Harmony Remotes- its clear I need one

[itschris]

Well I don't even have the receiver or bd player hooked up yet and it's clear the family just can't handlle all the TV remote, the cable remote, and oppo remote. We did some tv watching this weekend and things kept getting out of sync despite my efforts and tutorials.

No biggie, I just need a new remote that will make things a bit more bullet proof. I really like the new Harmony One, but I was just looking at the 550 which is just about half price. I'm wondiering if I'll be giving up much with the550. They both look nice, obviously the One is a bit fancier.

I just want to be able to press one button to turn stuff on and off and switch imputs as needs. For instance, some times we'll be watching just the tv, other times I want to pipe the tv through the system. Obviously, I'll need to have everything switch on to watch DVDs, blu-ray, or listen to music. I'm assuming either is capable for that.

Thoughts and advice are appreciated.

 

[bandphan]

are you limited to harmony? and do you run a second zon?

 

[itschris]

I have no allegience to Harmony. It's just that's the one everyone always talks about... sorda like Pronto years back. I don't have a second zone, but maybe setting up something on the lanai at some point.

 

[Midcow2]

I had basically the same problem

I have no allegience to Harmony. It's just that's the one everyone always talks about... sorda like Pronto years back. I don't have a second zone, but maybe setting up something on the lanai at some point.

When I wnet to new AVR and hookedup everything via HDMI, it is simple and everyone is happy. Maybe the Hrmony is different but I always found even the best programmed remotes lacking in the psecial features. Maybe Harmony is different, but i neve have been able to get the full-function DishNetowrk 722 DVR on to a univerasl remote.

Good Luck!

 

[itschris]

I'm sure for specialzied feautures, you still need the source remote, but when my daughter wants to pipe MTV through the system (we now have a channel that actually plays videos) I just want her to be able to click "Watch TV through surround" or something lo that effect, that will turn on the cable, the TV, and receiver, switch the receiver to the imput that has the digital audio out from the TV on it and let it rip.

 

[MDS]

The Harmony remotes should be able to do everything you need and if you like the looks and layout of them then it would be a good choice. Another alternative to consider is Home Theater Master remotes (eg. MX-350) from Universal Remote.

Note that there are no specialized features that a good universal remote cannot handle. If you use the pre-programmed setup codes then there is a chance that not all functions from the original remote will be available or placed on the buttons where you'd like them but if you actually teach the universal the commands from the original remote you should be able to program every function.

 

[itschris]

Any thoughts on the 550 vs the "One"?

 

[bandphan]

Maybe Harmony is different, but i neve have been able to get the full-function DishNetowrk 722 DVR on to a univerasl remote.

Good Luck!

The computer controlled universal brands would give you FULL function control.

Also the universal remotes will offer more bullit proof setup and macros, as well as rf control options.

http://universalremote.com/product_detail.php?model=135

 

[jostenmeat]

Any thoughts on the 550 vs the "One"?

Haven't played with the one, but I am very familiar with the layout of the 550, and a couple of other models.

Pretty much all Harmony remotes do the same damn thing. Ok, one or two might have a touch screen + rf.

The problem with 520/550 etc, are the tiny # buttons, and the "clicky" volume and channel. I use a cheap 520 (you may still find em, maybe $60-80??) that I use only for commanding the system. (I manually turn on/off system. Onkyo does not have 12v trigger, first of all. I turn on BDP first, as that helps avoid HDMI handshake issues. Then to receiver, then to amp, to protect speakers). I have a hi-end PJ, so I would hate to have to turn on/off accidentally; want to completely avoid unnecessary strikes).

Anyways, it works totally fine. I don't use any # buttons (no more tv). In one of the seat's cupholders, someone had a glass that was flush with the arm. I momentarily dropped it into the drink! Didn't work at first, but the next day after drying it did. I don't deserve a hi-end remote...

Anyways, the Pronto's are supposed to be excellent. The Monsters are less money, but also are said to be very excellent. I know of two who use them. One says the CS was top notch (oh I understand the hatred that is pervasive here) and the other is a CI guy who says they work great, and he himself hates Monster...)

I'm fine with my cheap-o. If you do get a Harmony, its nearly inevitable that the system will go out of sync. You will have to teach family how to get the system back in sync with itself, as well as with the remote. You'll want to get the "delay" settings just right as well when programming, as I found this to help sync issues before when the remote was used to turn on/off.

The single biggest benefit of a Harmony remote for me is simply that its backlit. Though I've come to memorize the commands by feel now, perhaps even that is not an issue anymore.

-jostenmeat

 

[10010011]

I had a Harmony 550 for a while. Pain in the you know what to program, not hard to do just Logitech's software kind of sucked.

Over all I liked it, except for the whole "activity based" aspect of it. I am too used to universal remotes that are device based.

My wife never could figure it out and hatted it with a passion. Every time she used it we would end up in a shouting match over it, how much it cost, what a pile of sh*t it was... "Just turning on the TV should not be this hard", she would say.

My biggest complaint was you had to make sure you did not move it once you started an "activity" of it would miss something and get out of sync. Then you have to step through that horrible help system "Is the TV on? Is the TV set to input X? Is the AVR on? Is the AVR set to input X?...." I would much rather be able to jump right to say DVR and turn it on or change the channel.

I ended up selling it on Craig's List for $50

 

[Hi Ho]

If you want bullet proof than you need an RF based remote that is using discrete codes. I had a Harmony 688 and I thought it was great. It did everything I wanted it to. It got out of sync a lot though. If someone went up and manually turned on a component or switched an input it threw the entire system out of whack.

When I started my current job I picked up a URC MX-900 and MRF-350 base station. I will never go back to anything less. The MX-900 is MUCH more flexible and reliable than the Harmony. My macros work 100% of the time and the family finds it extremely easy to use. The layout is very easy with two categories; "Watch" and "Listen. The "Watch" menu includes all activities relating to video while "Listen" is audio only. Discrete codes make all the difference when setting up reliable macros and the URC database is much more extensive than the Harmony. For example, I have several hundred commands available for my Yamaha receiver, far more than the OEM remote has.

The URC software is FAR better than the Harmonys web based setup. The Harmony forces one to repeatedly go through countless wizards in order to make what should be simple tweaks. For example; If I want to add a single step to a macro I must click "Customize this activity" and go through the entire 5 step wizard so at the end I can click "I need to add some functions" (not exact wording) and then go through the SAME WIZARD AGAIN before I can add one step! Then it may or may not let me do that for some unknown reason. In the MX-900 Editor I simply click on the activity button I want to edit and add the step to the macro, no wizards, no clicking "Next" repeatedly. It literally takes me four times as long to program a Harmony as it does a URC remote for the same system. The MX-900 setup is non-linear which means it has a steeper learning curve but it is far more efficient.

The Harmony remote will work and it will most likely be easier to use than a pile of separate remotes but if you're truly looking for a fail-safe system then you need to look elsewhere.

 

[captiankirk28]

I had the same prob. or should i say my wife had the same prob. so i bought the Logitech Harmony 1000 and everyone is happy now, it is so easy to program, just log ontp their web site and pick out what devices you have and it programs it for you but you get to pick out what order you want everthing to turn, and than it just takes one button to turn everything on. It is a joy to use and their is no more complaining, (works great). I have not had any play time with the 550 so i can not say anything on that model but from what i herd people like them also but i dont know if they are as easy to program or not.
Hope this helps and good luck!!

 

[itschris]

Well I really like the universal remote 980, but my wife would have my nuts in a jar if I spent $500+ on a remote. She's pretty much given me zero pushback on any of the new stuff I've bought, but that much on a remote won't fly. I could buy it, but I don't want to listen to the crap that follows.

I'm thinking the $200-$250 range would be the max so I guess that brings me back to the Harmony's again.

 

[Warpdrv]

Well I really like the universal remote 980, but my wife would have my nuts in a jar if I spent $500+ on a remote.

HEhehhe then I won't be suggesting anything from the pronto line.

I'd hate to think about anyone losing their nuts... but on the brighter side, if she puts them in a jar, you can always visit them from time to time..

 

[Beans]

Consumer Alert

Personally I would HIGHLY recomened you stay away from Harmony.

Last year I purchased the Harmony 1000 after reading all the great things Harmony claimed and advertised about this remote. It was my first Harmony experience and my expectations were high. By high I mean I wanted the remote to do exactly what was advertised.

My dissapointment comes not from the issues I will mention the remote had (issues experienced by many), but by the way Harmony handled the issues. All companies have problems and product deffects but its how they handle them which sets them apart.

Below is a list of issues and the process I went through try to work with Harmony in order to resolve the issues.

1. Z-Wave: Z Wave was an advertised feature of the remote. When I purchased (Jan 2007) the remote for $599.00 (plus $200 for the RF extender) I found out it did not support Z Wave. Harmony "support" made 5 specific firmware release dates to address this issue which all came and went. Finally they anounced in June of 2007 that they were no longer going to release a firmware update to fix the issue. No compensation was given to owners and the price did not drop for future owners even though the remote lost one of its main features.

2. Freezing happens almost daily: I started a thread in the Harmony forum on their site which went on for months about issues regarding the remote freezing and the only fix was to remove the battery, replace and reboot (which automatically shuts everything off in your system). Many people posted with the same issue and tons of people reported (and still report) the same issue on the ongoing AVS forum thread on the 1000. Every call I made to Harmony resulted in them saying "strange issue we have never heard of anyone having this problem" which only made me more made because I know how many people reported the problem. Finally 3-4 weeks ago (over a year after the problem started) they finally released a "fix" for the freezing issue. I can confirm and confirm by many others the freezing issue did not get fixed. The remote freezes 3-4 times a week. In fact their "fix" added a problem of making the volume go all the way up or all the way down on its own.

The above are the two major issues and again its less to do with the issues, but more to do with the false advertising, denial of the problems and lack of response and fixes for the problems which makes me warn people Harmony.

Are many people happy with thier Harmony remotes? yes and many will have no problems, but I jus want tt warn you about the way they do business represented by the way they chose to deal with their 1000 customers.

Keep in mind my post is not based on my personal experience only with 1 bad product. MANY people have reported the same issues and all got the same response as me.

couple of other issues:
1.) remote creates hi pitched noise when on charger and screen on
2.) remote has very slow response time: fixed promised, but never came
3.) volume changes on its own.

If you want my advice I would look at RTI or Universal Remotes as alternatives.

 

[itschris]

Problem is, I just don't see any decent looking remotes for under $250. I'm wondering if a lot of the issues are based around more complex setups. I mean for $200 street price, the HarmonyOne seems to be a good choice. Granted, I much rather have an RTI or Universal Remote, but I just don't feel $500 is warranted for my needs.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I use the bottom of the line Harmony 659 and it was very easy to program and works like a charm. I have never had an issue with it.

 

[MDS]

Problem is, I just don't see any decent looking remotes for under $250. I'm wondering if a lot of the issues are based around more complex setups. I mean for $200 street price, the HarmonyOne seems to be a good choice. Granted, I much rather have an RTI or Universal Remote, but I just don't feel $500 is warranted for my needs.

$500 isn't warranted unless you want the color icons and setup via an application on your computer. The high end Universal Remote remotes have far more capabilities than is needed for a typical setup.

I use the MX-350 and it's $125-150 depending on where you buy it. Add $70 for the RF basestation and you have an RF remote that will work from anywhere in the house for less than $200. The programming is done on the remote itself and it's best to learn all the commands from the original remote rather than use the pre-programmed setup codes. It's a little more tedious to set up initially but it is incredibly flexible and you can put any command from any device on any button - even mix and match device and 'activity' mode.

 

[10010011]

more to do with the false advertising, denial of the problems and lack of response and fixes for the problems which makes me warn people

Same goes for Logitech products in general.

Don't get me started on the P.O.S. MX5000 desktop blue tooth mouse and keyboard I purchased for a nice chunk of change a few years ago.

 

[GlocksRock]

Since I don't have cable or satellite, I get my tv from an over the air anteanna, and I always have to switch back and forth between the HDMI and antenna input on the tv. If I got a universal remote such as something in the harmony line, would I be able to easily use the harmony, what I mean is how will the remote know what input the tv is already on, it won't know wether it needs to change tv inputs or not right? I don't want it to run a macro to change tv inputs when it's not needed. Also are those remotes able to allow me to do the functions of the remote my receiver came with? I've considered getting a nice universal remote in the past, but just didn't figure it would be worth the money.