Since I have no previous experience with the Harmony 1000 from Logitech, I won't be able to make any comparisons for those that are considering an upgrade.
Price: Prepare yourself for some sticker shock. At nearly $500, this remote carries a hefty price tag, and it's a bit hard to justify that much money for such a small device. On the other hand, this device may be the only one that you'll ever need while using your home electronics, and if you're unhappy with a bunch of remotes (or just want the cool factor), then maybe it's worth it.
Look and Feel: It's very light in terms of weight and easy to hold. In general, it has a very slim form factor and is not bulky by any means. On the downside, the finish is easily susceptible to fingerprints, as well as the actual touch screen, so you'll find yourself cleaning it every now and then.
Setup: The setup is pretty straightforward and you don't have to be a genius to get it going. It's as easy as installing the software, connecting the remote via the supplied USB cable to your PC, and then walking through a wizard which configures the remote. The remote revolves around "Activities" which might be things like "Watch TV" or "Watch a DVD" or "Play a Video Game". All of these are designed such that your various devices are all turned on and configured with a single button push. How well this actually works will depend on the device that you're using. I have a Samsung LCD TV, a Sony DA5000ES receiver, a Motorola cable box (with DVR), a Panasonic DVD/VCR combo, and an Xbox 360. Getting everything working with the exception of the receiver was a snap. Unfortunately, my receiver has a weird way of switching the inputs, and the Harmony wanted me to "teach" it how to change the inputs. While I worked through this for a while, I eventually gave up only because I was short on time. Aside from that, I think I lost one of the remotes to my Sony, and that made the teaching process that much harder.
Daily use: While I have not been using it for very long, I'm pretty pleased so far. My wife who is not technical savvy by any stretch loves it and has already started getting used to it and is anxious to get rid of our other remote controls. One minor annoyance is the need to "page" through a number of screens for some of the devices to get to their device-specific controls. For example, if you want to get to your DVR on your cable box, I have to hit the "page down" button five times, but once I'm there, I have full control using the tactile buttons on the right side of the remote. Perhaps there is a way to create a shortcut for this, although I haven't found it yet.
Customization: The included software allows a great deal of customization, so if you're into spending a bunch of time on the computer using their software, you'll love this remote. If you don't want to spend a bunch of time, the setup wizard should get you through the initial process in about 10 - 15 minutes and for the most part, further customization is not necessary, although it depends on your device.
Device Coverage: It's hard to say how much is covered, but the list that comes in from the software is pretty extensive, although it does not drill down to the specific model numbers, so it's hard to tell. In general, I think they have good coverage, especially from their existing remotes, and they're probably performing updates on their web site all the time. Worst case scenario - you can use your old remote to teach the Harmony the commands, but this isn't much fun.
Overall: If you want complete control over your entertainment system and are willing to pay for it, this remote is for you. If you're tired of having a number of remotes and want to consolidate with ease, this remote is for you. Logitech Harmony 1100 Universal Remote with Color Touch Screen
I won't reiterate the other technical reviews here- Read those, they are accurate. Rather, I'll address other issues not mentioned previously.
First, this is an incredible remote. I've owned a Sony Commander for 10 years and decided to try this one when my last Sony died. This one puts all others I've owned and used to shame. Save a few exotic features (see other reviews), this is all most people will need.
RATING:
I gave it 4 stars because of the difficulty of the software. Specifically:
1. I had to turn my firewall and virus protection off (I use McAfee). A call to tech support gave me 6 URLs the software uses, but McAfee requires the IP Addresses to add to the trusted sites list (trusted programs does not work). The tech didn't know these, but I traced them through McAfee. Once added, I was able to leave my firewall and virus protection on. Since Amazon does not permit disclosure of URLs, check the Harmony forum; I've posted the IPs and instructions there.
2. Navigating through the software is not very intuitive and the manual isn't very comprehensive. For example, there is a Device List and an Activities setup, each with several choices. Some items are listed under Activities that logically should be under Devices and vice versa. Even the tech agreed on this point- he said the software was "dumbed down" so the unsophisticated computer user could operate it. Paradoxically, simplifying it actually makes it more difficult to use.
3. The software uses a wizard, "linear" approach as opposed to a "drill down" approach used by most software. This is fine for initial setup, but to make changes, you must find the point in the wizard that guides you through the modifications you want to make. This can become tedious.
On the good side:
1. Once operational, the remote performs flawlessly. I don't even need the remote extender.
2. Tech support is the best I've come in contact with (I called twice). They are very pleasant, knowledgeable, patient, and not condescending. I stumped them a couple of times, but they were able to come up with a solution. The software connects with Logitech, so they are able to see your setup and even modify it if you want them to. When completing the initial setup, you are asked to rate the device; I rated it low because of the software issues. The tech said he noticed the low rating and asked what he could do to improve it. That led to a discussion concerning the software issues.
3. Other reviews complain about the size of the remote. Consequently, I was surprised to discover how relatively small it really is (about the size of a slice of bread and about two slices thick). There are also "handgrips" of a sort on the bottom of either side so that it can be operated one-handed.
4. After an activity is chosen, there are several "screens": each denoted by an icon. The heart represents favorites (for example, channels on the TV), the 123 is a numeric keypad, the Star is for custom controls, Stop/Play (called Transport Control) icon is for DVDs, VCRs, etc. and a Game Controller. The favorites and custom screens are individually programmable with your choice of icons, and all icons on all screens may be individually programmed to provide your choice of function.
5. Not mentioned elsewhere are 8 additional programmable icons, four on each side of the screen that provide more user defined functions (called SideBars). These are in addition to the screens mentioned above and can be programmed differently for each screen (i.e. Heart, Star, 123, etc.). I use these for utilities- e.g. TV mode or the menu etc.
6. The unit comes with a small choice of icons, but the tech referred me to a website with over 5,000 free icons including most TV channel icons. Refer to the Harmony forum or call Tech Support for the URL. I was even able to copy icons from the websites of my local TV stations and plug them into the Harmony without any difficulty (technical note- the icons use .bmp, not .ico files).
7. Each screen does have limits. For example, Favorites has a maximum of 24 icons, displaying 6 at a time (for example, 24 favorite TV channels).
8. The buttons to the right of the screen are also individually programmable.
9. There is a Learn function common to most universal remotes, but I haven't had to use it even though I have a wide variety of devices to control (i.e. receiver, dvd recorder, Blu-Ray, CD player, home theater, VCR, & TV). - Harmony Remote - Harmony 1100 - Logitech - Universal Remote'
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