Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote

I decided it was time to upgrade home theatre system recently however I didn't like the idea of having 4 different remotes. A friend of mine told me there were some really good universal remotes on the market. After scouring the internet for a few hours the same name kept popping up.

“Logitech Harmony One”

I found this model on a few sites but it was the cheapest on Amazon.com. Its full name is the Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote Control. To be honest I was a little worried when I opened up the box because a few of the reviews I had read had said it was a little hard to get used to. I just wanted something I could point at my TV or stereo and it would work.

What I found was the remote was very easy to set up and I had my whole system set up in under an hour and half of that hour was taken up by unpacking it. I think that the fact you can customize it any way you like is a great idea. Any button can be changed to whatever you like.

It really does everything a universal remote should do. I love the fact it can learn from your old remotes and that you don’t need batteries as the Harmony One remote is rechargeable. It also lets you know when it needs charging again. I think the recharging stand is a great idea because it means you have a place for your remote.

In my opinion, this remote is one of the best, if not the best product I have purchased this year.

I must admit the price is on the high side but this remote seems do everything with ease so I think its well worth the price tag. Sure there may be better remotes out there, but you will pay a lot more for just a slight increase in capabilities.

Let's take a look at some of the remote's features.

Easy Internet-based setup and live customer support
Dedicated on-screen activity buttons
Color LCD touch screen
Contoured backlit buttons
Can learn IR codes from existing remote controls
If you want to buy this, you can get them on sale on Amazon.com from this link

YouTube Video Review

Let me show you what current owners have to say about it.

Heath L

A video review of the Logitech Harmony One, focusing on a few fun features like the motion sensor, rechargeability (with included docking station), and ability to replace 5 of our other remotes, including the specialized Tivo remote. Easy to program and easy to use touch screen makes this a very cool remote control.

Review Paraphrased for size – Click here to view the original review here.

Jeff

This is probably the best reasonably priced universal remote on the market. It does everything well. Set up is a breeze. Simply gather all of the makes and model numbers of your components, load the software onto your computer, answer a few simple questions, plug in the remote with the supplied USB cord and it's done! Want to watch TV? Press "Watch TV" on the touch screen and the TV, cable box and audio receiver turn on, all set to the proper inputs. Want to watch a blu-ray disc? Press the touch screen and off goes the cable box, on goes the blu-ray player and the audio receiver switches to DVD input. Want to watch an old VCR tape? Same thing. It really is quite amazing.

Review Paraphrased for size – Click here to view the original review here.

pat

The remote was easy to setup with the included computer software. It took less than 25 minutes to install the software and program the remote for my Toshiba TV, Toshiba DVD, Harmon Kardon amplifier, and even the Directv box. I can now control ANY function on all of my components with ONE remote control. One push of the activities button will set all components to watch directv, or watch a DVD, or even play with the Wii. No complaints from me after 6 weeks of use. Well worth the price.

Review Paraphrased for size – Click here to view the original review here.

T Master

I got the Logitech Harmony One as the most comparable, albeit more expensive, model to replace it. The remote looks a bit sleeker than the 880, it's slimmer, but a a little longer. It sits a bit flatter in the cradle.

Out of the box, it was already charged once I put the battery in. I was pleasantly surprised when I hooked up the USB cable and found a one-click setting in the Logitech software that said "upgrade my remote." No new settings to wade through, totally simple. A few minutes later, and my remote was set up just like my old one – my wife (she's upgraded too) is pleased that there's no new learning curve.

Touch screen is fast and intuitive. I wasn't so sure about the switch from hard buttons to the screen, but it works out fine. It's actually better for the DirecTV DVR, as the red/yellow/green/blue buttons are displayed on the screen when watching TV – smart work by Logitech, as those are the only things missing from the standard universal that DirecTV uses.

There seems to be a TINY bit longer delay when I go to my "list" of recorded programs on the DVR, but it's manageable. Other nits are that while it's processing that "list" command, I can't change the volume until it's gone through. But again, minor details that don't really affect my overall enjoyment and ease of use.

Review Paraphrased for size – Click here to view the original review here.

M Pickering

Overall I am extremely pleased with my new Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote. It is definately a step up from my Harmony 880 model. However, with a $250.00 price tag this may not be a practical choice for everyone. Many of the cheaper Logitech Harmony universal remotes offer most of the same capabilities; just not with all of the bells, whistles and high-tech style as you get with the Harmony One. I definately wish Logitech had designed this remote with a matte finish, rather than the finger print attracting gloss finish. I also wish they included the ability to customize the order in which it displays the device list. I have 15 devices programmed into my Harmony One, and I find myself flipping through page after page in order to find the device I want (since the LCD only displays 3 per page). These design oversights, and those listed in my cons list above, as well as the hefty price tag prevent me from giving this wonderful remote a 5-star rating. Still, the Harmony One is one of the best, affordable, full-featured universal remote controls you will find on the market today (IMO). Since this remote has firmware that can be upgraded via the Harmony Remote Software, I am hoping that Logitech tweaks this device a little over the coming months. Still, there is no way for them to add features like RF, Bluetooth or WiFi without introducing an upgraded model in the future. This means that buying the Harmony One today may leave you wanting a newer (improved) model, which is sure to be released by Logitech in the near future (as they did when they introduced the Harmony 890 after many of us had already purchased the Harmony 880!). If you are looking for a sleek, one remote solution for your home entertainment and/or home automation needs, and you can live without RF and Bluetooth for the foreseeable future, then I highly recommend the Logitech Harmony One. It really is one amazing remote control device!

Review Paraphrased for size – Click here to view the original review here.

Below are the other remotes I had a look at.