Fantastic Remote: Simple to Program, Even Easier to Use!

A year ago, I purchased the Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control and have liked it so much that I had determined to buy a second remote this year in order to have one upstairs and one downstairs. Although both the Harmony 880 and the new Harmony One each control many devices (I currently have 14 devices configured on each), it became tiresome to have to go to a different floor of the house to grab the remote for the other level. Then Amazon Vine received the Harmony One remote from Logitech for review, and I was thrilled to be able to review it.

The Harmony 880 and the Harmony One are very similar in functionality and programming. Both are programmed using a USB interface to your PC and the Logitech Harmony Remote Software. Both can handle multiple devices with considerable ease, allowing for most users to configure every remote-controlled device in their home. Both remotes can `learn' from the original remote if you are not able to configure a device using the model number. Both of these remotes enjoy a rechargeable dock.

Where the significant improvements are in the Harmony One over the Harmony 880 are the feel of the device in the hand, the improved backlit hard buttons that are easy to see in the dark, and a dock that cradles the remote much better (making it more difficult for your cat to knock the remote out of the dock! LOL). Also, with significant spaces between buttons on the Harmony One, it is easier to feel your way around the remote without looking.

If you are replacing an older Harmony remote, the Logitech Harmony software offers the opportunity to `replace' the currently configured device with the newer device, transferring your device setup for all the TVs, VCRs, DVRs, etc. to the new remote with little effort. As I did not want to replace, but add a new remote, I didn't use this function myself.

For those of us who are adding a new remote, I was a bit disappointed in the Harmony Remote software. You cannot have multiple remotes under one Logitech account. Instead, you must set up a separate ID for each remote. Many people use the same ID for most computer programs and online sites requiring one, and this requirement may cause some trouble for us in the future. I can easily imagine that the next time I need to program this remote I may have forgotten the ID I used to set it up with. While I keep pretty good track of my IDs and passwords, it will be hard to remember a year from now that I had to use a non-standard ID for this one. I would like to see the software revised to allow for multiple remotes in one account, and the ability to copy configurations from one to another.

On the bright side, the software really does make it easy to configure your televisions, Tivos, DVD players and more. If you have the model number of that device, this is the simplest method of configuring it, and with an extensive database of model numbers - including some very old tvs and the like (judging by my own setup), it is a pretty sure-fire way to set up your Harmony One Remote quickly and easily.

Of course, there are times when you simply cannot find the model number for a device. My bedroom television does not have a model number anywhere that I can find it. So, I used the `learn' function on the Harmony One Remote to teach the Logitech device the correct codes, using my original remote from the television. Even if you haven't the original remote, the remotes are still easy to configure using the brand name and the device type (i.e. Sharp TV) in the Harmony software.

Programming custom buttons for devices is very easy. I like to control the volume on my television while the remote is in Tivo mode, so I simply used the TV remote to program the volume buttons on the Harmony One Remote for the specific TV I will use. This procedure is as simple as lining up the two remotes and clicking the button you are configuring, then letting the Logitech software do its magic!

So far, I have configured a variety of devices with this remote easily: TVs, TiVos, DVD players, VCR, Cable Boxes, and an A/V receiver. None were problematic, and all work very well. I highly recommend the Harmony One Remote for anyone who wants to combine all their remotes to one and prefers ease of configuring. Oh, and it looks pretty sharp, too. Especially with my own photographs downloaded to run a pretty screensaver!