Great, But as Good as Their Other Models
Written: Sep 29 '04 (Updated Mar 15 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Extremely flexible programming. Good price. Good tech support. Perfect for TiVO.
Cons: Closely spaced buttons. Need web site to configure it.
The Bottom Line: Research their other remotes and consider the 659 model.
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| glenhamilton's Full Review: WELA electronic SST-688 Remote Control |
The Harmony brand of universal remote controls pack a lot of functionality in a unit that is competitive with other brands that can cost twice or even three times the money. They have several models, however the two most popular units are the model 688 and the 659. Functionality is almost the same, so it really comes down to whether or not you like the layout and design of the buttons. One member of my family likes the 688 while the other two of us like the 659.
Button Layout
I bought both versions of the remotes. I'm not as impressed with the physical button design on this unit and think it might cause a few customers to give up on Harmony altogether, although the problem is just this button design. The 659 is better and easier to use for big hands like (and farsighted eye sight like me). One person hit the nail on the head when they said they need smaller fingers or else the buttons need to be bigger. In my case, I prefer the separation between buttons such as exists on the model 659 so that I can feel the location of the proper button at night without looking at the control. As buttons are butted against each other on this unit, you will have to look at the remote to see which button you are pressing.
There are other good reviews about this unit and I don't disagree with them. Overall, the Harmony 688 remote is a good unit compared to the competition. However, my analogy here is that you will be happy eating bologna until you try a steak. Then you won't go back to eating bologna (sorry vegetarians, I can't think of a better analogy). What I mean is that if you compare the 659 and 688 side by side and use both, you will probably prefer the 659 better and for a little less money.
Programming
The quickness and ease of programming is what makes all of the Harmony remotes stand out from other manufacturers. Let’s first look at how most traditional universal remote controls are programmed. The usual practice is to take your equipment remotes and hold them near the universal remote while you press buttons on both units to program the universal remote commands. It’s an awkward and time-consuming process.
Another popular method is that you look up the model number of your components in a book that comes with universal remote control, and then enter a special series of digits into the remote that indicates it should look-up the infrared commands in its preprogrammed database in the unit. The biggest problem here is that you get a “canned” solution of what the manufacturer assigns to the buttons, and furthermore, it will likely not fully support all of your equipment.
Neither of the above limitations exists with these Harmony remotes. You simply go to Harmony web site, create a new account, indicate the model of the remote you purchased, and select the manufacturer and model numbers of the audio/video products you own. Then allow the Harmony web site to automatically search for your equipment in its database, and configure the scripts to download directly to your Harmony device. The device connects to an available USB port on your computer. It’s really that simple. In most cases, the programming that the web site sends to your remote control is going to be just what you want. And if it isn't, you can tweak the configuration on the web site to exclude or include only the commands you want. In fact, tweaking is something that you will probably want and need to do to get the most functionality from the remote control.
Soft Keys
I especially like the "Soft Keys". This is where you can attach any label you want to any of the 6 programmable custom key buttons. The buttons can have different labels and functions for various operating modes. Example, I have buttons labeled "lawn", "family", "heating", "cooling", etc to control lights and heat in various parts of the house (using X10 technology). Hint: You define the button labels and functionality on the Harmony web site by using their easy to follow graphical interface. You will want to use these definable quick function buttons for performing common functions that you use often. You can assign functions to those buttons.
General User Interface
The unit feels solid in the hand, it is well balanced, and easy to hold. The LCD screen is also easy to read in normal daylight conditions and at night when the backlight is on. Note, you can define the amount of time that the backlight stays on after a key is pressed by selecting the delay from the web site when you set up your equipment list. As for operating range… it’s pretty incredible. I am typically 15 feet or more from the equipment, and the various entertainment components are scattered around the room, yet the device reliably sends a signal to them. On rare occasions when I quickly lay down the remote before all of the “macro commands” are sent to the equipment, one device or another (TV or sound system) might not turn on or make the proper component selection. In that case, press the “Help” button. In over 95% of the cases, I’ve found that the device automatically corrects the situation without needing to press any further buttons. If it doesn’t correct the situation, just press the “No” button when it asks if the problem was corrected. Within a couple of button presses, everything will be working the way you want. This help feature is really a great thing.
Wish I had…
I would like this device a lot better if I didn’t have to connect to the Harmony web site to configure the device. If the site is not there in the future, this will be a problem, however, considering that hundreds of thousands of these devices are on the market and that Logitech recently acquired the rights to this line of products, chances are good that the site will be there when you need it. Still, I would prefer to have a Windows application (not a web interface) and have a local database that I can update remotely from their web site. Other than this, I can’t think of anything this remote doesn’t do for me, and I have an extraordinary complicated situation of entertainment devices, home control, and security equipment hooked into this device. My “remote control graveyard” (yes, I bet you have one too) now has 16 remote controls in there that this device replaces.
Device Firmware Updates
I’m glad they thought of this. The device uses FLASH memory to store its operational program and parameters. Getting updates from the Harmony web site is very easy to do and easy to program directly into the remote control, even for a computer novice. Therefore, your remote control should stay current.
Summary
Totally programmable for any functions you want. (Tweaking will be needed)
Gigantic database of equipment available for configuration (all my 7 items were there).
Great for use with TiVO units. (Especially designed for TiVO) functions.
Far less expensive than competitive devices with similar functionality.
Firmware is updateable from their web site.
Nice backlight that is very easy to see in the dark.
Wonderful automated HELP feature.
Buy it from Amazon or Buy.com, not a local store. You’ll save at least 40%.
For those of you that are interested in the model 659, I have a separate more in-depth review. Many of the comments also apply to this model because they use the same internal firmware.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
glenhamilton
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Member: Glen Hamilton
Location: Northern California
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 15 members
About Me:
Engineering Executive (electronics and software)
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