Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control
by Logitech
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control
Customer Review: Preserving wedded bliss.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm the guy with a half-dozen remotes for each viewing area. I know how they all work, but they're a source of constant frustration for my wife. Why can't it be simpler?
The Harmony One ads described our situation to a T, but the Harmony One remote was just more than I wanted to pay for another universal remote. I'd already tried several universal remotes - the type that require you to enter codes for each component - but none of them made controlling the TV/DVR/DVD/CD/Tuner/Cassette easier. If they worked - and not all of them did - they still just controlled the components using a single device, but you needed to know which devices to turn on, how to set them, etc., for the activity you wanted.
Enter the Harmony. After it's configured for your components and the things you do with them, it takes a single button to do it. Watch TiVo? Press the button for Watch TiVo. It turns on the TV, sets it to the input channel for the DVR, switches on the receiver and sets it for the DVR, and then all its buttons are ready to operate those components--raise and lower volume, change channels, control the TiVo, etc. Want to watch a DVD? Press Watch DVD. It's that simple.
Setting it up was easier than setting up any of the "enter codes" universal remotes, but it still requires knowing how the components work. After I installed the software that came with the Harmony, the software looked on the Harmony website for updates from its extensive database of products it can control. All I had to do then was choose my components by type, brand, and model from their list. After it knew what components I have (which it stores in a database for future reference), it asked me a few questions about how I use them; e.g., do I control the volume through the TV or the Receiver, what do I set the TV input control to when watching a DVD, stuff like that. Once it had those answers, it set up some of the one-button activities. I could add more, delete any I don't use, and modify any that don't work the way I want them to. Most that it set up were good to go immediately, although I tweaked one to make it work a little more to my liking.
My wife can now control everything she wants to control with one button, and even I prefer the ease of use to the gaggle of remotes I used to use. The Harmony 880 was a better price value than the Harmony One, probably because it is now a discontinued model, but the company still supports it. It has a nice ergonomic feel, similar to my TiVo remote (which I no longer need), although the buttons are a little close together. The Harmony One has a little better separation between the buttons, but that wasn't worth the difference in price. All that sits on my end table now where the other remotes used to sit is the charging cradle where this one sits, saving not only space but batteries, too.
Now my only question is, why didn't I do this sooner?
Customer Review: Harmony 880. Are you kidding?
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great time saver. It used to be that I had to grab a remote for the Hitachi plasma, another one for the HK receiver, another one for the Yamaha DVD player and start pressing multiple buttons on each just to watch a movie. It was a pain for me and my wife, forget about it when my mother-in-law came to babysit the kids. She wouldn't touch it!
Now (after a little time setting it up, which I will guess will never stop because you can tinker and customize this remote more than you'll beleive), all it takes is touching the correct activity button to get things going. I will save hours a month by not having to find one of the original remotes just to press a button or two. Now they can get put away where they belong. It truly is amazing how much simpler the couch potato process is with the 880.
Unlike some others, I can't complain about the setup. I've had the other universal remotes that you have to input codes and "learn" functions from the original remote. Folks don't let any of these nay sayers tell you any different, the 880 is head and shoulders above these types of remotes. The only thing I can think of is that either the logistical way that Logitech set up the remote and the software doesn't jive with these peoples' thought process and they didn't give it enough time to get used to or maybe they should just limit their technical skills to operating a coffee machine (which some of those are even getting pretty complicated!).
My biggest worry about this remote was that it would not be able to discreetly choose the correct input on our Hitachi Director's Series plasma TV. The original Hitachi remote didn't even do that! But lo and behold after inputting the device and setting up the activity, it worked on the first try. Sometimes you'll get a device that gets out of sync with the remote's power on/power off process, but again, for you folks that might be a little short on patience, give it time to get used to how to use this little beauty. Remember that most of the time it's operator error, not equipment failure. The caveat for this is when you receive a defective product, then you should drop your ratings for the remote.
If you have a complicated system, you should seriously give this remote a look. At Amazon's price, you could buy multiple remotes for the same price you could buy a Monster (which Logitech manaufactures anyway) or others that require an AV professional to set up. I'll admit that this remote may not be for everybody, but for the other 99% of you out there, you'll love it!
I don't want this to seem too overly optimistic, take this all in stride. It seems like you're always happier with something that you don't believe will work or are somewhat skeptical about than when you think something will fix all of your ills. So go into this with the former, get ready to throw away the box and enjoy. Happy surfing!
Customer Review: Seems to be The Perfect Remote
Summary: 5 Stars
Further research on the web showed many (mostly) negative reviews and this made me uneasy. Complaints seem to be centered at the remote's charging habits and set-up. I consider myself above-average when it comes to configurining electronics.
Equipment I needed to set up included a Samsung DLP 50" TV, Toshiba HDDVD, a Panasonic HT system that's about 4 or 5 years old, XBOX 360, and a Motorola HD DVR cable box.
My configuration is as follows:
Watch TV: TV on and set to S-Video, Motorolla cable box on, HT on and set to Aux. Watch a DVD: TV on and set to HDMI, HT on and set to TV, Toshiba on. Play XBOX: TV on and set to component 1, HT on and set to TV, XBOX on. Naturally, it took 4 remotes plus one game controller to do all of the different settings plus having to go in and out of menus.
The remote arrived and I immediately liked the asthetics of it. The battery had enough charge to begin programming it. I managed to get everything set up via the USB and software. Entering the devices was very easy. All I had to do was write down the make and model numbers. There were a few problems synching the devices to power up and down together but the remote's built-in help quickly solved it.
I did have one problem. It was getting the DVR and OnDemand buttons on the LCD screen. I called Logitech customer support and was not on hold very long when a lady attempted to help me. Unfortunately, she did not speak or understand English very well. While she really did try to help, it just wasn't working and I ended the call. At this point, I was really thinking about returning the remote because I simply couldn't get the two buttons on the screen. After a bit more fidgeting with the remote, I decided to call back to see if I could talk to someone else. A very cheerful guy answered and quickly solved my issue for me. He could actually go into my software on his end and set up the remote the way I wanted. I found out he was on the West Coast. After call #1, I was afraid Logitech does what many computer companies do, and have call centers manned overseas. I now have everything working perfectly and couldn't be happier with my purchase. Logitech sent a customer satisfaction survey following my second call. I never received one from my first experience.
The remote is an absolute joy to operate. My wife loves it and my 4 former remotes are safely tucked away in a drawer. MOST OF THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS SEEM TO BE CENTERED AROUND BATTERY CHARGING AND/OR PROGRAMMING THE REMOTE. MY BATTERY CHARGES VERY WELL. PERHAPS THEY HAVE REDESIGNED SINCE EARLIER MODELS CAME OUT? IF YOU CAN NOT GET THE REMOTE TO SET-UP PROPERLY, CALL TECH SUPPORT, THEY WILL MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU IN A TIMELY MANNER. THERE'S SIMPLY NO REASON TO GO MORE THAN AN HOUR TRYING TO SET IT UP.
Customer Review: Finally! A Complete Universal Remote!
Summary: 5 Stars
As an "early adopter" and avid computer/home theatre user, but being on a teacher's budget, I've had to put up with 4-6 remotes for years. I tried to program the old Marantz RC2000, but my wife could never figure out how to use it. I bought an early Pronto, but gave up when it couldn't tell if my TV was already on when I switched from cable to VCR, turning off the TV--and my wife couldn't figure it out. Several years ago, I bought a Harmony, the model number escapes me, but the screen was on the bottom and I had to scroll through menus, etc. It didn't do it for me either--and my wife couldn't figure it out.
Finally, I began to search the net to see if things had improved since 2003. I ran across the Harmony "One" in a "First Look" from the CES and it seemed like it might be the ticket. The 880 came up as a good alternative when the "One" hadn't been released yet. I figured I'd order the 880 from Amazon, see if it worked. If it didn't, I'd send it back within the 30 days and order the "One".
The 880 is great! I received it, logged on, set it up with all my components (Sony 52" XBR4 LCD TV, Sony STR-DA5200ES receiver, DirecTv HR-20 HD DVR/Receiver, XBox 360 w/HD DVD drive (by the way, during the setup, the website asked me if my XBox 360 was standalone or had the HD-DVD drive as well--a real surprise), and a couple of other VCR/DVD/CD players/recorders), and have been having fun tweaking it the past 2 days. I did not experience any of the difficulties described in some of the other reviews. It sits in the cradle perfectly. The buttons are smaller than some remotes, but it makes it easy to reach most of them with my thumb holding it in one hand. I'm a big guy with a big hand. I don't like the numbers on the bottom, but something has to be on the bottom, and I use the numbers less often than the volume, channel up/down, mute, previous, joystick and transport keys.
Before I ordered it, I wondered if it would have all the keys for my DVR without going through a hierarchy of menus. It has everything right on top, even a "List" soft button on the LCD readout when in "Watch DirecTv" activity. Pushing "List" shows me the programs I've recorded, and using the joystick allows me to select or delete just as the DirecTv remote does. Perfect.
You can change the "Activity" names, such as from the default "Watch PVR" to "Watch DirecTv"; you can do away with cute icons behind each activity if it seems cluttery; in short, it's doing its job.
I will keep the original remotes available for some of the really esoteric commands I might use occasionally. The 880 probably will do all those things through its menus, but I use them so seldom that it just isn't an issue.
And my wife loves it!!
Customer Review: Top $ For A High End Product!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was in the market for a universal remote control to replace 6 of my controllers (TV, AV Receiver, DVD Player, Satellite Receiver, MP3 player and XM Radio). Most of the universal remote controls I found were only capable of controlling popular brands which wouldn't serve my needs. So I expanded my search to a learning, macro type controller and found several brands including Sony and Phillips. I already own many Logitech computer peripherals and accessories and have been very impressed with them so needless to say, Logitech already had the advantage. After much research, I decided to order one from Amazon which I got in 2 days! The actual item packaging was the typical Logitech metallic green and silver box with a clear molded plastic showcasing the product. Once I got it out of the box, I immediately noticed the high quality material it employs and the weight and ergonomics were just right for a medium sized hand.
The basic set up and macro programming was easy as advertised but it gets a bit tedious when you start customizing the buttons to your liking. The web based programming works well and the "plug and sync" feature is very smart and convenient. Basically, you make all the changes on your PC either by using the remote's software or going to the Logitech website to upload your changes. Once you're finished making all the changes, plug in your remote via USB and click "Update Remote" on the user interface on your PC and your done! I love the fact that Logitech has given the consumers complete freedom to customize the remote control. Almost all of the buttons plus pages and pages of the LCD buttons are programmable which makes it the only "true" universal remote control out there.
Be patient as you explore all the features of the remote. It'll take a couple of weeks of programming and a lot testing to get the remote to behave exactly how you want it. But once you're done, you'll be rewarded with extreme convenience, not to mention all the praises from your better half.
The only non programmable buttons are:
Main Power, Activities, Help, Page Left, Glow, Page Right, Devices and Media.
Also, the rechargeable battery is a huge bonus! I charge mine at an average of once per week which can easily be stretched to 10 days if needed. I try to avoid constant charging as much as possible to extend the battery life.
The Verdict: The Logitech Harmony 880 is highly recommended to electronic enthusiasts looking for ways to enhance their media entertainment experience. You're probably thinking: "I'm not going to spend $150 for a freakin' remote control" I know I did, but the more I use it the more I'm glad I got one. This one is worth every penny folks!