Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote with Color Touch Screen
by Logitech
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote with Color Touch Screen
Customer Review: Best home entertainment system remote you can buy?
Summary: 5 Stars
Even after reading (and watching) the reviews, I have to admit - I was skeptical. Truth be told, this device really works and Logitech's website makes setup relatively painless. I suppose my main reason for making this purchase, aside from multiple remotes covering the sofa, was because the "entertainment system" had simply become too complicated for my wife to to use. So, I decided to give it a try.
Just a couple of caveats: (1) This is probably not a good solution if you don't have just a little experience with computers and (2) You aren't prepared to spend some time doing setup and verification. If you have even a moderately complex system (we have 6 devices to control), it will take you considerably longer (I've spent 4-5 hours) to set up than the 30 minutes suggested by Logitech. Regardless, it will be well worth it!
The online database contains all the commands for any device you probably have. Our oldest piece (12 years old) is an Aiwa mini-stereo, which we use for sound and the newest is the latest Sony Blu-ray player (BDP-S350) which has been available for just a few weeks. The "One" handles them all. Oh, I don't mean it just turns stuff on and off. I mean this single remote will learn and provide all the functionality of all of your factory remotes - even stuff you'd forgotten they would do.
One of my big concerns was what happens if the remote fails to turn on a device (say, because you were off-axis or just too far away) but turns on everything else. Well, if that happens, you simply push the "help" button on the remote and it asks you the necessary questions to resolve the problem.
I could go on, but to repeat myself, the device really works and Logitech makes it very easy to setup and modify later as you add or change equipment. Once you master the basics, you may even find yourself setting up additional "activites" for the remote to manage. At present, we have the device managing 8 fairly complex activities.
This is an award winning tool that lives up to the hype. But it's more than that. It is absolutely essential if you want to enjoy your entertainment system instead of messing around with a bunch of remote controls.
UPDATE: 4-2-09
As you can see, we have many months of use under our belt with the harmony One now. It still works just fine. In fact, now that we are familiar with more of the features and menus, it is more useful than ever. I have found just one thing to complain about - and it drives me crazy: it is easy to send our Motorola DVR (from Comcast) multiple commands with the select button when we intend just one. That frequently results in overrunning the menu you were trying to find, causing you to start over again. Generally, this can be avoided by tapping the select button rather than holding it down for a longer time. Other than that, it is absolutely essential when you have to control 3, 4 or more pieces of gear.
Customer Review: THE "ONE" TO GET -- OUTSTANDING REMOTE
Summary: 5 Stars
Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote
After a couple of weeks of use, I can say that in spite of the high cost, the Logitech Harmony One is the Remote to buy if you want the best new remote on the planet.
I have tried a half dozen remotes in the past year or so, with varying success. I even fell for the X-10 ads that promise that theirs is the equal of the best Logitech has to offer. My experience says that is not so.
When my new Logitech Harmony One arrived, it took longer to turn all my components around to find the model numbers, usually inconveniently located on the bottom or the back, than it did to program the remote. A software CD is included in the package, but I skipped that and went directly to the Logitech site to download the latest version. One small negative: it does not appear that you can add additional Logitech remotes if you have one or more already registered. I had to register as a new user to get started (you can upgrade to a new remote, however); but that only took a few minutes.
You do need a computer, preferably with reasonably high-speed access to get the programming done quickly. Once I was registered on the site, and had the current software; it was just a matter of connecting the remote to the computer with the included USB cable, and following the instructions. You need to have the Brands and Model Numbers of your components, and how they are connected to the TV. Once you have entered that information it's just a matter of waiting a few minutes for the software and the Logitech site to complete programming the remote. Adding new equipment later on is just as easy.
Once done programming, you just have to go to the components, try all the buttons and see if they work. If there are any problems, there is a Help button that promises to solve any problems you encounter. I didn't have a single problem; everything worked on the first try. Admittedly, I have a simple system, but I was impressed that it worked without any need for "tweeking".
The convenience of having only One remote, and only having to touch One virtual button on the color touch screen to Watch TV, or Watch DVD, or Listen to CD, is what made it all worth it. I've set mine up to show those three buttons when you pick it up; so no matter who picks it up, they can immediately use it --no instructions necessary. Fantastic!
Highly recommended, if you can get past the cost. My friends have been more impressed with the Harmony One than my new bigscreen TV. I find it inconvenient to have to put it in the charger every couple of days; but I suppose that was a necessary trade-off for the increased power used by the color touch screen.
Customer Review: Best in its class
Summary: 5 Stars
After almost two weeks with the One, I have these comments:
* Both appearance and apparent build quality seem first rate. But they ought to be for about $200. Just as importantly, it "feels good" in your hand, is easy to operate, and the back lit feature is very nice.
* The instructions which come with the remote do an adequate job of telling you how to install the software on your computer, input information via your computer (which is patched to the remote), and describes generally the available features. What it does NOT include is an adequate explanation of how to make use of the features or reprogram certain buttons. That data is fairly well presented in the User's Guide, available on Logitech's website in PDF. However, nothing in the package, as I recall, bothers to tell you there's a user's guide on their website. I suppose they figure if you are buying a piece of technology like this, most customers are savvy enough to check the manufacturer's website for the manual.
* There is a little bit of trial and error - no system which purports to control virtually every IR remote made or sold going back several years is going to be perfect right out of the chute - but that is part of the fun. There has only been one thing I had more than a little trouble with. I programmed a second TV watching "activity." That way there's one activity button for watching television with my home theater system turned on and one where nothing but the TV is on. After spending a fair amount of time finding cool looking icons for the 24 "favorite station" slots and assigning them to the correct spots, I noticed I had no icons when watching TV in the other activity mode. Turns out you have to repeat those steps when programming a second TV activity such as what I have created. They don't tell you that anywhere, though I bet plenty of folks, like me, don't bother to fire up the entire home theater just to watch the Weather Channel or CNN. It would have been nice to know that and likewise would have been nice to be able to simply check a box somewhere to repeat having to input all that identical data a second time. Like when a mail order company lets you check a box to signal that all the shipping address info is identical to your billing address info.
All in all, it seems as close to perfect as a universal remote can be given it is made to work with literally hundreds of different devices. It seems fairly flexible: I have yet to find something I need it to do it can't do. Whether that sort of excellent performance is worth two bills is another question. But if you or a friend want to treat your to something you don't really "need" but works great, I doubt you will ever regret having gotten one.
The best in its class, I'd say.
Customer Review: The couch potato's Excalibur
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Using Logitech's Harmony One universal remote control, I can't help but hear Queen's "I'm In Love With My Car" playing in my head. That may be overstating the appeal of this device a bit, but not by much. I haven't been this impressed with a technological gadget since the Flip video camera. The concept of a universal remote control that replaces the various "factory" remotes that come with most home entertainment devices isn't new, but Logitech takes it to a whole new level with this device.
The Harmony One remote includes the remote control unit, a rechargeable battery, charging station with power adapter, USB cable, and a CD that is used to program the device. Setup is extremely user-friendly. Once you have the software installed, you're asked to provide the make and models of the devices you want to control, as well as a few questions on how those devices are used. The software then programs the remote accordingly. The total setup time is roughly 30 minutes, and doesn't require any significant computer skills.
In addition to providing basic operational control over a huge array of audio/video components released since roughly the dawn of time (the dawn of remotes at least), the setup process programs key actions that are real time savers. Instead of using my TV remote to switch the set to Video 3 and then turning on the DVD player to watch a DVD, I just touch the "Play a DVD" button and the remote makes it happen. How cool is that? Right now I have a TV, DVD player, stereo, and iPod home unit controlled by the remote, and as I add or upgrade components, I can use the software to update the remote accordingly.
The remote's design is a wonder all by itself. In addition to the usual array of buttons you expect to find on a universal remote, the Harmony One also boasts a touch screen that works well beyond expectations. The ergonomic design makes the device fit perfectly in your hand, with your thumb resting right near the most utilized buttons.
If you've gone out of your way to make sure you have the best possible home audio and video system, you really need to invest in this uber-cool remote control. It's the perfect accessory for the flat-screen/HD/Blu-Ray era.
UPDATE: I recently upgraded my TV and DVD player, and updating the remote software took less than 10 minutes, including a bit of very user-friendly troubleshooting when things didn't work perfectly the first time. That's one more great feature of this ultimate remote control.
Customer Review: Remote is Perfect, Software is Not
Summary: 5 Stars
*The Good*
The remote is excellent, particularly for users that are used to finding buttons by feel in dark environments. The buttons are very well laid out and are easily operated with one hand. They are all back lit and easy to see if you need to locate a button visually.
The LCD touch screen is bright and easy to use. The Recharging station is a dream come true - no more dead batteries! I also love, love, love the button placements. The folks at Logitech really did their homework on where the right place to put each button is.
*The Bad*
The programming software is easy to use, but has some very annoying aspects. For example, my Denon AVR-3808 receiver programmed in just fine, but has 16 pages of buttons. You can easily remove the ones you don't want, but it leaves the blank pages behind where you deleted the buttons. Specifically, I removed all of the iPod and XM Radio related buttons as I don't use them with my receiver. As a result, I'm left with about 6 empty pages in the middle of the 16 pages. (each page is comprised on 6 buttons on the LCD screen if you didn't know)
You *can* move the buttons, but it's one at a time clicking up, moving the mouse, clicking up, over and over. Repeat for EACH button for a truly mind-numbing experience. It would have been better if I could remove empty pages of buttons.
Another annoying issue is that the buttons aren't necessarily in the order you want them in. For example, the Denon AVR-3808 power on and power off buttons are on page 11 (out of 16 total). Sometimes my kids stand in front of the receiver and it doesn't get the ON command when I hit an activity such as "Watch TV". As such, in order to turn on the receiver I need to scroll through to page 11 to find the power on button for the receiver.
*Overall*
While the software is great in many regards (simple and easy to use), it can be very tedious to make adjustments to devices that have a lot of options.
The remote however, is hands-down the best remote I've ever owned. The Wife Acceptance Factor is very high. My kids (age 6,7,8,9) can all use the home theater now thanks to this remote. That is perhaps the best test of all - actual use by family members that don't care to learn all the technical mumbo jumbo of the theater components.
If you want to push one button to set everything in your home theater to the right settings for watching TV, watching a DVD, or playing the XBox or Wii... this is the remote for you.
If you want to customize every nuance of your remote so the buttons are the right color, in the right order, and control every single device you own... this is the remote for you too.