Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote Control
by Logitech
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Our Price: $175.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $70.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote Control
Customer Review: PRICE WARNING !
Summary: 5 Stars
UPDATED MAY 7, 2008
NOW DOWN TO ONLY 2-STARS
Orininally thought it was o.k. but disliked:
1. The totally flush-mounted and small (skinny/narrow)Volume and Channel up down buttons ('Glow' button as well)are very difficult to use without looking at the remote every time.
2. Not enough actual hard buttons for normal use.
3. Poor Play/Pause/Stop/FF/Rew etc.. Buttons.
NEW IRRITATION/Complaint:
Now that I am more used to the remote and can use it without having to always look at the buttons, there is a new problem:
At night with the lights out while watching a movie/tv - every single button stroke causes the 'glow' or back light to momentary blink on which is real distraction and annoying .... Actually only the top "Activities" button lights up ... but it does so with an extra bright flash (noticable in a dark room).
It is a useless feature since it only comes on After you push a button and only long enough to be annoying without even being long enough to get any sort of pracicle ability to look at the button chosen or the next one you might want.
It's just lame.
The software is kinda-sorta-lame too (needlessly so)
(original review below)
FYI - I debated for a while and placed it in and out of my cart several times.
Have not recieved it yet (probably today) ...
BUT ..... I got it for only $49.99 from Amazon. The price seems to go up and down often.
Glad I was ambivolent .... because the price went way down and seems (today at least) to be back up.
Customer Review: Must have for anyone jugling more than 2 remotes
Summary: 5 Stars
I was very skeptical about paying this much for a multifunction remote because every other one I've had, there was always a couple of features I still had to use the original remotes for. But with this remote, I actually only use this one remote! It's incredibly easy to setup. Just enter the model numbers of all your equipment and it looks them up in a database.
The activities is a great idea to. I have a Samsung DLP TV, sony AV reciever, DVD player, DVD recorder, digital cable, and an X-box 360, and the remote runs them all flawlessly. I have even customized the remote to set the proper aspect ratio depending on if I'm watching a 4:3 dvd like South Park, or a letterbox movie.
The remote is totally customizable! You can set the buttons up do do whatever you want them to for any given activity, and you can have the remote automatically send any command to any devise at the beginning or end of an activity.
Also has the ability to make your own buttons with the screen at the top for any commands you like.
This remote is amazing. Finally a universal remote that actually eliminates all your other remotes.
Features I really like:
- Ability to program all buttons for activities, (You can control volumes on multiple devices at the same time with different buttons)
- Set up custom activities (Like listening to music through tv, or watching a DVD without using surround system)
- Ease of setup but still the ability to totally customize it.
- Sleek design and look.
- Learning sensor. I haven't had to use it, but it's nice to know it's there.
- Actually works as advertised
Customer Review: For the money, it's the best I've found.
Summary: 5 Stars
The Harmony 550 is one in the line of univeral remotes sold by Logitech. From what I gather, the 550 is similar to the other models with the exception of the bells and whistles which might enhance the form factor or visual experience of the other devices.
Unlike other brands of universal remotes I've used, this one connects to your PC for programming. Programming is done in a very intuitive fashion in that you are walked through a series of questions to help the device learn how you use those remotes you want programmed into the Harmony 550.
I found the programming to be quite simple. I also found the device to work very well once it has been set up. The buttons on the remote are based upon the action you want to execute (such as "watch TV") rather than the devices you want to operate. By hitting the "watch TV" button, the remote's software turns on all of those devices which you need to have on to do such.
An added value to the Harmony 550 is that it makes life easier for those guests who watch TV at my home. In the past, it would have been necessary for them to use one remote to control the satellite and basic TV functions. They would then have to remember to use a second remote to turn the TV off from standby mode. Now it's all done with a single press of a button and I don't have to worry about my guest leaving equipment on.
If you buy this device, one suggestion that I'd offer is that you write down the model numbers of all your A/V devices and which settings (such as inputs on TV's and receivers) are used for which activities. This will speed up the programming process.
Customer Review: Complete Harmony
Summary: 5 Stars
Pros: Fully backlit, Good battery life, Support for a multitude of devices & this is a lower end Harmony!!!, Nearly unlimited commands & places to put them, Lcd & buttons next to it offer easy access to standard & advanced commands.
Cons: Number pad is too small & awkwardly located, Volume & Channel buttons (same reasons), Set-up can be involved, not friendly for the technically challenged (involves set-up using a computer software interface & lots of tweaking).
Other Thoughts: My Vizio 47XVT had a terrible, unlit remote & I never placed stock in "do-it-all" multimedia remotes.
I never knew what I was missing. This remote does it all. I currently have it controlling my Vizio, Xbox 360 Elite, Samsung BD-P1600, Sony DVP-NS710H, & Sony STR-DH800 A/V receiver. The Activities feature is very nice, one button turns on devices to be used, does input selection, & turns off devices not in use. Between the 4 devices I am using there were only 1 or 2 commands that I had to "teach" it from the OEM remotes.
I consider myself to be technically inclined, but set-up can be very involved. For example, I had trouble gettin my hdtv to go to the proper input. The end result was adding end Activity commands to switch them (this was prior to adding the A/V receiver). The receiver handles all of the hdmi switching now.
Overall, setup took me a couple of hours. That involved tweaking power delays, start-up sequences/delays, & some end activity tweaking for each of my 4 Activities. This remote is not for anyone who simply wants to enter a device code & call it soup. It is for a true control freak!!
Customer Review: Great Product
Summary: 5 Stars
This Universal Remote is truly remarkable by doing nothing more than it was intended to do.
There was a previous complaint that I read that the light on it didn't go out for something like two hours. All that individual needed to do was press the "illumination" button again to turn the light off. (Although, in an attempt to not be critical, it might be a more recent update to the BIOS/firmware.)
There was another complaint that I read stating that it was not as good as the TiVo remote...I found it to actually be better! No more "select-select-select-3-0- whatever" required to unlock the 30 second "Easter Egg" (the commercial skipping function) that I used to have memorized and needed to be reset every time the TiVo was turned off or the power went down. The remote control's downloaded commands seem to have a minute forward and 30 second backward commands already.
The only difficulty I have had with it is consistently turning on and off the XM Roady XT I have in my stereo system. However, I took no points off because it has more to do with the deflection of the IR signal and even my normal remote has problems.
Being technologically oriented, I usually ignore any sort of instructions and jump in and figure things out. With this remote, it took me about 10 minutes. It goes beyond the simple controlling of individual components (although this is still possible) and moves on to the sequence of events that are required for a certain activity.
I get to do away with the TV remote, both DVD remotes, the receiver remote, the TiVo remote, and the XM remote.