R.I.P. Original Remotes!!! Harmony SST-659 Rules!!!
Written: Mar 08 '04
Product Rating:
Pros: Totally idiotproof (I tested it), highly customizable, handles several devices simultaneously!!
Cons: To get it to do EVERYTHING...you may spend several sessions online! But worth it...!!
The Bottom Line: Can't go wrong!! WILL work all your devices and do things the way you want them to. I was overjoyed to see something work so flawlessly.
sxgautam's Full Review: Logitech Harmony® 659 LCD Remote Control
Truly amazing, internet-powered remote with unmatched user-friendly setup on your COMPUTER!! Tried other 'Universal' remotes, only to give up in frustration. Note: I have a Bose 321 Home System, and NONE of the Universal Remotes (the ones in the medium-price ranges) seemed to list Bose on their list of devices. I happened to chance upon the Harmony SST-659 at BestBuy and their guarantee that their remote WILL work with all devices. I bought the remote off eBay for $135.
Details: The remote comes with software that you load up on your computer. Then you hook-up your remote to a USB port and go to HarmonyRemote.com (you can do a test run even before buying a remote on their website to see how it works). Then, on the website, you specify what devices you have, how they are linked to each other, what device is used for volume, etc. Once you have 'configured' your devices online, you 'UPDATE' your remote, and viola...your remote is programmed for the specific devices you have. The whole process can take about 15 minutes to an hour, depending on your abilities. The good part is that you are doing all of this on your computer and not fooling around with tiny buttons on the remote.
The other great feature of this remote is that you can set up ACTIVITIES, such as 'Watch TV', 'Play a DVD', etc. Once you setup the activity and specify what devices to turn on and off for that specific activity, all you have to do is PRESS ONE BUTTON and all the relevant devices will turn on. This is great...you don't have to turn on each device one at a time. When you hit the 'OFF' button, all the devices turn off at the same time. You can customize the activities to a fairly extensive level, so gadget-geeks can have a ball.
Bottom line? The remote does what it is supposed to do. I had to play around with it several times go it to work with my Bose player. All the other devices worked fine. You can even 'TEACH' the remote various commands and even NAME them as you want them to. The LCD screen will display your named commands, and you can choose what commands you want to be able to see and use, instead of unnecessary features you don't even use.
I am finally able to work all my devices (Bose 321 Home System, Panasonic Plasma, Samsung multi-system VCR, DirecTv DVR) with ONE REMOTE!! Finally I can lay my original remotes to rest...in peace!
Press the button representing an activity;for example, watching a DVD;and the remote performs all the required steps Backlit controls and LCD display:...More at Amazon Marketplace
Harmoney SST-659 Remote Control - Ultima and Easy to use, easy to set-up. Full control of any component. One-touch Activity Buttons. No Macro programm...More at eBay
Easy to use; the remote can automatically set-up your entertainment system in seconds Updatable via community-driven database together with IR learnin...More at Amazon Marketplace
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