Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control
by Logitech
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List Price: Our Price: $223.88 You Save: $26.11 (10%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $89.99 (click here) Category: Speakers See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control
Customer Review: Absolutely Fantastic Remote! Superior Features!
Summary: 5 Stars
I spent a lifetime reviewing products as "The Gadget Guru" for the NBC Today Show, USA Today, my Syndicated Newspaper Column and numerous magazines and syndicated TV shows. Needless to say that over my career I reviewed thousands of new products. While I used to receive samples from the manufacturers, since my retirement I now purchase these items. When this unit was announced, I was thinking it was too good to be true and decided to purchase one through Amazon.
I have a very complicated home theater system where my TV is used as a monitor and I have numerous components including a DirecTV HD Tivo and a ReplayTV via cable as well as a DVD and a VCR. Everything is routed via an audio receiver. While I have used just about every other universal remote on the planet, none of them were truly noteworthy. Yes, there were some that costs thousands of dollars, but not all of us can afford those. This is why I was looking forward to putting this one through its paces.
I reviewed other Harmony remotes in the past, but they were when the company was in its infancy and while they had a great concept, its products needed to mature. Harmony was recently purchased by Logitech and the result is a remote, that once it's setup, is the best I have ever used.
The setup is both good and bad and those lacking in computer skills may seem a bit overwhelmed. But, the tech support number is clearly printed in the included brochure and the techs are very good about walking users through the setup steps.
What separates Harmony Remotes from most others is that instead of having a chip that includes remote codes, or having to learn remote codes manually, it connects to the Internet via your computer to capture the codes for your equipment. The on-screen interface is fairly simply and walks you through step by step and asks questions pertaining to your specific setup. You will need to have the model numbers of every component to be controlled by this device. (They are usually on front of each device). Be prepared to spend at least a couple of hours for the initial setup. What I really like about this system is that if you purchase a new piece of equipment and the code is not built into a standard learning remote control, it can be a real pain to setup. Since they keep a database of every new component online, it will not become quickly antiquated. Also, unlike other universal remote controls, it's not a problem if you lose your instruction book since setup and modifications are performed online. This is a real plus!
Here's what separates this remote from the others. Instead of having buttons to go to specific components and then displaying another list of commands this model treats your components in a "lifestyle" fashion. Once setup, you simple press a button to Watch TV, Watch DirecTV, Watch a DVD, Listen to a CD, etc. A single press of a button triggers a series of macros that automatically deliver the proper settings. Even better, all the lables can be easily changed to make it easy for even the most technophobic to use. Once it is setup with your components, even the most primitive user will have no problem using a complicated home theater system. This device could save marriages!
Even better, you can add up to 16 favorite channels for each tuning device that can be accessed with a press of two buttons and is individualized for each component. I don't know about you, but with all the offerings via Satellite or Cable, I can't remember all the channel numbers. Although each device has an on-screen guide, it can take quite a bit a time to scroll through to find the desired channel. With the Favorite Function on this unit, you can give each device its own list of channels. So, for my DirecTV, I entered my most watched channels and did the same for my ReplayTV cable box.
It even allows you to add Icons so that you can simply press on NBC, CNBC, HBO, etc., and it automatically goes to that channel.
Also, it's rechargable, so there's no need to constantly change batteries. Even better, it has a sensor in it that not only automatically turns off the screen to save battery life, it automatically activates as soon as you pick it up so it's great for dimly lit home theater setups.
The only feature I wish they would have included was a Remote Control Locator function that would allow you to press a button on the charging base and have it "beep" the remote.
All in all, considering the full functionality of this unit, I give it my highest recommendations.
Customer Review: Best I have seen - so far - for the money (UPDATED)
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been through a large number of universal remotes. This remote is light years ahead of the previous models Harmony has come out with, and really delivers outstanding bang for the buck. I say this from an ergonomics as well as functional standpoint.
The screen is beautiful and highly legible. Icons as well as text make choosing an activity easy to understand and execute. The buttons are extremely solid. Much better than the 688 that I also own. It was quickly relegated to the bedroom system when I saw this unit.
The keys are MUCH better located and logical. On the 688 you had to turn on the backlight to press any button because none were in a position that you could feel your way to them. On the 880 they are pretty much right where they need to be. The 4-way directional control and select buttons are very easy to find in the dark and the function is rock-solid, no question as to whether it's been pressed enough, and the command signals are very strong, so it's not usually necessary to point right at the equipment.
For those of you who have never tried or maybe even heard of the Harmony line, you will love the internet-based simplicity of the programming. This interface has not changed since I first got my 688. To control both remotes, I had to add another userid/password, so I was unable to transfer any of my commands from my previous unit to my new one. This is a small peeve.
Some notes on programming. The initial setup could not be easier, you just type in your equipment model numbers and it adds them to your remote. It found every piece of equipment I own easily, and some of my stuff is obscure. Then, you set up activities, like "Watch TV" and the website creates that activity instantly. Sometimes no tweaking is involved whatsoever, and sometimes you do have to either add or change equipment included in that activity or add a few buttons to the existing commands available when doing that activity. Here is where experience pays off. It's not 100% intuitive how to add soft buttons, nor is it always clear whether you need to train the remote by using the original remote for that command or whether that command is already trained and just needs to be added. Also, I found that often you need to relabel an existing command so that it reflects what is on the original remote, which means that the Harmony database is not perfect.
However, the database gets you 95% of the way there, and after you play around with the website a bit, you start to understand it and can soon get to the point of customizing it exactly as you wish. In the end, I probably spent two hours to get my 880 to operate exactly as I wanted. But I'm pretty picky; many users may be happy with it after the first 5 minutes of programming. You will all be impressed by the enormous size of the Harmony database, and by the simple function of the remote.
It is rechargeable as well. This is a big bonus compared with the previous Harmony 688. Another thing I really liked: even when the 880 is out of its cradle, it knows when you pick it up, and automatically lights up. I cannot hear any type of mechanical sensor rattling around in there, but somehow it knows when it is moved and gets ready for your input. I love this simple feature. Would be interested to know how it does that.
All in all, I say it is probably not quite as good as having a Pronto or other really high end remote, but it is far easier to program, performs perfectly once correctly programmed, and costs MUCH MUCH less than any other remote with its power. The screen is sharp and beautiful, the keys function great. I have nothing but good things to say. I don't think you can go wrong for the price.
UPDATE 4/21/06: On this morning, my remote stopped working. I contacted customer support and was quickly handled. They are going to send me a new remote. Lucky for me, the new one will be able to be completely reprogrammed by connecting it and downloading all my existing codes. I will update again once this is accomplished if there are any issues. Otherwise, I continue to rate this item a 5-star pending the results of this warranty issue.
Update 5/22/06: The replacement remote came on schedule and has been working perfectly. Logitech's RMA system and follow-up were very professional and prompt.
Customer Review: Not only Harmony, but Peace as well!
Summary: 5 Stars
Now, you may think this handy device is simply another slick gadget to add to your home theatre, and well, it is, but more than that, it lives up to it's name by promoting peace and harmony in my house. When my fiance' moved in, she was totally intimidated by "all the black boxes" comprising my audio and video equipment. Indeed, simply watching television involved turning on more than just the TV set. This angered her to the point of her threating to "throw away all this worthless junk!" Without going into too much detail, lets just say I was hard-pressed to decide just what (or who) should be thrown out!! Grrrrrr :-/
The Harmony remote solved all my problems. I gave it to HER for a christmas present knowing that now I could have it all! When she opened the package Christmas morning, initially I got "the look" until she started reading the box and realized just what this thing could do for her. It was love at first sight.
During the short initial charging period I loaded the Harmony software. Being a Logitech product, it loaded without a problem. Once I registered the remote, I spent the next hour or so running through the setup of the remote on the Harmony web site. This involved locating each piece of equipment in my system. (as well as the remote controlled light dimmers I have in the livingroom!) Looking through all my equipment and getting all the model numbers was probably the hardest part.
Once all my equipment was tagged on the webpage, I began setting up the various "activities" that each piece would be used for. Watch TV, Watch DVD, Play Radio, Play CD, Etc. Etc. Each activity would then be assigned to a single button on the remote with an appropriate little graphic. (I could also use my own graphic but I haven't done that yet.)
Then the fun. Connect the remote to the computer with the included USB cable and the computer and remote connected instantly. Then, click the "Update Remote" button on the webpage and seconds later, it was done! Following the instructions, I went and tried each activity to be sure that everything was right and it was! I've since tweeked things a little which the remote allows you to do or you can go back to the website and do more extensive work there. I loaded the software on my laptop so I can site on the couch and tweek away, trying the changes right away.
Now the big test. I handed the remote to my honey and said, "Here you go hun, it's all ready to go". The slightly skeptical look was replaced by a big smile when she pushed the "Watch TV" button and everything came on in succession: First the TV, then the Cable box and finally the receiver. She tried the volume buttons, changed the channel, mute, and all the other functions built on the Harmony. Then she pushed "Play CD" and laughed as the TV and cable box shut off and the CD player lit up and the receiver switched to CD. No sound! "Push PLAY honey." Seconds later, her favorite CD was playing. Lets just say, it's a good thing my CD player is a changer which I had pre-loaded. "Harmony" ensued. ;-)
Do I have any complaints? None so far. I could request some improvements in the way the unit sits in the charging base, you have to be careful to get the remote on it just right so the charging contacts connect. The remote does light up and say "On Charger Base" when it's in the right spot but a stronger latch would be more reassuring. But so far, it's charged fine.
It's really cool that it senses motion when you pick it up (not just off the charger) and lights up. No button to push! Very clever use of the design to incorporate control buttons. Not sure if that was form following function or vice-versa, but it's well thought out. Each button is backlit too. OK, a complaint. The font sizes on some of the buttons are tiny! For younger eyes, I'm sure they're just fine. I need to use glasses. Oh well. lol. :-)
So, if you've come this far reading, it's time to click BUY! Amazon had the best price by far, suprisingly low in fact! Don't bother looking elsewhere, you've come to the right site. I'm happy with the remote and the price/service I got here at Amazon. (Yeah, gratuitous plug. lol.)
Go for it!
Customer Review: This is the one you want
Summary: 5 Stars
As women everywhere seem to think, our remote is an extension of our manhood. So ... let me tell you about the one you really want.
I've had several universal remotes over the years. All have been too complicated for others to use (my wife would never touch them). Plus, if the battery dies while I'm on travel, I have to reprogram them (a real nightmare). None of them have never done what I really wanted, so always had to keep a few other remotes laying around to handle the quirky stuff.
So, I've always been looking for the perfect one. And, I finally found it. I saw a TV commercial for a Universal Remote control, Logitech's Harmony 880. Did some research, read reviews and decided to get it (Amazon for about $[...]). Few things are as advertised ... but I've been so happy with this, I wanted to share this with you.
[...]
Got it, plugged into my computer and used their wizard on the Internet. Ten minutes later, I was able to put 7 remotes in a drawer and forget about them --- including the cable / HDDVR remote.
If you know your components and how you've set them up, the wizard is a dream. A few reviews I read were written by folks who had trouble because they really don't know their components or how they wired them all together. Hey, they shouldn't have a remote if they don't know their equipment <grin>.
The benefits? Countless ... but I'll list just a few:
My wife and any guest in my home can use this. Nice full color video screen (with a Desktop ... I picked a photo of my sub) that lists things like: Watch TV, Watch a DVD, Listen to Radio, Play a Game, etc. Each has an icon (DVD even has a bag of pop corn). You can change the menu words and many icons. Each '"activity" and device has it's own menu, that you can also pick the functions, their order, their words and icons. It even has a HELP button for your guests in case they can't read (but why bother if they can't click on a bag popcorn, can they read?).
The configuration setup is stored on a website ... if I ever lose it or upgrade ... I can re-sync. Or tweak it.
The wizard does just about everything automatically. Enter all of your components (by model number) and it knows what jacks, plugs and buttons it has. Once done, it pretty well figures out which devices have to be used for any activity (like watch a DVD). If you have several similar devices, it resolves any conflicts by asking intelligent questions about how you like to do things.
When setting up the DVD button and it automatically picks which devices need to be turned on. It automatically knows to shuts off everything else that isn't needed. It then holds your hand while configuring everything, by device ... such as what HDTV screen mode do you like, which video source in you use, what AV receiver buttons you use. It knows the default and selects them, but if you changed them to take advantage of higher quality video cables, you can change it.
You can tweak it anyway you want. For example, you can change the order in which steps occur and insert add steps for any device as needed. By the way, even when adding a step, it asks what device and then displays all known options that a remote can control and even lets you name it anyway you want. Such as it shows EJECT as an option. If you pick it, you can change it to say "open tray". In my case, timing is critical if I want to open the DVD tray, I needed to insert a slight delay.
I actually have 2 DVD modes setup ... one for movies and another for music concerts. For a concert, I set it to show captions and switch my AV receiver to the the surround sound mode I like for that (heavy woofer).
Rechargeable battery, so it sits in a cradle to charge. When picked up, like an IPhone, it senses movement and turns on. I programmed my to show a slide show when you put it down (photos of the family, etc.).
I can go on ... but I think you can see that my manhood is finally intact <grin>
Customer Review: Easy to use, powerful, well-built
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this remote almost four years ago in the summer of 2005. I had just purchased my first house, and with it, my first real home entertainment center. There were five remotes, and with a roommate who wasn't into A/V as much as me, I decided I needed a universal remote.
I got this on sale (only $125) and set to programming it. Even then (with the web-based tool), the process was rather easy and the only reason I spent more than half an hour on it was because I was trying to get some timings perfect. Now with the local setup application, things are even easier and intuitive. You will probably misunderstand a couple things your first time through, but it only takes a minute or two to plug it in again and make changes, so no big deal. Keep in mind the application is still web-driven, so the computer must have an active Internet connection.
You will set up Activities, which are just commands executed to accomplish a certain state. My Watch Satellite turns on my TV, selects the input, turns on my receiver, and selects the input. You can immediately go from one Activity to another, and the remote remembers what components are on and how they are configured so it can make the direct change. There is the option to keep a device on all the time (satellite receivers).
Even though the buttons on the remote take care of the majority of commands, they can't encompass everything. Within each activity, you can set the remote to display specific commands on its LCD screen which you select with the same buttons you use to select Activities. If you need to find a seldom-used command, there's no need to hunt for the original remote: press Devices, select the device, and you'll be presented with all the commands that would be available on its remote.
I bought another one of these to use at my parents' lake house and have had a few friends buy them on my recommendation, and I've never heard of a device it didn't recognize. Even if you have a bleeding edge device that isn't yet in the database, you can either select a device by the same manufacturer that is close to it (the command sets are usually very similar) or just train the 880 by using the component's remote.
To address some of the complaints I've seen in other reviews:
- Size of buttons: I have small hands, so I've never had a problem. I can see the number buttons being a tad small, but the main controls (volume, channel, navigate, select, scroll up, scroll down) are all fairly large and in the middle away from other buttons. Before buying any remote, you should go to a store to hold it and see how it feels to you.
- Button placement: I have DISH satellite, watch DVDs, and have a streaming media box. The number buttons are a little far down, but that's because the designers gave so much room for the primary buttons I listed above.
- Cradle/contact: I did have a problem with my remote when I first got it. The contacts didn't always connect to charge it, but I took a metal nail file to the plastic around the contacts and it has now worked almost four years without issue. The one I got for my parents a year ago fits perfectly every time right out of the box, so I believe this has been fixed.
With the advent of touch screen remotes and other technologies, this is by no means the most advanced remote you'll find, but it does the job well and is very easy to use.
Pros
- Offers single-button setup of an entire entertainment system
- Has a very large database of controllable components and can learn commands that are not included in that database
- Programming is easy
- Rechargeable battery means no more buying AAs
- Durable; mine has lasted almost four years with no issues so far
- Ergonomic design is comfortable and makes reaching the main buttons easy
Cons
- Older units did not sit well in the cradle
- Does not have a touch screen
- Buttons might be small for those with large hands/fingers