http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/ Engadget Comments for Harmony 1100 remote review: a bigger screen isn't always better http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 21st 2009 2:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 4:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://picasaweb.google.com/crisss1205/Sample?feat=directlink

picture of the "Replace Remote" button]]>Feb 20th 2009 4:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 4:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
Upgraded from an an 880 after 4 years of use before the volume up button stopped working (It had been dropped quite a few times on hardwood floors in college).]]>Feb 20th 2009 2:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
I was going to ask if it would blend but I actually had an interesting question to ask...]]>Feb 20th 2009 2:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
The 1100 looks like an incremental improvement in the design, but of course suffers from the same overall design issue that made me box up the 1000 and go running back to Future Shop to exchange it for another 890. Sadly, as cool of a device as this looks to be, it's seriously lacking when it comes down to strict daily usability.... I generally don't see the point in a remote that you have to look at in order to access even basic functions, combined with the fact that it felt far more fragile than any other Harmony remote I had used.

I've since upgraded my Harmony 890 and 880 units to a pair of Harmony One's, and couldn't be happier, particularly since it overcame the charging issues that the 880/890 series had. The touchscreen on the H1 took a tiny bit of getting used to, but wasn't a big deal since all of the remote's core functions are on the hard buttons.

I suppose for somebody with a basic setup the Harmony 1100 might be okay. For instance, I found it quite usable with my Apple TV, for instance, since I only needed the hard buttons to replicate Apple's six-button remote, but for things like controlling my PVR it quickly became downright frustrating with having to mess with the touchscreen every time I wanted to do something like skip a commercial.


]]>Feb 20th 2009 2:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
Does the touch screen really make a better remote?
Is the price for the 1100 make it worth not buying a 1000 for 300?


]]>Feb 20th 2009 2:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
I bought the 1000 and used it for all of 10 minutes before promptly boxing it back up and returning it. Just as the review states, it's pointless when you have to take your eyes off the screen to look at the remote in order to do anything.

Epic Fail!]]>Feb 20th 2009 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 4:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
That's why I got the Harmony 1000, which solves the problem by letting me add any command I want complete with the right label.

However, the Harmony 1000 still somewhat sucks. The remote is really slow and the menus experience serious lag - so much that I often whip up the original remote to do what the hell I was trying to do with the H1000. It's so slow it defeats the point of having a universal remote.

The other problem is customizing. While this has gotten better on the H1100 compared to the H1000, it is still not very customizable in terms of on-screen button layouts. In addition, the resistive screen is all but responsive, making tasks more tedious than they should be.

The last problem is output lag. The remote isn't as quick as an original remote, ever. And mind you, this has nothing to do with the IR delay settings in the desktop software (which I've played for for hours). It's just not quick enough, which is extremely frustrating when adjusting volume or navigating long lists, e.g. the EPG.

But I will still buy it, because there isn't simply any other remote than Harmony out there that does the job for the same amount of money. Until I get a Pronto Pro, this crap will do.]]>Feb 21st 2009 7:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
I would definately recommend this to anybody (just don't pay full department store prices for it... go with an online place that you trust). The remote works better than i thought it would.]]>Feb 20th 2009 2:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
Using AAA for me is preferred. I don't need another charging dock sitting around my studio. Six month battery life ain't have bad either. ]]>Feb 20th 2009 3:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/For $40 more you can have the color touch screen of the Harmony One plus all of the buttons you have now laid out in an easier setup. Also, who the hell wants to change batteries every year? Where do you leave the remote? Next to the TV? On the night stand? Just drop it in the charge base and you will never have to worry about it ever again - make life simple for Christ sake - also your post makes you sound like you may still have your motorola star tac and monochrome palm device going strong.]]>Feb 21st 2009 12:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/]]>Feb 20th 2009 4:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
Anyone else have problems with having it sit correctly in it's cradle to make contact for charging? I have to slightly tilt it for it to charge.
]]>Feb 21st 2009 12:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 21st 2009 7:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
I swapped mine for a Harmony One and havent looked back, this is a brilliant remote.]]>Feb 20th 2009 5:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 20th 2009 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/It's not perfect though and quite annoyingly the new versions don't seem to address the shortcomings - well apart from looking a bit prettier (895 is no looker).
First off it has to have RF (I now have stuff tucked neatly out of sight), secondly it has to be a stick remote - why on earth do I want a tablet I have to stare at to use? Yes it looks impressive, and I can see how it might be useful in a conference room - but on my sofa? Nope.
Secondly Logitech seem to be missing the 'good' bit of what they do. The RF stuff is shamefully overlooked now on anything other than the top end - why not make an IP enabled version. Imagine the 'harmony' box is tucked away in your AV cabinet with little IR relays pointing to all your kit and your remote - well there isn't one. There's a whole load of thin clients you can install on your phone, your ipod touch, your netbook, your PC etc etc. Seems rather stupid to pay extra for a fancy tablet remote - when you've already got many pieces of hardware in your house that are much more capable.
If they really wanted to push the boat out, do a deal with those SlingBox people - just suck the video feed out of your TV and let it be streamed. You could then control your entire AV system remotely and stream about your house with ease. Watch it when you're away.
Dunno - just seems with ability to stream video from a number of vendors, Harmony's ability to control everything from one little GUI (currently tied to a remote), something far more interesting could be done than 'Yet another f'in remote'
Just to finish on a bright note, Harmony have utterly wonderful tech support. I had a slight problem, called up and guy was fantastic. Instantly followed my gabbling, told me exactly how to fix it, then called back a bit later to check it had worked out OK.]]>Feb 20th 2009 6:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/
Also, the ergonomics are a bit funky due to the two handed use.

A good remote, however, those two points could be considered a deal breaker to some. (i own one and would not buy again)]]>Feb 21st 2009 1:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 21st 2009 6:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/Feb 21st 2009 9:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/It seems that most people commenting, including the reviewer, are benchmarking the Hamony 1100 against other IR remotes. I would be willing to be that most purchasers of the Harmony 1000 and 1100 use it for the RF functionality.

The fact remains that the Harmony 890 and 1000/1100 are the only "reasonably priced" remotes that have RF functionality and can be programmed using a GUI rather than macros.

My wife and I agreed that the ergonomics of the 1000 were much better than the 890 which is why we purchased it and enjoy it today. I also found the Logitech PC GUI to be very intuitive to setup.]]>Feb 21st 2009 1:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/harmony-1100-remote-review-a-bigger-screen-isnt-always-better/I think this is compensating for something else or just certain people shouldn't have credit cards

nuff said
Geo]]>Feb 21st 2009 10:38PM