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Logitech Harmony 1000 - Touch Screen Universal Remote Control
Editorial
Product Description
Step up to the ultimate in universal remotes. Experience a new standard in simplicity with even the most complex components. With just one touch you can start watching, listening or playing. And youll be proud to display the Harmony 1000s sleek brushed aluminum and iconic colour LCD. Total Command One trigger finger is all you need. One-Touch Control: Choose the activity you want to do, not the component you want to turn on. Up to 15 Components: Control video, audio, gamingeven lights and appliances. Learning Port: Add favourite functions from an old remote just by pointing it at your Harmony. Comfort and Convenience Never get numb-thumb again. 3.5" Colour Touch Screen: Navigate through all your options with ease. Charging Station: Put your remote in its own home and forget about changing batteries. Help Button: Confused? Let the Help Button figure it out for you. (No one else has one.) Simple Setup It doesnt get easier than this. Online Wizard: Plug into a USB port and walk right through initial setup or adding equipment. Incredible Compatibility: From laser disc to Blu-Ray® disc, find your components in our 175,000-device database. Free Support: Expect total customer satisfaction, whether you have a problem or just a question In the Box: Logitech® Harmony® 1000 Remote Control Charging station USB cable AC Adapter Lithium-ion battery Installation CD Installation guide 2-year warranty
Software is terrible
Review date: 2009-11-10 Rating: 2 out of 10
I purchased a number of Logitech remotes on the basis of the hardware, assuming that the software was as good as most of the reviews had said. With the 1000 I accepted that a touch screen was not going to make finding the correct function easy without looking at the screen. Actually, I find the biggest weakness of most of the remotes is the placing (or absence) of the coloured buttons by which most PVR's etc are controlled.
But the terrible thing about all Logitech remotes is actually the software you have to use to configure the remotes. This is simply terrible. I realised in advance that I would have little or no control over the layout of the 1000 screens. That is frustrating and I can see little or no reason for it. But that is nothing in comparison to the limitations and frustrations of the software used to configure the remotes in the first place. This software prevents me from recommending any of the logitech remotes. The fact that magazines have given Logitech remotes such good reviews makes me feel that they either had very simple set-ups or just didn't use them!
The software simply does not know of the existence of most modern pieces of AV equipment. Media Players are not mentioned. They talk of Radio Tuners but I found no mention of DAB or Internet Radio. I have a unit with CD, FM, DAB, Internet Radio and Network Music Streaming. But the software does not know about such a device.
The software first makes you choose a device type to configure. This is not easy if it does not list the type of devices you have. Having chosen a device type (that you hope might be close) you are then presented with a list of manufacturers. This is the entire list of manufacturers that Logitech know of and NOT those that produce the type of device you have chosen. So if you select a device type of TV you are then presented with a list of companies that don't actually make TV's.
You are then expected to enter the model number of the device. Now the software knows what model numbers it thinks exists for that particular device type (by the manufacturer that you have chosen), BUT it doesn't bother to give you a list to choose from. Instead you have to know the model number. This is not always easy because the model numbers are often not actually displayed on the physical device. Crazy as that may sound it is actually true. Serial No's usually yes but model numbers often not. BUT having attempted to enter a correct model number the software will then often change it to something completely different. Not only that but it will often change the type of device too. I entered a device that it decided must be an AV Receiver. It was NOT. But the software just gave me the option of accepting the device it had chosen or going back over the process again. Choose to do that and it will come up with the same result even though you've already said that was wrong.
Having chosen your devices (or NOT if you can't find anything applicable) you are then asked to choose the activities that you want to do with these devices. Now "watching TV" is a pretty obvious activity to do with a TV. But it constantly presented me with the option to watch DVD for devices that do not have DVD players.
Network Media players are pretty common now. Some play music only (such as the Sonos and Logitech's own Squeezebox) and these have been around for a number of years. Some play music and video such as the WD TV Live. Eventually, I told the software that my media player was actually a computer and selected a manufacturer of Western Digital. It gave an example model number of the WD TV Live. I thought something at last was going right!!!! How wrong could I be? It had no idea of the functions the WD TV Live could do and again gave no useful activities for the device. But worse than that. It woudn't let me define the activities that the device could do. It seems to think it is being clever by doing things for you, but just about everything it decides is totally wrong.
I eventually gave up trying to configure the 1000 and tried to configure a simpler Logitech remote. Then I hit another problem with the software. You would think that Logitech would expect, even want, you to have multiple devices. But in order to configure any device you have to create an account on the Logitech website. What they don't bother making clear is that you actually need ONE account for EACH device. If you just select a different remote type in the software it overwrites anything you've already set-up for the first device. Nothing bothers to tell you this. You just loose the lot. So all my attempts to configure the 1000 were lost when I changed the remote type to the simpler model. Why they require a separate account for each remote is just totally beyond me.
So my advice to anyone thinking of buying a logitech device is quite simply DON'T. If you only have a TV, a DVD and a Radio then OK. Anything more complex and the software is a frustrating mess. It is not as if you can avoid the software. You can't. You are totally limited to the devices and activities that the software understands. The support staff at Logitech seem to be able to modify what you do but you can't. You have no direct access to the information. You want to be able to add a new device type and say that it has CD, FM, DAB, Internet Radio and Music Streaming. But you can't. You can't even add a manufacturer that they don't know about. There is not even an option to tell them about something new.
So the hardware is kind of OK. The software is a frustrating load of junk! I expected to see a picture of the remote I selected, click on a button, and select the action I wanted that button to do. Not complicated. It is nothing like that at all.
One last comment. In case you think I am just not technically minded, i've actually worked in the computer industry for over 25 years. This software is the worst I have ever come across on that time. At first it looks pretty but then you find it is just working against you the entire time.
Accessories
ReviewsNot so goodReview date: 2009-09-16 Rating: 4 out of 10Beware... this is not as flexible to set-up and use as the Pronto universal remotes. It sets up Activities, which you don't have much control over. For example, my Amp and Receiver both use the same 'code' for switching off and on. So when the Harmony 1000 switches them on or off it often switches the receiver off after switching it on, or on after switching it off. And there is no way to alter the switch off sequence to remedy this. Result... I have to keep the original remote to hand ... which rather undermines the point of having a universal remote.
The Philips Pronto remotes are much more user-programmable. Shame... it was such a good idea and had such potential.
After a few months of use the unit has also started occasional freezing and the volume down button seems to get stuck meaning volume plummets to zero while you struggle to counteract by stabbing at the volume up!Buyer Beware!Review date: 2009-08-17 Rating: 2 out of 10Just a quick review to alert potential customers to one inherent issue with touchscreen remotes... You'll have to look DOWN at the remote screen and then UP to see if the TV Screen has acknowledged the command.
OK, I guess once you get used to where the buttons are on the screen but personally speaking I'm much happier with the more traditional shaped universal remotes. The gimmick of a touchscreen doesn't outweigh the functionality of the normal style.
And all that's BEFORE you get to grips with possibly the worst interface software in the world....
annoyingly frustratingReview date: 2009-07-21 Rating: 4 out of 10It is fairly easy to set up via the website,once you have registered,but it doesnt do the things it should.
Ive redone the installation a few tiomes and still it wont """OK" the menu on sky,it also doesnt turn off the plasma when all the other units are turned off,annoying,Ive also tried to "teach" it other remotes commands but it wont work.
Overall the idea is good,but its frustrating and annoying when it doesnt do what it says on the tin.Great DeviceReview date: 2009-05-26 Rating: 10 out of 10Have bought many "one for all" remotes over the years, but always had to have the original remotes nearby, as they never could fully replicate all the sometimes, but essential function buttons. With the Harmony, I have truly not needed the original remotes at all.
The initial setup was easy, but you do have to invest time into getting it perfect. You have a direct number to call the Harmony Tech Support team who respond quickly and can go to your setup and make changes if you need them to.
I do think the rrp of approx £200 is excessive, but Amazon did a special for £139 - still expensive for a remote control, but it really does the job. Now that I have set it up with the buttons and functions I like, It makes controlling all the equipment I have a doddle. Great product.
Product Details/SpecificationsRecording label: Logitech Manufacturer: LogitechModel: 966230-0120EAN: 5099206000988Binding: ElectronicsRelease date: 2007-05-08Brand: Logitech
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