Universal Remotes: Reviews

To say reviewers love the Logitech Harmony One is putting it mildly. Experts praise the Harmony One's excellent setup software, touch-screen color LCD and sleek, ergonomic design that testers find comfortable and… intuitive. The Harmony One remote control has sculpted, backlit buttons and comes with a charging station for its lithium-ion battery. A web-based setup wizard makes programming relatively easy, letting the Harmony One control up to 15 devices with one-touch ease. Web-based setup ensures the remote will keep up with the latest AV equipment, but non-techies may find this process a little overwhelming. Although reviewers rave about the Logitech Harmony One, it is probably overkill if you just want to control two or three components. A lack of radio-frequency functionality is a notable shortfall, so the Harmony One can't control devices behind closed cabinets or in other rooms.

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If you don't like the computer-based setup of Logitech's Harmony remotes, experts recommend the Universal Remote Control Digital R50. This universal remote can control up to 18 devices (more than the Harmony remotes), and… you don't have to hook it up to your computer -- the remote is programmed using an internal wizard displayed on the color screen. Reviewers say the URC Digital R50 is a good alternative to the Logitech Harmony remotes, even though they prefer those remotes overall. While the on-board setup may appeal to some, it's not without faults -- some reviewers say it takes a good deal of time to set up a large home theater, but that's a common complaint for advanced universal remotes. Some reviewers say they would prefer a rechargeable battery, and several owners complain that the URC Digital R50 comes with a quick-start guide, rather than an in-depth user's manual.

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It may not be the most featured-packed universal remote, but experts and users say the Universal Remote Control R6 is a good, basic remote that can control up to six devices. It lacks a color screen, rechargeable battery… and web-based setup, but the R6 is easy to program and works well for small home theaters. Like most basic remotes, you program the Universal Remote Control R6 by entering the codes of your AV equipment; if a code isn't included in the internal database, the remote can learn commands from the component's original remote. However, the URC R6 can only learn up to 40 buttons for any one device, and some owners say that's just not enough for complicated components. The URC R6 can program six macro commands with up to 20 steps each. Some reviewers note that the infrared range of 30 to 50 feet is a little short, since more expensive remotes have ranges around 65 feet.

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Reviewers say the new Logitech Harmony 1100 is a big improvement over its predecessor, the now-discontinued Logitech Harmony 1000. The Logitech Harmony 1100 can control up to 15 components with its 3.5-inch color touch… screen and one-touch activity controls. While it may look complicated, reviewers say the Harmony 1100 is very user-friendly and the setup is easy for most owners. The remote has fixed several problems commonly encountered with the Logitech Harmony 1000, including slow response times and a tendency to freeze. The price tag may be a deal-breaker for some, and multiple reviewers say they wish the Harmony 1100 had the ability to create custom activity sequences, or macros. The Logitech 1100 contains several pre-programmed macros (like "watch TV"), but users can't create their own, which is a bummer for some AV enthusiasts.

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The newly released Logitech Harmony 900 addresses one of the biggest shortfalls mentioned in reviews of the Harmony One -- a lack of radio-frequency output. Infrared, which is used by the vast majority of universal… remotes, requires line of sight to function. The Logitech Harmony 900 uses both infrared and radio frequency, so it can manage devices in other rooms or hidden behind closed cabinets. Reviewers love this feature, and many experts say the new Logitech Harmony 900 is an even better remote than the widely praised Harmony One. Like the Logitech Harmony One, the Harmony 900 uses a web-based setup wizard and can control up to 15 devices. New features include a higher resolution for the 2.2-inch LCD touch screen and dedicated Blu-ray buttons. The Logitech Harmony 900 has some of the same drawbacks as other Harmony remotes -- a high price tag and a glossy black case that shows every fingerprint and smudge (although Logitech now includes a cleaning cloth to rectify that problem).

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