Logitech Harmony® 659 LCD Remote Control

Pros: Easy to use, easy to set up, wonderful performance, well constructed
Cons: Can be a little confusing to set up

Are you tired of having 20 different remotes laying around any room with electronic devices? I know I was. I had gotten to the point where I needed a remote for the remotes. Something that could tell me what went with what and what it did when I ...

Pros: One-handed operation; huge database of devices; "Smart State" capability
Cons: A bit pricey, web interface needs an easily reachable advanced mode

If one were crazed enough to go on an Easter Egg hunt for remote controls in our living room, it would net a bonanza of riches. We have remote controls from devices long since dispatched to the landfill. Every new electronic gizmo now seems to come with ...

Pros: Easy to use, easy to configure, controls everything from one remote
Cons: Batteries don't last very long, a bit pricey

The home entertainment system in my fiance’s apartment is a mess. With so many components, we dread going behind them to add anything new. The wires are a disaster, despite several attempts to organize them. Controlling the components has been no ...

Pros: One button switching between activities, easy set up.
Cons: I wrote way too much while covering so little of what it can do.

I call our gaggle of electronics a “Home Theater”. You can call your gaggle that too, if you want. If yours is like ours, it’s made of components from different manufacturers, from different production years, with a bunch of non-compatible ...

Pros: Controls everything imaginable. Good price considering features of the competition.
Cons: It won't control your wife!

Yes, I must have owned so many universal remote controls over the years that they would cause my coffee table to collapse under the weight if they were all placed on it. I never found one I liked or that was easy to use. FINALLY! The Harmony. I've ...

Pros: Activity based. Easy to use - Wife approved! Help button.
Cons: Requires the computer to set up. Requires patience when setting up. Battery life.

So how many remotes do you have on your coffee table? If you are anything like me, you have at least 4... I had 7! A Sony Universal Remote and then the remotes for the TV, Receiver, Satellite Receiver with TIVO, VCR, DVD Player and CD Player! I had to ...

Pros: stylish, elegant design, great backlighting, flexible programming, Mac OSX /Windows compatible, "activity-based" buttons
Cons: requires website for programming, programming can be complex, pricey

Why I wanted to try this remote: Simple. My marriage was being mildly threatened by the sprouting of various remote controls around our family room. Eventually (when the number of remotes passed 10) the task of simply watching TV through our surround ...

Pros: If your home electronics use IR, then this remote can control it.
Cons: Default control settings may not be the most logical for your components.

So, if you are like me and you have an entertainment center full of audio and video equipment, and not all of the brands are the same; because you are not a fan of buying prepackaged home stereos, or because you are always trying to find the best ...

Pros: It works. Reasonably priced, versatile, comfortable to hold and carries a significant "wow" factor.
Cons: Infrared beam may be too tightly focussed.

ONE-YEAR UPDATE, Dec. 07: Still going strong, still my best buddy. The quick-disappearing backlight mentioned below turned out to be a fault in my unit. After a courteous, pleasant exchange of e-mails and some on-line work, Logitech support determined ...

Pros: This concept of programing a remote over the web is the way to go.
Cons: Expect to spend an hour or two online to get everything just right.

Ok, friends of mine kept telling me about this universal remote control that work through the web with your computer. So I started reading up on the Harmony remote control product line and picked the SST-659. I got it online at a discounter for a little ...

Pros: Programability, functionality, Super easy to set up and use. Internet capability.
Cons: Sometimes tricky getting it to work properly, but this is a problem with all remotes.

I purchased my Harmony remote from Bluedo.com. They run deals on this remote often, and paid around $130, including shipping. Right out of the package, the remote feels cool. It is sleek, ergonomic and feels good in the hand. Immediately fooling ...

Pros: Easy basic setup, backlit, good tactile feel.
Cons: Cumbersome advanced setup, Web-only setup.

I'd read up on this model here at Epinions and decided to give it a shot. I was relieved to find that none of the irritations experienced by some affected me. I needed a remote to replace my myriad remotes that control my home theater and to retire an ...

Pros: Controls everything, relatively easy to program, good customer support
Cons: Too small, inconvenient buttons, ergonomic failure

I am an engineer and somewhat of a gadget guy – but I like mature technology; I have no desire to be the first kid on the block owning state-of-the-art technology, and to have to slog thru the development pains. So I have waited many years for a ...

Pros: Relatively easy (but still cumbersome) setup with an awesome database of devices
Cons: Ergonomics are poor. Philips Pronto is a much easier remote for families to use.

I have been a Pronto remote user for a few years now. The pronto IS a great remote, but it takes a lot of time, patience and expertise to get it programmed to work with your equipment. But once you’ve mastered the Pronto the sky’s the limit. It can do ...

Pros: Intuitive, plain English set up and operation.
Cons: Buttons sometimes hard to reach. No clock display. Requires computer and internet connection.

This remote is fantastic! Initial set up is fairly easy, although I did get stuck with one problem which was remedied very quickly by their very friendly and quick to answer tech support. Otherwise, set up was a breeze. I should point out, thought, ...