Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote Control by Logitech
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Digital camera reviews of Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote Control
Digital camera Review: A little disappointing...
Summary: 2 Stars
I was really looking forward to getting this remote but after setting it up it left us all a little disappointed.
First, to get it to do everything you want it to do it takes quite a bit of setting up.
It's pretty cool how you set it up and it's really pretty easy for the basics, but to do get it to do some features like switching from Dolby 5.1 to 7 channel stereo on my Yamaha receiver for example, it took a lot of extra programming.
The buttons are small and really not very intuitive when using this with a DVR, (like Charter's Moxi) so if that's what your going to use it for you may want to go with another model that is more geared toward DVR's.
The biggest frustration was the lag time in action once you pushed a button. It seems to take a lot longer for anything to happen with this remote than it did for any of my other remotes. I realize it has to basically cycle through all of these commands you've programmed but when you are used to pushing a button...and bam... things happen instantly, to wait a few more tenths of a second gets frustrating especially when you are trying to view the channel guide.
Also if you do not have the remote pointed just straight on at all of your devices it tends to miss some commands so you have to try it again.
It's very inconsistent in getting all of the commands correct and when it gets it wrong you have to sometimes get up and turn off the DVD manually then try it again to get it back in sync with the device.
On the plus side, it looks cool and has a nice quality build to it along with glowing buttons.
It might be fine for some people.
After giving it a go for a couple weeks the family consensus and rating was 2.5 stars.
If they could get this to respond faster and lay out the buttons better than I would give it more stars but I wouldn't recommend this remote unless you just absolutely are drowning in too many remotes.
Digital camera Review: A simpler life through technology!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a fairly typical guy with every guy's problem- five remotes for my fairly high-end home theater system. I have tried universal remotes in the past but they've always been something of a bust- the major stumbling blocks are the additional controls needed for my 5-disc DVD changer and my Comcast DVR box. This reduced me to using my universal remote for the basic stuff but keeping the other remotes nearby in case I had to do anything other than just watch TV.
Enter the Harmony 550. After reading many positive reviews both professional and from customers, I decided to plonk down the eighty bucks for this remote, figuring that I might just get lucky and it would work for me.
This remote doesn't just "work", however- it RULES! The online setup was easier than I expected- I just gathered the model numbers for my devices (Sony WEGA tv, Scientific Atlanta DVR box, Sony surround receiver, Panasonic DVD player, RCA VCR)and entered them at setup. I answered a few slightly vague questions about the setup of my system, and the remote was ready! The macro functions work amazingly well-the coolness factor of being able to push the "play DVD" function button and watching the remote do all the steps for you is enough to make you smile every time you do it. On top of it all it just looks so cool... my dad has one of the earlier-model Harmony remotes and keeps casting envious glances at mine every time he comes over.
All in all, I can't recommend the Harmony 550 highly enough. Yes, it's not cheap, but there are many more expensive remotes out there (most of them produced by Logitech as well) that probably don't offer that much more bang for the buck. Try it, you'll like it!
Digital camera Review: A wonderful and easy to set-up remote.
Summary: 5 Stars
I was not sure what to think about how it would be to set up a universal remote for my Denon 3808 Receiver, Oppo DVD, Panasonic VCR, Scientific Atlanta Cable Box, Samsung TV, etc.
The process was well laid out and explained in very simple to understand terms. You do not need to be technical to set this up...AT ALL. Very intuitive and easy to understand. Comes with a work sheet for you to take inventory of each device, the manufacturer and the model number. Then you simply go on-line and fill in a step-by-step instruction process to program each device, and the via a USB port, the device gets the instructions pushed down to it! Once each device has been identified by you, then you can program the device for a "one-button operation". For example, if you want to watch a DVD movie, just press Watch DVD Movie, and the unit turns on your DVD player, your AV reciever and your TV. (It will have asked you in the set-up, for example, "what device do you want to control the volume?: Your TV or your Receiver?...etc. You make the choice during set-up, and then everything is taken care of.)
Took about 30-40 minutes (only because I am slow) total time from reading the instructions, loading CD software, taking inventory, and setting my preferences...and I was done, and it worked perfectly.
Truly amazing. It could not have been any easier.
Digital camera Review: A work in progress.
Summary: 2 Stars
The reason I gave it two stars is that it is still a work in progress. I got this for my mom, because she had difficulties using three different remotes to get a DVD to play. However, the screen with the custom buttons is way too small. This also makes the Help function completely useless to her.
What I had to do is map some random button on the remote to specific functions. A is Input Next for TV, B is Input next for DVD, etc...
And now there is a cheat sheet for the remote.
Also, I had problems syncing it to my laptop. The tech support was usefully, and told me not to have the batteries in the remote when I sync. That solved the problem.
Bottom line: If you have more than two remotes, and you can read font size of 10, and you like to play around with technology, then you will like this.
If you are looking to get this to an elderly individual to make their life easier, look elsewhere. One For All makes rather nice products, and that's what we went with. URC3300
Digital camera Review: A+
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up this remote for less than $50 on woot.com. It is by far the best remote that I have ever owned. The ability to "watch tv", which turns on the tv, surround sound, and cable box is invaluable when I'm not home and my wife wants to watch tv. The remote also performs "watch blu ray", "play wii", "play Roku", "listen to music", and a couple of other functions (you can program it to say whatever you want). Performing these functions involves the remote turning on all the applicable devices and selecting the correct inputs.
It takes a while to set it up (2 hours for me) but once it's done, you never have to worry about it again (unless you get a new device, such as a blu ray player). I have to change the batteries about every 9 months. This remote is sweet and I love it!