Logitech Harmony 1000 review roundup

The Harmony line for Logitech has continued to please, and based on the reviews of the latest addition to the family, the 1000 is no different. The reviews raved about the performance for the price and we can see why: $499 for a touch screen remote certainly sets it apart from its competitors. Remote Shoppe points out that the Harmony 1000 is also much easier to program than other touch screen remotes and that Photoshop skills are not required to produce a great looking interface, but while the Harmony 1000 is easy to program, it also isn't as customizable as those other touch screen remotes. CNET warns that if you are used to a wand style remote, that the horizontal nature of the Harmony 1000 takes some getting used to. The worst part seems to be battery life, CNET forgot to dock it one night, only to find it was dead the next day when they were ready to use it.

Read - CNET (7.7/10)
Read - Remote Shoppe

[jeff @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:09PM]

While I love a good gadget. A $500 dollar remote is over kill.

[jeff @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:09PM]

While I love a good gadget. A $500 dollar remote is over kill.

[Jerold Billings @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:14PM]

This remote had the potential to be the ultimate remote, in my opinion, but the lack of an integrated TV guide and Wifi is unacceptable. The phillips remote even has that.

[michael @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:25PM]

Wow, they even have an Xbox 360 controller for "Play a Game".

Now that's what I call amazing!

[srd @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:31PM]

To the person that said a 500 remote is overkill. 500 is cheap for a true remote. I prefer the 1200 RTI remotes myself. But when someone has multiroom audio. several home theatres needs lighting control etc You need these High end remotes. While the Logitech is ok for an average home theatres It doesnt have whats needed for true home theatre controller.

[jeff @ Mar 3rd 2007 7:07PM]

What ever happen to the good old days when you had to actually move to get something done lol. ............jk

[jeff @ Mar 3rd 2007 7:07PM]

What ever happen to the good old days when you had to actually move to get something done lol. ............jk

[john @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:36PM]

that looks a lot like the squeezebox3 design to me

[Samo @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:48PM]

I don't get this anymore... Standalone Universal touchscreen remotes? Wasn't that a fad a little while ago? I'm a proud owner of a Fuj Siemens Pocket Loox N560 PPC, which has two important features in terms of remotes; an infrared port, and integrated wifi.

People pay $500 (so, that's ~£250 to me, being in the UK) for something that only does one thing, when I bought my PPC for £300 (~$600 somewhere there) which isn't too much more, but still does all the stuff that that remote does AND controls my PC as well, with two pieces of well programmed software (~$50 for both). Oh, did I mention that a PPC can do so much more than a stand alone remote?

My case is, while this IS nice, it's kinda in the past, considering everything has at least two functions these days (cam phone, BT headset watch, blah blah blah).

.... Of course, nobody uses a PPC anymore except me anymore, huh....

[Dave @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:52PM]

The Logitech remotes are all pretty good. I have an older model--but it's the only remote I use and the only one I need. Everything is programmable via a frequently updated online web app.

I would avoid this particular remote, though. For the price, it should be perfect.

[mck @ Mar 3rd 2007 7:06PM]

The Harmony Remotes are worth every penny. When you have a basic home theater setup like myself, which is a receiver, tv, cable box, dvd, and an iPod dock, you really need a quality universal remote. Otherwise I'd be changing inputs on the TV and the receiver, turning some components on and some components of, and walking up to the cabinet to see why something isn't working. My Harmony 880 elegantly does all of that for me.

[Johno @ Mar 3rd 2007 7:44PM]

I was lucky enough to win this over christmas from cnet australia and i can vouch strongly for it. setup is a breeze and the one-touch operations are intuitive and efficient.

if anyone were to complain about tactile feedback (and fair enough, since it is a major drawback of touchscreens), the 1000i offers a small array of buttons that deal with channels and volumes; which in all serious in regards to tactile feedback, are the only buttons you truly need.

I havent had any problems with battery life, due largely to the convenience of the docking station, that is, i simply leave my remote in the dock when not in use.

im undecided if i would've bought the 1000i but the call is marginal and i'd strongly reccomend it to anyone interested.

[cheapskate @ Mar 3rd 2007 7:59PM]

$500? Not in my house. Go here to get it for $350. Oh, and never pay retail, sucka!

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?catid=18&threadid=708977&highlight_key=y&keyword1=harmony

[Jerid @ Mar 3rd 2007 8:02PM]

As a Custom AV installer I can assure you that these are really gonna give the expensive guys (RTI etc.) a run for their money. I have reall tamed some complicated setups with the 890 pro an the 1000. Most people dont realize the extensive macro capabilities these have, coupled with the fact that Logitech has the largest IR library in the world. Functionally and not graphichally This remote can do over 95% of high end remotes such as the RTI T series can do.

[darkstar @ Mar 3rd 2007 9:44PM]

is there a way to turn my laptop with an infrared to be a universal remote too??? there must be a way! getting this remote is like getting a cheap laptop with no wifi, no nothing.

[Ty @ Mar 3rd 2007 9:45PM]

My Harmony 720 does a good job for now and I paid 200 for that. If I had a true home theater multi room setup I could see me maybe buying this one. Maybe.

[R @ Mar 3rd 2007 10:34PM]

darkstar: google "usb-uirt". Then google "girder". Maybe it will work for you.

[vcrs_are_so_last_century @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:37PM]

Look at the symbol to record a show; it's a pic of a vhs tape! Who uses those things anymore? Last time I checked it was the 21st century...

[Devon Shaw @ Mar 4th 2007 12:08AM]

Speaking as a Magnolia A/V associate who's had more than enough time to play with this remote...

It's good, in that it simplifies the process for the average joe. Logitech has been cleaning up in home theater because of the ridiculously simple setup for these remotes. Anyone who owns a Harmony can vouch for the quick deployment -- your online form is basically a bunch of yes/no answers. While the 1000 isn't much of an improvement over the already stellar (and RF compatible) 880, it's still great for your aging parents who want a "WATCH TV" and "WATCH DVD" button.

Unfortunately it's not that simple. A big beef by A/V professionals with the entire Harmony series is that it doesn't offer discrete codes. For the uninitiated, all devices have what's called "discrete codes" for settings. There may be only one Power button, but it toggles alternating TV ON and TV OFF modes. Another example of discrete coding would be to specifically switch to Video 2 on your receiver, or XM Radio... as opposed to flipping through your sources by tapping the Input button six times.

The Harmony series doesn't support discrete codes, which means it sometimes doesn't work. If you have your PLAY DVD button macro set to turn on your TV, DVD player, receiver, and then switch the input to DVD... what the Harmony will do is toggle the on/off code for each, then your input toggles through until it finds the right mode. If *any* of your components are already turned on, hitting that macro will turn all your OFF components ON, and your already-turned-on TV will turn off.

This is where the pricier but far more effective Universal brand remotes come in. The 350, 850 and delightfully overkill 3000 all offer discrete codes for nearly every single infrared and RF device on the planet. They cost more -- the MX-350 will run you 149, the MX-850 is 399 and the granddaddy MX-3000 will set you back 999 -- but are worlds more effective and bombproof when people start using their components at home in ways that may break a system that doesn't know better... like the Harmony.

This isn't a knock on Logitech's fine efforts, but the 1000 leaves much to be desired. For the price point, you're much better going with the Harmony 880 or the Universal 850.

[Ryan @ Mar 4th 2007 1:32AM]

Devon,

A) The Harmony 880 is not RF....the 890 is.

B) I have an 880 and use it to switch inputs discretely no problem.

[Jeff @ Mar 4th 2007 2:09PM]

Just because this is less stupidly priced than other touchscreen remotes doesn't make it reasonable.

As has been pointed out in this thread, you generally want to either offer an innovative product, or have a lower price point than your competitors. This thing could be replaced with a laptop, tablet, or PDA for the same price or less.

[Joe @ Mar 4th 2007 2:17PM]

Its not that Harmonys don't support discrete codes, its that not all devices have them.

I couldn't see myself using a touchscreen remote though, I like the feel of buttons. I currently have a Harmony 659 (but a few buttons aren't working so well anymore) and when I upgrade, it'll be the 880 I get, not this.

[Joe @ Mar 4th 2007 2:19PM]

Oh and besides that, I couldn't see having something as sensitive as a touch-screen display in a remote, simply because I don't know about you but around here the remote gets tossed around, and falls and things like that pretty much constantly. A touchscreen remote wouldn't last more than a day.

[ChrisM @ Mar 4th 2007 4:22PM]

Tell me again why this glorified IR controller with a touch screen is a good deal and the iPhone is overpriced?

[Irfan @ Mar 4th 2007 8:22PM]

devon,

i have a basic harmony 659 and even it has discreet codes. are you sure you have ever tried to program one? i hit DVD it swtiches my AVR to DVD directly and TV to HDMI 2. I then hit TV and the AVR goes straight to Video1 and TV to HDMI1. And you can program is so it does NOT turn units off when you switch modes, only when you turn everything off. And it remembers what its turned on.. so it wont hit power for the TV each time you change modes. AND... it has discreet power codes for many devices, but not all devices support discreet on and off anyways. So, please dont act like you have had experience with a product just because you toyed with it for 20 minutes at best buy.

[Jeff @ Mar 5th 2007 9:01AM]

I picked up this remote a couple weeks ago, it should be noted the street price is closer to 360$ for this remote if you shop around. As was stated here already, this remote is a great value when compared to other LCD touchscreen based remotes, it has a few hardbuttons on the side that you can map however you wish along with a bevy of LCD screens with customizable buttons. I think this remote is actually a very inexpensive and competant alternative to remotes like the Philips and some RTI models. The Harmony remotes have the added benefit of actually being the easiest remotes to program. You simply select your hardware from a web interface and then construct "activities" which control these devices to facilitate things like "watch tivo" "play a dvd" etc. Moreeover you can "learn" codes for each button as a last resort.

All this praise aside, the remote is not without some issues, battery life may be one, but if you're good about docking it then its really not a problem. The other issue is the software on the remote is buggy. This is to be expected because the remote has just been released, I talked to people at Logitech and they claim that firmware updates are on the way to address some of the problems, none of them make the remote unusable in my opinion.

Overall I am very pleased with the harmony, having used a philips pronto and various HT Master remotes.

[Cyberdude @ Mar 5th 2007 5:03PM]

Deven, you are wrong, wrong, wrong.

My 880 has discrete for evry single piece of equipment I own, and I've got some weird shit in there. I didn't even have to teach it, they were already in the database. And thinking that the hardware device would be the limiting factor as to whether or not it was capable of sending such codes just proves that you don't know what you are talking about. If the unit can record IR signals, it can send anything in the prescribed frequency range, and since there is no difference in frequency range between a discrete code and an non-discrete code, the hardware has nothing to do with it.

Sheesh, I wish people would KNOW what they were talking about BEFORE they posted such dribble.

[David @ Mar 16th 2007 9:27PM]

Devon isn't saying it can't mimick discreet codes he's saying it can't produce them like some of the high end ones. In other words my Pioneer TV has seperate buttons for inputs as does my Denon reciever. Some TVs the imput buttons are toggles; i.e. press the imput button five times to get to imput five. Panasonic TVs are like that. Or some TVs power signals are toggle so when tell the harmony to "trouble shoot" it turns it off when it resends the signal out.

The point is no real HT afficinado is going to own a Harmony remote. There's tons more tweakable better performing ones. Like every other aspect of HT there's stuff plebs buy and the stuff people who are really into it buy. Remotes are no different.

Now if someone could hack a harmony all bets are off...

[Jesse David Hollington @ May 8th 2007 3:20PM]

Actually, having previously owned a Home Theatre Master MX-700 a few years back, the major difference with the Harmony series isn't the question of discrete codes, but rather their ability to keep track of the state of the devices. The beauty of this approach is that even devices that do not have discrete codes available can still be programmed to work.

Specifically, the Harmony remote remembers the state of each device as best as it can (based on the codes that it's previously sent). This way, when the Harmony has already previously turned a device ON, it remembers this, and doesn't bother sending another power command to that device. This works regardless of whether discrete codes are supported or not (as even with discrete codes, since IR commands are sent consecutively, there's no point in wasting time sending an "ON" signal to a device that's already on).

While many home theatre enthusiasts avoid devices without discrete commands like the plague, this isn't always avoidable... Many content providers (cable and satellite providers) don't exactly offer you a choice of the receiver that you're going to use, and some of these are notorious for not having any discrete codes available. This was one area in which the MX-700 drove me nuts, but that the Harmony remotes have nicely solved for me.

Further, the Harmony series remotes have a much higher WAF (wife acceptance factor) than the MX-700 ever did, even after days of meticulous programming and coding. The "Help" button alone has saved my wife from making many frustrated "the TV isn't working!" phone calls to me.

Mind you, while the Harmony 1000 looks very interesting, it still makes me nervous with regards to a lack of tactile feedback... As somebody who watches a lot of PVRed and Apple TV type content, the lack of play/pause and skip forward/back navigation buttons would likely become a big annoyance pretty quickly. I'm also still shaking my head a bit that they don't include an RF extender for that price, when the Harmony 890 does for $100 less.