All in one remote?!!

[old&slow]

I just purchased the harmony 659 all in one remote.
I was a little sceptical at first. never seen one that was any good. But I am very impressed with this unit.

After hooking it to a USB cable and logging into Logitech site you are ready to being adding your other remotes to the harmony unit.
U need to identify each piece of hardware u have by model number. It gives u decent options of how u want to run the devices.
After u select the way u want the devices to run you save all the info. It does an update and reboots.
It also has a manual type of learning mode for certain kinds of remotes.

After loading the profile I tested the remote.
Now if I want to watch TV I simply push the watch TV button and the TV, Sat receiver,AV receiver all power up simultaneously. Nice! Then If I switch to watch a movie button.The Sat recevier powers off and the DVD player powers up while the TV and A/V receiver stays on.

It also gives all the functions available with the A/V receiver that is available on that remote. It has a nice veiw screen and is relatively easy to use.

Right now they offer a $30 rebate at london drugs till Oct 16.

Very happy with mine!

[rage2]

hehe I have one for each room. Dunno how I lived life without it before I first got it!

It's like Tivo... once you have it, can't live without it.

[Mr. Burns]

I want one... I have tried all sorts of universals, and no matter what there was always at least one component it couldn't control. I think I will have to pick one of these up.

[tictactoe2004]

I have a sony RMAV3000 with the cool blue touchscreen. I love it, it's the only remove I've used myself that is able to control my TV, AMP, DVD player, CD-Player, Shaw box, Bell box as well as VCR all at once and still let me use all the features to all the components. It's great!

[Godfuader]

Originally posted by old&slow

After hooking it to a USB cable and logging into Logitech site you are ready to being adding your other remotes to the harmony unit.
U need to identify each piece of hardware u have by model number. It gives u decent options of how u want to run the devices.
After u select the way u want the devices to run you save all the info. It does an update and reboots.
It also has a manual type of learning mode for certain kinds of remotes.


This stuff actually works? Will it do a TV, DVD, Stereo, Satellite, VCR all in one??

[old&slow]

Originally posted by mrburnsvw
I want one... I have tried all sorts of universals, and no matter what there was always at least one component it couldn't control. I think I will have to pick one of these up.

Nice thing is that at London Drugs u can try it for 15 days. If yur not 100% satisfied take it back. All they want is that it comes back with it's packaging!

[Ripper]

My roomate got a Harmony remote too. Pretty awesome.

[derek123]

Originally posted by Godfuader


This stuff actually works? Will it do a TV, DVD, Stereo, Satellite, VCR all in one??


yeah pretty much.

I've only seen problems with timing ( button presses too fast or too slow, or one device is still sending while the next is starting to send etc..) all cureable in the advanced user menu.


s!k yo.

[old&slow]

I havent seen a single issue so far...
Wouldnt have believed it either till I used it!

[rage2]

For those that haven't seen the harmony remote in action, the biggest difference is that most regular universal remote doesn't group actions.

So, to watch a movie using your generic universal remote, you would click TV, tvpower, tvinput, DVD, dvdpower, receiver, receiverpower, receiver input. Then you would have to flip back and forth between the devices to change volume, skip menu, etc.

On the harmony, you add devices, then program activities. So when you press Watch a Movie, it'll turn everything device on, set all the inputs to the proper inputs (tv/receiver). Press vol up/down it'll change the receiver volume, press menu and it'll send a menu cmd to the dvd player. You can configure each button to do whatever activity for whatever device you need. The default config basically takes care of 99% of the buttons, you would just customize favorite features such as subtitle, audio track, etc.

It's pretty cool once you've used it once.

[ZMan2k2]

Nice!:thumbsup: I just picked up a new receiver and a DVD player, and I'm getting sick of all the damn remotes around my house. Right now I've got 5 remotes, and I'm getting upset. I can never find the one I want. My daughter loves to play "hide and seek" with them. This is on my next to buy list. From what I've heard, I can't really go wrong.

I've never really considered uni-remotes before, cause any of them that I've purchased before only do maybe a quarter of the functions that I want, and I still need the original remote around. It sounds like with this one, I can put the originals in the drawer and run with one.

Nice timing old&slow. This really helps me out.:thumbsup:

[JordanEG6]

interesting...how much are they? im thinkin on picking one up:thumbsup:

[rage2]

The basic model is $200 (the 659). You can find 'em on sale tho once in a while for around $100.

You can go all the way up to $320 for the bling bling color screen model. Personally, I have 3 of the 659's, I prefer the button layout on it compared to the top end models.

All their remotes:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/productlistharmony/CA/EN,CRID=2080

[JordanEG6]

sweet! i think i'll pick on up. i wonder if it can turn on my PS2? :D

[old&slow]

$200?

$117 over at LD with a $30 rebate!

[dragonone]

i want this one tho
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/detailsharmony/US/EN,CRID=2084,CONTENTID=10929

http://www.logitech.com/lang/images/0/8143.jpg

looks just like an oversized 8890

and it's cheap too, i don't have more than 12 devices in my house that needs a remote anyways

tv, vcr, dvd, amp, stereo, can't imagine if anyone has much more than that in a single room

[Khyron]

Yah I was looking at that one too (looks the sexiest too). How come you didn't pick the 520 rage?

Edit: Just saw the 628 is on sale for 99 bucks at FS.

Khyron

[iceburns288]

http://us.marantz.com/Products/548.asp

I have a Marantz RC3200... works so well, it does all that stuff rage said like macro button (hit one button and it does a series of things) and I love it!

[403Gemini]

my buddies roomate got one, and my friend absolutely HATES it. ugh its the most inconvieniet thing. and its not just a learning curve cause my friend knows how to do everything on it, it just takes twice as instead of him just dual wielding remotes ;)

its nice to have the all in one feature, but meh, flipping through menus and crap like that bah. even his roomate takes freakin long to set it to xbox hah

[Khyron]

Originally posted by 403Gemini
my buddies roomate got one, and my friend absolutely HATES it. ugh its the most inconvieniet thing. and its not just a learning curve cause my friend knows how to do everything on it, it just takes twice as instead of him just dual wielding remotes ;)

its nice to have the all in one feature, but meh, flipping through menus and crap like that bah. even his roomate takes freakin long to set it to xbox hah

Isn't the point that it's 1 button push to set xbox or whatever?

I know I'm up to 4 remotes and I don't have a sat/cable box yet. But I use a lot of my stereo receiver functions (different movie modes, night, 6 channel for talking heads, etc)

Want the 520 just for looks - seems to have all the functions, but is pretty cheap though.

Khyron

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by Khyron


Isn't the point that it's 1 button push to set xbox or whatever?

I know I'm up to 4 remotes and I don't have a sat/cable box yet. But I use a lot of my stereo receiver functions (different movie modes, night, 6 channel for talking heads, etc)

Want the 520 just for looks - seems to have all the functions, but is pretty cheap though.

Khyron

thats what i thought! i thought it was *press xbox button, everything is set*

nah their remote is fucking stupid. its like the retarded reject logitech/harmony remote where you need to pan through like 6 menus to get the right option, press 4 buttons to change the volume, ugh most useless piece of shit evar. id rather have 3 remotes on my table than the remote they have. but its probably cause its a shitty remote hah

[dsmturbo]

Old&Slow, I don't see them for $117.00 plus rebate?

[rage2]

Originally posted by 403Gemini


thats what i thought! i thought it was *press xbox button, everything is set*

nah their remote is fucking stupid. its like the retarded reject logitech/harmony remote where you need to pan through like 6 menus to get the right option, press 4 buttons to change the volume, ugh most useless piece of shit evar. id rather have 3 remotes on my table than the remote they have. but its probably cause its a shitty remote hah
haha are u sure it's a harmony remote? I mean by DEFAULT the volume buttons control the volume regardless of what's providing audio (TV or receiver). Either it's not a harmony, or your friend changed all the defaults messing it all up.

[old&slow]

Originally posted by dsmturbo
Old&Slow, I don't see them for $117.00 plus rebate?

Your right! I made a mistake!@ Damn sry dude!

The 117 was a discount for employees. My daughter works there. It's a $200 item with a $30 rebate...again im sry for that. I need to be a little "faster".:nut:

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by rage2

haha are u sure it's a harmony remote? I mean by DEFAULT the volume buttons control the volume regardless of what's providing audio (TV or receiver). Either it's not a harmony, or your friend changed all the defaults messing it all up.

*shrugs* it is a logitech one, but his roomate says "OMFG ITS A HARMONY LOGITECH REMOTE!!!"

id return it if i was him and get a real harmony remote hah

[rage2]

Harmony was bought out by logitech so its the same thing. He probably fucked with the configuration if he has to press more than VOL UP to change the volume haha. The harmony remotes are configurable enough to make the volume up button turn off the TV and volume down to eject a DVD if you want haha.

[dsmturbo]

Any opinions on the 880 model? Pricey though but I got HD and Tivo

[rage2]

Even the basic model can handle those requirements fine.

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by rage2
Harmony was bought out by logitech so its the same thing. He probably fucked with the configuration if he has to press more than VOL UP to change the volume haha. The harmony remotes are configurable enough to make the volume up button turn off the TV and volume down to eject a DVD if you want haha.

awesome haha thanks for the edumacation

well his roomate set it up so he probably fucked it up hah

[Khyron]

Originally posted by rage2
Even the basic model can handle those requirements fine.

So whats the catch with the 520?

Khyron

[rage2]

It's ugly? :dunno:

[dragonone]

sure looks better than the 6 series or the 8 series
i dont' know, i'd get it solely for its looks
u get what you pay for, if u can afford it go get those pronto's or watever for 500 bux, probably costing more than everything i own together lol

but i'd like to know the catch of the 520 as well, their feature comparison sux

[JordanLotoski]

will these remotes contril lighting, i have remote dimmers on all my lighting in my media room...if it does ill be getting one.

[hedge]

Originally posted by MIWYFSHOT
will these remotes contril lighting, i have remote dimmers on all my lighting in my media room...if it does ill be getting one.

most likely, It will control almost all IR devices. The logitech site has a db of almost every model of electronics... but if they don't then the remote can learn it head-to-head.

If you find you can't do something call their tech support. I've had them make a couple changes to my config. Best tech support I've experienced.

[rage2]

Originally posted by MIWYFSHOT
will these remotes contril lighting, i have remote dimmers on all my lighting in my media room...if it does ill be getting one.
Yes. In fact, depending on your lighting remote and how much control you have, you can make it dim the room to 0% for the "Watch a Movie" activity, 50% for "Watch TV" activity, and "70%" for "Play a Game" activity. Then when you press OFF, it can turn the lights up to 100%.

[googe]

haha, how people can spend 200-300 on a remote is beyond me :rofl:

[old&slow]

After I get my rebate(if i ever do) it will have cost me 55 + gst. Can you say bargain!

[old&slow]

Originally posted by rage2

Yes. In fact, depending on your lighting remote and how much control you have, you can make it dim the room to 0% for the "Watch a Movie" activity, 50% for "Watch TV" activity, and "70%" for "Play a Game" activity. Then when you press OFF, it can turn the lights up to 100%.

Hay yeah and if your wife is really hot you can program it to keep the lights on when u hit the "have sex button" :):devil:

[jdmakkord]

Originally posted by googe
haha, how people can spend 200-300 on a remote is beyond me :rofl:

If you had ever used one, you would know how. Anyone with a decent home theater, could use one of these, or have 5 or 6 remotes to control everything. You decide. My coffee table isn't that big at home, thats for sure.

[milesmcewing]

Anybody want to buy a 688?

I got it to use while my Pronto was being repaired.

It controls the lights as well, for whoever was asking.
I paid 189 about 3 months ago, first $100 takes it. I have all the packaging etc.

Cheers
Miles

[dragonone]

http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2005-09/logitech-harmony-520-in-the-flesh/