Logitech Harmony Xbox 360 Remote
by Logitech
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Our Price: $239.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $125.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Harmony Xbox 360 Remote
Customer Review: Perfection Achieved - and not just for XBox users!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not my first universal remote. It's not even the most expensive one that I've purchased. (That distinction was held by Sony's Integrated Remote Commander. Which, for the record, was my best universal remote to date.) It is, however, by far the best and even at $100 is an exceptional value.
Let's look at what it takes for a universal remote to actually be any good, and how this one fits the bill:
1) Universal Compatibility. Let's face it: this is what you buy these remotes for! If it doesn't control all of your devices, then it's yet another paperweight to clutter up the coffee table. Ultimately, this is also what killed my $200 Remote Commander. Sure, that remote did what it needed to when I bought it. But after a few years, the built-in codes were out of date and I found myself in the position of having to teach my remote every possible command whenever I bought a new component. Not fun! The Harmony remote solves that problem with aplomb, due to the fact that it's actually programmed via an online interface. This means an online database that's constantly updated with all the newest components. The only way it will ever go out of date is if Logitech dumps the universal remote business. That's something that's not on the horizon. Not with the quality of the Harmony line! And yes, the Harmony can still learn from your other remotes. Just in case you happen to get something that's not yet in the database.
2) Ease of Use. Universal remotes are supposed to make your life simpler. Not all succeed. There are more than a few out there that may be able to run all of your devices, but are so cumbersome to navigate that you fall back on your stable of component remotes simply because they're easier. The Harmony is not one of them. Going back to my Sony remote, it was awesome -- for me. I'd programmed it, so I knew what all the macros were meant to do. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that I couldn't let anyone else use the remote. It didn't matter how thoroughly I explained things, they got lost and my system got badly SNAFU'd to where I was the only one who could get it working right again. The Harmony is just the opposite. It remembers what state any device is in. It has very clear on-screen guidance. If you mess something out somehow, it will also guide you through fixing the problem. I have no fear of letting other people use my system anymore because it's now almost impossible for them to mess things up. Pure heaven!
3) Ease of Programming. I've differentiated this from ease of use for a reason. "Use" is actually picking the remote up and running your home theater with it. That comes AFTER the programming. This was another place where the Sony had problems. Heaven help you if you lost the Remote Commander's 50+ page instruction manual! (Which, by the way, required you to skip between several sections in order to accomplish any given programming task.) With the Harmony, programming is completely guided online. It starts with an activity, such as watching TV. It then asks you what components are used for that activity. It then asks a few more pointed questions, such as whether you use the receiver or the TV to control the volume. You then simply press a button to synch the web form with your remote and the programming is done. The remote walks you through checking to make sure that the program is exactly what you want, and if it's not you can easily adjust things online. If you want, you also have total control over every button on the remote, and the four context buttons (which change functions with the LCD screen).
For example, I have an HD-DVR from DirecTV that feeds into a stereo receiver before feeding to the TV. So to watch TV, those three components must be turned on. The receiver is used to control volume, and the DirecTV unit changes channels or pulls up recorded programs to watch. The Harmony remote has no problems with this. All I do is press the "Activities" button, and then the one for "Watch TV". What's really nice is that the DirecTV remote has four colored buttons for various context functions. They're really handy, but the default programming for the Harmony remote put those buttons on page 5 or 6 of the context screen. But it also has the same colored buttons for the XBox. With just a few clicks on the web form I was able to map those colored buttons to match the DirecTV remote, and then remove them from the context menu offerings. This was VERY easy to do, and made the new remote every bit as convenient as the old one.
So when you look at the three main things that a universal remote must accomplish in order to be successful, the Harmony XBox 360 remote shines on all counts. I have absolutely never had such success with any other universal remote. Even better, it's going to be hard to outgrow. Yet even if I do eventually decide to switch to a newer offering from Logitech, they've got me covered. The online management system has an option to switch to a new remote without losing any information. It will simply take what it already knows about my system and adapt that to the new remote.
The bottom line is that if you're looking for a universal remote, you can't go wrong with this model. And thanks to the colored buttons, it's also perfect for anyone with a DirecTV DVR -- even if you don't have an XBox. It's not a cheap remote, but it IS one that you'll actually use. And that, ultimately, is the true measure of whether it was worth the money or not. If you spend $50 for a cheaper remote and then never use it because it fell short in one of the three areas above, did you really save $50? That's not something you need to worry about with the Harmony.
Customer Review: Turn it into an RF remote for less than $100 total
Summary: 5 Stars
I compared all the other harmony remotes before I bought this, but what really made the decision for me was that I have an Xbox 360 and I wanted a remote which took AA or AAA batteries so that I could use my Next Generation Remote Control Extender. For less than $100 I have been able to put together a formidable RF remote that can control every component (except my Wii). The Next Gen Extender works flawlessly with this remote, and I feel like I made the right choice. Here are some of the factors that went into my decision.
In my scenario, I had to have RF on my remote, because all my components are stashed in a closet out of range of IR.
I liked the interface and touchscreen of the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote but it lacked RF, and there was no real way to turn it into a RF remote. The Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control (Black) (One's predecessor) was a little cheaper, but had the same RF limitation.
The Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote Control and Logitech Harmony 1000 Advanced Universal Remote (Silver) have RF, but at almost $300 that was more I wanted to spend on a remote. Especially the 890 which has been out for several years, and will likely be retired soon. The 1000 is just too big and clunky for my (and especially my wife's tastes).
The Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote and Logitech Harmony 520 Advanced Universal Remote - universal remote control ( 966191-0403 ) (close relatives of the xbox 360 remote) were both in the running, and would have worked with my RF extender; however since I have an Xbox 360 I decided to go with the 360 remote.
One of the things which always killed me about my previous "universal" remotes was that when the activity failed, I either had to dig through menus or have the original remote near to turn on/off a single component, or otherwise fix the step in the activity which failed. The "Help" button on the Logitech remote is a welcome feature, and has completely removed my need to keep the other remotes nearby.
I read reviews for other remotes that praised that the remote could be setup without a computer, and that the harmony remotes sucked because you had to use your computer. Really I don't know how you would customize something this complex on a 1 inch screen. I like the configuration utility. It has a wizard mode which gets the basic settings and activities setup, and then you can go back through and tweak/fine tune via the advanced settings.
The activities are easy to setup, and the wizard knows how to create the 4-5 that you will want to setup immediately. I especially like that my wife can watch a movie in surround sound without me having to show her how to turn on the receiver and change the inputs.
I was also a little worried about the XYAB button, because I read a review that I was giving up buttons that are on the other Harmony remotes. I didn't realize that for non-xbox activities/devices I can assign those buttons to whatever I want. I don't feel like I gave up anything.
In the end, I love this remote. It's the only universal remote I've owned which was really universal (except for the Wii).
Customer Review: This thing will even cook your breakfast!!
Summary: 5 Stars
..well, almost!
Cons:
$130.00 up-front cost (which can easily be offset by a year's supply of batteries once you discard every other IR remote in your house!!)
You MUST have web access to program the thing (albeit Mac OSX or Windows compatible!)
Pros:
Simplicity
This remote is DESIGNED for BOTH technically challenged and technical guru's alike! Seriously, who has time to fumble with 8 different remotes, all with different layouts (even from the same manufacturer), each with an endless array of rarely used buttons? How often really are you going to need access to the buttons that program your favorite radio stations, or A/V source buttons that you'll never use? With Harmony you can either disable them entirely (so you don't accidentally press the wrong button during a movie), or you can add them to the LCD list and sort them any way you choose.
Powerful Setup
The online web programming tool is pretty smart. It will ask just the right questions so that you'll get the exact desired result you are looking for. Right after the default programming, most functions are added to your remote for you. However, with a small investment of your time (highly recommended) you can COMPLETELY customize every button on this thing. And if a button doesn't exist, you can name your own buttons that can be accessed through the scrolling LCD screen! Also, if you goof and answer a question wrong, no big deal. Log onto Logitech's website and it will remember your previously saved settings (a big plus when it's time to change the batteries). Then you can easily customize/fine-tune, or you can run the setup wizard again from scratch. Click update, your remote will download the software in a few minutes, and you're set!
The "Activities" button is my favorite feature of this remote (to the geeks, Activities are basically macros that perform several repetitive tasks at once). One click and you can watch a DVD... it will turn your TV on, set it to any AV source you choose, turn on your DVD player, turn on your home theater sound system and set it to the correct input channel... the works with one single click! And when you want to play a game, one click can also turn off any component that will not be used for that function. And just as you can create custom named buttons, you can create custom activities (you could easily use this remote to control all IR electronics in your house because you can label each activity (i.e. "Den CD Changer", "Sony PS2", "Kitchen TV", etc...)!
Another cool feature? I was able to split components for ease of use. For instance, my Amplifier is also my primary AM/FM Tuner, so by simply adding the Amplifier to the remote TWICE and entering the same model number for each I could then customize the buttons to do exactly what I wanted, and hide the rest. I did the same thing for my VCR/DVD Combo (Again, for simplicity's sake-I dont' need to adjust my tracking while watching a DVD)!
Now back to my original statement. Logitech claims this thing will control ANY A/V source that requires an IR remote. I know someone who has also hooked up his home lighting system to this thing! I'm going to keep looking for other uses for this remote, but it truly is the KING of one-for-all remotes. Oh, and the XBox 360 controls are great too! :)
Buy this thing - you will not regret it!
Customer Review: best remote available for 360
Summary: 5 Stars
LOGITECH 360
It's almost identical to the Logitech Harmony 550 with xbox360 cosmetic styling (the white/gray) and added xbox360 color buttons for 360 media functions. It is the most advanced and best of all 1st and 3rd party remotes available for the xbox360. It is also the most expensive - but this is one of the only times I will argue that this expense is absolutely worth it. This remote, like all Harmony remotes, will in fact replace every other remote you've ever seen, even goofy oddball companies (like the remote control window fan I have). You will be able to set up any scenario with the remote by the press of a button. For example, press "Watch TV" and it turns on the TV (if off) sets it to the correct input (if not already on the correct input), turns on your audio receiver (if off) and sets to the correct input, turns on your satellite receiver or cable box (if off) and any other piece of equipment you tell it to for that activity. It'll even dim the lights for you, if you have remote controlled lights. If you wanna watch a movie next, press "Watch Movie", this remote switches the inputs on your TV and audio receiver for you, turns on your DVD player and turns off you satellite/cable box. After the movie is over and you wanna play Xbox, press the "Play Game" (or whatever you name that function), it'll turn off your DVD player and turn on the xbox360, again switching the inputs...
You can control what these activities are and how they function.
If you don't have an xbox360, there is 0% reason to get this over the 550, 880, 890, etc...If you own an xbox360 and like the styling or use it a lot, there is a pretty good reason to get it. There is really no reason to get any other remote to use the xbox360's media functions - the joystick controller can actually do this for you.
THINGS THIS REMOTE DOES HAVE THAT OTHER GENERAL REMOTES DON'T HAVE
- USB port that will always be able to upgrade firmware, software and learn new remote codes via internet
- the basic ability to control everything you've ever seen at a simple touch. A lot of other remotes say they are "universal" but usually have some goofy problem controlling some of the electronics you own.
THINGS THIS REMOTE DOESN'T HAVE THAT OTHER HARMONY REMOTES DO HAVE
- not rechargeable (like 880, 890)
- no advanced LCD activity graphics (like 880, 890)
- no RF signal (like 890)
ABOUT OTHER HARMONY REMOTES
Many people already own a 550, 880, etc. These are all very good and all pretty much work the same with slightly different styling and interfaces. My personal favorite is the 890 which does both IR (infra-red) and RF (radio freq) signals - the RF signals will usually penetrate or go around walls and work with home automation applications (like turning on/off lights/appliances remotely). But the 890 is very expensive.
ABOUT LOGITECH
They make some pretty solid and reliable hardware.
One negative note: Logitech sometimes flubs on their software, which means you have to wait a few weeks to update your remote until they fix it.
Customer Review: This is the remote for you...
Summary: 5 Stars
What a great little device. I believe this item has been discontinued for a couple of years so you can no longer find it in regular retail stores like Best Buy. So the software included with the remote on the disc is a bit out of date. It's not compatible with Vista, which unfortunately I am running. You will want to go to the logitech website and download the latest version which is Vista compatible. Version 7.6 I believe it is (12/9/09). It's easy to find on their site.
Once you download and install the software, setting up was rather easy. There are several steps to go through to setup each device which is made much easier if you have all of your devices' model numbers handy. You may have to be patient with the whole process. There are a million ways to tweak all of your settings to get everything just the way you want it. The "Activities" that you can setup work surprisingly well. Say you want to watch TV and or play your Xbox and you have an AV Receiver, the remote will turn on each pertinent device and even set your receiver to the correct input and your TV to the correct video input. There are so many details that you can work out like which device to use for volume control (your TV or Receiver), remapping buttons. And it can even learn specific button signals for those that may have not mapped with the device's profile from their database. It's as easy as pointing the original remote to the Harmony remote and pressing the button. It's very responsive.
You have a profile that you need to setup to use the setup software/website. The nice thing about it is that your profile and all of your tweaked remote settings are saved and attached to that profile, so if for some reason the remote gets wiped clean, you shoule be able to reconnect and redownload all the things that you setup.
I'm not sure up to how many devices it can control at once. More than you could ever fit into your entertainment system I would imagine. The database of devices that the Harmony accesses is incredibly large. I would be surprised if you couldn't find your device there. I even found my Comcast DVR box model. The PS3 is listed as well.
This thing absolutely does everything. And it just looks really cool. It has a good weight and feel to it. It doesn't feel cheap. The light up display isn't bad. As others have said, the number buttons are a bit small and crammed together. It may not look like it until you actually try pressing them. This is the last remote I'll ever need to buy. All of your techie friends will be jealous.