Logitech is pretty much king in the land of universal remotes for a variety of reasons. Chief among them is the fact that their devices are so incredibly… er, logical, and easy to program, through the use of their ever-improving Harmony Remote software for PC.
Well, the software isn’t the only thing that has improved; as compared to my older ($200) Logitech Harmony 550, this $150 model’s almost universally superior, offering built-in support for rechargeable batteries, a color screen, better buttons, and—perhaps most notably—faster operational response. Sure, it can only control six devices compared with the 550’s fifteen, but most home theater systems don’t require any more than that regardless. On the other hand, the Harmony remotes do a lot more than just home theater…
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Bliss in entertainment
I could spend an entire paragraph here poetically traversing the frustration and impracticality of storing five or six different remote controls in your coffee table drawers, then expecting your guests (or even your wife) to make sense of the clutter… but that’d be far too cliché. Instead, let me simply say that once you’ve gone the Logitech Harmony route, you never go back.
Here’s how it works, from start to finish. In the Harmony 700 box, you’ll find:
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The remote
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A USB cable
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A tiny, 2×2” AC adapter into which you can plug the USB cable
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2 Sanyo Eneloop NiMH AA rechargeable batteries
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A printed Quick Start Guide and other documentation
Unlike with most universal remote controls, with a Logitech Harmony, you don’t sit down and pore through an exhaustive list of device manufacturers and associated code numbers. In fact, there’s no research or trial and error at all; instead, you simply download the Harmony software (from Logitech.com/myharmony), connect your device to your computer, register an account with Logitech (to track your devices and settings between multiple PCs), and follow the instructions to add devices you wish to control with your new remote. The latter process is nothing more complicated than A) Clicking Add Device and selecting the category of the device, B) selecting the device manufacturer, and C) typing in the model number. You do this for every device in your home theater setup (though practically anything with an IR port is eligible—laptops, camcorders, fans, light switches… you name it), provided your remote still has room for additional devices. In this case, the Harmony 700 can store up to six devices (its pricier brethren, such as the Harmony 900, can store up to 15).
(Also, some readers had asked whether or not the Logitech Harmony software works well with Windows 7. Currently I run Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit RTM and I have noticed zero problems with the newest software version to date.)
Once you’re finished with that step, that’s just about all there is to it—almost. Setting up Activities is the next goal; these allow you to select a form of entertainment, press a single button (for instance, “Watch TV” or “Play Xbox 360”), and let the remote do all the device switching and preparation work—essentially, macros. You can make these out of just about anything you wish, and setting them up is easy (the software guides you through a few basic questions about which devices will be in use for the activity; which one displays the video, produces the audio, etc.). In fact, you can even let the software detect logical activities based on the devices you’ve programmed.
The very meaning of customizability
Beyond that, via the advanced options, you’re provided with an even greater level of control. You can select which devices switch on, which ones turn off, which commands will be sent to which devices as part of the initialization sequence for the activity, and ditto for the exit sequence… it’s truly a smorgasbord of options. You can even customize the function of every single button on the face of the remote, and add your own buttons and custom macro sequences for display on the remote’s color LCD screen. Wow.
And that’s just the activity options. You can also control the remote’s internal default settings through the Harmony software—everything from the glow time to the default delay/repeat settings after certain buttons are pressed. And if you have any trouble with any particular function, the software features a massive, in-depth spider-web of questions/answers to help sort out precisely what might be the source of the issue. Chances are, no matter what it is, it’s fixable via one of the options provided here.
Time to play
Anyway, after wading through the bevy of settings and preferences in the software, you’re ready to program your remote. How do you do that, precisely? Well, you plug it into your computer and click Update Remote. At this point, the software first looks for any firmware updates for the remote, and then it takes around a minute to program the new devices, activities, and settings. When it’s finished, it asks you to check to ensure everything is working as planned. If it isn’t, it walks you through the troubleshooting/adjustment process to get it all functioning perfectly.
In my case, programming was a cinch, since my existing Logitech remote had already been set up with my home theater system. I quickly filled the Harmony 700’s memory of six devices, settling on:
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(1) Toshiba XF550U television
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(1) Sony HT-CT100 receiver/sound bar
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(1) Motorola DCH-6416 PVR
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(1) Xbox 360
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(1) Hyundai Imagequest Q321 secondary television (for game days 😉
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(1) Logitech MM-50 iPod dock/speaker station
At this point, I began to wish that I had a seventh spot to place my PlayStation 3 on the list, but I don’t yet own one of the required receivers to make it work with a Harmony Remote (these run around $50 on Amazon). You have to understand; once you’ve done away with nearly all your remotes, the urge to continue cleaning up the entertainment process is irresistible. Unfortunately, were I to add the PS3 to the list in the future, I’d have to delete another one of these existing devices from the remote.
My older Harmony 550 didn’t have this limitation. Like the higher-end Harmony models (some of which currently retail for less than the 700), it supported up to 15 different devices at once. But Logitech knows it’s made serious improvements elsewhere to this device, and that’s why they’re able to charge the difference. In spite of the 700 supporting fewer devices in memory, the major improvement over the 550 (for one) is the button responsiveness. On the 550, pressing a button sometimes resulted in a noticeable lag before the command was sent to the device. This was most pronounced when used in conjunction with my PVR, the Motorola DCH-6416. While, as you’ve already read, there are countless options for troubleshooting the remote within the Harmony software, it actually doesn’t seem possible to correct this issue—it seems to be a limitation of the device itself.
The 700 doesn’t show any signs of this lag. Instead, button presses are immediately sent to their respective devices, and control is smooth and predictable. I didn’t have to dive into the advanced options for signal repeats to try and figure out why a certain device wasn’t picking up on every transmission. Instead, I simply plugged in, programmed, and played.
The 700 is superior in other categories as well, such as its support for rechargeable batteries (chargeable via the USB plug), its color LCD screen, and its more comfortable and sensible sculpted buttons with sleeker backlighting. Why, then, would you ever spring for one of the more expensive remotes? Well, for starters, the Logitech Harmony One supports the coveted 15 devices, but retains most of the aforementioned strengths (I can’t vouch for its responsiveness however, as I don’t own one). The 700 also lacks a charging station (handy for keeping track of the pesky device) and a touch screen. And many higher-end models (including the 900) also support RF transmissions, meaning it’s possible to control devices which aren’t visible to the remote via IR.
So unless you’re looking for something to control a large number of devices or you are dead-set on a charging station, touch screen, or hidden device control, the 700 ought to do just fine. On the other hand, you’d be remiss not to at least check prices on some of Logitech’s other models before dedicating yourself to a certain one. Regardless, it’s safe to say that if you choose to go with the 700, you certainly will not be disappointed—this remote is practically flawless within its specifications.