Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Screen Survey I won't reiterate the other technical reviews here- Read those, they are accurate. Rather, I'll address other issues not mentioned previously. First, this is an incredible remote. I've owned a Sony Commander for 10 years and decided to try this one when my last Sony died. This one puts all others I've owned and used to shame. Save a few exotic features (see other reviews), this is all most people will need. RATING: I gave it 4 stars because of the difficulty of the software. Specifically: 1. I had to turn my firewall and virus protection off (I use McAfee). A call to tech support gave me 6 URLs the software uses, but McAfee requires the IP Addresses to add to the trusted sites list (trusted programs does not work). The tech didn't know these, but I traced them through McAfee. Once added, I was able to leave my firewall and virus protection on. Since Amazon does not permit disclosure of URLs, check the Harmony forum; I've posted the IPs and instructions there. 2. Navigating through the software is not very intuitive and the manual isn't very comprehensive. For example, there is a Device List and an Activities setup, each with several choices. Some items are listed under Activities that logically should be under Devices and vice versa. Even the tech agreed on this point- he said the software was "dumbed down" so the unsophisticated computer user could operate it. Paradoxically, simplifying it actually makes it more difficult to use. 3. The software uses a wizard, "linear" approach as opposed to a "drill down" approach used by most software. This is fine for initial setup, but to make changes, you must find the point in the wizard that guides you through the modifications you want to make. This can become tedious. On the good side: 1. Once operational, the remote performs flawlessly. I don't even need the remote extender. 2. Tech support is the best I've come in contact with (I called twice). They are very pleasant, knowledgeable, patient, and not condescending. I stumped them a couple of times, but they were able to come up with a solution. The software connects with Logitech, so they are able to see your setup and even modify it if you want them to. When completing the initial setup, you are asked to rate the device; I rated it low because of the software issues. The tech said he noticed the low rating and asked what he could do to improve it. That led to a discussion concerning the software issues. 3. Other reviews complain about the size of the remote. Consequently, I was surprised to discover how relatively small it really is (about the size of a slice of bread and about two slices thick). There are also "handgrips" of a sort on the bottom of either side so that it can be operated one-handed. 4. After an activity is chosen, there are several "screens": each denoted by an icon. The heart represents favorites (for example, channels on the TV), the 123 is a numeric keypad, the Star is for custom controls, Stop/Play (called Transport Control) icon is for DVDs, VCRs, etc. and a Game Controller. The favorites and custom screens are individually programmable with your choice of icons, and all icons on all screens may be individually programmed to provide your choice of function. 5. Not mentioned elsewhere are 8 additional programmable icons, four on each side of the screen that provide more user defined functions (called SideBars). These are in addition to the screens mentioned above and can be programmed differently for each screen (i. e. Heart, Star, 123, etc. ). I use these for utilities- e. g. TV mode or the menu etc. 6. The unit comes with a small choice of icons, but the tech referred me to a website with over 5,000 free icons including most TV channel icons. Refer to the Harmony forum or call Tech Support for the URL. I was even able to copy icons from the websites of my local TV stations and plug them into the Harmony without any difficulty (technical note- the icons use . bmp, not . ico files). 7. Each screen does have limits. For example, Favorites has a maximum of 24 icons, displaying 6 at a time (for example, 24 favorite TV channels). 8. The buttons to the right of the screen are also individually programmable. 9. There is a Learn function common to most universal remotes, but I haven't had to use it even though I have a wide variety of devices to control (i. e. receiver, dvd recorder, Blu-Ray, CD player, home theater, VCR, & TV). Since I have no previous experience with the Harmony 1000 from Logitech, I won't be able to make
any comparisons for those that are considering an upgrade. Price: Prepare yourself for some sticker shock. At nearly $500, this remote carries a hefty price tag, and it's a bit hard to justify that much money for such a small device. On the other hand, this device may be the only one that you'll ever need while using your home electronics, and if you're unhappy with a bunch of remotes (or just want the cool factor), then maybe it's worth it. Look and Feel: It's very light in terms of weight and easy to hold. In general, it has a very slim form factor and is not bulky by any means. On the downside, the finish is easily susceptible to fingerprints, as well as the actual touch screen, so you'll find yourself cleaning it every now and then. Setup: The setup is pretty straightforward and you don't have to be a genius to get it going. It's as easy as installing the software, connecting the remote via the supplied USB cable to your PC, and then walking through a wizard which configures the remote. The remote revolves around "Activities" which might be things like "Watch TV" or "Watch a DVD" or "Play a Video Game". All of these are designed such that your various devices are all turned on and configured with a single button push. How well this actually works will depend on the device that you're using. I have a Samsung LCD TV, a Sony DA5000ES receiver, a Motorola cable box (with DVR), a Panasonic DVD/VCR combo, and an Xbox 360. Getting everything working with the exception of the receiver was a snap. Unfortunately, my receiver has a weird way of switching the inputs, and the Harmony wanted me to "teach" it how to change the inputs. While I worked through this for a while, I eventually gave up only because I was short on time. Aside from that, I think I lost one of the remotes to my Sony, and that made the teaching process that much harder. Daily use: While I have not been using it for very long, I'm pretty pleased so far. My wife who is not technical savvy by any stretch loves it and has already started getting used to it and is anxious to get rid of our other remote controls. One minor annoyance is the need to "page" through a number of screens for some of the devices to get to their device-specific controls. For example, if you want to get to your DVR on your cable box, I have to hit the "page down" button five times, but once I'm there, I have full control using the tactile buttons on the right side of the remote. Perhaps there is a way to create a shortcut for this, although I haven't found it yet. Customization: The included software allows a great deal of customization, so if you're into spending a bunch of time on the computer using their software, you'll love this remote. If you don't want to spend a bunch of time, the setup wizard should get you through the initial process in about 10 - 15 minutes and for the most part, further customization is not necessary, although it depends on your device. Device Coverage: It's hard to say how much is covered, but the list that comes in from the software is pretty extensive, although it does not drill down to the specific model numbers, so it's hard to tell. In general, I think they have good coverage, especially from their existing remotes, and they're probably performing updates on their web site all the time. Worst case scenario - you can use your old remote to teach the Harmony the commands, but this isn't much fun. Overall: If you want complete control over your entertainment system and are willing to pay for it, this remote is for you. If you're tired of having a number of remotes and want to consolidate with ease, this remote is for you. everything worked as reviewed about the 1100, but i do a lot of dvr fast-forward/rewinding and i found that using the touchscreen is really hard to do with just one hand. it's possible, but uncomfortable for me and i can't grip the remote for the entire viewing session like a wand. i got pretty good at hitting the correct area on the touchscreen without glancing down, but a physical button as on the One or 900 is easier for no-look button pressing. i initially got 1100 for the wow-factor, but 1) the ergonomics of the big screen and 2) the rf not being included out of the box, are the two reasons i'm going with the 900 instead. otherwise everything else is perfect. This is my first universal remote. It's not the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it adequately--if not perfectly--does the job as the One Remote to Rule Them All. I use this remote to control the following: (1) Panasonic Plasma 58V10 (2) Scientific Atlanta 8300HD Cable Box/DVR (3) Sony DAV-X1 DVD/Home Theater System Speakers (hereafter "Sony HTS") (4) Playstation 3 2-4 are behind cabinet doors. The 1100 controls them through the RF Wireless Extender and PS3 Adapter. THE GOOD. First, reduction. Instead of four remotes, we now need only one. Second, ease of
use. Starting an activity, like watching TV or turning on the Playstation 3, takes only a single button press on a single remote, rather than a complicated sequence on several remotes. To illustrate: Watching TV Before 1100 (1) open cabinet door for Cable Box (2) turn on Cable Box (3) turn on TV with TV remote (or Cable remote) (4) set TV input to Cable with TV remote (5) use Cable remote to change channels, operate DVR, etc. Watching TV With 1100 (1) press Watch TV activity (2) use 1100 to control TV and Cable Box Using Playstation 3 Before 1100 (with sound outputted to Sony HTS) (1) open cabinet door for Sony HTS (2) switch Sony HTS input for PS3 audio with Sony HTS remote (3) turn on TV with TV remote (4) mute TV (5) set TV input to HDMI port for PS3 (6) turn on PS3 (7) control PS3 with Bluetooth remote or game controller, control sound with Sony HTS remote, control TV with TV remote Using Playstation 3 With 1100 (1) press Play PS3 (2) use 1100 to control PS3, TV, and Sony HTS What is more, switching between activities is almost as easy. Simply press the "activities" button to get to the activities screen, and select the activity to switch to. The remote will automatically turn on and set whatever equipment necessary, as well as turn off any equipment no longer in use. Nice. SETUP. The setup software walks you through creating activities (e. g. , Watch TV, Watch DVD, Play PS3). You let it know which devices need to be turned on, in what order, and with what settings for each activity. Once the remote is programmed, simply pressing an icon for a particular activity will activate all the commands in the proper sequence to start that activity. (For a long sequence, it may take several seconds for all the commands to be executed. ) Within each activity, the setup software will give you a default set of commands/icons for different screens (e. g. , a favorites screen, a custom screen, a numerical screen, and a screen with playback controls). You can change the default commands with any that are on the remotes for devices associated with that activity. For the Watch TV activity, you can also select your favorite channels with a button press. THE BAD. I'm a bit of a gadget/tech geek, and found the setup software and remote system easy enough to use, but not without quirks or problems. Here are some. 1. Setup software requires a little tech savvy. It was fairly easy for me to discover what I wanted and needed to do through the setup software, but there was some trial and error. I'm not sure that someone who's not tech savvy, like me wife, could do it without cursing a few times. She certainly could not have customized/optimized the remote to the extent I have. Sometimes, the instructions or explanations are not that clear. Other times, there are none. 2. Setup software did not detect the 1100 or RF Extender half of the time. I had to unplug and replug the devices into the computer several times to get the software to see and update them with new/different commands. Finally figured it out. Seems the software only likes one item to be plugged in at a time, and only right before that device's turn to be updated. 3. Updating the remote with new/different commands requires also updating the RF Extender if you use one. Considering that I've tweaked the settings dozens of times in the first week alone, this is no minor inconvenience. The RF Extender has to be unplugged from its power source and from the IR cables, and then subsequently reattached. Why the remote couldn't be made to reprogram the RF Extender wirelessly is beyond me. 4. Missed commands. Sometimes, particularly on long startup sequences (like my Play PS3 activity), one of the devices will miss the commands from the 1100. For example, my Sony home theater system may not change to the right input to receive sound from the PS3. A help menu on the remote will fix missed commands. 5. Major bug for controlling the PS3. One of the perks of the 1100 is its ability (with the PS3 Adapter) to power on/off and control the console. As anyone with a PS3 knows, its four gamepad buttons--circle, square, triangle, and X--get lots of use. These buttons appear in the setup software, but they do not appear on the remote in the middle of the gamepad screen as they are supposed to. The screen is just blank. These missing buttons are a bug that Logitech apparently has known of but has not fixed for over half a year. It is inc I'm writing this review wearing 2 hats. The hat of someone who has owned the Logitech Harmony 1000 (the previous generation that was silver) for 3 years and as a professional remote programmer and Home Theater installer. I want to start as an owner of this product and the previous generation. I have owned the 1000 for the past 3 years and been Very Happy with the product. It's easy to set up for anyone slightly technical, and just an afternoon project for someone who's not. The programing interface is about as complicated as sending and writing emails. Recently a client came
to me and wanted to install this product in his home. I was happy to begin this project because I knew that the client would be happy with the end result and because I would get a chance to see the improvements between the 1100 and the 1000. Until recently all I knew was what you can tell from the photos. I'd like to tell anyone who is thinking of upgrading that this remote has mostly minor cosmetic changes and some physical build quality changes (for the better). If my 1000 broke, I'd buy this unit in a second. But if you're just itching for something different and think it might be worth the $280 upgrade, it isn't. If you don't already own one of these two models - then the 1100 is a great purchase. Now - as a Home Theater installer I want to say that I have programmed many $1000+ remotes over the years. I've spent time working with most of the top brands. First of all the top brands require a trained installer because the interface for programming is WAY over the head of most home users. Even if your'e the dorkiest one of your friends, a project like the MX-3000 by Universal Remote is a huge undertaking. Besides the interface being much more complicated, there are plenty of places to make a mistake that will spend hours trying to find. This remote is a perfect balance of customizability and value. Its pretty close to dummy-proof and its very reliable. Most of the programming is automated and then you can fine-tune the custom stuff you want to do. Of course with the more professional ones you can do ANYTHING you want, but that comes with a price - doing MOST of the things you want to do are way more work. I use this remote in conjunction with the RF adapter and its fantastic. The only gripes are that the adapter severely benefits from not being inside of a cabinet and only has 4 inputs for the IR blasters. If you have more devices you just need to get 3. 5mm audio splitters from a place like radioshak - and then you can wire up to 8 blasters. Also the RF unit (SOLD SEPARATELY FROM THIS PRODUCT PICTURED) comes with dual blasters so if you used 8, you could control 16 devices. I'd be happy to answer questions about this review/device so please feel free to make comments. In summary, this is the best consumer friendly remote on the market as long as you don't mind giving up a typical remote form factor. Harmony makes plenty of other remotes that do that - so you can feel confident choosing one of them if you prefer. But if you want to do a little bit of customizing, this is it!
http://gradebit.com/41143