Logitech Harmony Ultimate & Smart Control Remotes Review

[admin]

We haven't reviewed a remote control in quite a while and there's a good reason for that. With a few minor exceptions, there hasn't been much movement in the residential remote control market. Until this year. This is the Logitech Harmony Ultimate and the Harmony Smart Control. Harmony busted onto the scene several years ago and was bought up by Logitech who then advanced the ergonomic design of the products and made them look a lot cooler. But the strength of the Harmony brand of remotes was always the extensive database of AV equipment.

Discuss "Logitech Harmony Ultimate & Smart Control Remotes Review" here. Read the article.

 

[Marshall_Guthrie]

The smart control is getting dangerously close to my perfect remote control. A simple remote control (something less than the 1 billion buttons found on most french bread-sized universal Remotes) that is still fully programmable with tactile buttons. My smart phone will never replace my remote because I don't want to have to look at my remote to use it.

Counting the directional pad as 5 buttons, I only use 14 buttons to control all my equipment and media for my HTPC based setup. I wish I had the chops and contacts to do a programmable remote kickstarter. I think the world would be ready for a learning remote version of the roku remote for the HTPC crowd.

 

[fuzz092888]

I like the little roku remote, although I think it's a great idea to have the iphone app for certain applications. Especially when you need to type something, the app is invaluable. Otherwise, the remote is great.

The smart control is getting dangerously close to my perfect remote control. A simple remote control (something less than the 1 billion buttons found on most french bread-sized universal Remotes) that is still fully programmable with tactile buttons. My smart phone will never replace my remote because I don't want to have to look at my remote to use it.

Counting the directional pad as 5 buttons, I only use 14 buttons to control all my equipment and media for my HTPC based setup. I wish I had the chops and contacts to do a programmable remote kickstarter. I think the world would be ready for a learning remote version of the roku remote for the HTPC crowd.

 

[panteragstk]

I agree. Simplicity is key. I use a Gyreation RF Media Center remote that is great. I use it to control all my equipment through my HTPC. Would be great to have a "perfect" remote. Mine is close, but out of production so if it breaks I'm in trouble. I think a harmony will be next.

 

[scattershot]

Am I the only one who would greatly prefer a updated version of the Harmony One remote?
I loved that the Harmony One remote was so intuitive you could gradually use it blindfolded and it was the most ergonomic remote I have ever used. My only complaints about the Harmony One was that the touch LCD screen sensor was very inaccurate, and the page right / left buttons often got pressed by accident when accessing the touch LCD screen.

On the other hand, these new Harmony remotes focus too much on the touch sensor to the detriment of the remotes ergonomics. They have removed too many essential buttons, and the layout isn't nearly as ergonomic as the Harmony One.

I understand some people would prefer more of a touch-based remote (hankering back to the days of the Philip Pronto), but many people like myself still want a remote that is both comfortable / intuitive, and has a decent amount of properly used buttons. I think that Logitech really dropped the ball by not updating the Harmony One and leaving that as a lower end alternative for people such as myself.

Lastly I do hope that Audioholics will do a review of the Harmony software integration with the iPad...