 "Controls my TV, COX DVR, DVD/VCR Recorder, Receiver" | 2008-10-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2SP52NH44LRDS |
| I have Sony 52inch KDL-52V4100 LCD, Onkyo TX-SR605 receiver, Cox Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8240HDC, and a SONY combo recorder DVD/VCR RDR-VX560.br /br /PROS: Great product. My wife loves it (she says you mean I don't have to press the INPUT button on the tv anymore to tell it I'm watching tv or COX cable box or the DVD player?).br /br /CONS: The software 7.5 has a bug: The WATCH MOVIE button only points to the DVD ACTIVITY (which is fine) even though the software says it can be mapped to ther activities -- tech said new software version will be released around Dec 2008. Tech support is wonderful... waited less than 30 seconds. Techs from India are hard to understand but very polite. Sometimes I get an American tech so I don't have to struggle to understand what's said. br /When I press the MORE ACTIVITIES button, there's only the NEXT buttons and no BACK button (although I can click the MORE ACTIVITIES button to go back to the first screen). br /In the MORE ACTIVITIES button, the other activities can't be sorted the way I want, I would have to delete my activities in the software and recreate them in the order I want to see them sorted.br /When controlling my DVD player, the REWIND button is on the other side far away from the FORWARD button which forces me to use my left hand to press the REWIND button.br /br / |
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 "Great remote for sub-$100 - Does it all" | 2008-09-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A24LXDCMUV8N2F |
| Not fancy, but just a peanut that getter done. Programming software intuitive. Did have to make 2 calls to support, one to obtain correct codes for my Dish DVR-722 and properly set up Watch DVD/VCR modes.br /I have a Sony combo DVD/VCR hard to find remote that control this device, but the 670 can. This remote has a lot of options and customizing features you would expect from a $200 remote. RECOMMENDED.br /Samsung PN50A650 Plasma TVbr /Sony SLVD370P DVD_VCRbr /Yamaha RX-V663 AV Receiverbr /Dish Network VPI-722 DVR**br /br /(**probably will have to IR learn one code for Logitech to update remote with proper codes.)br /br /All of your remote programming is on Logitech's server (internet access required), tech support can view, update and simulate your programming. |
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 "Disappointed in customer support and button arrangement" | 2008-09-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1WP4WN1BBU680 |
| After reading the great reviews, I had high expectations for this remote, but it failed me in two ways:br /1. A bug in the latest 670 firmware does not allow customizing the activity buttons...those buttons which allow you to turn on or off all the video and audio components with the push of a single button. Although the activity buttons are what distinguishes this remote from other remotes, Logitech decided the bug was not important enough to fix immediately because there are some awkward workarounds. But explain those workarounds to your wife that you promised a simple remote for your complex setup... The best estimate now is that it be at least another month to fix what should be a minor firmware bug that was introduced two months ago. You can check the Logitech Forums to see if it has been fixed.br /2. The buttons are small, not arranged logically, and difficult to read. As a result, the the only advantage of this remote over the five factory remotes it was to replace is the currently-awkward activity buttons, which only reduced the number of remotes we juggle down to four. Needless to say, my wife was not impressed. |
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| "Great features; Buggy software; Good technical support" | 2008-09-20 |
| - Reviewed By gadgetman7 |
This unit does a good job in locating all the devices I use at home correctly. Some of the models I have were over 10 years old. I was also able to conveniently program all the key activities for my entertainment centers.
The software was pretty buggy. There is a known bug (support acknowledged it) which you cannot re-assign the activities buttons correctly. I was told that they are working on a fix which would be available within 1-2 months. The other issue is that you cannot arrange the activities on the screen in the order you like neither.
The support team was great. Response was timely and they are honest in acknowledging the existing software issues. |
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| "Returning it" | 2008-09-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2R3RMZ534MDMI |
Software has bugs. It recognized all hardware, yet does not set the remote to execute all the right commands. I attempted to configure TV, DVR, receiver and DVD player. Remote would power all hardware on/off appropriately but refused to send proper hardware input commands to the TV. TV and DVR would power-on, but TV didn't connect with DVR. Logitech's FAQ's/Help were not useful.
Even if the remote would work, to me it seemed that it would easily allow only limited access to functions that are quickly accessible with the DVR and TV remotes (e.g. swapping between DVR tuners, going to "On Demand" cable, executing picture-in-picture, etc.). Channel selection and volume control are quick and easy, but accomplishing anything more complex appeared to be challenging.
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| "Not so Harmonious" | 2008-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By captpackrat |
This is a really great remote, once you get it configured. It's extremely flexible and allows you to control so much more than regular universal remotes. You can control things like IR light switches, ceiling fans, satellite radios, Windows Media Center PCs, video game consoles and more. And more impressively, you can chain commands together so pressing one button, for instance, draws the blinds, turns down the lights, turns on your TV and switches it to the correct input, turns on your stereo system, and starts up a DVD. Any functions on the factory remote that aren't available as hardware buttons can be programmed to a menu displayed on the remote's LCD screen. You can also adjust the backlighting on the remote, a feature I really like.
The problem, however, is with the configuration software. It is excruciating to use. There are a number of bugs in the current version (7.5), such as being unable to change the Activity Buttons on the remote. The software's tip center mentions that there is a button to rearrange items in the remote's menu, but that button doesn't actually exist! The software could not identify the portable TV that I use in my bedroom (it thought I had a totally different 27" model) and I had to make it "learn" the commands just like a cheap $20 remote. It had difficulty with my satellite radio; many of the remote functions were not configured by default and I had to select to "play FM radio" rather than just "play music" to get it to work properly. The wording in some places is confusing ("Review the settings" and "Change Options" are right next to each other and do two totally different things), and it's often difficult or impossible to back out of a particular menu if it turns out you selected the wrong option. It also takes an obscene number of mouse clicks to make even minor changes. For instance, to tweak the timing of one particular command sequence required more than 30 clicks, to change just one numeric value. You also must have an active Internet connection to setup the remote. That's easy if you have cable or DSL, not so easy if you're on dialup or your ISP just went down. Most annoying of all is that you can only have one remote. If you have more than one to control different devices, say, one for the living room and one for the bedroom, you have to create a separate account, with separate username and password, for each remote. And you MUST register with Logitech and create an account to use the remote, there's really no way out of it.
If you have a fairly normal electronics setup, or don't have the patience of Job, stick to a regular universal remote and keep away from the Harmony series. I'd only bother with a Harmony remote if you have an unusual equipment setup that a regular remote can't handle AND you have several hours to throw away. |
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| "Best remote I've used!" | 2008-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By mikepigg2 |
This is the most expensive universal remote I've ever used, but it's by far the most useful remote I've ever used. I feel it's well worth the cost. It controls all the devices that I need to control including my 10+ year old TV and receiver and my brand new Fios TV box. The activity buttons make it very easy to get the right components turned on and set to the right inputs with a single button press.
The software used to configure the remote is the weakest part of the system. It's a messy, bloated hybrid of a local application and a web site. If I was going to ask for any improvements on this product, it would be to make the software experience meet the same high standards as the hardware. In the end, the software does get the remote programmed and you only have to deal with it when you want to change the configuration of your remote. |
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| "Almost Perfect" | 2008-09-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1RFZTWOACFGER |
I have had my harmony for about a year. I feel like this model is the perfect fit for my husband and me. We only wanted to control our somewhat complicated tv/sound/video game setup. We have a television, tivo, audio receiver, wii, and ps3 all hooked up together. We didn't need to control our whole house, but we did need to coordinate several devices together.
I love how much control I can exert over each device and over each action needed. The software took a little getting used to in order for me to expertly time all the commands so they would work perfectly. But now, I can easily change options if something in our setup changes.
The biggest complaint I have about this particular model is that the pain on the remote rubs off very easily. This doesn't, of course, affect the performance of the remote, but it does make a pretty expensive remote look cheap pretty quickly.
I would say however that, I am willing to put up with the cosmetic defect to get its incredible function. |
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| "Still Buggy ! See comment from Logitech" | 2008-08-30 |
| - Reviewed By jasonjmp |
I have been using this remote for about 18 months.
I wanted to add another DVR to my system, and the remote lets you customize the buttons along the top: "Watch Movie" Watch TV" and "Listen to Music". I tried mapping the new DVR to one of these buttons and while the software allowed me to do it, the button didn't work. I wrote to Logitech support and this is the response I got:
"Thank you for your recent inquiry about your Harmony Remote
We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing difficulties using your Harmony 670. The issue with the Harmony 670 activity buttons has been logged and addressed within our system.
This issue is scheduled to be fixed in our next comprehensive update. This will allow us to complete full testing and ensure that no other issues are introduced. We do not yet have a release date, as we are still in the process of defining the complete scope of this update. We do not expect this next release to be available any earlier than 8-12 weeks. In the mean time, please use the More Activities button to access your activities"
So they are saying wait another 2-3 months for a bug fix for a product that has been available for 2 years. Ugh.
I also wish this remote could "learn" codes like my pronto pro does. I know they have a great database of devices, but I have a video converter box (component to VGA) that would not be in their system. |
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| "Fabulous remote" | 2008-08-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: A17QQD15JX5SCQ |
It is very easy to setup, it is very easy to use - even my outlaws can now turn our home theater system on and off to watch cable, or a movie - they couldn't before.
I have one criticism of this particular device and that is that the buttons and what they do are hard to see unless the "glow" is on - this is a fairly moot point as your fingers will quickly get used to the location of frequently used buttons, but if you are thinking of getting this to simplify the life of an older relative or for someone whose eyesight is not so good, you may want to look for something with clearer buttons - maybe another in the Harmony range because it is so easy to use. |
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