Logitech Harmony 688 Universal Remote Control (Black) | 
| Brand: Harmony
List Price: $199.99
Buy New: $84.99
You Save: $115.00 (58%)
New (3) Refurbished (1) from $78.95
Rating:  39 reviews
Format: Cd
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Windows
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 12 x 14 x 10
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: 966182-0403
Model: 966182-0403
UPC: 097855028792
EAN: 0097855028792
ASIN: B0003QER5U
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Comprehensive remote control integrates entire home theater system with 1-button use | | • | 4 single-touch activity buttons activate all necessary components and settings | | • | Includes dedicated buttons for TiVo and other digital video recorders | | • | Sets up quickly and easily with online Web wizard | | • | No macro programming required; includes USB cable and 4 AAA batteries |
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Product Description
The Harmony Remote is the world's only remote with Smart State Technology Activity Control. Just press an Activity button such as "Watch TV" or "Watch a Movie", and the Harmony Remote will automatically set-up your entertainment system in seconds without you ever having to program a 'macro'. The Harmony Remote provides simple, intuitive control of even the most elaborate entertainment system for anyone in the family.The community-driven database together with IR learning ensures support of all infrared-controlled devices made by any manufacturer, including TiVo, HDVCR, HDTV, Plasma Displays, Monitors, Projectors, Lighting Control, CD/DVD-R, PVR, Satellite Radios, Amplifiers, DVD Players, Receivers, Dual VCRs and even combination devices like DVD-VCR components.The Harmony Remote is the world's only remote with Smart State Technology Activity Control. With the world's only Smart State Database of electronic devices, set-up is a snap. With interactive media capabilities, you can select TVShows, Movies or Music titles from the interactive display. You can even control devices like lights, fireplace and your personal computer!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 34 more reviews...
 Less fiddling, but tiny buttons December 5, 2004
W. French (Carnation, WA USA)
119 out of 119 found this review helpful
As anyone with multiple electronic devices knows, less is better when it comes to remotes. One remote that does everything would be ideal. This one has a couple of killer features: Internet-based setup via USB, and "state awareness". With the Harmony 688, you merely install the driver, plug it into a USB port on your PC, and use Logitech's web-based configuration utility. Only in the rarest of circumstances will you need to point your existing remote and "learn" by pressing buttons (but you can do this if needed). Configuration can be arduous, but only because of the large number of parameters. It's easier to set up than other universal remotes although the configuration Web site could be easier to use. For example, if you want to customize buttons for each device, you click "My Remote Preferences", whereas setting up the activities and their related buttons takes place in a different menu. It took me about an hour to do the initial setup, and a couple of short tweaks later I was done (I had initially chosen the wrong audio input mode for the DVD activity).
The 688 uses an "activity" paradigm ("watch tv", "listen to music", etc.) Each activity is a functional mode of operation, combining the required macros, punch-throughs, and custom button definitions. The very best part of this remote is the state awareness. It remembers which devices are turned on, and can negotiate sequential input values (the ones where you cycle through each setting until you hit the one you want). This remote really reduces the amount of fiddling around, and lets you get down to the business of being entertained. For example, if you want to watch a DVD you simply select that activity. All of the appropriate devices are then turned on and the proper settings are selected. My TV's TV/Video selector cycles through the active inputs. You can't use standard macro programming to get around this problem, but the 688 doesn't skip a beat. It knows exactly how everything is set.
Prior to beginning the setup process, do your homework. Jot down all your brands/model numbers, which devices use which inputs for each activity, and the order of any cycled inputs. It's much easier if your computer is in the same room for setup (no problem if your setup includes a PC; laptop owners should consider using the laptop). The PC connection is only required for the initial setup.
PROS:
* Easy to configure, lots of options.
* Knows which devices are on, eliminating fuddling at TV time. This alone is worth the price of admission.
* Non-volatile memory; if your batteries die your settings are safe.
* Perfect for setups with TiVo or satelllite; can handle systems with both.
* Knows what a Turtle Beach Audiotron is!
CONS:
* Dinky buttons.
* Volume controls are "sticky", not as responsive as I'd like.
* Initial configuration can be daunting due to number of options. Default device configurations are lengthy and take some time to edit. Default activity configs are set up well, nice because this is where you will spend most of your time.
* Web configuration could be set up more intuitively; some devices are not listed, and input values were incorrect for at least one of my devices. This is a minor quibble, it just requires a little extra initial effort.
not perfect but the best i have seen... January 1, 2005
J. Uphoff (Madison, Wi)
42 out of 43 found this review helpful
I have owned a few different universal remotes in my life and some have been good, others not. This is the best i have seen although not perfect.
Pros:
-Small and stylish
-VERY universal (knows most electronics including Xbox and Media center computers)
-designed for tivo and DVRs
-Online set-up can be simple or complex depending on what you want to be able to do (I actually liked the complexity. it allowed me to get things just how i wanted them)
-Actual buttons not touch screen
-The Activity buttons are better than any i have ever seen. The remote knows what condition you system is in so that when you switch activities it will turn off what is not needed and turn on the new devices. And if you use multiple inputs on your TV it will change the input as programed. This means no more scrolling through them. This is the only remote that i have seen that can do that (although there are others im sure)
Cons:
-Not great button design (small and different shapes)
Thats really about it!!!!
All i can say is that if you are looking for a remote that can be made to do whatever you want it to and has buttons not a touch screen, this is the one for you. It is a very smart remote for the price
 Harmony 688 January 6, 2005
Steve
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
Like many others out there, my home entertainment system was a mess of remotes [4 in all with usually one or more of them under the couch or in some other God-forsaken place]. I could use the system pretty well, but my wife and daughter were constantly using the wrong settings [a little analog picture instead of HD, for example] and overall, they were very intimadated with the whole setup. I know, this sounds a lot like the Logitech ad, but it is true.
I purchased the 688 in an effort mostly to make things easier for them...and I was also somewhat curious after I read the ad in an electronics catalog. My wife received the first two seasons of Raymond for Christmas on DVD and she wanted to be able to watch them when I was not around to keep her out of trouble. [Actually, I prefer NOT to be around when she has her Raymond marathons].
I was not disappointed. THIS DEVICE IS ABSOLUTLY FANTASTIC! The initial setup was simple and went perfectly according to the Installation Booklet. Setting up and configuring my components was equally as simple...it even recognized a 15 year old Mitsu VCR, which I seldom use. Everything worked perfectly the FIRST time. I was expecting a big setup battle, like with so many other usb devices, but I didn't get one. Wow!!
A couple of things: 1 - The Longitech web page didn't like my Mozilla browser initially, but I just went on with the process and everything worked out fine. 2 - The buttons are a tad small, especially the Activity Buttons...but, I'll learn to live with them.
This product is outstanding. I would recommend it to anyone.
This is the one. March 12, 2005
S. Sartino (Birmingham, AL USA)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
I tried the 659, 680 and 688. They all act identical- just different button layouts. The 688 is near-perfect. The best choice, hands down. The 659 is clean and simple, but the the reverse/fast forward controls are at the bottom. Slightly awkward. The 680 has way too many small buttons spread out in an unlogical way. Stay away from it unless you are self-destructive. After searching for ten years, I have finally found the one. If you're on a budget, get the 659. Otherwise save the trouble and go for the 688.
 Easy setup, bad button placements (updated) August 20, 2005
Earl E. A. Dopter (Louisiana)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I have owned this remote for about a year now. I have a full blown home entertainment center with mixed components, including HDTV, satellite receiver, DVD, VCR, video processor, etceteras.
I agree with most reviewers that the online setup is really impressive and worked right the very first time, once you put in your model numbers correctly. I was shocked to see that they even had my video processor (an iScan Ultra) as a selection, because this is a pretty unusual component.
The next thing I like is the ability of the remote to help the not-so-techies through the process of getting their systems turned on and off and set up for different functions. With all other universal remotes I have seen, as long as everything goes perfectly, all is well, but the first time the amp fails to turn off when you select the "all off" on the remote, you get out of sync and figuring out how to re-sync is a nightmare for my wife, mother, and kids. The Help function makes re-syncing easy. Of course if you know what you are doing you can re-sync without using the Help function, something I'm not sure was made clear in other reviews.
The power consumption is impressively low, I have only changed the batteries twice in a two year period, and the unit's shape is comfortable to hold. Also, I have contacted customer service with a couple of questions and problems and have found it excellent in terms of response time and courteousness. Perhaps one of the best ever for an electronic component that I have experienced. Hats off to Harmony on that one.
Now for the negatives. Several buttons failed to program correctly. I finally did get them to work right but it did take some patience.
Perhaps the most annoying negative, though, is the tiny buttons for things like INFO and EXIT, two functions that you need to use continuously when surfing with a satellite receiver. This is inexcusable. You must turn on the backlight and physically LOOK for these buttons each and every time or you will miss them and accidentally hit the volume button or the channel up/down button. Even the number buttons are crowded so close together that you end up hitting the wrong one constantly unless you are looking at it. Extremely annoying, enough so that I am looking at upgrading to the new 880. (Update: Which I have now done - see my review.)
Also annoying is the shape of the central joystick component. It's just not very ergonomic. It's a raised ring that is only about a millimeter wide. Your finger can feel it easily enough, but it just does not feel comfortable and could have been so much better.
Other flaws, which can probably be resolved with patience, include that the not-frequently-used functions on my components are not easy to get to at ALL, and many of them are incorrectly labeled or don't work, period. In order to resolve this I will have to go into the website and completely redo the programming for each button, manually programming them as I go. This to me defeats the benefit of having the component available online. What they really mean is that the on/off and other MAJOR functions will be correct, but the detailed programming, like changing from Dolby 5.1 to Dolby Enhanced 5.1 or Jazz Club effect on my amp, will not be.
(Update: I finally got around to reprogramming all the soft buttons. Once you get the hang of it, it's not a terribly long process, but it should have a function that allows you to just clean out every soft button and start from scratch. Instead you have to clear each one individually. Not a major barrier, just a gripe.)
The LCD screen only offers a few characters worth of width, so many labels have to be abbreviated. This makes the programming very cluttered and unprofessional looking, not to mention having to get creative with some abbreviations. A wider screen with higher resolution is what needs to happen here; you will be very disappointed by the screen on this unit, to the point of not using it very often; it's sometimes much easier to walk up to the component and make the change manually than to have to surf to the right LCD button. (Update: the 880 addresses the screen issue very well.)
There is a function to allow you to download the titles of all the on-air programs right to the remote, so that you can literally see what's on by looking at the LCD. Forget it; it's not worth the effort due to the tiny screen and the time required to download it. A total waste of what could have been a handy feature.
We still have two other OEM remotes available at all times to deal with the shortcomings of this unit. I still believe in the concept, it just needs some refining. (Update: I now use this remote in my bedroom and the 880 with the main entertainment unit. The refinements I had hoped for are indeed taken care of on the 880.)
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