Customer Reviews: Read 509 more reviews...
 Works, but not without problems July 29, 2006
Edmond Meinfelder (San Francisco, CA USA)
102 out of 157 found this review helpful
The Harmony 550 gets the job done, but not without problems. The largest problem is the software. The PC version of the software is slow, bloated, and, as of version 5.3.2, leaks memory like a sieve; for every action you perform, the memory footprint of the software increases, with no noticeable decrease. I've seen process sizes for the HarmonyClient.exe running over 400 megabytes. Thus, as you use the software, it becomes slower as the process size increases. Periodically, you need to restart the Harmony software or it will simply slow to the point where it will not respond.
The software appears to store all your data on a web server and not very fast one. Essentially, the software replicates a browser interface with web-like form interfaces you see here on Amazon. The upside of this is, in theory, Logitech can leverage the information provided by all its users to correct any incorrect data on its database. Yet, many of the signals on my remote had to be corrected by hand. (Thankfully, you can teach your Harmony every signal it needs from your original remotes.) Logitech's central database on consumer remotes may be a work in progress.
Final nails in the software's coffin are the fact that the software's installer set the client to run for all users by placing a link in the Windows Startup menu for all users. My preference would be to have a choice to have it start up automatically (rather than just start it); since the initial process size is 92 megabytes and I infrequently change my settings, I'd rather it start only when I want it. Also, an option to install the software for just me or all users, rather than starting it up for everyone, would have been polite.
The Mac version of the software would not install on my 12" Powerbook running OSX 10.3. A quick scan of Logitech's website showed no updated version of the Mac software. Thus, I can't vouch for the claims of Mac support
On the positive side, the software lock-ups are infrequent enough that I could set the remote up through a long process that took 90 minutes. After the set-up process was complete, I found several mis-configurations in my remote. For example, the TV would not turn on, I could not tune my receiver on FM, the power button for my Tivo would not work, and the volume on the amplifier would not budge when I selected my Mac Mini. Most of the problems were due to the stock remote settings being incorrect for my original remotes. After another 30 minutes, I was able to get the Harmony to learn the correct control signals from my original remotes. It takes considerable time and effort to get the remote working if you have a complex home setup.
The redeeming side of the Harmony is the remote itself. The look is simple, the buttons are backlit with LEDs, making it usable in low light, and the interface is intuitive. There are two modes of use: by activity and device. When you select an activity, the remote will set up your system. For example, when I select "Watch Tivo," the remote will turn on my receiver, TV and Tivo and then tune my TV and receiver to the proper inputs. Additionally, through the software, you can elect to control the volume for any activity by whatever device you choose. When I choose "Watch Tivo," the volume buttons on the Tivo control the receiver. The remote has device buttons, allowing you to control a specific device. For example, when I switch on my Mac mini to listen to iTunes, for reasons I do not understand, I cannot control the volume with my receiver when the device is in "Mac Mini" mode. Thus, I switch to the receiver device mode and then my remote becomes a remote for the receiver. The concept of a remote with an activity where specific button operate different device based on what you are doing is brilliant.
In the end, I was able to trade 6 remotes for one. Unfortunately, I find the remote a bit sluggish. It takes 3 seconds to turn everything on. This does not sound like a long time, but it feels like it. Also, when flipping through the Tivo interface, I commonly go past options when scrolling by hitting a directional one too many times because the remote seems to introduce a significant delay (a fraction of a second). I'm keeping the Harmony 550, as it beats going back to 6 remotes.
Pluses:
Exceptionally customizable and flexible
It works (on a PC), I now have one remote, not six remotes
Great activity and device interfaces
Minuses:
Sluggish performance when hitting buttons
Software painful for use due to poor quality and design
Update: As of version 7.2.3.5, the software works under OSX (10.4). Many of the performance problems have been addressed. However, the software is a web application (it always was). This is good as it stores your settings on a server (mine were still there after a 2-year period) but bad in that, every time you press a button, you have to wait for the Logitech server to give you results. If you have the fastest computer ever, you'll still wait the time it takes to communicate the request and receive the response. For me, that's just under a second. It's annoying as, to fiddle with the settings for any Activity, I must press about 15 buttons. Additionally, the button for the option to set and the next button are on opposing sides of the screen!
LogiTech's strength is hardware, not software. They designed and created an excellent remote and saddled it with software that seems to thumb its nose at users with technical and usability issues (e.g. slow times, huge number of steps to configure items, no clear view of what is happening when problems occur). However, LogiTech is still working on the Software and the technical problems (if not the usability issues) are being addressed by LogiTech.
Still, over time, I've gotten used to the remote and have come to appreciate how hard it is to control so many different devices, each not designed to work with the Harmony Remote. If you have an issue with one of your devices, using the software is like sticking pins in your eyes, otherwise, it's merely unpleasant, but typically you set it and forget it until you buy a new component. If Amazon allowed it, I would up the rating to 3 stars for the software improvements.
For those of you wondering if it works with an XBox 360 - it does.
 great upgrade to a great product November 2, 2006
M. Bauer (Colorado)
80 out of 89 found this review helpful
I have owned one of the orginal Harmony remotes for three years, and just upgraded to the new 550.
Other reviewers describe the effectiveness of Harmony's "activities" based set up, and it truly is a great solution for the complicated "many remotes on the coffee table" problem. I'd like to address how easy it was to upgrade from an older model to the 550.
I spent about 45 minutes perfecting my first Harmony using the online programming interface, and found it to be easy to use and comprehensive. When I unpacked my new 550, all I had to do was plug the remote into my computer's USB port, install the updated software (5 minutes), and download all of my existing programming (another 5 minutes). It worked perfectly!
Great new features:
The rubberized plastic back of the 550 makes it much less likely to slip off a table and fall to the floor.
The backlit LCD display is much easier to read.
Slimmer, more appealing styling.
Keys, while a bit small, are indented which provides much better tactile feel and response than the older model.
I am very pleased with this upgrade, and recommend it to anyone would like to easily control a variety of components with an intuitive, easy to use, single remote control. Well worth the investment!
Device is nice looking, but just isn't all that for my system July 11, 2006
THATCH (OHIO)
78 out of 124 found this review helpful
This unit has great potential, and has many components availble to "mimic", but for my particular setup with a Samsung HD TV, it can't seem to know how many "changes" to go from Digital Cable to HDMI input for the DVD.
I am an IT coordinator and deal with configuring technology on a regular basis. This was not horrible to configure to get it working "pretty well" but it was very very difficult if not impossible to get it configured "perfectly" so I didn't have to "help it along" when trying to do the automated "Watch DVR" type functions which should turn on the DVR, turn on the TV, set it to the proper video input, etc.
While it can mimic any button your components have, you must scroll through a never ending list for those "specialty" buttons to be recreated with the click buttons up by the screen.
It does light up well, the screen is clear and easy to see. The click buttons are great, the number pad feels a bit mushy. The remote feels great in my hand, almost has a rubberized texture underneath. Balanced well. It lights up when you get near it or jostle it after a long period of inactivity-- interesting but almost scary at first!
I was expecting to get rid of 100% of my frustrations, but got rid of about 85% of them. Average/not bad.
Great Remote, controls everything including my Roomba! September 4, 2006
slick045
28 out of 28 found this review helpful
Well, my Sima SUR-20 remote finally died after 5 years, so I had to find a replacement. I decided that I wanted a true universal/learning remote that had more than just a touchscreen. I started my search with Harmony because I have heard a lot of good things about them. My criteria included: learning, full macros, configurable, easy to use for less technologically advanced people, good button lay out, and no rechargeable batteries. This pretty much ruled out the 880, 720, and 890. Honestly, I'm not that big a fan of the peanut shape anyhow. So, my real choices became the 520 and 550. Not too much difference, mainly button layout and device limitations. In the end, I like the 550 layout best.
I installed the software fairly easily. I made sure NOT to install the additional software that checks for updates, and I removed the software from the startup menu. Next I collected all the device model numbers. 10 minutes later I had the first iteration of my remote up and running. I spent the next hour tweaking the labels and layout of the buttons in my activities.
The result is that all my devices are setup perfectly (TV, DVD, Home Theater, Cable Box/DVR, Roomba, and my HP Laptop). The 550 does a great job of switching inputs on my TV and Receiver. Actually, I have more functionality with this remote than on the remote that came with my dvr (skip forward)!
I had equal ease of setup with my laptop and roomba. The only real negative is the speed, or lack thereof, of the software. The program is slow and it occasionally freezes for a couple minutes at a time. However, since you only need to use it when you setup a new device, it's not a deal breaker for me.
The remote is intuitive enough for most anyone. The help button easily walks you through any issues you might have when turning on or switching between activities. The activities are easy to configure and I was even able to set it up to leave my DVR on all the time.
All in all, the remote is great. I think that it is important to compare it to other universal remotes before complaining about it. It may not be as quick as entering a couple of codes, but the benefits are extremely worth it!
 Harmony Software Sucks; Do Not Buy This Or Any Other Harmony Remote Until It Is Upgraded June 15, 2006
Larry Westphal (Swarthmore, PA)
13 out of 52 found this review helpful
I paid $130 for the expected privilege of reducing the number of remote controls we use from six to one. In the event, we've gotten down to three. Logitech's software does not carry all critical functions over from other remotes to the Harmony. Thus we must use our TV remote to mute the TV and to switch among input sources. And we must use our Tivo remote to activate the functions that record programs. In turn, neither our TV (a Hewlett Packard) nor our Tivo were among the products listed for accelerated support, so additional work was entailed. Moreover, the software is the clunkiest I have ever encountered in years of fooling with techie toys. Finally, I suspect it was responsible for the malfunctioning of my computer, eradicated only by running several fix up programs.
Bottom line: Harmony products ain't worth the price UNTIL the software is upgraded. Don't buy them in the meantime. Get something else.
I will post a message when the software has been upgraded, as it must be.
|
