Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote
by Logitech
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Our Price: $159.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $50.00 (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 670 Universal Remote
Customer Review: Nice remote but be careful who you order it from!
Summary: 5 Stars
While the Logitech Harmony 670 is an excellent universal remote and I'll write a full review on it later, this posting is a warning about the third tier Amazon vendor ANTOnline. Yes their prices are better than many but their customer support is a joke. Two weeks ago on Monday March 10th I ordered this remote as well as six AV cables from ANTOnline through Amazon. The only reason I didn't order direct from Amazon was that the Logitech Remote had a shipping estimate of 2 to 5 weeks but ANTOline had it as "in stock". Two days later on March 12th I logged in to my Amazon account to check the status of my order. It was gone. Vanished. Nowhere to be found. A short time later I received an email from Amazon informing me that my order had been cancelled. After two lengthy phone calls to Amazon customer support (now handled by an offshore call center by the way) all I could find out was that ANTOline had cancelled my order without explanation. My credit card was good, all the items were in stock but they cancelled it anyway. One of these call landed me at ANTOnline "customer support" which turned out to be nothing more than an answering service. "No we can't look up an order number, no we can't reinstate your order, we just answer phone for ANTOnline. And no they don't have a real contact phone number. They are an e-commerce site so you'll have to email them." Not a good sign. So I did email, asking "why did you cancel my order", noting that the turn around time for support emails was 24-48 hrs.
48 hours later no acknowledgement of my email, no answer, nothing. So mid day Friday I emailed them again. Still nothing. It must be noted here that shortly after I sent the first email I ordered only the remote from their dedicated site with expedited shipping, as I needed it to save me from 7 remote juggling hell. Luckily I did receive the remote on a timely basis. But at this point I've sent them three emails about the original order. Only the last one generated a system auto acknowledgement but not a single actual reply. So, unless you're a gambler, my advice is stay away from ANTOnline because if anything goes wrong you'll be out of luck and possibly money. The contact phone number on their website is just an answering service instructed to tell you to email support, which won't respond to your email. Nice.
Customer Review: Skeptical at first
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to admit, when I purchased this remote I was a bit skeptical at first. I was particularly concerned with the activity based function which turned things on and off. Since much of my equipment only has an on/off toggle, this thing is constantly going to get out of sync with the real world. All I needed was one of the kids hitting a power switch instead of doing everything with the remote. I bought this thing to simplify life for the rest of the family - but was I only adding a new frustration?
So I got the new beast into the house and prepared for the complex software setup (this expectation was set by the other reviews). To my surprise the initial setup was easier than I expected. After 15 minutes I had all the basics in place and things generally worked OK. Over the next week, I tweaked the configuration a ton more times and started to really get a feel for how this was designed. The good news is that the Logitech database for my devices had commands defined that were not available on the manufacturers remote. For example, many of my devices had IR commands for turning a device On specifically, instead of the On/Off toggle which the original remote had. That pretty much solved any problems with devices getting out of sync with the real world.
In the end, I found that I could configure this device to do just about anything with my equipment. I read the reviews that said it would not work with certain equipment and I would contend that the people experiencing this did not play with the configs enough. The Logitech documentation is either non-existent or very bad when it does exist, so you must "discover" how this device works through trial and error.
I gave this device 5 stars because it exceeded my high expectations and was able to do more than I wanted (and yes I truly only use one controller today). The IR signal is VERY strong and I can point the controlled in almost any direction and it still accurately controls the devices which are all in a closed cabinet with glass doors. As I mentioned earlier, the documentation is bad and it takes a bit to get accustomed to how Logitech designed their software. Also, I would like to see a few more additions to their software to make things easier, but these are minor complaints.
Customer Review: Awesome. Supports every device.
Summary: 5 Stars
I previously had tried "device-centric" universal learning remote controls, but they always failed to work with every device. I use a lot of not well known brands like Soundmatters Fullstage Mainstage HD as my A/V receiver and no name DVD players, and I am sometimes able to use cheaper universal remote controls by learning button by button the original remote into the universal. But they never supported one or another of my components even with learning. The Harmony 670 instead is "activity-centric" and although I personally had no problems pressing TV, Power, Input, Audio, Power, Input, DVD, Play to watch a movie, Now I just press one button "Watch a Movie" and everything is done for me. All appropriate devices are turned on, all correct inputs are selected, and I'm watching my movie quickly and easily. Plus, the remote is easy to use for guests who might not know how to operate your components. They just click on the appropriate ACTIVITY button (Watch TV, Play a Movie, Listen to Music, Play Nintendo Wii, etc) and the action happens automatically. And if for some reason something becomes out of sync, all you do is press HELP and it fixes the problem almost instantly. The only challenge is programming it via the computer, and even that, really isn't a challenge at all. Just tell it what model your TV, DVD player, VCR, or other component, and it asks you how you like to use them and then it upgrades the remote for you. It totally supports all name brands and all of my lesser known brands. It handles my Soundmatters Mainstage HD unit perfectly when my previous Universal R5 and R7 did not. I used to use a universal for almost everything and my Tivo remote for watching TV, and this Harmony 670 remote uses the same form factor as my beloved Tivo remote. It's comforable to hold, has the "peanut" form factor, and the most commonly used buttons are thumb pressable for easy one handed operation. It's caused me to retire my Tivo remote. Great user interface and overall a great remote. Only downside is the 30 minutes you'll need to spend programming it on your computer (PC or Mac), but by having that computer interface you gain a huge advantage in the huge numbers of components and models in the database and the infinite upgradability with it. Get this remote!Customer Review: 3 Hour Setup is TOTALLY Worth it because...
Summary: 5 Stars
1. Whenever a family member comes over to babysit they don't end up messing up my system so bad that I have to undo the mess (which usually involves them messing up my DVR and skipping shows that I recorded)
2. Less remotes to find
3. Less batteries used (I went from 14 batteries to 4 batteries)
4. The remote does all the steps I used to (ex. 1. Turn on TV, 2. Set to correct TV input, 3. Turn on the audio system, 4. Turn receiver to the correct input)by just pressing one simple "Watch TV" button.
5. Customize the buttons to the way that makes most sense to you... wonderful.
The only downside is that my Sony Bravia L-Series KDL-32L5000 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Blackneeded a bit more customization (and I couldn't figure it out). After Googling and Googling and using a ton of trial and error, I finally got it right. The problem I was initially having was that when I pressed "Watch TV" or "Watch a DVD" or "Play a Game," the remote would always get the input wrong (HDMI 1 instead of HDMI 3 or TV instead of Component 2, etc.)
The solution for those who are having the incorrect input chosen every time... instead of having the remote cycle through the inputs do the following:
1. Click on the "Device" Tab
2. Click on "Settings" next to the icon of your TV
3. Click "Adjust Inputs"
4. AND even though your original remote has ONE BUTTON to choose the input, select "METHOD 2"
5. Make sure the next page matches your TVs input options
6. Match "InputVideo1" with the first input, "InputVideo2" for the second input, etc.
7. Preform the quick check... and it should work now (at least it did for me!)
Good luck... the tinkering is completely worth the long term ease and convenience of this remote. Also, it is worth noting that everything else set up correctly on the first go-around. I think if I would have had a different TV the basic remote set up would have taken 10 minutes. Of course it is always fun to tinker and move buttons around based on preference!
Customer Review: Your Mileage May Vary
Summary: 5 Stars
I believe that the degree to which you will like this remote will be a function of two things: (1) the complexity of the activities you want to program and (2) your proficiency using the software.
First off, it is very easy to get started. You load the software, sign up for an account with Logitech so they recognize you and your remote when you log in, plug the remote into your computer using the supplied USB cable, and then you start setting up the devices you want to control, the activities you want to perform with those devices, and then download the instructions from the web site to your remote.
I have seven components and all of them were recognized by the software. In order to get everything to work properly, however, I did have to sit down and do some logistical thinking and also had to take the time to patiently familiarize myself with the choices not assigned to standard keys that instead appeared in the scrolling display from which they could be selected. In other words, if you want to do something more than the basics, this remote can do it but it may not be immediately obvious as to how to accomplish it.
I finally got the remote programmed the way I want it and I like it. I did not have to contact support. The more you play around with it, the more you get used to it and the more you see just what a useful gadget it is. I also like the way the screen and keys light up in blue.
If you take the time to carefully program each activity, I think you will find that this is a very versatile, powerful remote. I really like the ability to program it using the computer, and that the data is continually updated on the Logitech website. Programming activities that combine the steps of all the components involved in that activity makes things very convenient, much more so than having to press buttons for each device separately. It's a real time and space saver.
If you are the impatient type and/or expect everything to be handed to you on a platter to match your exact setup and exact idea of what you want the remote to do from the get go, you may be disappointed.