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The Best Universal Remote is a remote that will clear the clutter on your coffee table and will concede you to control everything and any thing that you desire. A few years ago a universal remote could be set up to control your TV, VCR and possibly your DVD player. Today the Best Universal Remote will take care of a whole lot more than these things cited because a good deal of have learning capablenesses and through a USB port may be logged on to the manufacturers internet site and selective information downloaded to your remote control for set up with respective pieces of your home theater system.
When choosing the Best Universal Remote there a few things to consider. What do you want your remote for? Is it just to replace your regular remote that got dropped into the fish tank, (20-30 dollars) or did you get a new stereo scheme with surround sound that you want to tie in with your tv and DVR and DVD player. A remote like this will cost you around 50-100 dollars. This brings us to the next thing, how much was you more than willing to spend. Now, if your like me and have a tv, x-box, DVD player, DVR, Stereo scheme with surround and TV-PC software that allows me to tap into 3500 channels international you may look at a price range of 150-400 dollars. It actually depends on your needs for the Best Universal Remote as to which you choose.
The Best Universal Remote will be one that may learn, this is called smart state technology. Your remote knows that when you switch from tv to music that the bass is supposed to be a little more than your regular tv or when you are watching a movie the surround sound kicks in automatically, this is likewise the vantage of being competent to download software directly from the manufacturers website. This makes ease of set up one of the outstanding things with this remote, just because it looks like the control panel of a space ship it is not that complicated.
For the Best Universal Remote on the market to day, the Logitech Harmony series is top of the line and most sought after. Harmony 659 is your entry level Universal Remote which is very good and the top of the line, best of the best would be the Harmony 1100 Universal with Color Touch Screen.
If your looking for a great Christmas gift for Dad then this may be just what your looking for. A Great amusement package containing a Panasonic 58 inch TV, tv-pc software that will give him access to over 35 hundred channels by way of the internet and a super remote that will control anything he wants it to.
Logitech Harmony Sst 659 Universal Control
Easy to Use The Harmony Remote A…
ReviewIf you’ve got a stack of remote controls, each with sufficient buttons to control the space shuttle, the Logitech Harmony H659 remote may fetch a lot of sanity to your coffee table. The H659 offers an innovative, web-based solution to corralling all of your remote functions into one device. This remote exceeded our expectations, even when it was asked to control a wide range of old and new devices.
The “Activity Remote”
Universal remote controls have been around for years, promising to simplify things for home theater or stereo users. The problem with these solutions, however, is that they are largely “dumb” devices, meaning they may only be programmed by pointing them at the another remote and pressing buttons on the old remote until the new one “learns” all the functions of the old. The Harmony H659 makes this hassle a thing of the past by placing 2 MB of solid state memory in the remote that may be altered thru a PC USB connection. The data stored on the H659 is modified thru an Internet connection and Logitech’s (www.logitech.com) Harmony web site. The web internet site holds a database of nearly each electronics product beneath the sun that’s capable of receiving signals from a remote control. The web interface walks users through a series of steps before uploading the proper controller interfaces to the H659.
Explore all the features of the Harmony 659 remote. |
While there are other web-enabled universal remote controls out there (most of which are more pricey than the H659), the Harmony H659′s distinguishable role as an “activity remote” is what actually impresses. Instead of controlling each device independently, the H659 intelligently groups remote functions into activities. Each activity–which is granted a colored button at the top of the remote–corresponds to a grouping of devices. For instance, the “Watch TV” action does more than turn on your TV, it also turns on your A/V receiver and digital cable box– anything you have specified as integral to watching TV. And because the H659 knows everything when it comes to all of these devices, it knows how you want them to interact with each other. Want your receiver to control volume rather of your TV? Based on the settings you made in the web interface, the H659 knows this and promptly pumps up the volume on the receiver when you hit the volume button. It’s this kind of intellectual control of all appliances in, well, concord that actually places the Harmony H659 in a league of it is own.
Design
The H659 is well-designed and the buttons are logically laid out. The remote fits comfortably in the hand and is well balanced. The all-important action buttons arrayed at the top make it easy to trigger groups of widgets that work together to carry out a single function. The directional buttons at the center of the button are handy for DVD menus and digital cable interfaces. The LCD, which simplifies navigation through device functions, is clear and bright when the backlight is on.
Setup
Once we installed the included Harmony Remote software on our computer and connected the remote by way of the supplied USB cable, we went to the Harmony web set up interface. After filling in info with regards to our home theater instrumentation (brands and model numbers) the interface prompted us to make selections with regards to how we wanted our gadgets to interact. When the selections procedure is complete, the web interface packages the finished settings into a file that is uploaded to the PC. The update file is then used by the Harmony Remote software to load settings onto the H659. From start out to finish, the entire settings and upload procedure took in regards to 20 minutes– a beauteous painless experience. One note of caution for Mac OSX users: not similar to Windows, the Mac OS will not mechanically launch an executable that has been downloaded to the desktop. This may confuse the Harmony web interface, which depends on this functionality to upload and verify downloads to the H659. Fortunately, we found that we could trick the web interface into working the right way if we manually launched the update executable on the Mac desktop. Better software integration on the Mac side would be a welcome improvement.
In the Den
We expended a good deal of quality couch time with the H659 and came away impressed. We were delighted by how much more control the unit gave us over our home theater. In a lot of ways, we felt like we were waving a magic wand, turning on whole sets of instrumentation and firing up movies and CDs with a single button press. For more precise control of each device we could effortlessly navigate to that device in the LCD menu and tinker with more specific settings. We also liked knowing that we could custommake the remote for more modern needs by way of the web interface. The basic settings were powerful enough, though, to offer the simplicity and control armchair commanders crave.
Pros
- Excellent integration of functions all over all device types
- Easy set up and customization by way of web interface
- Up-to-date and precise database of all widgets
Cons
- Mac OSX compatibility could be better
The Harmony Remote is the world’s only remote with Smart State Technology (SST) Activity Control. Just press an Activity button such as “Watch TV” or “Watch a Movie”, and the Harmony Remote will mechanically set up your amusement scheme in seconds without you ever having to program a ‘macro’. The Harmony Remote provides simple, intuitive control of even the most elaborate amusement system for any person in the family. The Harmony Remote Activities are setup through our distinctive Web Wizard tools on HarmonyRemote.com. With the world’s only Smart State Database of electronic devices, set up is a snap. The community-driven database together with IR learning ensures help of all infrared-controlled gadgets 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 combining gadgets like DVD-VCR components. With interactional media capabilities, you may select TV Shows, Movies or Music titles from the interactional display. You may even control gadgets like lights, fireplace and your personal computer! After completing the Web Wizard set up, program the remote by plainly connecting the Harmony Remote to your computer with the supplied USB cable.
- Help button: One touch help for any difficultnesses you might encounter.
- Activity buttons: Easily get started your bestloved Activities with just one press of a button!
- Interactive display: Easy to read interactional display keeps you in control and informed of what’s going on.
- Backlight glow: Backlighting makes the buttons and interactional display glow brightly for easy use in the dark.
- Learning port: Just point your original remote at the Learning Port to capture and use any infrared command with the Harmony Remote.
The Harmony Remote comes with a manufacturer warranty of one year.
Logitech Harmony Sst 659 Universal Control Photo
Logitech Harmony Sst 659 Universal Control Picture
Logitech Harmony Sst 659 Universal Control Photo
Logitech Harmony Sst 659 Universal Control Photo
Most helpful client reviews
78 of 79 people found the following review helpful.
 The best remote, with the best technical support.
By G. W. Sims
Most “universal” remotes are very simple minded. They cannot control your observing and listening experience, they plainly control one or the other of those appliances in that stack all over the room. Now this is adequate for the purpose if you know which way the cables run, and comprehend the divergence amongst composite video and factor video, and why the bass management needs to be dissimilar for box A than box Q and… Oh. You just wanted to watch a movie? Tough.
Until now. This remote is designed for the person keeping it, not the engineer who did the rack and stack on the equipment. It is intuitive to use, and backed by the most well trained help staff it has been my pleasure to encounter.
Some months ago, my wife had a stroke. Her capacity to use my carefully-programmed macros on a “universal” remote evaporated, along with a lot of her speech. It’s called “aphasia” and affects aroused control as well. She in a literal sense has been in tears with the feeling of annoyance at being hindered or criticized of attempting to watch a VHS movie on her own. That is, without calling for my aid in operating the system.
I had decisive to design a system-level box to control our equipment: to let her choose one button to “watch a movie” or “watch TV” or “watch a DVD” rather of attempting to re-educate her damaged memory on the way dissimilar boxes provide the picture while others provide the sound. Should we genuinely need to recognise all that to get enjoyment from the higher quality of discerned units?
Doing the original exploration for my own design, I bumped into this Harmony unit and the others from Intrigue Technology. I didn’t actually suppose it to be simple sufficient for a stroke victim to use, but I hoped I could add programming and perhaps a great deal of extra electronics to make a finish solution.
No need. The company provides a web internetlocation to program the remote for your specific set of equipment. Quick and easy. The result came close, but it still have a tendancy to assume you want to revel in the intricate features of all that costly equipment. Here a button to adjust the aspect ratio; there one to control sound processing.
Cindy does not want any of that. Can’t use it. She wants to watch TV or a movie. Period. So I called Harmony tech support: Can I do this? Could I simplify that? Do you have tools to let me undertake those things? “Certainly, sir, but I think I’ve fixed it for you already. Click ‘update your remote’ and see if it’s working the way she likes it now.” Well, now and again box A misses the command, and she can’t determine how to fix that. Is there an IR amplifier I could use? “Probably, but initial let me try altering how we send that command. Click ‘update’ and test it again…”
With outstanding patience, various technicians over two days got rid of all the mixing up distinct elements of using a home theater. And all the things a picky engineer found to complain when it comes to as well. Now, Cindy is very pleased with “her” remote and with her recovered capacity to take pleasure in television or tapes without calling for help.
I am a retired computer design engineer, and believe me: I was prepared to build habit circuits, code elaborate programs — do anything necessitated to let her receive pleasure from herself again. (We live in a remote area, where “simple televisions” get not one thing at all. We need the boxes, the satellite receivers and video recorders and what not — just not the complexity.) This device, and tech support’s encyclopedic psychological result of perception learning and reasoning of remote signalling in AV instrumentation made all that design and expense unnecessary.
And it was easy on my end. It did not require my talent. Just theirs at tech support. The actual time it took to do all this was less than an hour I suppose. Perhaps two. Spread over five or six phone calls. It only took two days because Cindy had to be permitted to use the equipment. She necessitated time to run into all the little distinct features that she found confusing. Several times I thought the issue was beyond the control of a remote, but the simulator tools at Intrigue Technology and the imagination of their technicians amazed me with an answer for each problem.
Even with her current speech problems, I think they could have done this with Cindy being the one on the phone at this end. All you need is the capacity to describe what bothers you. And rather possibly, not one thing at all will bother you. The stock programming required a very simple set of questions when it comes to model numbers and worked just fine to the standards of most users. A stroke victim is plainly the acid test for simplicity.
It is rare to be competent to offer an unqualified endorsement of a company and product, but this is one of those opportunities. If you have any individual in your household who does not part your pleasure in that feature-rich stack of electronics, or if you yourself at times just want to “watch a movie” rather of comparing PLII processing to Dolby, then you want this remote.
32 of 32 persons found the following review helpful.
Best All-in-one remote I’ve tried
By stuartm
I’ve had two Pronto’s and respective other universals (including the one that came with my Receiver). This is the firstborn one that not only works, but is so straightforward that my wife and 9 year old son may use it.
First, you ought to recognise that this is one of the “many buttons” remotes. The same company has invented a minimalist remote with very few buttons. I assume that likewise works well, but for my family, a remote with without doubt or question labeled buttons for each function is best.
There are two main features that distinguish this remote. First, it uses a USB connection to your PC and an Internet-based interface to set up the remote. This gives it outstanding flexibleness and access to new updates instantly. The downside is that if you don’t have a fast internet connection, set up will be painfully slow.
The other feature is the use of devoted “Activity” buttons that unify all the respective commands you need to “Watch TV” or “Watch a movie”. There are two buttons so labeled on the remote for those two activenesses and more are available as “soft buttons” by way of a little LCD display.
This is similar to the macro function of other programmable remotes like the Pronto. But not similar to these others, the Harmony already has the programming set up – it just needs the codes and when you tell it your make and model for your home amusement devices, it is all set up for you.
I found I had to do a little extra twiddling to get the Harmony set up for my receiver (an older Denon). But you may always use the simple Learn mode to set the rectify IR signals as with any other universal remote.
The best thing I may tell you is that within 30 minutes of opening this up, I had it set up and working like a champ. And my wife and son love it too!
21 of 23 persons found the following review helpful.
 Warning on warranty
By A
WARNING: If your buy a Harmony remote control from Amazon the construct of the Harmony remote Intrigue Technologies will NOT honor the warranty on the remote control unit. They assert that Amazon is a “unauthorized on-line E-tailer”. We purchased a Harmony remote on Amazon and it is defective and Intrigue Technologies will not fix it underneath warranty. They told me that their web internetlocation states that Harmony remotes buy from a “unauthorized on-line E-tailer” are not covered and that we ought to of checked their web web site for warranty coverage before purchasing this item. Well duh, how some times have you gone to a manufactures web internetsite to check on warranty coverage before purchasing an item? This a lame warranty policy that screws the buyer, beware. It is a problem with Intrigue Technologies not Amazon.
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