3 changeable faceplates (blue, red and gray) * online Web wizard for fast remote setup * 3 activity buttons * learns the IR codes from existing remote controls * can integrate up to 15 devices *
1 Great idea - not so great execution
The idea behind this product is excellent - one of those "why hasn't someone done this earlier" ideas.
In practice, though... it's not quite ready.
I purchased this to see if it would be a good option for my not-so-tech-savvy parents. So far, the answer is no.
Some obvious setup questions are not addressed - in my case, a Dish Network DVR appears as a digital set-top, PVR, and satellite receiver... what is the proper selection?
The web-based configuration system is awful.
The Dish DVR has a "DVR" button to display the DVR menu. I stumbled on a screen that allowed me to add "DVR" to the 'A' button. Seemed simple enough but this changed the operation of the remote, entirely. And, of course, I don't know how to get back to that screen.
So I thought I'd change my Dish selection from "set-top" to "satellite" to see if I could clean up operations a bit. I clicked the link to add the box, and the next screen had "Media Center PC" for my "watch TV" selection. I don't have a Media Center PC and never selected that as an option.
I thought about just "starting over" but there's no option to do that (other than to just create a new username, I suppose).
Web-based applications are, more often than not, poor substitutes for a decent client-side application. Aside from not being nearly as easy to use as a real Windows or Mac application, network latencies can be quite frustrating (did it do anything or not?). Web developers often seem to forget that users aren't connected to the company LAN.
In the past, I've been quite pleased with Logitech products. Hopefully, Logitech can clean this up and make an excellent idea into a useful product.
2 Greatest thing Since Sliced Bread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This remote is fantastic. I bought it primarily because you can set the whole thing up by its "Wizard" on the computer using the USB cord provided. Everything works great. I use this to watch TV using my HD DVR from Time Warner Cable, play DVD's & listen to CD's. With just one push of the button it will activate my receiver's input settings, my TV, my HD DVR or my DVD player for the applicable task. Though stores retail this from $199-$248, you can get this new and online for about $130 with shipping (check out Amazon vendors, Ebay & just check out google prices).
3 Excellent universal remote! Great features and nice feel.
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.
4 Easy to setup - Extremely ergonomic
I was initially considering the Sony Commander remotes when I heard about the Logitech Harmony's. After seeing the layout of this remote and the fact that you can use it one-handed vs. two-handed with the Sony... well, I was sold.
After receiving the unit, I assumed I would be spending several hours setting it up. Well, half an hour later, I had all of the basic programming to run my HDTV, receiver, dvd, PVR and my IR dimmable lights! The configuration website is very well-designed and I REALLY like the fact that Logitech stores your config on their servers. If I ever lose my remote, all I need to do is hook up the new one and run the "Update" command.
Button sizes and layout are excellent. The LCD display up top is easy to read and highly configurable via the website. The underside of the remote is made of some kind of rubber-like material that grips well.
The ONLY gripe I have about this is that the circular 4-way dial on the unit seems a bit small and kind of like a pop tab on a soda can. You get used to it after awhile and it is no big deal.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
5 Brilliant design
A flexible remote that truly allows you to get rid of your other remotes in the house. The best part is the activity buttons that take care of all the commands necessary to turn on/off needed components and do the right switching for a given task such as playing a DVD with sound through the receiver. The PC interface is awesome for setting things up. It is a little intimidating to any computer novices. For the advanced user the sky is the limit on customization of your remote down to the sequence of commands displayed on the LCD. Downside is it may take a while to tweak everything.
The online database for devices is immense. Even less than common devices are on it (I have a roku hd-1000 for displaying memory card images in HD and a 12 year old yamaha CD changer-both in their database!!). If it's not in the database, the remote has learning capability. You can create your own macros to control all your components. Can even control the speed at which commands are send from the remote! Best of all you can create a backup of your remote's programming to store on your PC/Mac in case of catastrophe!!
For the price you can't beat this remote.
Pros: Immense flexibility and programmability via PC/Mac online connection, button design and layout, a novice can operate it (when set up correctly!!), price
Cons: Set up can be tedious and intimidating to computer novices, could use next AND previous buttons for scrolling through LCD display commands.
6 An Amazing Product
Amazing doesn't even cut it. This remote control is in a class by itself. You can customize it as much or as little as you wish, and it just works.
I have an HDTV cable/DVR box that connects to the TV using the component inputs. My DVD player runs through my AV receiver via the s-video inputs/outputs, and my VCR runs through the receiver using the regular analog inputs. With the remote set up, I can:
1. Press "Watch TV" and the remote will turn on the cable box and TV, and turn the TV to the comonent inputs.
2. Press "Watch DVD," and the remote will switch the TV to "Video 1," turn the receiver on and switch its input to DVD. The DVD player will turn on.
3. Select "Watch Video Tape," and the remote will switch the TV to "video 2," switch the receiver to "VCR 1," turn off the DVD player and turn on the VCR. I can control the volume of the TV or the receiver as wanted.
4. Press "TV surround Sound" and the TV gets set as in (1) above, but the receiver turns on and changes its input to TV. Volume is then controlled by the receiver.
5. Press "off," and everything that was on turns off; anything that was off stays off.
There are so many ways to set up this remote to do things as I want it to do, no matter what I want it to do. It really is amazing, and I have only listed some of the "activities" that I have set up.
It sounds complicated, and in some ways it is, to set up. But once set up, anyone and everyone can easily use your TV/home theater in ways you cannot even imagine. As if everything were designed to work together in the first place. In other words, once set up, using it is E-A-S-Y! And isn't that the ultimate goal of a remote control?
Believe me: with this remote, you really can get rid of all your other remotes. In my case I can get rid of the cable/DVR remote, the receiver remote, the DVD player remote, the VCR remote, the TV remote, the cassette deck remote and the Sirius satellite radio remote. Really get rid of them too (well, put in storage) ... EVERY COMMAND from the originals, not just some or most, can be put on the Harmony remote. Amazing.
I have no real complaints, but a suggestion: The web site needed for setting up the remote could be set up a little easier. Not that it is hard to use once you figure it out, but the website itself is a reason for a harder learning curve than is necessary. That being said, I found the site, while occasionally frustrating, very flexible and thorough. Yes, the database isn't as model-specific as I'd like (some listed commands for my TV weren't actually supported by my TV, for example), but once your account is set up and you get the remote basically the way you want, future changes take little time ... just a few minutes. Learning commands from your old remote is amazingly easy, and the website/program lets you know right away if it didn't pick it up correctly. And if you buy a second remote as I plan to do, it will be programmed almost instantly ... unlike other programmable remotes that would take a long time each.
I recommend this remote control highly. I plan to buy the new top model when it is released, and will probably wind up buying one for every TV in the house.
7 Great once it is setup
I have had this remote for 3 weeks now and am loving it. The first day I had this remote I was considering returning it as I couldn't figure out how to do some of the customizations to it that I wanted. Amazingly it all came to me on my second visit to the website a couple days later.
This remote does take a long time to setup, assuming you (like me) have a lot of varied equipment and want to fully utilize this remote. If you don't then I don't understand why you're looking a pricey remote. As I'm sure is mentioned in most reviews all this setup has to be done via the web. This has its perks like gaining access to remote codes that others have painstakingly entered for you, but also has the negative of having to hook the remote to your pc to change any of its settings not to mention logging into the Harmony site. I have high speed internet and found the Harmony site worked well for me. Still it took me HOURS to setup this remote.
The beautiful part is now that it is setup it works great. It's the first remote that can control my Sony Tivo from any distance. I can finally sit at my dining room table and fastforward through commercials!! I was never able to do that with the original Sony remote nor with my last wonderful (until now) Sony universal remote.
The other great thing about this remote is with it being task oriented my Mother can figure out how to utilize my entertainment center when she visits.
8 Totally sweet!
I didn't believe the claims, but they are true. It hooked up to my iMac and I programmed it for all my devices. For the things it didn't already have on the web site, I "taught" it the infrared commands by holding the remotes close together and following the instructions on the screen. I am using this with Tivo, a DVD/VCR combo unit, a tv, and cable box. The only bummer is my Bose home theater system does not accept infrared commands, so I still need that remote to control the audio. The Harmony remote is perfect. And shockingly, the competent and friendly tech support people are actually available live without having to sit on hold. Can't recommend highly enough.
9 Logitech Harmony 676 Remote Control Universally Excellent
Wow. This unit is all it says it is and more! Set up was easy and it worked like a champ. Some small questions, but customer service was EXCELLENT! I have TIVO, DVD/CD, HiFi, and a VCR in the family room and they (now) work without a fuss on this one remote. The whole family uses it (without any training). I can't say enough, it's too close to perfection. (By the way, its sister model, the 688, is not a good design for TiVo because the keys are too small and easy to miss-hit. I'm glad I exchanged it for the 676.)
10 Lives up to the hype...
Got the remote for christmas as it was on my list, and this is one item which will *not* be getting returned. Initially after set up I was a bit disappointed thinking that all of my various component's features were not supported (as I have several very new to market items like a Plasma and HD PVR), but after spending about an hour digging into the LCD menus and online configuring/tweaking, I discovered the remote *had* been programmed for *EVERY* feature available on the native remotes.
Another great feature was the ability for me to over-ride default button assignments on the remote, which are context sensitive, which resulted in a highly customized and fully functional master remote.
I think you get out of it what you put in, so as long as you dont expect to be up and fully running in 10 minutes and have some patience, this remote will finally allow you to take every other remote you own and retire them to the sock drawer.
11 Almost perfect
I had a very difficult time finding a remote to control my Sony Dream Station. Even other Sony remotes fell short. Not this one! Very customizable. For the money, I don't think you'll find a better remote. The help screens are especially nice. I was running with it in only 10 minutes (including installing software). I only had to make one modification, but that was because I was trying to program it from my memory of where I plugged everything in, rather than actually looking at the inputs on my system.
The only downfall I see is that I need to connect and log into the Logitech Harmony website to make changes. I would prefer a client on my computer (with online updates) instead of the website. It's not like changes are critical, but what happens if the website is down, or my Internet connection is down? No changes.
12 Your Last Remote Control
Over the last several years I have purchased four high-end so-called universal remotes. All of them sort of worked but not really. There was always some function that was not supported that I would have to drag out the original remotes. I found one two years ago that I was able to teach how to control the mish-mash of components in my entertainment system. It took weeks to program everything into it and to get every function covered. Then I discovered that it had an huge appetite for batteries (At lease once a month I had to replace the six AA batteries it took to keep it running.) My brother-in-law put me on the track of the Harmony 676 when I was grousing about having to reprogram my remote to control my new TV set. Harmony's web site had all my components listed and it took one setting at the computer to setup the perfect remote control. I've now lived with it for eight months and still love it. It's so easy to use that even I can get our system to do what ever I want it to. (I used to have to ask my husband to set it up to do anything other than watch TV.) Battery life? By the time the low battery display comes up I've forgotten the last time I changed them. The $199 list price is steep but worth every penny for the ease of use and to throw the six remotes it takes to control my entertainment system in a drawer and forget about them.
13 Simply Amazing
I was skeptical. I wrote down all the model numbers for my system which was installed when I built my house in 96. I entered them all into the website and in minutes I had a SUPER universal remote. My Tivo is so old I can't find a remote for it and some of the feature buttons were cooked. It's good to have them back again. The built in troubleshooter leaves other remotes in the dust.
14 Best Harmony Remote yet
This is my third Harmony Remote, and is the best yet. Like all of the previous models, it supports every A/V device I own and the web-based setup has a good balance of ease-of-use and flexibility.
The interchangable face plates are a nice extra, but not a major factor in my selection. The button layout is very good and the LCD screen can be set up to add a couple of buttons needed for specific devices. (I added the "live" button for my Hi-Def DVR as an example).
This is a good value when compared to other "universal remotes" and the Tech Support is amazing. I replaced at least five remotes and support the following components: 50" HDTV, HD DVR, Receiver, DVD player, VCR, 5 disc CD player, and an old dual cassette deck.
