Remember Logitech's
Harmony Adapter for PS3? How could you forget, right? Turns out a similar device is shipping alongside the company's fresh Harmony 900 remote, as it seeks to turn RF signals into IR commands that components in your AV rack can understand. The device ships with an IR blaster and two "mini blasters," all of which work together in order to get crucial instructions from your remote to devices neatly hidden behind closed doors. The remote itself packs a full color touchscreen and can pull down codes for over 225,000 devices, and there's also a rechargeable battery and a base station to keep things juiced up when not in use. As with most
Harmony remotes, this setup definitely won't run you cheap, with the entire kit getting priced at $399.99 when it ships later this month.
Update: Looks like CNET
has a review up, and we'd say the bottom line pretty much sums it up: "
The Logitech Harmony 900 is, hands down, the best universal remote control we've ever tested."
posted Aug 11th 2009 4:00AM
and i was certain the "900" stood for $900.
stupid me...
*yawn*
Wake me up when Logitech puts bluetooth support in a remote.
It DOES support Bluetooth, but it is a $60 optional extra. Are you awake now?
@scjessey
he said IN the remote not an adapter that takes IR and makes it into Bluetooth.
So he is still a sleep and you need to wake up and read a bit more carefully.
All of that and yet you still can't program the power button to do what you want. The only remote in the world that can't turn anything on with a power button.
If it's like my 550, it's not really a power button, but rather just a "power off" button...you use the activity soft-keys to power things, and those are completely customizable. You could set up an activity to just power something on if that's what you wanted.
It's a dedicated power-off button that you use when you are finished.
Do you even know how the Harmony remotes are supposed to work? Having that power button turn one or every device on would be counter-productive.
Using Harmony remotes, it happens enough to have a single component miss the power command, to throw the whole sequence off.
Personally I program specific device power toggle commands into the activity because it's easier to program the activity for 1 extra command vs hunting down power toggle in the 7th page of the device commands.
But I also add in device toggle commands as well.
enzymaticracer and BDM
Of course I know how Harmony thinks I should use it, how else would I know you can't program the power button?
The FACT is I watch TV 95% of the time, so why can't I program the remote to just turn on my favorite activity whenever the system is off and I hit the power button? It isn't like the button does anything when it thinks the system is off.
I'm not saying it should work like this by default, just that a programmable remote should be programmable.
So it's really that hard to hit the first (of 3) LARGE buttons on the LCD screen instead of the little "Power Off" button? The LARGE button on the LCD screen that says "Watch TV" if you programme it to do so? Do you get pissed off that if you hit other buttons on traditional remotes that they don't turn on the TV either? We're literally talking about pressing one button at the top of the remote vs. another. And you're pissed off because you want it to be one small button that has a specific purpose that works across ALL activities rather than one LARGE button that can be programmed to say and do absolutely anything that you want? Now that's being stuck in a way of thinking to the point of silliness.
Most people do not take the time to dig into just how customizable the Harmony One (or this 900) really is. Like saying that the Power Toggle button is buried on the 7th page?! You DO know that you can easily re-order any and all of the commands, right? You can make the entire 1st page nothing but Power buttons if you want to! Just mash your hand and you're bound to hit a Power button!
If you rely on nothing but the 5 minute wizard-style setup, then yes...things aren't always going to work the way you would like. But spend a little time and you can pretty much make the remote do anything that you want!
I going to have to agree with Rob, BDM, and enzymaticracer. I think you are stuck in the thinking of: "I have to always press the power button first".
Its funny that you even mentioned "favorite activity". If you watch TV so much, you could just duplicate the activity all across the LCD touchscreen and do like Rob said, mash your hand against the screen or remove the other two activities that are default and just have the "Watch TV" activity the only activity listed. Seriously why would you want to always press that little button anyways?
Sorry, messed up reply below, please delete it.
You guys are really trying to tell me how to use my remote? The whole point is that it is supposed to make life easier and to me it is easier to pick up a remote and hit a button without looking at it. Not to mention just about every remote ever made works exactly like this.
This isn't the only example of it not being programmable enough, just the most glaring.
So what you're saying, Ben, is that if you use a traditional remote - like the one that came with your TV - you find it impossible to learn the location of the Power button on that remote?
Because what you seem to be saying about the Harmony is that you find it impossible to mash your thumb ANYWHERE on the LCD screen, rather than hitting that one, very small button at the top of the remote.
You can programme the Harmony so that the entire 1st page of the LCD screen is nothing but "Watch TV" activity buttons. The entire LCD screen becomes one giant "Watch TV" button. You're saying that you cannot hit that without looking at it?
You're saying that you want one particular button - the ONLY button on the whole remote that happens to not be programmable because it serves a specific function across ALL activities - you're saying that that is the ONLY button that you could ever learn to use as the "turn on my TV" button?
You can programme ANY other button on the remote to be your "turn on my TV" button. Any other button at all. Including the ENTIRE LCD screen. But that's not ok? The entire remote is junk because you have it stuck in your head that the ONLY button that could ever do the job for you is that one small button at the very top?
Seriously, dude - telling you how to use your remote would be limiting you to just one button to press. We're giving you the option of using ANY button and an ENTIRE LCD screen - pick anything you want. But because there is one LONE button that you cannot choose, that makes the whole remote unusable for you? 40 buttons and an entire LCD screen - that, to you, is a lack of choice?
What if that one little "Power Off" button weren't even there? Just forget about it - pretend it doesn't exist. You're telling me that with 40 other buttons and an entire LCD screen, you couldn't fathom any other way to turn on your TV?
Rob,
The limited programability of the power button is the most glaring example of why I don't like the software, but another close second is the inability to load your own discrete IR codes directly on the box and third would be that you can only have one remote per account. I could go on, but I won't.
The fact is the hardware is great, but the software is way too limited for anything beyond the most basic use cases.
Personally I use a home automation system and a generic IR remote. This way I can make any button the remote do anything I want and the system never gets out of sync because I have two control of everything.
While I agree with the other posters about the customization prowess of the Harmony remotes, I def agree with Ben about the one remote per account nonsense. They've gone through how many releases of software and they still don't have a solution to this? At the VERY least, they should let you export/import remote profiles to another account if they, for whatever reason, don't want you managing several remotes from a single account. That's just inexcusable.
@Ben,
You can email discrete IR codes to Logitech support and they will add it to your account w/o problem. Yes, it has many limitations but still is the best solution out there for majority of the ppl primarilty due to the fact the IR code database are maintained on line and by the time you purchased your new equipment, the hard to find discrete codes are typically already there. I've used two Harmoney remotes for couple years now. The only time I need to get my own discrete code in is with Toshiba A3 HD-DVD player.
In response to what was said on the podcast. You briefly said that you had "Watch TV" listed at the top of the activities on your remote and that when you press the power button you want the "Watch TV" activity to start. My response of that is confusing is because what happens if you have multiple activities?
Watch Blu-Ray, Watch DVD, Play Xbox, or Play PS3 and you press just press the power button, which activity is the remote suppose to start? You would have to select the activity then press the power button if I correctly understand your opinion.
I'll agree with you that it is silly that you can program every button on the remote expect the "power" button. That's a design choice on the part of Logitech and from your comments it seems like you want a little bit more customization and control over the remote. I can respect that, but sadly Logitech would you prefer to use the activity buttons. The Harmony remotes are in between dumb remotes and the really smart ones. Pros and Cons.
That way I wanted it to work was this.
If someone picks up the remote when the system is off and hits the power button, then the system turns on to the "default" activity (the one listed at the top). If I want to watch a Blu-ray Disc, then when I pick up the remote I'd hit the Watch Blu-ray activity.
Nothing would change about the way the Activities currently work. The only thing new is that instead of nothing happening when you hit the power button when the system is off, it would turn on the default activity.
I have it, and I love it.
Just think of it as the Harmony One with RF! :D
$300 is way to high unless the keys are diamonds.
Well if you think 300 is way too high, I guess you're giddy over the actual $400 retail that is referenced in the post.
On a different note, from the CNET review concerning BT capability (which I'd love to have for my huge, fugly PS3):
"Alas, the only unit that we couldn't control was our PlayStation 3, which uses Bluetooth and has no IR receiver. In an ideal world the Harmony 900 would offer Bluetooth connectivity, but we can't fault Logitech for Sony's stupidity."
Amen
I found that statement in the review to be really harsh and out of place. Bluetooth is FAR better than IR or RF. It's not Sony's fault that 2 years later a manufacturer finds it necessary to release a $399 remote control in the middle of a severe recession that doesn't have support for their devices. It's Logitech's stupidity. For that price, it had better include not only Bluetooth, but also cook my dinner, make only good shows exist, and create world peace. I know it's $400 dollars, but FOR A GODDAMN REMOTE CONTROL?!
@Martin - I can never get over how people continue to defend Sony on the *sole* use of BT in the PS3. You can carry on all you want about how awesome BT is over IR and RF, but the truth is....100% of the universal remotes in this, well, universe support IR. So why not include an IR port which would add minimal cost to a system that debuted at $600?!? And if it's so great, how come Sony hasn't implemented BT in ALL of it's devices? The obvious answer is that they wanted to sell their $20 remote as an accessory. But, I'm beating a dead horse and took the bait. My Nyko solution has worked out pretty well with my existing Harmony. The PS3 adapter actually costs more than what I paid for my Harmony, although it's not a rechargeable model with all the bells and whistles. Next remote will include RF support. I think it'd make sense to bundle this with a free PS3 adapter to get these things moving a little bit faster, considering the gaudy price tag.
Hey, Jason Lewis. Do you wish you waited for the 900?
Too fancy for me. I like to keep my HT stuff in the open. Plus, the PS3 seems like it could melt anything within a 1ft radius of the main heat vent.
I'll stick with my $50 Harmony 550. Although, that 900 looks a tad nicer.
Does it have Z-Wave?
The Philips Pronto is better and more flexible and customizable.
oh and i forgot to mention that the pronto sucked and continues to suck
I own a Harmony 720 it's a great remote and until recently I didn't need a sleep function. So I went to the setup software to add this basic button. to my surprise no such function exists. This is as basic a function as you can have in a universal remote. I've seen posting for workarounds but they leave your remote out if synch. I've seen post extolling the NEW HARMONY 900 which has this function WOW $400 to add 1 function that should have been there already. Let me say I could build a single purpose robot that could physically push the power button for $400. If Logitech wants to charge everyone for this programming then do so I’ll pay $10 to get something I should already have but if that’s what it takes so be it.
In “Their” defense there is nothing on the packaging that’s says this function is available, then again there is nothing that says it not, this is because I as well as many of U expected the function to be there in the 1st place. I may buy a new remote and it may cost $400 but it won’t be a Logitech if they won’t stand up and make right what is clearly a wrong.
Normally I would recommend that if you feel as I do that this function should be there you should send them an email requesting politely that a firmware upgrade B made adding a sleep mode function to all their existing remotes that have internal timers (they all do). Include in the text that they clearly already have the programming code (from the HARMONY 900) and modifying it for the existing remotes would be very easy. Like I said NORMALLY that is what I would recommend except I can’t find anywhere what the customer support email address is. I even tried Googling to find it but no such luck I did find a toll free number for sales it is 800-231-7717 call them and again respectfully request the firmware change. If enough people call their toll free number (Call often) they may get the hint. I’m sure they will delete this message soon so please take action now.
lot of jerks out there just hating on the remote, and NUNYAFB, your a joke,you said "Let me say I could build a single purpose robot that could physically push the power button for $400." then do it and you will be filthy rich... o wait you can not do that
plus who buys a piece of electronics at any price and thinks its future proof (if you do, your in for a rude awakening)
to assume when a new function comes out that you should be entitled to it because you bought a previous model one sometime ago. thats like saying well i paid 30,000 for my new truck and now a newer one is out with a new chip that tunes the engine better, why don't i get it, i bought one last year ... cause thats life..
now on to the remote, i think its awesome i have programmed a few so far the only issue i have seen so far is the communication distance between the rf base and remote