Logitech Harmony 676 Universal Remote Control
by Logitech
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Category: CE
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: LogitechFormat: CD
Platform: Mac, Windows
Model: 966177-0403
Product features:
- Comprehensive remote control integrates entire home theater system with 1-button use
- Watch a Video, Listen to Music, and Watch TV buttons activate all necessary components and settings
- Integrates up to 15 devices, including TVs, CD and DVD players, satellite systems, speakers, and more
- Sets up quickly and easily with online Web wizard
- Comes with 3 changeable faceplates, USB cable, and 4 AAA batteries
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony 676 Universal Remote Control
Customer Review: Incredible remote with a couple of minor "gotchas"
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had my Harmony for a week, but only operational for about 5 days. I tried to set it up the first night I got it, but ran into problems about halfway through, when it was ready to update the remote with all my newly configured activities and commands. I spent an hour and a half on the phone with Harmony tech support that night without resolving the problem. However, the tech support was wonderful and I wasn't upset or feeling like I had wasted my time when we got off the phone. The tech support rep did everything he could, even staying beyond their quitting time, trying to help me out. In the end, he arranged for a developer or more experienced support analyst to give me a call back at my convenience. So on Saturday morning, another rep called me and knew basically what my problem was -- Norton Internet Security (e.g., Norton Personal Firewall and Antivirus on my PC, running Windows 2000 Pro). The latest Norton updates apparently corrupt the binary file that the setup routine tries to download to update the remote with my specific settings. The support rep gave me two different workarounds to avoid this problem, and now I can change/update my remote settings just fine, but it requires rebooting my PC first and not allowing Norton to run at all. Not ideal, especially because it means having to be connected to the internet temporarily without my firewall or antivirus software protecting my PC, but it looks like Norton is at fault, not Harmony.
So, even though I had some trouble getting it set up, the tech support AND the remote get 5 stars. The remote does way more than I thought it would from the pictures and descriptions that I could find online. The LCD screen has pages of extra "logical" buttons that cover all the functions for each particular device, and even offers some functionality that is not on the devices' actual remotes. For instance, my DVD remote has no "eject" button, but I can do it via the Harmony remote. As another example, the Harmony provides direct-button access to modes on my TV and A/V receiver that I would normally have to press a single button multiple times to access (e.g., the TV/Video input selection on my TV or the DSP surround modes on my A/V receiver). I have not had to "learn" a single button from any of my original remotes -- they're literally all there, and then some! I was concerned about having all my DirecTV DVR/TiVo functionality at my fingertips but it is all there and mapped very intuitively -- the extra functions that aren't covered by the physical buttons are available via the LCD screen and its buttons. Awesome!!
Any buttons that don't happen to be included for your particular device (I haven't found one yet that isn't for mine) can be learned from your device remote and then assigned to a physical or logical (i.e., LCD screen) button. You can even control, to some extent, in what order the logical buttons appear on the LCD, and you get to name the logical buttons yourself!
The remote apparently tracks the states of your devices internally, so it knows from previous operations/activities which of your devices are turned on or off, what settings they're on, etc. So if you're watching TV and want to watch a DVD, press the "Watch DVD" activity button and it knows the TV is on, so it doesn't send a signal for that (which on most TV's or other devices is simply a toggle code that would unintentionally power it off) and instead it only sends the signals for the DVD player and receiver to turn on, as well as any signals to set the appropriate inputs. In fact, on my TV (and most others) the TV/Video button starts from the current input it's on and cycles through a loop of inputs, so the Harmony even figures out how many of those signals it needs to send to get it to the appropriate Component input for watching a DVD!
One gotcha with that is if you turn things on with the remote, and then turn them off (or change modes) by hand on the device itself, I think it will get the remote out of sync because it doesn't know you turned the device off manually. For example, if you began watching a DVD by turning everything on with the Harmony, and then afterwards you turn the DVD player off by hand (or it turns itself off with a power-save feature), then if you press the "Watch TV" activity on the Harmony it would try to turn the A/V receiver and the DVD player off (since they're not needed for TV viewing) but since the DVD player had been turned off manually so it would probably turn it back on. (Note: I still need to test these theories out.)
One other snag is that you can't exactly tell it to NOT turn off devices that aren't used for the next activity. For example, after watching a DVD, I may want to watch TV with my receiver still on to hear it through the speakers. If I hit the regular "Watch TV" activity button, since the receiver is not configured as a necessary component for watching TV, it will turn it off no matter what. BUT, there is a way around this -- you just need to set up another activity button (accessed via the orange "More" button and called, in my example, "Watch TV with Stereo") and make the receiver an included component. That way it would leave the receiver on (and even change the inputs appropriately for TV input). And then, say you no longer want the receiver on for TV, you just press the regular "Watch TV" activity button and it will shut the receiver off since it is not a configured component in that button.
All the Harmony remotes are essentially the same, with mostly the same buttons. This remote (676) has "A" and "B" buttons that the other versions don't have, allowing you a couple of extra physically buttons to assign function to. The 659 remote doesn't have physical buttons for next/prev track/chapter. Other than that, the biggest differentiator is the look and feel -- it's mostly an issue of how the buttons are laid out (and, of course, the 880 has a color screen). The 676 remote works perfectly well for DVR/TiVo systems, as the transport buttons are all logically laid out and easily reachable for DVR activities like advancing, pausing, etc. Slow motion and Live TV buttons appear in the LCD screen.
So even though I've pointed out some "gotchas" (with the intent of helping others figure out how to get around them), this is an incredible remote and there is no other universal remote that can do this much this easily. Kind of like a DVR/TiVo, this is one of those purchases you mull over for a long time, and then when you finally go for it, you wonder why you ever waited so long!
Description of Logitech Harmony 676 Universal Remote Control
Control your entire home theater with the press of just one button . Simply select an activity and your Logitech Harmony 676 remote will analyze the state of your entertainment system and then send the right commands to make each component do exactly what you want! The Logitech Harmony 676 features backlit controls, LCD display and controls up to 15 devices including Satellite TV system, DVD/CD player, TV and VCR, audio system and more! There's even a USB connection for updating the latest configurations! Choose any entertainment activity with just one touch! Order this Logitech Harmony 676 Advanced Universal Remote Control today! Features: Set up the remote quickly and simply with the online web wizard Easily watch movies, listen to music or enjoy your favorite TV shows via the 3 one-touch activity buttons with Smart State Technology Integrate up to 15 devices: TVs, DVD or CD players, VCRs, PVRs, cable or satellite boxes, speaker systems and more Control all brands and devices, anything that uses infrared commands Push the Help button for quick help options, no macro programming is required Links: Review of the Harmony 676 by Audioholics.com Box Contents Logitech Harmony 676 Advanced Universal Remote Control FACEPLATES NOT INCLUDED, only Silver pictured Installation Guide Installation CD Four (4) AAA batteries USB cable Specifications: Infrared connectivity technology SmartState Technology One touch activity controls Control up to 15 devices including Satellite TV system, DVD player, CD player, TV and VCR, audio system 55 buttons Backlit controls 1.5-inch LCD display USB interface Help button Simple setup with Web Wizard Comfort grip shape No macro programming requiredDigital Cameras and Photo Categories
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