Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote Control
by Logitech
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote Control
Customer Review: A REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS TRUE UNIVERSAL REMOTE.
Summary: 5 Stars
A REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS TRUE UNIVERSAL REMOTE. Easy to use for technophobes and features enough for technophiles.
Background Info: My wife complained of clutter from too many remotes. Although many remotes supplied with various pieces of electronic equipment can be cross-programmed to operate other equipment, none will operate each and every feature of almost any other device. Not even the (relatively inexpensive) specifically marketed so-called "Universal Remotes"
In the course of designing a customized entertainment center, we were concerned about having to keep doors (some 21 - 24" wide open and protruding into the room. We learned about IR (infrared) Blasters; we saw one that we thought we might be able to install the receiving ports in the door, but could not find it for purchase. By chance I encountered the Logitech Harmony 890.
The Harmony 890: Essentially a standard size and weight remote that does it all. It will operate via IR (infra-red, line of sight) or RF (radiofrequency, through the cabinet door). It will operate up to eight (8) devices.
Operational Setup & function: Once set up, with the proper programming, the lighted screen can accommodate 8 activities, simply labeled as "Watch TV", "Watch VCR", "Watch DVD", "Play CDs", etc. Pressing the right button sets up each feature in its entirety. For example, in my case "Watch VCR" turns on the VCR, turns on the TV, selects the correct input source on the TV, sets the TV tuner to channel 3 and starts the tape in motion. If another activity was in progress, it turns the other device off. (Actually starting the tape in motion is a bit annoying, but that's a minor inconvenience considering all the benefits. The function is similar for all devices
Once the activity is begun, the various functions, such as change channel, volume, mute, pause, fast forward, etc. are selected by using either the standard buttons or the related button for an on-screen instruction. (In my case, for the present, because I have elected not to turn off the Remote Assistant, a have to press a few buttons to inform the unit that everything is O.k. before I get to the function screen. (However, if for some reason, there is a malfunction, the Remote Assistant helps correct it - e.g. in "Watch TV" mode, maybe your cable box got turned off if for example it had inadvertently been turned on and the signal now turned it off instead of on.) In the case of "Watch VCR", I have six (6) screens that I can toggle between to use all the functions. (An alternative approach is to press the "Device" option" for all possible activities for any given device. See Programming.
Programming: Programming is, in theory, rather simple and straightforward. However, the instructions are not that good. BUT EXCELLENT HELP IS AVAILABLE, BY TECHS WHO SPEAK U.S. ENGLISH. The techs will, as required, walk you through the procedure, make modifications for you, can change the arrangement of functions on the screen - e.g. my DVD default had "Eject" to open and close the drawer, but there was also an "Open/Close" in the device mode; I had "Eject" changed to "Open/Close" because I preferred it as more logical. For reasons I won't fully detail - except to say that I have a splitter so I can record on my VCR while watching my TV (which is digital cable equipped), I have a "Watch TV" and a "Watch Cable TV" option - you can add your own custom titles or functions. In the case of my VCR, I had to (with tech guidance, although the instructions are there) program some functions such as my ability to set up a recording time, etc.)
Warrantee: For some reason, the lighting on my screen due to an apparent defect is problematic; it should be blue and mine is often plaid and frequently the bottom half is white. I am getting the unit replaced under the warrantee. A new one is being sent to me before I return the old one.
Support: In addition to my prior comments, I have found support to be excellent. I have probably called about 8 - 10 times, although one should probably discount the first three because they were clarification questions rather than problems. One time, I think I might have waited up to five (5) minutes, but the other times the phone was answered almost immediately. Having said that, there is still a caveat. On two occasions, I was referred to second level tech support; the first time there was about an additional five (5) minute wait. The second time related to the problem about the screen lighting, which should have been handled by the first level tech - the previous day, a tech was going to set up a replacement, but then tried to solve the problem by updating my firmware, which didn't work. The second level tech promptly arranged the exchange, but I had to wait about forty (40) minutes that time. Nonetheless, given my experiences with Logitech and other tech support, Logitech tech support seems to be generally prompt and efficient. The replacement was sent to me and I was advised to keep the (useable) defective one until I received the replacement. The replacement's background is deep blue and the contrast crisp. I did have to pay the cost of shipping the defective item.
Comments made to Logitech: A written manual. Better, more specific detailed instructions. There are so many options in screens while in device mode that I have no idea what these do. I tested and some seem nonfunctional. A written explanation of terms and functions would be useful. Need better page settings - e.g. in VCR device mode, direction up is not on same screen with down, left, right. I had lots of problems in programming, but got good fast help and solved the problems. I had to get lots of assistance - even when I began to understand the system and issues - to move commands that functioned in device mode to the active screen in play device mode. It would be nice if these moved automatically and if there were a simple way to reorder them to one's personal style of use.
Customer Review: Outstanding Product -- Even more features than I knew
Summary: 5 Stars
I was hesitant to purchase the Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote Control when I read some of the marginal and negative reviews on the Amazon.com website. However, having been a long-time, satisfied Harmony Remote user, I decided to splurge on this fancier one. (An Amazon GoldBox special really helped.)
The 890 is an outstanding product and it has exceeded all my expectations after 2 weeks of heavy use. It immediately and reliably controlled my AppleTV, Sony PS3 (using PS3 Blu Wave Remote), DirecTV HD PVR, Monoprice HDMI switch, Onkyo receiver, and an older Haier Plasma TV.
I had absolutely no problems with the wireless link nor with the remote charging reliably in its docking station. The programming was straight-forward exactly as with my prior Harmony remotes and I probably could have just transferred my existing programming to this one but I chose not to since I will also use my old remote in another part of the house. My biggest criticism is that when you go to update the remote itself (over the included USB cable), you also have to update the RF/IR base every time. That's not too inconvenient because it is easy to detach the cables on the RF/IR base station and re-programming these remotes is a very infrequent event.
HINT: If you have more than one Harmony remote you intend to use, you can create different log-ins in the Harmony programming software.
Prior to purchasing this remote, I used a Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote with a Next Generation Remote Control Extender to control my devices in a remote cabinet. I was pleased with that solution but every time my batteries got low it would be a hassle not only to change them, but to get the remote re-synched with the state of my AV equipment. It seemed this was necessary every week. I find the Harmony 890 to be a far more reliable solution overall.
The remote's display and buttons are also much better than in the trusty Harmony 550. The color display and larger area are welcomed improvements. The display even shows the time of day and has more programmable keys so you don't have to "page" as much to get to other functions.
The RF/IR remote base has 4 additional IR outputs and comes with 4 remote IR transmitters you can spread around to control your equipment. What's interesting is that you can set up the control of any device to be sent to only ONE of these outputs if desired. This option is useful if you have more than 1 of the same type of equipment in the cabinet allowing isolation of control. (E.g. if you have two identical DVD jukeboxes in the cabinet.)
The remote control's battery is Li-ion so you can charge it whenever you want and I have never seen it drop even one bar of capacity in our normal use. Plus, having the docking station helps make sure other family members reliably return the remote to an easy to find location.
A couple of other notes:
1) This is a pricey device. However, when I calculated what I spent on my lower model Harmony plus the separate RF/IR device, the price difference was not that great (at least as an Amazon Goldbox deal) but the 890 solution was designed to work together and is much more refined.
2) The RF function is mainly for controlling the included Logitech Harmony RF Wireless Extender and remote IR transmitters. If you have an RF-capable DirecTV receiver, you'll have to use it in IR mode.
3) This remote's RF is apparently capable of controlling Z-wave devices (e.g. light dimmers, curtain controls). I did not test that feature.
4) Like all Harmony remotes, the programming software can be improved, but they have an excellent IR device control settings library that even covers some obscure ones. In the unlikely event your device is not in their database, the software will guide you through a training process using the obscure device's existing IR remote control.
5) Already mentioned... you can program multiple Harmony remote controls from one computer. You just need to set up different log-in accounts in the set up software. For example, I have xxx-550 and xxx-890. If you are replacing one Harmony remote with another, you use your existing account and there is a simple setting in the software to tranfer the current settings to your new remote.
Customer Review: Probably The Best!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was hesitate to purchase this remote after reading some of the negative reviews few as they were. I also had concerns about being able to program my DirecTV HD-20 PRV correctly as it is a really complicated beast. But I purchased the 890 and couldn't be happier. This remote has every feature you could want and more. Nice size that fits in your hand, Feedback Icon on remote displays when a button is pressed. Cool charging cradle. Some people say the buttons are too small, they probably never had to use some of the remotes that I have. Buttons light up when remote is picked up (tilt switch that can be turned on or off). The remote just works flawlessly for me.
No actual problems. Everything was done correctly right through the Logitech On-Line Wizard (after upgrading the software and firmware). You are prompted and guided through the whole process. The only tweak I had to do was increase the latency from 500ns (1/2 second) to 1000ns (1 second) for my Sony BDP-S1 Blu-Ray. I had problems with the unit switching On. I went to the Help section within the On-Line setup. As the Help section explains when the activity button is pressed the IR signals are sent out, each device receives each IR signal whether or not it is for that particular device. Some devices have a delay time until they could read the next IR signal. So when you are powering on several devices and setting input sources, etc. a particular device may not be ready to receive it's signal to say Power On. Once I changed the latency to 1000ns (1 second) I have no other problems.
I like to sometimes watch my TV using it's own internal sound system and sometimes I like to watch TV using my Theater Sound System, so I set one activity to turn on the TV, PCR and use the TV sound and a separate activity to Turn on the TV, PCR and AVR. Works Great, same for my Blu-Ray player. You can operate virtually any devise including Lights, Heating/Venting using the Z-Ray modules.
As for people having problems with components turning On then maybe they didn't try the Help System Available On-Line. I have read here someone complaining about the 890 not having macros. What do you think the Activities buttons are for? One Button turns on every necessary component, sets up your TV input source, turns off other components that you might have been using prior. Seems like a macro to me! I have replaced 5 remotes with this one and the functionality of this one is better then any of the included remotes I had.
You can even have the remote set on in feedback mode where it will ask you "Is Everything On?" and if you answer "No" it will start correcting the problem asking in each step "Is the Device On Now?".
Some people say it was too complicated to setup! Well these people are probably the same people who had their VCR clocks constantly blinking from lack of setting the time on them because they could either not figure it out or too lazy to read and learn.
I even read that this remote is totally unusable with a Macintosh. Well that's a big lie, I have a Mac and I had no problems, just uploaded the software upgrade.
I think most of the complaints and problems could be resolved with a few simple rules:
1) FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS
2) ALWAYS, as with any software, UPGRADE TO THE LATEST VERSION of Both the software and firmware.
3) If you are still having problems, first use the On-Line Help System, If that doesn't get you through the problem then contact Logitech. You can even go to the Logitech online forums where almost every conceivable problems had been already discussed and if not ASK there.
Bottom Line: This remote works better then advertised. It works better then I ever thought it would. You are not going to get a better remote at this price or even higher. And Amazon has the lowest price for a trusted source. If you need a remote to control all your devices without the hassle of click-and-learn (although this remote has learning capabilities too) then this is the remote for you. It may not work with each and every device, i.e. Bose systems, PS3 systems or whatever, but it probably works with more devices then most. When in doubt contact Logitech.
P.S. Yes this remote comes with the IF Wireless AV receiver and all necessary cables such as UBS, etc.
Customer Review: If you make a bit of effort, it works fine. Highly recommended
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my second customizable remote. I've been using a $400 Home Theater Master MX1000 for several years. It's capable, but fragile. Mine's been broken twice. The software hasn't been updated since Windows 95 (!) and I can't get it working well with Windows XP, so I have to do all the programming from the keypad, which means my programming can't be backed up. Suffice it to say, i thought it was time for a change.
The last time I programmed my MX1000, it took almost three days to set up the keys and learn the codes, and it only went that fast because I'd done it twice before. I finished setting up my Harmony 880 in about four hours from startup. That may seem like a lot of work, but my experience is that nothing works out of the box for a home theater system. When you're trying to get several brands of components working together, it takes some tinkering.
Several things weren't right after the automatic setup process. Some of the functions didn't control properly and I needed to remove some buttons and add others. My 400 slot DVD changer required the most work. My iPod had to be added from scratch. My Philips TV worked without changes, as did my Technics receiver. I had to work with the power off/on settings to get things working to my satisfaction.
A problem with almost all macro-capable programmable remotes is that almost no devices have discrete off and on functions. To save a button, manufacturers have one button that toggles between off and on. Consequently, the remote can't be sure what the power state of a device is, and it's possible for devices to get out of sync. The 880 handles this situation as well as can be expected. If you start with all devices off, and if you keep the remote squarely pointed at the system until all the functions in an action are completed, your devices should turn off and on as required. It's a tricky situation, and errors are easily possible. If things get messed up, pressing the Help button starts a dialog on the remote that should get all the devices synced up again. My MX1000 has nothing like that, and I'm constantly turning things on and off manually.
The Web configuration process isn't quite as straight-forward as I'd like. Sometimes I can't figure out how to get to a particular screen where I made a specific setting. So plan on spending some time learning the configuration process. But I was able to accomplish everything I wanted. My DVD changer takes a long time time to initialize, but I was able to force it to remain on when changing functions. Some of the DVD functions weren't set up by the automatic configuration process, but they were defined in the device definition, so I could add them without having to have the 880 learn any codes.
I was able to create an action for my iPod. For that, I had to teach the 880 all the codes for my navipod remote for the iPod. It took about a half hour including testing and minor revisions.
Given my experience, the 880 is about as easy to set up as one could reasonably expect. Part of the configuration reflected my own preferences. Some reflected characteristics of my equipment. Manufacturers tend to use the same control sets for many devices. My 400 disk changer uses many of the same codes as a Sony 5 disk changer, for example. A bit of custom work was required to add the special buttons I needed to really use the 400 disk changer.
The point, though, is that I was able to achieve everythign I wanted in a reasonable period of time, including my learning. The 880 works as well as my previous remote, is easier to configure, is lighter and feels better built, and costs $150 less. I think that's a bargain by any terms. No, it didn't work right out of the box, but it did everything I wanted, and I'm pretty demanding. I recommend the Harmony 880 highly.
Customer Review: An excellent buy with just a few minor flaws
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the second Harmony remote I've purchased, and have now owned for a few months. The purchase was actually for my in-laws, whose setup included a wall mounted Samsung LN-46A650, Motorola HD Cable Receiver, and DVD player. The latter two are located in a media cabinet behind the viewing position. So, the options were to leave the cabinet open and use three remotes (pointing two backward), have a professional install a infrared relay next to the tv that would send signals back to the cabinet (still using 3 remotes), or get a radio frequency capable remote and adapter. The first was impractical, and the second very expensive ($$$-$$$$), so I researched my options for the third.
There are several remote vendors that have comparable products to Logitech in terms of features and functionality. My ideal remote would've come from Universal Remotes, but their prices were 2 to 3 times that of the Logitechs.
Having said all that, let's get to the facts:
Pros:
- This unit COMES WITH the radio frequency adapter with enough extender cables for 8 components, and I have had NO trouble with the two devices I've set for RF control (12 feet behind viewer, through a closet door)
- Set up is very intuitive as long as you know the models of your equipment, the inputs of your setup, and how you want the remote to control things. I had their setup up and running (but not fine tuned) within 15 minutes. I am confident in my computer and electronics skills, however I'm convinced someone with the interest but not great technological savvy could master Logitech's setup program in one or two sessions of use.
- Activities are easily set up and edited with the software (I'm running Windows XP Pro), to the point where you can customize each button's action if you wish. Only having to push one button to turn on all the necessary components, switch inputs, and switch button functionality on the remote was key for my relatively technologically impaired in-laws.
- You can specify how to control each device (either infrared or RF from the extender)
- The color LCD screen is very clear and bright compared to my other model (Harmony 550).
- When the remote senses movement after a period of inactivity (i.e. you pick it up to change channels), the back lights turn on illuminating both the LCD and buttons.
- Lithium ion battery means never having to swap batteries
- You can specify favorite channels and upload a network icon to be displayed next to the appropriate button (however the icon can only be a certain size which was a bit challenging to produce)
- On and on and on
Cons:
- The buttons are not very well laid out, some very small in size, and labels are almost too little. This is where the Universal Remote model excelled. Layout was great and labels easily legible. However, the UR model didn't include the RF receiver and was twice the price. But once your hand develops the muscle memory for where buttons are, it's not a big issue.
- You have to update the RF extender every time you update the remote settings, even if all you're doing in changing button assignments or renaming an activity
Review:
All in all it's a great remote. It's drawbacks weren't enough for me to drop a star. If you need the radio frequency functionality, this is the most inexpensive and user friendly answer. I hope you found this review helpful, if you actually read it all.