I kept it pretty simple and neglected attaching photos / pictures with each different device or TV channel. While it may look like a Star Trek device, and difficult to get used to, the remote is pretty basic and quickly takes over as the main remote without much pain or labor.
7. The remote has a very quick response time with the devices and seems as if it's actually stronger than most of the OEM remotes that came with each piece of equipment. My Cable Box remote was the most obvious as it was sluggish and annoying. The Harmony remote responds quicker and from farther distances.
8. One of the nicest features that some people may not be aware of is the use of Macro commands. One button turns on multiple items at different settings so you don't have to go through one by one and do it yourself, like watching a DVD or Cable TV. It's incredibly impressive on so many levels and makes the experience of watching your home theater that much simpler.
9. Radio station programming. Thank you, Lord. Since I work from home and I listen to the radio all day, having a button on the touch screen for `Radio Stations' made me very happy.
10. My only complaint: No remote page feature. Everyone loses their remote - everyone. Looking for it sometimes is exasperating.
This is the slickest remote I've ever handled. Several people that came over to visit, did a double-take as their jaw hit the floor, awestruck, when they realized I had a remote with touch-screen.
Man, is it cool.
Customer Review: Simply awesome!
Summary: 5 Stars
I read many of the reviews for the Harmony One here before I decided to order it for myself. The vast majority of reviews, both here and elsewhere, were very positive. After receiving the remote, I installed the software on my PC, connected the remote via the USB cable, input the make and model # of my various components (Pioneer Elite VSX-81TXV receiver (purchased 9/2006), Samsung UN55B8500XF TV (purchased 12/2009), Panasonic DMP-BD85 (purchased 7/2010), Mitsubishi HS-U590 (purchased in the mid-1990's), and DirecTV DVR HR22-100 (about 1 year old)), answered some questions about how the components were connected and how I used them, updated the remote, and that was it. Took it down to the TV room for a test drive, and everything worked absolutely flawlessly!
(NOTE: I found that when entering my components, it was best to indicate that I did NOT have the remote for the device. If I indicated that I DID have the remote, the software wanted me to point it at the Harmony One and go through the process of mapping all of the buttons. Instead, I went back and said that I did not have the remotes for my devices, and I guess it set up the default button mappings for everything based on the make/model, which worked perfectly.)
This remote is absolutely amazing. To those who have complaints about the way it works, or that it sometimes doesn't seem to send the commands to every component, I would say that those are *extremely* minor gripes considering how well this remote works overall, and what it does for the money. As far as the remote sometimes not sending commands to every component, I have experienced this myself. However, in most cases, I think it is simply because I did not keep the remote pointed towards the components long enough for it to send all of the commands. And even when this has happened, the remote asks (on the LCD display screen) whether everything came on and is working as expected. If you answer "no", it resends commands until everything is working to your satisfaction. How much easier could it get?
I can't speak to the reliability or customer support (haven't had it long enough to have a problem or to need customer support), but otherwise, I have nothing but good things to say about this remote. Touch the "Watch TV" button, and the TV, DirecTV box, and receiver turn on. Touch "Watch DVD", and the DirectTV box turns off, the Blue Ray player turns on, and the input selection on the receiver changes from HDMI1 to HDMI2 (I have the DirecTV receiver on HDMI1 and the Blue Ray on HDMI2 on the receiver). Hit the On/Off button, and everything that's on shuts off.
Until I got this remote, I was the only one in the house who knew who to set everything to watch TV, or to change to watching a DVD/Blue Ray, etc. (because I'm the one who set it all up, and the only one who is technically inclined/interested enough to know how everything works). With this remote, ANYONE who picks it up can work the system without knowing a thing about it. That in itself is an incredible achievement on the part of Logitech. The software allows for complete customization of the remote, and as long as you're reasonably intelligent and even remotely technically inclined, you will be able to make this thing do exactly what you want.
If you're tired of dealing with a pile of remotes, and are willing to spend the money, you won't regret buying this remote! It is a brilliant little piece of technology. I can't wait to renovate my TV room so I can install recessed lighting with remote-controlled dimmer switches (IR), so that I can add control of the room lighting to what this remote does for me.
The bottom line: this remote works as advertised, is easy to set up and easier to use, and looks great doing it.