The setup time from box to ready is about an hour or more since you have to create an ID on their website, program into your profile all the devices you want to control with the remote, customize how each unit interacts with other units (ie. DVD is plugged into Video1 inputs and VCR is in Video2 inputs) and then download the whole package to the remote. However once it is setup you don't need to download anything else unless you use the TV Guide feature or have added a new electronic unit.

So far it may seem like this is a great remote that does it all, turn all your electronics on with one button, switch between watching a DVD and regular TV with one button etc., etc. and it is......unless you are an electronics enthusiast as I am. This remote is a little too simple for me. In all the remote only has about 30 buttons - the number pad, volume and channel controls and a couple others. Granted the scroll wheel on the side can be used to access other "buttons" this is tedious for a person like me. I want a universal remote that has ALL the buttons at the ready, not the main ones and a scroll wheel to go through the rest. Had this been an LCD touch screen it would be much, much easier to use. When I am watching a DVD and I want to increase the output of the center channel or decrease the output of the subwoofer I don't want to flip through 10 menus on the scroll wheel, select the "amp" function, select the "up" arrow, select the blah blah blah until I finally get what I want. I would prefer if the remote had 100 buttons, each programmed specifically for the device in use so I could do what I want with 2 button presses. Ah well, this remote was geared towards simplicity so that's what you get!

My second gripe is that for the price paid (or would have, had I not gotten this unit free) I would expect that the buttons would light up light most other universal remotes. Instead if I'm watching a movie in the dark I have to tilt remote towards the TV so some light shines on it, fumble with the trying to press the right buttons and when I press the wrong one, give up and turn on the light! A simple backlight would have fixed the problem.

My third and last gripe - which applies to my particular setup only - is that it doesn't work!! I have my setup so that my Digital cable box stays on all the time, and the TV is the only thing that turns on and off. The Digital box is plugged into the wall and the TV into the box. This particular setup is not understood by the Harmony though as it somehow ALWAYS has to turn the Digital box On/Off....the end result is that my TV will flick on and then flick off (because the Harmony will toggle the Digital Box off which the TV is plugged in to). An alternative to this setup was to plug the TV straight into the wall, sadly this did not work either as the delay in the TV was too slow for the Harmony. The TV would come on but not until the AFTER the Harmony already sent the signal to switch inputs to TV2...the result is I have to scroll through the scroll wheel (AGAIN!!!) until I get the function to switch TV inputs.....SIGH!!!

Considering I got this remote free I am complaining A LOT, but better to know before you buy! Then again, as of May 2004 Logitech bought out Harmony for $27million so I have a feeling that major changes are coming soon to this remote!! With a major player like Logitech in control keep your eye out for many improvements.

Recommended:
No