Just got my first universal remote: Logitech 550

[ErinH]

With some gift cards I decided I'd spend on something I couldn't find cheaper online. Did some research and headed out to pick up the 550 from my local BB since it's current sale price was almost the same as I could find via e-bay.

At first it didn't want to program at all. It would cause the TV to turn on a full 30 seconds after everything else, my Tivo wouldn't change channels or record, etc etc. Long story short it was a mess.

The online setup is a breeze. My wife even did half of it (setting up delays off some numbers I told her). I think the whole process would've gone smoother had I setup the Tivo remote properly the first time; ie: the menu asked me to push buttons that my Tivo remote didn't have, which I'm sure is what caused me issues.

After having the Logi "learn" the Tivo remote and changing the delay times on everything I finally got it up and running to where I'm pretty satisfied. My wife absolutely loves it. No more hunting for 3 remotes and it powers everything on and off just fine.

I was told to pick up the 6xx series but am glad I didn't spend the extra $50. The 550 does everything I need to: Watch TV, Tivo, DVD, and listen to cd's.

All in all, it was $90 well spent. Me =

 

[Adameus]

Thanks for this quick review. I've been thinking about doing the exact same thing, although with CC gift cards and I haven't found any reviews of the 550 anywhere...only the higher-end models.

 

[velcrometer]

I'm thinking about buying one myself. Amazon.com has the 550 right now for $68, no tax, free shipping. And don't forget, if Amazon's price goes any cheaper in the 30 days after you buy it, they will give you the lower price & refund any extra money you spent.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-550-Universal-Remote/dp/B000EUGX70/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1198948896&sr=8-1

 

[armaraas]

Alright, since I just went through the same thing I'll try to offer an opinion as well. I was in the same situation with gift cards available for BB, so when the Harmony 880 went on sale for $145 I decided to buy it. Of course when I brought it home the first thing the wife asked was "how much was it" (we've been stuck with two homes for a while now, must be budget conscious...). She couldn't believe they sell remotes for that much, anyway....

The 880 was nice, color LCD was nice, not a necesscity but nice. It worked well, but I had a few concerns. I didn't like the buttons, I always felt like I was hitting a couple of buttons instead of just the one I wanted. I also had a problem with the play button not working with the dvd player, but everything else was fine. The 880 comes with a rechargeable battery and cradle. I have heard of a common complaint where the remote doesn't sit on it well and doesn't always charge as expected. I think I ran into this issue as I left it on overnight and the battery hardly had a charge the next day. I charged it for another 24 hours and a day later the battery's charge was down a thid already. I did not like the idea of leaving the charging cradle plugged in all the time, and wasn't sure if the charge would last for weeks at a time as I would expect.

On the other hand, there were a couple of things I liked. The LCD was bigger, so if shows 8 items to pick from instead of 4 like on the 550. I don't like having to scroll 8 screens when I need to change a setting on the tv or receiver. Also, the 880 had the time on it. Call it cheesy, but I haven't gotten a clock of any kind for my room, so it was nice to have it there. Oh, and the remote lights up when you move it, that was nice too. However, I decided the shortcomings outweighed the good, and for over $60 cheaper I went with the 550. No big complaints with it other than the smaller LCD and no clock. I have lots of rechargeable AAA batteries so I don't mind not having a charging cradle. The 880 was good, but not where I would like it to be to justify the price, the 550 is a good compromise.

For anyone still looking for a 550, CC has them for $79.99 this week (Adameus, if you're still looking). Also, if anyone has read this far here's your prize- http://bundleup.logitech.com/index.php
I think that still works, play the game, and after you lose you'll get an email with a link to a 10% mail in rebate to Logitech for a remote purchased this month. Hope that works still, if not let me know and I can probably get a link to the rebate itself with the rules. Good luck.

 

[ErinH]

^ Good summary.

Like you (in the long run), I decided that the other remotes higher in the series were just not necessary so I got the 550.

There are some bugs here and there, such as the DVD sometimes won't power off, or sometimes the receiver won't switch to the right source. But, the remote has a "help" button and as soon as you push it the remote will fix the issue and say "did this solve the problem". If not it'll try something else. Then when the issue is solved, I assume that it "learns" this because it usually doesn't happen again.

I think for those who have more than 4 functions they'd like to do with the remote, you might want to get something else, but for me all I needed it to do was switch between:
1. Watch Tivo
2. Watch TV (HD)
3. Watch DVD
4. Listen to CD

It does the job and I'm happy with my purchase.

 

[mouettus]

How long will the batteries last on one charge??

I know you'll say it depends on the type of batteries you're using but I just want an idea, approximately. This could really be a deal killer for me as I can live with 3 remotes no problem.

 

[aberkowitz]

How long will the batteries last on one charge??

I know you'll say it depends on the type of batteries you're using but I just want an idea, approximately. This could really be a deal killer for me as I can live with 3 remotes no problem.

This is the reason I'm trading up my 670 for the brand new (And rechargeable) Harmony One. I'm a HEAVY remote user and while the logitech remotes are completely awesome they drain battery like there's no tomorrow. I was changing batteries just about once every 3-4 weeks, and the thing takes 4 AAAs (understand in NYC 8 batteries are more expensive than a six pack of beer!). With money that I won off the superbowl I found the Harmony One on ebay for $175- not a bad deal at all.

I also found the 880s generally going for around $105-115 on ebay.

 

[mouettus]

This is the reason I'm trading up my 670 for the brand new (And rechargeable) Harmony One. I'm a HEAVY remote user and while the logitech remotes are completely awesome they drain battery like there's no tomorrow. I was changing batteries just about once every 3-4 weeks, and the thing takes 4 AAAs (understand in NYC 8 batteries are more expensive than a six pack of beer!). With money that I won off the superbowl I found the Harmony One on ebay for $175- not a bad deal at all.

I also found the 880s generally going for around $105-115 on ebay.

Bummer. I was more thinking about the harmony 550. So the LCD screen won't suck off juice as fast as the other colored ones. The only thing that kills me is that I only need to control 3-4 devices: TV, receiver, STB and PS3. The latter is impossible to control on an IF/RF remote so double bummer; I watch tv or play NHL 08 most of the time Is it that difficult to build a IR/RF/Bluetooth remote? Are some remotes like that in the making? Ah and let alone that dongle for the PS3. I've heard that it's very limited.

 

[fmw]

How long will the batteries last on one charge??

I know you'll say it depends on the type of batteries you're using but I just want an idea, approximately. This could really be a deal killer for me as I can live with 3 remotes no problem.

3 or 4 days. We keep the charging cradle on a table next to the sofa. When the power indicator shows less than full charge (2 days or so) we put on the cradle when we go to bed. Works great.

 

[fmw]

This is the reason I'm trading up my 670 for the brand new (And rechargeable) Harmony One. I'm a HEAVY remote user and while the logitech remotes are completely awesome they drain battery like there's no tomorrow. I was changing batteries just about once every 3-4 weeks, and the thing takes 4 AAAs (understand in NYC 8 batteries are more expensive than a six pack of beer!). With money that I won off the superbowl I found the Harmony One on ebay for $175- not a bad deal at all.

I also found the 880s generally going for around $105-115 on ebay.

You can buy rechargeable AAA's and charge them over and over. In fact they last longer per charge than single use batteries.

 

[Highbar]

I've got an 880 and love it. Yeah the charge "seems" to drop quick, but that's it. It will lose a bar or two in the first couple of days but will run for over a month without recharging. It's the only remote I use, I have it setup for my living room and bedroom. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Every once in a while it will miss a source on the tv but like Erin Hardison said the help fixes it.

T

 

[Alex2507]

You can buy rechargeable AAA's and charge them over and over. In fact they last longer per charge than single use batteries.

Are you sure?

 

[02ViperTodd]

I agree with HIGHBAR. I've got the 880 and even though expensive for a remote, I'll always own a true universal remote. I haven't experienced the quick discharge. When not in use it's in the cradle. This rule keeps my kids from running away with it and I always know where it can be found. Great product and good support via phone, just ask for level 2 support. I only needed support when my firewall wouldn't let me update the remote.
Todd

 

[aberkowitz]

Rechargeable batteries are awful!! I've owned about 3 or 4 different brands and associated chargers. The first 20 charges are fine, but after that I've found that the battery life diminshes drastically- much worse than your standard lithium-ion cell phone, camera, or remote control battery. I've had batteries that were guaranteed to last 10,000 charges die out on me after 100-150 (I had one of the original Samsung MP3 players that took AAA batteries).

 

[Thunder18]

Rechargeable batteries are awful!! I've owned about 3 or 4 different brands and associated chargers. The first 20 charges are fine, but after that I've found that the battery life diminshes drastically- much worse than your standard lithium-ion cell phone, camera, or remote control battery. I've had batteries that were guaranteed to last 10,000 charges die out on me after 100-150 (I had one of the original Samsung MP3 players that took AAA batteries).

I easily go about a month or more on my 550 before needing to recharge. I keep a spare set of AAA's in my battery charger/conditioner. $20-35 bucks will get you one that will condition your rechargeable batteries bringing them back as good as new. This is the one I own, really good for digicam batteries too if they use AAA/AA's: http://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Technology-BC-900-AlphaPower-Battery/dp/B00077AA5Q
Use high quality(name brand) NiMh batteries and you won't be sorry. I recommend the Samsung Eneloop's. Available at CC(and other places...), they come pre-charged and Samsung has done something to them to reduce the amount of power they lose over time compared to traditional rechargeable batteries.

 

[ErinH]

How long will the batteries last on one charge??

I know you'll say it depends on the type of batteries you're using but I just want an idea, approximately. This could really be a deal killer for me as I can live with 3 remotes no problem.

I haven't had to replace the batteries yet.