Logitech Harmony 650 Remote Control (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, I would give this remote 4 and 1/2 stars if I could, but 4 or 5 were my only options.
The Harmony 650 remote seems to be a scaled back version of the Harmony One. The main differences are no touchscreen , no rechargeable battery and the 650 can only hold 5 devices in memory. If this isn't too limiting, then read on. Also, if you consider yourself even mildly computer illiterate, perhaps another type of universal remote would serve your needs better. Most of the complaints about Logitech remotes revolve around people's difficulty getting their software to work. (it works, you just need to learn it)
With this remote you can control 5 different devices in any combination you need. You set up 'Activities' based on what you want the remote to control, such as "Watch TV" and the Harmony 650 will control all the functions for your TV, Cable Box or DVR , Amp, etc. (or CD player, or Blu Ray, or... well, you get the idea)
What's in the box? You get the remote of course, plus a quick start guide, two AA batteries and the included micro 'B' USB cable you connect to your computer to program and update the remote settings using software you must download first from Harmony's website.
You DO require a computer and reasonable internet connection to initially set up and use this remote. Once it is set up you are good to go, but over time you will find other things you will wish to customize and then another trip to your computer will become necessary. Also, if you at first have trouble getting things to work the way you want, you will be making quite a few trips to your computer to sort it all out. Do not worry, mastering the software does take a bit of time, more for some, less for others. The point is, it DOES work and once you crack it, it is a piece of cake to operate.
You can customize all of the buttons' functions for each device and each activity so your most needed commands are a quick button press away and exactly where YOU want them to be. Once you wrap your head around the concept you will see all the possibilities this system offers and just how cool it actually is.
Also, not relying on a rechargeable battery can actually be a good thing. My Harmony One requires a very expensive battery and a functioning charging cradle and adapter to keep working. I have had all 3 go out on me over time and these items are not easily had without some wait time, rendering the remote useless. The 650 however runs on just two everyday AA batteries and that really makes all the difference. I do not know if it retains the programming when you change them but it is easy enough to just re synch it with the software settings you made on your computer so that shouldn't be an issue. I bought a Harmony 550 for a backup (it uses AAA) and now wish I could have got the 650 instead as I prefer it.
The build quality seems pretty good, but not near as good as the the Harmony One. It's a bit on the 'plasticky' side, but the keys themselves are a vast improvement over the ones on the 550, at least in layout. The keys are laid out almost exactly the same as the 'One' which is nice and I had no trouble using it immediately after programming. In particular, the layout lends itself to easy DVR use and DVD/Blu Ray transport controls. Everything is right where I think it should be. Good going Logitech!
The Color screen is nice enough to look at, but a 1 color display could stuff have done the job for me. Apparently you can load in favorite channel icons for customized channel selection and they display nicely on the screen. For me that is just a gimmick I don't need. I took the time to program all of them on my Harmony One and I never use them at all. Still, if you want to impress your friends , the color screen is very nice to look at.
The 650 has a few buttons that even the Harmony One does not include. Four color coded buttons are located right under up/down toggle and can be programmed for any function and match up nicely with my Oppo Blu Ray player who's own remote includes just such buttons. Speaking of buttons they are nicely back lit. The only downside to the back lighting is the possible effect on battery life. I have not used the remote long enough to know how long the AA's will last with regular use. It does make them very easy to see and it's a nice touch. Speaking of touch, the buttons themselves feel sturdy and with a semi rubbery feel that is a vast improvement over some of their earlier remotes. They work well and are very responsive and I really wish my Harmony One had these particular buttons as they feel superior to the hard plastic you get with the 'One'. I should also mention they are back lit and that really helps while watching is darkened rooms or at night. Unfortunately the only buttons that are NOT back lit are the help and activities buttons and that is a shame. I also found the remote was set to display the back lighting and display screen for 20 seconds and I went and changed it to stay on for only 10 seconds to preserve my battery life. You can go as low as 5 seconds if that is enough time for you.
I have been using my Harmony One for almost 2 years and everything on it works like the day I bought it. (battery and charger adapter notwithstanding) I see no reason why this remote should be any different, although your mileage may vary.I do feel the 650 is a bit on the pricey side, considering it only has enough flash memory in it to remember 5 devices. I regularly control up to 8 devices in my setup so this would not be a viable choice for my first call remote. However, if your have no more than 5 units to control you could do a lot worse than this one. It is versatile, functional, feels good in the hand and so far works perfectly, at least for me. I plan to keep it on hand for the next time my Harmony One Battery refuses to take a charge.

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Harmony 650 universal remote control clam shell pack

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Logitech Harmony 520 Advanced Universal Remote - universal remote control ( 966191-0403 ) Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up this remote today at Wal-Mart, which is currently the only retailer carrying it.
Since a number of my friends have 600-series Harmony remotes, I decided to give it a go. I don't need program listings on my remote, nor a color screen. This remote does one thing, and does it well: Simplifies your life. I was previously juggling 5 remotes- not cool.
The unit comes with a USB to Mini-USB cable and a driver/application CD for Windows and (Mac) OS X. I can't comment on the Windows software, but the OS X software worked quite well. Uses some of the opensource Mozilla web technologies, too. That gets them a Gold Star, in my book.
The USB cable is used for programming the remote, based on programming data delivered from the website. The remote itself has a mini USB port on top, and an IR receiver on the bottom, for the off chance that you've found an unsupported device. With my setup, I had no need for it at all.
I can't comment on the Windows software, but the OS X software worked quite well.
Once I'd registered, and followed the extraordinarily simple "wizards" on their site, I was controlling my DirecTV TiVo PVR, Sony AV receiver, Phillips DVD player, and my XM Satellite Radio receiver. All in all, its now set up for 7 devices, all of which it controls flawlessly. No learning IR codes or punching in long digits.
My only (minor) gripe is that the DVR layout isn't the same as the TiVo remote- it has VCR-style Pause/Play/FF/RW controls. No biggie, actually.
The real test for me was giving it to my wife. She is in no way a technophobe, but she has a "thing" for things that "just work." If she has to fiddle with something, she won't use it. She picked up this remote, and a few clicks later, she "got it." I asked her to try to switch it to the DVD player, and she had no problem at all.
Outstanding remote. Very stylish, too.

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Logitech Harmony 300 Remote Control (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a 42" Vizio HDTV, a TiVo HD Series 3, and a PlayStation 3, and for the longest time, I've been making do with 3 remotes--one for each item. It was a nightmare, but I couldn't justify the $200+ price of the nicer Harmony remotes to my wife, so we suffered through it.
When I heard about the 300, it was heaven-sent. Sure, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the nicer, more expensive models--no backlit keys, no touchscreen (or any other screen, for that matter), no activities, etc. But the individual remotes didn't have any of that, either. All I needed was one remote that could control all 3 pieces of my humble little set-up, and that's what the Harmony 300 is. (Note: to control the PlayStation 3, I had to buy the Harmony PS3 Bluetooth Adapter for another $50, because the PS3 doesn't support IR).
Set-up was a breeze. Put in the make and model numbers of the devices, sync the remote, and done! (I use a Mac with OSX 10.6.3). Without any additional input from me, the remote did just about everything it needed to. Five more minutes to make a few personal preference adjustments and to add one or two functions that weren't automatically programmed, and the Harmony 300 has replaced the 3 manufacturer's remotes, plus one cheap Phillips universal remote that would only control the TV and the old DVD player. The drag-and-drop button programming couldn't be easier.
I only gave it a 4 on the wife acceptance factor because not all of the labels match up exactly to the functions they perform from one device to the next, so there is a little memorization involved. Short of getting the all-touchscreen model, though, there's not really much anyone can do about that. You can only print so many labels on/above each key, after all.
All in all, I am very pleased with this remote. It does exactly what I need it to, and for a very reasonable price. If you have to have the biggest and baddest remote, or if you've owned one of the nicer Harmony remotes and you expect this one to be the same, it's probably not for you. But if you just want a remote that can actually control your TV and a few peripherals without paying through the nose for it, then this is the remote for you. I give it my highest recommendation.

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Logitech Harmony 300 is the remote that's simple to set up, easy enough for anyone to use, and gives you better control of what's attached to your TV.

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Philips Prestigo SRU8010 Icon Universal Remote Control Review

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(More customer reviews)Philips SRU8010 Prestigo Icon Universal Remote
Overview:
I am writing this review on behalf of my wife. This will be the first universal remote my wife actually will use. She loves it. I have scaled Mount Everest. The unit is long (9" x 2.25"), but the length accommodates the bright, backlit screen at the top, which is the one feature she loves the most. For much more detail on the screen and button layout, you can download the user manual here:
[...]
(Note that the picture on the front of the manual shows black number buttons with white numbers, but our unit shipped as silver buttons with black numbers, which actually stand out more.) After you have programmed all your preferences and macros, memory is maintained while changing the 3 AA batteries--but the manual does not indicate how long memory is maintained without batteries. Here is how the setup goes.
(1) Devices first. After first putting in batteries, a Setup Wizard comes on screen and easily takes you through an initial process of getting your basic devices (TV, cable box, DVD, receiver, etc.) and functions (On, Off, etc.) operational. A multitude of codes are stored in the Philips unit for almost any device and configuration (even TV/VCR combinations). Be sure to know what you want to name a device, because you cannot change the name once you have gone through the setup procedure. (Well, you could, but you would have to start from scratch, completely reinitializing that device, including loosing all manually programmed buttons and all macros particular to that device.)
(2) Favorites second. Then, you set up your channel favorites. Very helpful before you get into your favorites setup would be to draw up a list of your channel numbers, the broadcast name, and the order that you would want them in. I know this takes a little time, but, believe me, the effort will pay off, because changing the order of your favorites once they have been set is most tedious. The Favorites have nice, readable icons (hence the word "Icon" in the remote's model name) in a large database covering not only the major broadcast and cable channels, but also channels of which I was not even aware. The icons show up beautifully on the bright, backlit display at the top of the remote. Once inside a particular Favorites list, pressing the small "Side Keys" next to a channel on each side of the display accesses that channel favorite. Your can have up to ten customized, namable Favorites lists, with each individual list having 36 channels stored. Wow. That's a bunch of channels and flexibility for all family members. You even have two dedicated Favorites list buttons on either side at the very top of the remote, one "His" and the other "Hers." Super! Just what the doctor ordered at our house. This Favorites feature of the remote is probably the most user friendly and nicest part of the remote.
(3) Learning third. Those remote control functions that still do not work once a device has been setup can be learned (and you will always have some function on some button on an old remote that YOU want that nobody else cares about). You simply get the Philips unit ready, specifying which button on the Philips you want to program with that function, point your old remote at the bottom of the Philips unit (not the top), and punch that button on your old remote. The Philips returns a "Successful" if the IR code has been received, or lets you try again if you did not have the two remotes lined up properly. Sometimes all the main buttons you need for that device work straight out of the box using the Philips programmed code number for that device. On occasion, though, one button you need does not work. Say, for example, the Philips code number for your VCR gives you all your transport buttons (Play, Stop, Pause, Advance, Rewind), but, inexplicably, the Record button does not work. No worries. You just program the Record button manually using the learning function on the Philips unit and the Record button on your old VCR remote. Works like a charm every time. For those buttons that represent oddball features on your old remote, you just will have to remember what substitute function you put on that Philips button. When you have multiple devices and remotes, trying to remember too many "customized" buttons that do not correspond with the screen icon on the one surface of the Philips unit when constantly switching from one device to another gets to be difficult. Here I think the KISS principle may apply ("Keep it simple, stupid"), at least for me.
You have two physical places to put the learned functions: (1) the "Main Keys," which is Philips's terminology for most of the buttons on the surface of the unit, including the Power button itself, and (2) the "Side Keys," which are not actually on the side of the unit itself, like the name might suggest, but the ten smaller buttons arranged vertically on the sides of the display screen, five on the left, and five on the right. Any button, Main Key or Side Key, can be one simple IR command or an entire macro.
Special Features:
This remote has many nice features that you can read about in the downloadable, pdf manual. I mention two in particular.
(1) Punchthrough. A nice feature of universal remotes these days is called "punchthrough." This is lingo for being able to operate the volume on you receiver, for example, regardless what mode the remote is in, whether "Receiver," "TV," "Cable," "DVR," etc. So, if you are in TV mode watching a movie, the volume buttons on the Philips remote still control the volume of your receiver, not your TV's volume. The Philips volume buttons (and mute) "punch through" all the other devices to the receiver's volume control. Four control categories on the Philips remote can be set to "punch through" to a particular device in this manner: Volume, Channel, Play (transport functions), and Quit.
(2) KidSafe. Another feature of the Philips remote that parents will appreciate is called "KidSafe." This feature uses a password-protected function to limit access to favorite groups, settings, or any forbidden menu. at least from the remote. When using the remote, the kids watch only the channels you allow, with access only to volume and mute, and cannot mess with any settings of the remote.
Minor Complaints:
(1) Codes: Be aware that inexpensive home-theater-in-a-box units (HTIB), even those from major brands, are not well represented in the device codes of the Philips unit and mostly have to be programmed manually--doable, but inconvenient. I was trying to simplify from a very expensive and complicated setup that my wife never could enjoy on her own, nor could friends visiting for the weekend, without me there to insure every little button and device was set up just right. Could not even watch the news, for goodness sake, without an act of Congress. I finally wearied of all that and capitulated to a HTIB that reduced the number of individual components and a morass of remotes. However, several important functions of my inexpensive HTIB, though a major name brand, I had to program manually on the Philips remote.
(2) Buttons. The buttons on the remote are big and easy to use in the daylight. However, the "Main Keys" buttons, most of the buttons on the surface of the remote, are not backlit. I did not realize how dependent I had become on my backlit remotes. Watching a movie in a dimly lit room makes some specially coded buttons that are not the obvious Play, Stop, Menu, etc. buttons a stab in the dark that can ruin a good movie moment if you happen to hit the wrong button trying to guess. This complaint is NOT true of the beautiful, backlit display screen on the Philips remote and its "Side Keys." Also, the Mute and Last buttons are nowhere near the volume and channel buttons, a poor user-interface decision. These buttons are both small and located all the way down under the number keypad. You can "get used to the position," but why have to? This placement is completely illogical, perhaps a compromise made necessary because the volume and channel keys actually are unnecessarily big in the first place. Room could have been made for a Mute key underneath a smaller volume rocker, and ditto a Last button underneath a smaller channel rocker. This suggested placement would have been a minor change to achieve a major goal of much more user friendly from the git-go. (My wife already has asked numerous times, "Now, remind me, where is my Mute button?")
Major Complaints:
This Philips universal remote is really good, one my wife will actually use for the first time in our married lives, but getting the device up and running not always is a bed of roses. I will feel better about the remote as time distances me from the initial battle to get the unit set up fully with all necessary macros running smoothly and predictably. I would be embarrassed to admit the actual number of hours I put in getting every single glitch worked out, but I hope you will not think me a dufus. I am quite technically and gadget proficient, having owned a ton of electronic, stereo, recording, theater, and studio equipment. Hopefully, you will see more why I had trouble as I work through the following list.
I realize that not every problem I had is purely the fault of the Philips remote. One problem is timing. Timing on macros is a huge consideration of which some consumers may not be fully aware. The reasons are numerous. For example, different TVs have different warm-up times, especially older DLPs and plasmas. You have to wait on the TV to warm up before the TV lets you have control through the remote. You have to estimate this pause in the sequence of working out a macro into which the TV turning on is configured. Even more complicated, in some macros the TV has to come on first...Read more›

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Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote Control Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, my Sima SUR-20 remote finally died after 5 years, so I had to find a replacement. I decided that I wanted a true universal/learning remote that had more than just a touchscreen. I started my search with Harmony because I have heard a lot of good things about them. My criteria included: learning, full macros, configurable, easy to use for less technologically advanced people, good button lay out, and no rechargeable batteries. This pretty much ruled out the 880, 720, and 890. Honestly, I'm not that big a fan of the peanut shape anyhow. So, my real choices became the 520 and 550. Not too much difference, mainly button layout and device limitations. In the end, I like the 550 layout best.
I installed the software fairly easily. I made sure NOT to install the additional software that checks for updates, and I removed the software from the startup menu. Next I collected all the device model numbers. 10 minutes later I had the first iteration of my remote up and running. I spent the next hour tweaking the labels and layout of the buttons in my activities.
The result is that all my devices are setup perfectly (TV, DVD, Home Theater, Cable Box/DVR, Roomba, and my HP Laptop). The 550 does a great job of switching inputs on my TV and Receiver. Actually, I have more functionality with this remote than on the remote that came with my dvr (skip forward)!
I had equal ease of setup with my laptop and roomba. The only real negative is the speed, or lack thereof, of the software. The program is slow and it occasionally freezes for a couple minutes at a time. However, since you only need to use it when you setup a new device, it's not a deal breaker for me.
The remote is intuitive enough for most anyone. The help button easily walks you through any issues you might have when turning on or switching between activities. The activities are easy to configure and I was even able to set it up to leave my DVR on all the time.
All in all, the remote is great. I think that it is important to compare it to other universal remotes before complaining about it. It may not be as quick as entering a couple of codes, but the benefits are extremely worth it!

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The Logitech Harmony 550 Remote Control brings Logitech smarts to your home theater.

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Mediabridge - 3 Port Smart HDMI Switch Review

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(More customer reviews)I have an Apple TV and Blu-ray player but only one HDMI port on my TV and I was getting tired of manually swapping the HDMI cable between the them. I was also worried that over time the HDMI cable/port would degrade from the constant handling so I began hunting for a HDMI switch.
After comparing HDMI switches, I finally decided to go with the 3 port HDMI smart switch from Mediabridge. My main reason was based on price and the reviews. I'm very happy with this device (I don't usually go through the trouble of writing reviews so that says something)! It's not as expensive as a lot of the others I found and does exactly what I need it to do. It's compact and silent so I can discretely tuck it behind my TV with the rest of the cables and doesn't require an external power source (yay one less cable).
It includes an IR receiver and remote to manually switch between the 3 ports but it's a 'smart' switch so I was happy to discover that I didn't have to bother with using those accessories since it switches between my devices automagically. Apple TV owners will discover that it constantly outputs a signal (even if you put it to sleep), so the switch will constantly make the port the Apple TV is plugged into the active port. I put my Apple TV on port 3 and my Blu-ray player on port 1. When I power up my Blu-ray player, port one automatically becomes active without any intervention from me. After I power down my Blu-ray player, the Apple TV resumes making port 3 active. I love how it seamlessly switches between the two without me needing to do anything. The only caveat is I have to power on/off my Blu-ray player, which I do anyway so not a big deal. The switch also has a button on it you can press to cycle between the different ports if you need to, but as I already mentioned it switches automatically for me so I don't use that feature.
I'm also very happy with the video and audio quality I get with using this switch. It claims to have full HD 1080P Support and supports HDMI 1.3 which I can't verify since my TV only supports up to 720p but I can say that I have not noticed any degradation in video or audio quality while using it.
Keep in mind that you may need to purchase additional HDMI cables as none are included with this switch. You need one cable from the switch to your TV and an additional HDMI cable for each port you use on the switch. I picked up 2 Mediabridge HDMI cables for about $10 each with my order and they work great with my setup.


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