The Perfect Remote? An Audioholics Soundbyte.

[highfigh]

Very enlightening!
My Logitech Harmony 700 seems to be having some issues now. I just added a Chromecast and a TV4k input, and something is not right.
Input now reverts to the TV4k input after startup after first going to designated "settop Box".
I then have to go to the Yamaha remote to reset the input.
Several attempts on the setup software have only mangled the unit further, I now need to keep 3 remotes handy....NOT what I intended.
I have remotes for: My Yamaha 2050, Samsung 8500(smart hub remote), The Harmony 700 and a PS3....not to mention several kept in a nearby drawer,,(Xfinity remote, Samsung TV remote, PS3 remote)
I can get it all to work....but my spouse is NOT happy.

Considering jumping to the Elite. Reviews are good, but losing faith in Logitech. Any advice?

Samsung 65 in. 8500
Yamaha 2050
Sony PS3
SVS Towers LRC
Yamaha in-ceiling (6)
Xfinity 1 STB

You're not using the Help button?

You need to look at the setup for that activity- there's no good reason for it to change back unless, maybe, CEC is turned on (in the TV's setup menu, along with HDMI control- both should be turned off if you're using a universal remote).

 

[DJWPAR3]

Thanks Highfigh.
That did the trick.

Reprieve for the Harmony 700, happiness for the Wife.....great deal for me.

 

[DJWPAR3]

I thought the CEC and ANYNET had to be on to feed the sound from the TV when used as a 4K input,
but it still seems to work perfectly with them off.

Now I can try to program a few unused keys on the 700 to replace fully one of the other remotes.

 

[highfigh]

I thought the CEC and ANYNET had to be on to feed the sound from the TV when used as a 4K input,
but it still seems to work perfectly with them off.

Now I can try to program a few unused keys on the 700 to replace fully one of the other remotes.

I HATE CEC but it works if someone has a DVD/BD and TV without the rest of the goodies. I tried using it with my Denon AVR and it doesn't allow real customization of activities like listening to one source when watching TV (yeah, I'm a holdout from the '70s when listening to vinyl and watching TV was common). With any kind of universal remote, it's easy to make the equipment do EXACTLY what is wanted, but some manufacturers and service providers do their best to prevent this. A good example is TVs, CD/DVD/BD and cable boxes that don't have discreet power ON commands. Work-arounds have been found, but it shouldn't be necessary. (like using the Play command to power up a CD/DVD/BD player and then shutting it down via the power toggle).

The Elite only failed to do the radio/TV thing because I didn't spend any time with that one. It scrolls through the TV inputs perfectly and they greatly expanded the sequence/delay possibilities, which tells me they actually have changed their view of us in CI- we were largely ignored before and it took a long time for them to realize they could serve the consumer end AND CI without making either hate them.

 

[highfigh]

I thought the CEC and ANYNET had to be on to feed the sound from the TV when used as a 4K input,
but it still seems to work perfectly with them off.

Now I can try to program a few unused keys on the 700 to replace fully one of the other remotes.

Remember- if you want to add buttons for a device that normally have nothing to do with the activity, all you need to do is add the device that would associate with the buttons and use only what you want. That way, you don't need to create an activity or go to the Device area to control something and then forget to return to the Activity.

 

[3db]

I'm using two Harmony 650s for both my systems and I really REALLY like this remote. Easy to program and customize and they simply work. Thanks to "highfigh", I got my family using the help function now and they are digging themselves out now from problems by waving the remote control while its going through its turn on sequence.

I want to address a point made by a previous poster that said these universal remotes being difficult when things don't turn on in sequence. That really isn't the fault of the remote. I put the blame on the command mapping on the device teh remote is trying to control. For instance, I own a Toshiba 32" CRT (yeah high tech I know) and there is only one button that controls the input that sequences from TV/DV to video1 and video2 . This serial sequencing of commands to get at the right inputs is just plain dumb and a way for manufacturers to cut production costs. This causes programming issues and one always has to return teh TV back to a known starting point. My Vizio flat screen isn't like that so I don't ahve to bring it back to a known state. I can leave display withthe input where it was from the last macro because a different macro using the display selects the correct input .

 

[highfigh]

I'm using two Harmony 650s for both my systems and I really REALLY like this remote. Easy to program and customize and they simply work. Thanks to "highfigh", I got my family using the help function now and they are digging themselves out now from problems by waving the remote control while its going through its turn on sequence.

I want to address a point made by a previous poster that said these universal remotes being difficult when things don't turn on in sequence. That really isn't the fault of the remote. I put the blame on the command mapping on the device teh remote is trying to control. For instance, I own a Toshiba 32" CRT (yeah high tech I know) and there is only one button that controls the input that sequences from TV/DV to video1 and video2 . This serial sequencing of commands to get at the right inputs is just plain dumb and a way for manufacturers to cut production costs. This causes programming issues and one always has to return teh TV back to a known starting point. My Vizio flat screen isn't like that so I don't ahve to bring it back to a known state. I can leave display with the input where it was from the last macro because a different macro using the display selects the correct input .

I use the 650 for smaller systems when the budget is low or there's no good reason to go with a higher model- it usually just works, as you posted. WRT errors in commands, you can go to the setup for the activity and click on Troubleshoot. Inside that section, you can change the number of repeats for the codes (most remote brands repeat the code three times, but sometimes 3, 4 or 5 works better). There are many reasons the activity might not work perfectly, including too many codes reaching a device and it goes on vacation, a device that requires a longer delay between power on and the input command, codes for more than one device that may be similar to another, but confuses one of the devices.

I have a Panasonic plasma that doesn't use discrete codes and most remotes just have problems with that so I just put an Input button someplace that's convenient an it works well enough. The Elite nails it.

BTW- if you go to the setup for Activity, look for a button called 'Sequences'- you can add delays to allow some devices to catch their breath and IIRC, you might be able to re-order the devices in the activity.

For any system with devices that all use discrete commands, pressing the activity button again will cure any problems as long as everything has good line of sight to the remote but the Help button is not only a way to get things working, the remote actually learns what it needs to do and this makes these unique.

BTW- I don't know if you used the old software to program yours, but you probably saw that it would allow 5 devices- download the new software and use the existing sign-in to make changes- it now allows 8 devices and if you should ever need to replace the remote, it still allows you to just go to Settings and replace it as the remote for your system. In addition, all previous models can be copied to the new software and copied when changing the model of remote, with the exception of the H1000, which A) didn't use a compatible operating system and B) didn't work for long, so there was really no reason to bother. For anyone who has an H1100 and wants to switch to the Elite, do it. The side buttons can be created easily on the touch screen and renamed.

 

[3db]

I use the 650 for smaller systems when the budget is low or there's no good reason to go with a higher model- it usually just works, as you posted. WRT errors in commands, you can go to the setup for the activity and click on Troubleshoot. Inside that section, you can change the number of repeats for the codes (most remote brands repeat the code three times, but sometimes 3, 4 or 5 works better). There are many reasons the activity might not work perfectly, including too many codes reaching a device and it goes on vacation, a device that requires a longer delay between power on and the input command, codes for more than one device that may be similar to another, but confuses one of the devices.

I have a Panasonic plasma that doesn't use discrete codes and most remotes just have problems with that so I just put an Input button someplace that's convenient an it works well enough. The Elite nails it.

BTW- if you go to the setup for Activity, look for a button called 'Sequences'- you can add delays to allow some devices to catch their breath and IIRC, you might be able to re-order the devices in the activity.

For any system with devices that all use discrete commands, pressing the activity button again will cure any problems as long as everything has good line of sight to the remote but the Help button is not only a way to get things working, the remote actually learns what it needs to do and this makes these unique.

BTW- I don't know if you used the old software to program yours, but you probably saw that it would allow 5 devices- download the new software and use the existing sign-in to make changes- it now allows 8 devices and if you should ever need to replace the remote, it still allows you to just go to Settings and replace it as the remote for your system. In addition, all previous models can be copied to the new software and copied when changing the model of remote, with the exception of the H1000, which A) didn't use a compatible operating system and B) didn't work for long, so there was really no reason to bother. For anyone who has an H1100 and wants to switch to the Elite, do it. The side buttons can be created easily on the touch screen and renamed.

I got all the delays n stuff figured out and I've programmed by way around that Toshiba and it works very well. What I was getting at that in this day and age, discrete codes should be made available for every remote function instead of having one code handle multiple assignments based on the number of times that code was called. The fact that a $70 remote control can be customized so easily around troublesome devices speaks volumes about how well thought out the design is (from an end user POV..not a reseller custom installer such as yourself.)

 

[highfigh]

I got all the delays n stuff figured out and I've programmed by way around that Toshiba and it works very well. What I was getting at that in this day and age, discrete codes should be made available for every remote function instead of having one code handle multiple assignments based on the number of times that code was called. The fact that a $70 remote control can be customized so easily around troublesome devices speaks volumes about how well thought out the design is (from an end user POV..not a reseller custom installer such as yourself.)

I think it's ridiculous that the commands aren't discrete and I think the AV industry needs to grow a set and make the control chip manufacturers fix this. IP/IR/RS232 control with state sensing makes this moot, but not all remotes use some kind of base station although Xantec has some small control boxes that act like a base station, usable with any remote that sends IR commands. That's great if IR is flawless, but I have yet to see that. Still, it works pretty well.

installed the Elite that's replacing the H1100 yesterday- she had no problems using it and she's a self-proclaimed 'technical imbecile'. I was checking something in another room that's about 40' away, with some heavy materials between the AV cabinet and where I was standing- the commands worked every time. I just added 6-10 commands to the touch screens for 5 activities and if it took 10 minutes, I would be surprised.

 

[highfigh]

New findings-

If the remote needs a firmware update, it's necessary to hold the Power Off button until the screen goes black and the Harmony name shows again, before updating. If this isn't done, the update won't go well, if at all.

Harmony offers a remote called Companion, which comes with a hub of its own, but they also sell this as a separate item, without the hub. This would be a great thing when someone has kids who drop things and it gives them somewhat limited control- the Elite allows updating, changing certain settings and editing from the touch screen, but the Companion doesn't. It does, however, have the Smart Home buttons for lights and outlets and its surface is more grippy, so it's extremely easy to handle. It doesn't have back-lighting and its battery is a flat disc- CR-2032- this is a very common and inexpensive battery.

The reason I mention the Companion at all is because it can be paired to the same hub that comes with the Elite, without affecting the operation of the rest of the remote system. It only has three Activity buttons, but they perform two functions- one Activity uses a short press and the other uses a long press. Also, the function for these buttons can be changed easily in the same software and changes to either the Elite or Companion don't change the other. In addition, it appears that at least one additional hub can be paired to the system, in case more equipment needs to be controlled- still need to get more info about this.

Battery life for the Elite- so far, it's more than a couple of days with heavy use. Obviously, if the touch screen and haptic feedback are at their upper limits, it decreases and I have mine set for buzz and vibrate, with the back-lighting at the highest setting. The great thing about having the Companion is that I can control the system when the Elite is charging, they all know the state of the system when the battery has been depleted and charged, so it doesn't go back to a "Power Off" state and if necessary, the iPhone/iPad app still exists as another option. I use that because I need to be familiar with it, but I prefer using the remotes with hard buttons because I can feel my way around without having to take my eyes off of the TV.