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The best universal remote control
By Grant Clauser and Darryl Wilkinson This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to universal remote controls. If you're looking for an easy-to-use universal remote to control up to eight AV components and even some smart-home devices, we recommend the Logitech Harmony Companion. Harmony remotes are the easiest to set up, and the smart, activity-based system simplifies control of your whole home theater. No other remote control we found offers as much control, connectivity, and compatibility for the money. The two-piece Logitech Harmony Companion system, which consists of a hub and a handheld remote, can control up to eight AV components, and it works with IR, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth devices, which gives it more flexibility than many budget remotes have. You can also use a smartphone/tablet app to control your system. The Harmony Companion integrates with Alexa, Google Assistant, and several do-it-yourself home-automation hubs and smart devices, such as lights, locks, thermostats, and motorized shades. The remote lacks backlighting, and all of that functionality makes it a bit more difficult to program than some other Harmony remotes—but it's still easier to use than anything else available. If you're looking to control a typical AV system consisting of, say, a TV, an AV receiver, a cable DVR, and a Blu-ray player, the Logitech Harmony 665 is a great choice. It's capable of controlling up to 10 components, it features an easy-to-read, backlit color display, and the built-in Remote Assistant function is great for troubleshooting. If the remote fails to perform a task you expect it to (such as turning up the TV's volume), you can follow the Remote Assistant's guided suggestions to resolve the problem quickly. However, the Harmony 665 can control only IR-based equipment, so it doesn't support smart-home devices and some streaming media players and game consoles, and it needs line-of-sight with your gear. Like our top pick, the Logitech Harmony Elite is a two-piece system that uses the Harmony Hub, so you get all the same advantages. The flagship Elite model controls up to 15 devices and adds a customizable touchscreen for even more flexibility. The remote is fully backlit and more responsive, with a nicer design that makes it feel more like the remote for a professionally installed control system—but all of that comes with a big jump in price. This is the model to get if you have a large and expanding home theater system, and you want the best handheld remote.
Logitech's Harmony remotes can control your PS4 too
The PlayStation 4 is a lot of (mostly great) things, but easy to control without its DualShock 4 paddle isn't one of them. That changes today so long as you have a Logitech Harmony remote sitting on your couch or coffee table. The company announced that the latest update to its hub-based wands, or the app, grants the ability to control not just the console's system menus and Blu-rays via Bluetooth, but streaming apps like Amazon Instant Video and Netflix too. Pretty handy! There's a caveat though, and it's a relatively big one: You can't use the remotes to turn your PS4 on. So, just remember to hit the power button (it's the top one) on your system before investigating why everyone's gaga for Daredevil.
Harmony's $150 Smart Keyboard remote comes to living rooms this month
Logitech is bringing a new entry to the lineup of Harmony remotes centered around its Hub. At a price of $150 this Harmony Smart Keyboard will retail for only twenty dollars more than the Harmony Smart Control, but trades in the simple and small remote for a keyboard. Like the rest of the Hub compatible line, it controls a long list of devices including the Apple TV, Roku or Xbox One, with support for IR, RF and Bluetooth. This means you can hide the (included) Hub away in a cabinet with your receiver, game consoles and set-top boxes with little regard for where the remote is pointed. The keyboard make quick work of searching for content when connected to a PC or Mac as well as media streamers and game consoles. Like any Harmony remote, it makes controlling up to eight devices in your home theater simple via Activities, and has buttons to control playback as well as volume. While we loved the Hub when we tested it, we have never felt the same way about a keyboard in the living room - and this is especially true now that we can use a smartphone or tablet as a keyboard. If you're willing to give QWERTY on the couch another chance, check it out on the website and look for the device hitting stores later this month.
Logitech unveils Harmony Ultimate and Smart Control universal remote sets for home entertainment heroes
Got no touchscreen on your living room remote? That's a shame, because Logitech and others have been flogging such universal controllers since way back when. After a long new product hiatus, the late 2012 release of the Harmony Touch remote hasn't stopped Logitech from mulling a sale of the brand, but it's not done with it just yet. Coming soon are two fresh bundles bearing the Harmony name: the Ultimate and Smart Control. At the heart of both is the Smart Hub, a palm-sized box somewhat similar to the Harmony Link. It receives commands from remotes via RF, or from smartphone apps via WiFi, and in turn, broadcasts its own orders to your A/V setup using IR and Bluetooth. It's especially useful for those wanting to hide their kit away in cabinets, as it translates inputs into IR signals that'll bounce around those secluded spaces. Optional extender nodes will also pipe IR into other nearby recesses. To do that though, the Hub needs instructions, which is where remotes and apps come in. The new Ultimate remote (aka the Touch Plus) is last year's Touch remote with a few refinements, including the addition of a trigger-like nub on the underside to improve grip. It uses IR, Bluetooth or RF (to the Hub) to control up to 15 devices, and is programmed using Logitech's software for PCs that pulls settings from a database of 225,000 home entertainment products. The Ultimate's 2.4-inch touchscreen serves as a number pad, a favorite channel list for easy hopping, and is the home of one-touch "activities," which are basically macros for issuing multiple commands. Set up an activity for "Play Xbox," for example, and in one touch it'll turn on your console, switch your TV to the correct source, select the right channel on your amp, and so on. It'll even tell Philips' connected Hue lightbulbs to set a mood. Jump on past the break for more.
Logitech's Q3 2012 report confirms Revue is sold out, Harmony remote refresh 'in the coming months'
Logitech's Q3 earnings for the 2012 fiscal year don't have many surprises since the company already revealed it was dropping out of the Google TV team. In prepared remarks, company management confirmed it is completely sold out of new units, closing the door on any users still trying to nab a $99 Revue (who shouldn't be too heartbroken, since Vizio is promising a second gen unit is on the way at the same price). There is promise however, if you're looking for a new Harmony remote model, while interim CEO Guerrino De Luca says the company is late in providing a successor to the best selling Harmony One and other models, resulting in a 30 percent drop in sales, it plans to strengthen the lineup "in the coming months." In other segments, it's seeing growth in those iPad accessory keyboards, for more details check the press release embedded after the break or in the PDFs linked below.
Logitech Harmony Link app gets customization-focused iPhone, Android update
Logitech's updated the iPhone and Android versions of its Harmony Link App. Now your smartphone-as-TV-remote can be customized to your whim, confusing any visitors who thought they'd watch some Jersey Shore at your pad. You'll also be able to power the TV down from your blower, for those moments when guests decipher your settings and you see your beautiful set polluted by Snooki and co. As a tip, this update doesn't change the iPad edition of the app, which will get some special attention just as soon as Logitech's engineers can get their eyes off MTV.
Logitech Harmony Link review
Logitech's Harmony 1100 now shipping to tidy living rooms everywhere Murata Tactile Controller TV remote hands-on (video) Comcast releases Xfinity TV remote control app for Android devices A first encounter with a multitouch device gets any active imagination running, so of course a home theater fan thinks it could make for the ultimate remote. But can any of that promise be realized in the dead zone that is the consumer remote control space? The leader of that dead zone is ready to give it a try with the Harmony Link -- a WiFi-to-IR bridge that allows you to control your TV from any room of the house via an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Android device. For $100, it's a setup that promises to blend ease of programming with network connectivity and multitouch control. So exactly how good is Logitech's attempt? We'll reveal that after the break, of course. %Gallery-135375%
Logitech's Harmony Link transforms your iOS device or Android phone into a universal remote (video)
Logitech isn't exactly a stranger to universal remotes, and if you've been yearning for an Android or iOS aimed solution from the Swiss company, its new $100 Harmony Link should have you covered. The Link is a WiFi-enabled infrared puck and app combo, that allows you to control up to eight devices in your home theater from the comfort of your touchscreen sans pesky dongles or cases. After downloading a free app, pocket-sized iDevices and Android smartphones can act as universal remotes over your home network, while iPad users also get the benefit of personalized TV listings from Rovi. It's similar in price and function to Peel's Fruit, but drops the extra wireless dongle and adds a native iPad app. Notably, the Link can interface with multiple iPads at once, and Logitech's also thrown in a mini IR blaster to make controlling your AV gear that much easier. If another one of your home theater dreams just came true, the Harmony Link is up for pre-order now from Logitech and due out in October. While you're still here, there's quick video overview past the break along with the usual PR spiel.
Logitech Revue and accessories hands-on! (Update: video of video calling!)
We just got some serious hands-on time with the Logitech Revue Google TV box, and it's all pretty slick, hardware-wise. The Keyboard and Mini Controller are just as well-done as you'd expect from Logitech, and the video calling features worked pretty seamlessly. We also managed to confirm that the Dish Network DVR integration is exclusive to Logitech -- it won't work on Sony Google TV devices, which is totally strange. We're headed back for video and we'll have some more in-depth impressions in a bit, but check out the pretty pictures in the galleries below for now. Update: Dish and Google have both chimed in to clarify the "exclusive" deal. While Dish will exclusively sell Logitech's Google TV hardware, any other devices, including the ones from Sony, will pair with its DVRs in exactly the same way. Fragmentation (apparently) avoided -- for now. Update 2: Okay, we've added some impressions just after the break. We're still trying to figure out exactly what's going on with the whole Dish integration thing, since we can't seem to get a straight answer, but we'll keep digging and let you know. %Gallery-104459% %Gallery-104453% %Gallery-104456%
Logitech's Google TV companion box includes smartphone apps, we go eyes-on (updated: video!)
Dashing away from the Google I/O keynote as fast as our feet would carry us, we scored the very first look at Logitech's Google TV companion box. While we'll share full details when we catch a breath, here's the scoop: the box extends the full functionality of a Logitech Harmony remote and a WiFi access point to your TV, providing not only Google TV but also allowing you to control your entire entertainment system (including DVR) with a still-in-development keyboard / touchpad remote or an iPhone or Android smartphone app over WiFi. Hit the gallery below for a taste of what the little set-top box can do, and rest assured we've got more info on the way. Update: Now with video, after the break. Update 2: Details and specs after the break, too. %Gallery-93420%
Logitech Harmony 300 eschews LCD screen for universal affordability (video)
Logitech's Harmony remotes have a well earned reputation that treads the fine line between overkill and power user necessity, and while the 600 series brought the entry price down below the $100 mark, this latest Harmony 300 set is aiming to limbo even lower. Priced at $49.99 in the USA and £29.99 in the UK, the 300 touts a supposedly effortless web-based setup -- via a USB hookup to your nearest computer -- and compatibility with more than 225,000 devices from more than 5,000 brands. Of course, the lower price comes with some sacrifices, namely the removal of the LCD screen found in the higher models, and the limitation of controlling a maximum of four devices. If neither bothers you too much, expect this universal remote to land in your lap some time in early April. Video after the break.
Logitech 600 and 650 remotes bring Harmony for under $100
Logitech's most recent offerings in the Harmony line, the 900 and the 700, were much more affordable than the $500 touchscreen Harmony 1100 we reviewed last year, but neither crossed beneath the magical $100 threshold. Finally Logitech has a few new models that'll set you back less than a Benjamin, the $79 Harmony 600 and $99 Harmony 650, said to be shipping by the end of the month. Both share the same shape as the 700 but have been gimped somewhat to control a maximum of five devices -- a curious step back from the 700's six. Likewise the 600 offers only monochrome screen while the 650 offers color, but given your dog's lack of chromatic acuity he'll be perfectly content chewing on either. %Gallery-86885%
Logitech's new Harmony IR repeater
Anyone who has had a Harmony Remote knows the "is this device on" hell that follows if an IR code is missed while an Activity is firing off. To address that and the whole hidden equipment craze, Logitech now offers a IR repeater called the Logitech Harmony IR Extender System that is available for $59. The way this works is there's one table top IR receiver that you place in the open, and then three IR blasters that you place in front of the devices you want to control -- of course this will require that you hide your equipment as otherwise the devices would receive the same IR signal twice. Not a bad deal at the price, but we do wonder if it is compatible with our own stick on IR emitters. We doubt this is as good as the RF version of the Harmony, but no doubt it's cheaper if you already own the remote.
Harmony 1100 remote review: a bigger screen isn't always better
Like a skeleton in the closet or a beating heart in the floorboards, many home theater enthusiasts are cursed by a barrage of remote controls, each with different shapes, sizes, and battery demands. Cheap multi-device programmable remotes help, but Logitech's Harmony line has for years been something of a savior, elegantly hiding all your devices behind simple activities like "Watch TV" or "Play a CD." The Harmony 1100 is the latest to join the lineup, and is in many ways the most elegant to look at and to hold. Sadly, though, it's far from the most intuitive to use, and so is not exactly our favorite. %Gallery-45456%
Logitech's Harmony 1100 now shipping to tidy living rooms everywhere
While we're happy to eschew buttons for touchscreens on some things, we're still not entirely sold on the Harmony 1100's (relatively) minimalist design, an update to that display-focused layout first seen on the 1000. Most like to use remote controls without looking down, and that could be a bit of a challenge here. However, as the buttons on most Harmony remotes tend to start failing after about 12 months or so, perhaps ditching most of them is a good move for Logitech. Regardless of the intent, if you're so sick of multiple controllers you're willing to spend $500 on the company's latest and greatest, you'd better get that credit card warmed up and click the read link. Our failing economy thanks you.
