Logitech Harmony 1100

Before I bought this remote control I did a lot of research into this remote b/c almost $400 for a remote is worth spending time making sure you get exactly what you want. I have to admit that I was a… little skeptical about getting it b/c of all the negative stuff about this remote. Granted, there are many many positive reviews on this remote throughout the internet but the negative stuff really stuck in my head. I am really glad I just decided to chance it and go for it. I just couldn't resist its cool sleek look. Before I even got the remote I was prepared to spend a good 10hrs programing this thing; however, it only took me about 10min to get it up and running and I don't have a simple system either. I have a dvr box, home theater receiver, TWO LCD TV's, TWO PS3's, and a WD TV Live (media player). This is all in one system. Granted I have spent much more than 10min setting up the remote after the initail setup but after that initial 10min setup everything was working as I expected. What takes all the time, at least for me, is I started discovering more and more possibilities of the remote as I went along and I would make changes, then discover something new and make more changes. Basically, I just wanted to play with the sweet remote. One thing I was concerned about was getting stuck in a cycle where one thing is already on, like the receiver, and I press the 'Watch TV' button and the have the remote send a power signal to the receiver and turn it off. I found that this is almost a non-existent issue. Most equipment has a frequency for Power ON and a different frequency for Power OFF even if your original remote only has a Power ON/OFF button. If you happen to have an odd ball that doesn't have this then there is a little 'Help' box you can press after the activity starts and it will go through your devices and ask you if everything on that should be on and off that should be off and is on the appropriate inputs. I honestly can't understand how people have a hard time programming this thing. I mean, they can't make it any easier. You just enter the model number of your equipment and BAM it provides you with all the buttons. In an EXTREMELY rare case that your equipment isn't in the database then you just click the 'Learn IR' button, point the original remote at the Harmony 1100 and it record the IR frequency. Then you just create a name for the button such as 'Power' or 'Chan+'. The only problems I could possibly see people having is if their equipment isn't in the database and they lost the original remote. I am sure there is a way around this but I didn't have to go down this road b/c all my stuff was in the DB and I have the orginal remotes. If your worried that your equipment might not be in the DB, then you can check on logitech's website. I remember seeing somewhere on their site that you could enter your model numbers and it would tell you if they had it but it has just about every device made with a remote in that DB so don't worry. The only execption to this is the PS3 b/c it uses bluetooth rather than infrared but there is a 3rd party device you can get that will allow you to control the PS3. I also remember reading it had a short battery life. I have no idea what these people are talking about. I could probably go for about a week without charging my remote and I don't really watch much regular TV. I usually watch DVRed programs that I constantly press FF and PLAY through commercials; however, maybe don't click as many buttons throughout a TV watching session as others. There is just no way that anyone could drain the battery of this thing in one day. IMPOSSIBLE! It could be that people don't realize that the battery icon that shows a half full battery that is displayed while the remote is in the charger is a static icon and doesn't change. You have to take the remote off the charger and "wake up" the remote to get the real battery reading. As far as overcharging the remote, it can't be overcharged so you don't have to worry about how long its been in the charger. What I am a little disappointed about is the remote is lacking in custom button images. For example, I create a custom button layout and on 'Chan+' and 'Chan-' I wish I could put an 'up' arrow or '+' as an image on the button. There are some images but not many and no way to create your own custom images either because the setup software gets the images from Logitechs website. Although, you can find websites that have all the channel logo's that you can download for your favorite channel buttons. These can be added b/c these images are uploaded on your remote from your computer. Yes, this remote is strange to work with at first b/c it is not the typical wand style but I could tell this would be the case by looking at the picture before I bought it. For me, its not really a big deal. Most of your common buttons are the hard buttons to the right of the touch screen and it gives the remote a similar feel as a wand style like most are used to but the other buttons on the touch screen I have to use two hands and look down at the remote to press the buttons. I personally could careless about this but if that would bother you then you should consider it. In summary: If you are having a hard time trying to decide if you should commit to this remote or not, then just buy it. I promise, you will be very glad you did.

expand

collapse

I have the one remote and gave it to my husband. I was hoping to give him this one but as he only has one hand that works, it is to hard for him to use this one with only one hand, but with the one he has… no problem, tho this is easier to see and understand then the one. For myself I love it. Have not had it long so still playing with it. One small problem for me is the power button. I tend to pick it up by the left upper corner, and that is where the power button is. :( Still finding things out about it but so far I really like it. The Harmony remotes are the only ones I have found that work for ALL the controls for our dish pvr/dvr. But it works for SO much more. If you can afford it, or get it used, it is a great remote. (hmmm, wonder if I can program my xmas tree lights on it. lol)

expand

collapse

This is my first universal remote. It's not the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it adequately--if not perfectly--does the job as the One Remote to Rule Them All. I use this remote to control the… following: (1) Panasonic Plasma 58V10 (2) Scientific Atlanta 8300HD Cable Box/DVR (3) Sony DAV-X1 DVD/Home Theater System Speakers (hereafter "Sony HTS") (4) Playstation 3 2-4 are behind cabinet doors. The 1100 controls them through the RF Wireless Extender and PS3 Adapter. THE GOOD. First, reduction. Instead of four remotes, we now need only one. Second, ease of use. Starting an activity, like watching TV or turning on the Playstation 3, takes only a single button press on a single remote, rather than a complicated sequence on several remotes. To illustrate: Watching TV Before 1100 (1) open cabinet door for Cable Box (2) turn on Cable Box (3) turn on TV with TV remote (or Cable remote) (4) set TV input to Cable with TV remote (5) use Cable remote to change channels, operate DVR, etc. Watching TV With 1100 (1) press Watch TV activity (2) use 1100 to control TV and Cable Box Using Playstation 3 Before 1100 (with sound outputted to Sony HTS) (1) open cabinet door for Sony HTS (2) switch Sony HTS input for PS3 audio with Sony HTS remote (3) turn on TV with TV remote (4) mute TV (5) set TV input to HDMI port for PS3 (6) turn on PS3 (7) control PS3 with Bluetooth remote or game controller, control sound with Sony HTS remote Using Playstation 3 With 1100 (1) press Play PS3 (2) use 1100 to control PS3, TV, and Sony HTS What is more, switching between activities is almost as easy. Simply press the "activities" button to get to the activities screen, and select the activity to switch to. The remote will automatically turn on and set whatever equipment necessary, as well as turn off any equipment no longer in use. Nice. SETUP. The setup software walks you through creating activities (e.g., Watch TV, Watch DVD, Play PS3, etc.). You let it know which devices need to be turned on, in what order, and with what settings for each activity. Once the remote is programmed, simply pressing an icon for a particular activity will activate all the commands in the proper sequence to start that activity. Within each activity, the setup software will give you a default set of commands/icons for different screens (e.g., a favorites screen, a custom screen, a numerical screen, and a screen with playback controls). You can change the default commands with any that are on the remotes for devices associated with that activity. For the Watch TV activity, you can also select your favorite channels with a button press. THE BAD. I'm a bit of a gadget/tech geek, and found the setup software and remote system easy enough to use, but not without quirks or problems. Here are some. 1. Setup software requires a little tech savvy. It was fairly easy for me to discover what I wanted and needed to do through the setup software, but there was some trial and error. I'm not sure that someone who's not tech savvy, like me wife, could do it without cursing a few times. She certainly could not have customized/optimized the remote to the extent I have. Sometimes, the instructions or explanations are not that clear. Other times, there are none. 2. Setup software does not detect the 1100 or RF Extender half of the time. I have had to unplug and replug the devices into the computer several times to get the software to see and update them with new/different commands. Seems that the software only likes one item to be plugged in at a time, and only right before that device's turn to be updated. 3. Updating the remote with new/different commands requires also updating the RF Extender if you use one. Considering that I've tweaked the settings dozens of times in the first week alone, this is no minor inconvenience. The RF Extender has to be unplugged from its power source and from the IR cables, and then subsequently reattached. Why the remote couldn't be made to reprogram the RF Extender wirelessly is beyond me. 4. Missed commands. Sometimes, particularly on long startup sequences (like my Play PS3 activity), one of the devices will miss the commands from the 1100. For example, my Sony home theater system may not change to the right input to receive sound from the PS3. A help menu on the remote will fix missed commands. 5. Major bug for controlling the PS3. One of the perks of the 1100 is its ability (with the PS3 Adapter) to power on/off and control the console. As anyone with a PS3 knows, its four gamepad buttons--circle, square, triangle, and X--get lots of use. These buttons appear in the setup software, but they do not appear on the remote in the middle of the gamepad screen as they are supposed to. The screen is just blank. These missing buttons are a bug that Logitech apparently has known of but has not fixed for over half a year. It is inconvenient and inexcusable for a remote of this caliber and expense. The workaround that people have used is to program those functions into the sidetab buttons or custom controls page. That solution is workable, if not the most convenient. 6. Could be more customizable. While you can add icons for your favorite channels (Google "squareeyes icon harmony" for a great database of logos), you cannot add custom icons for any command on the remote. The included icon database is paltry. TWO HANDS v. ONE. Unlike some, I do not find it inconvenient to use two hands to hold and control the remote. In any case, one hand often will suffice, as when using the hard buttons or one of the tabbed buttons on either side of the screen. True, you can't grip it like a regular remote. But the contoured back makes it comfortable and easy to balance in your hand. LOOKING DOWN. I also do not have a problem with having to look down at the touchscreen. I was never able to memorize all of the buttons on my 4 other remotes, so I had to look at them too unless I simply wanted to use the volume, channel, or power buttons. Those are all hard buttons on the 1100 as well. CONCLUSION. This remote eliminates the need to use all others, and makes it easy for anyone to control my home theater system. It sounds almost cliche (and a little sexist), but it's so easy, even my wife can use it. And the kids. And their babysitters. But it takes some work to program it for optimal use, and as noted, it has its quirks. I would recommend it, almost highly. P.S. If you have questions or need help setting up the remote, you might want to try the AVS Forums. In the remote control forum, there's a thread for 1100 owners with plenty of information as well as helpful people willing to share their knowledge and experience with you.

expand

collapse

I purchased this remote to replace a Sony Integrated Remote Commander. My Sony remote still works, but I recently upgraded all of my AV equipment and the hassle of setting everything up manually led me to… purchase the Harmony 1100. It took a little more than 10 minutes to install and test 7 AV devices. My current setup includes a DVD Player (which I use as my CD Player), Blu-ray Disc Player, T.V., Cassette Player, VCR, FIOS HD DVR Receiver, and an AVR. Everything works great and the remote allows you to press an activity (e.g. "Watch a movie") and the remote will turn on all of the appropriate devices. The remote is about half the size of my Sony and very nicely designed. Price wasn't an issue for me for this purchase because I don't mind paying for something that is functional, easy to use, and sturdy enough to provide you with many years of usage.

expand

collapse