 A wonderfully capable remote. |
| Review Date: October 2, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Adam Lynch, Rochester, NY |
I picked up this remote today at Wal-Mart, which is currently the only retailer carrying it.
Since a number of my friends have 600-series Harmony remotes, I decided to give it a go. I don't need program listings on my remote, nor a color screen. This remote does one thing, and does it well: Simplifies your life. I was previously juggling 5 remotes- not cool.
The unit comes with a USB to Mini-USB cable and a driver/application CD for Windows and (Mac) OS X. I can't comment on the Windows software, but the OS X software worked quite well. Uses some of the opensource Mozilla web technologies, too. That gets them a Gold Star, in my book.
The USB cable is used for programming the remote, based on programming data delivered from the website. The remote itself has a mini USB port on top, and an IR receiver on the bottom, for the off chance that you've found an unsupported device. With my setup, I had no need for it at all.
I can't comment on the Windows software, but the OS X software worked quite well.
Once I'd registered, and followed the extraordinarily simple "wizards" on their site, I was controlling my DirecTV TiVo PVR, Sony AV receiver, Phillips DVD player, and my XM Satellite Radio receiver. All in all, its now set up for 7 devices, all of which it controls flawlessly. No learning IR codes or punching in long digits.
My only (minor) gripe is that the DVR layout isn't the same as the TiVo remote- it has VCR-style Pause/Play/FF/RW controls. No biggie, actually.
The real test for me was giving it to my wife. She is in no way a technophobe, but she has a "thing" for things that "just work." If she has to fiddle with something, she won't use it. She picked up this remote, and a few clicks later, she "got it." I asked her to try to switch it to the DVD player, and she had no problem at all.
Outstanding remote. Very stylish, too. |
It just works! - Money Well Spent
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| Review Date: March 20, 2006 |
| Reviewer: HiFi, Northern Virginia |
This Harmony 520 remote was so easy to setup and just works. This remote supports BOSE system. I have a BOSE LS28 surround system. During setup the software advised me where to enable the IR option on my BOSE system.
When I click on the "Watch TV" button the remote does the following:
1) Turns on my Philips 42" Plasma
2) Turns on my BOSE LS28 system.
3) Turns on my Directv DVR
4) Switch to the correct input on my Plasma
5) Switch to the correct input on my LS28 to route TV picture and sound.
When I click on the "Watch DVD" button the remote does the following:
1) Turns on my Philips 42" Plasma
2) Turns on my BOSE LS28 system.
3) Turns off my Directv DVR (if already on)
4) Switch to the correct input on my Plasma
5) Switch to the correct input on my LS28 to route the DVD picture and sound.
The remote is smart enough to know which piece of equipment is already on and not "turn it off" by accident.
When you are done watching tv/dvd pressing on the "power" button on the remote will turn everything off.
You can buy other universal remote with "macro" functionality but good luck programming your existing remotes.
Last but not least this remote makes the wife happy.
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Can't Beat it With a Stick (and I suggest you don't)
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| Review Date: November 15, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Matt the Coffeeman, Chicago, Illinois |
Ok, I purchased my Harmony 520 from Amazon. My general summary is this remote is that it is fantastic. Specifics are as follows:
1) The online database is about as comprehensive as could be imagined. They had the code for my Panasonic DVD A120 (circa 1999), Marantz SR7000 reveicer (circa 2001), my Nakamichi MB-8 (circa 2000?), my Panny 8UK (circa Aug 2005) and my Moto DCT6412 Series III cablebox/HD DVR (circa last month). All worked very well. However, you will need to tweak to meet your specific needs.
2) The installation software is a little clumsy. When it was downloading updates into the remote from the desktop software , I would often get the "blue screen of death". It doesn't make much sense considering the computer otherwise operates perfectly. However, a work around was easy - I simply downloaded the update from the website. They do a nice intergration between the web and the computer software (BTW, you need to have installed the software to be able to update the remote from the website).
3) Macros - great. Easy to program. They execute without a problem. For example, when I hit "Watch HDTV", the remote turns on my receiver, then sets the receiver to the proper imput, then it turns on the TV and sets it to the proper input. All with the push of a single button.
4) Adjustments - awful, completely awful. The software make it so very difficult to find the tools to make certian adjustments (I am not talking about assigning different buttons, I am talking about adjusting macros and manually entering IR codes). You will muddle through this, it's just frustrating at times. NOTE: IF YOU THINK YOU CAN AVOID THIS BY GETTING A DIFFERENT LOGITECH MODEL, THINK AGAIN. They all use the same software, so you will encounter this problem with all models.
OVERALL: Great, would buy it again in an instant despite the adjustment issue. True test came in the form of a thumbs up from the wife who hated the old universal remote. Overall rating 8.75/10 |
Awesome. About the fears I had about Activity remotes
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| Review Date: August 9, 2008 |
| Reviewer: eric, |
I just got the 520 a week ago. I'm a perfect example of someone that was skeptical about this kind of "activity based" universal remote. This is the type where you instruct the remote in 3-5 of the main activities that you use your system for ("Watch TV," "Watch DVD," "Listen to Airtunes," you can also make your own) -- and then the remote (1) remembers the full sequence of signals to your various remotes to get into that state with one button push and (2) allows you to customize the functions associated on the remote's buttons while you are in that state.
In short, this remote is about perfect and has made dealing with our entertainment system totally painless.
Here are the worries that I had had about buying one of these things and why I was wrong.
-- I read about "Getting out of sync." The problem is supposedly that at some point, when you have the remote take you to a new Activity, one of the multiple commands doesn't get recieved by the system, and therefore your remote winds up totally confused as to what state your devices are in, causing a scramble.
However: (1) this has not happened ONCE the entire 10 days I've had this thing. and if it did happen, you press this Help button that just asks you some questions about what state things are in, and gets it back in order. But the bottom line is, this is obviously RARE. Note that I'm careful of making sure the remote is pointed at the devices when I press stuff.
-- I was worried that this new style of remotes was "over engineered" and way more complicated than what I wanted, which was a simple, universal remote that I could flexibly control my stuff with.
It just isn't so. Once you get set up, the tool gives no sense of being more complex than you need. Once set up, it looks and works simpler than the average out-of-the-box remote that came with your dvd player. (Note: on this topic, I would say that I recommend the 520 model. Because I still think that the other Logitech model that has the color lcd screen would be a little bit much, with the cheesy icons of popcorn next to your DVD entry, etc. That's lame.)
-- I thought that, with all of the emphasis that the advertisements made about the LCD "soft buttons," that the tool wouldn't do a good job of also allowing you to change the function of the regular old plastic buttons on the remote.
Not true. When you have set up an activity (like Watch DVD), you can totally customize the function of almost EVERY plastic button AND pages and pages of customized "soft buttons" on the lcd screen -- and those functions can be related to ANY of the devices you have -- and a single button press can also be made to create a *sequence* of commands on one or multiple devices. You can REALLY get custom with it.
Note: the computer software where you configure the remote's functions is EXCELLENT. excellent interface, easily understood. (you would not want to be a true novice though. You want to be a little comfortable with using computer programs.) Setting up your remote's activities and functions, getting it just right, will probably take place over about 1-3 days, as you make changes, try the remote, realize some adjustments, etc.
My only complaints (and they are few -- I still give this 5 stars):
-- the "soft buttons" on the lcd screen are awesome, but I wish that it would allow more than 4 buttons at a time (if you program more, you have to page through the selection of "buttons" you've made. six would be better. maybe that color lcd on the other Logitech has six -- I'd prefer a non-color lcd screen that accommodates 6 buttons.
-- You should realize that it's not lightning fast when you press a button on the remote that's doing 3-5 commands. It can take 5-10 seconds.
-- the construction of the plastic buttons is extremely good looking BUT a couple of them (like the down direction button, and a few others) you need to press solidly. if you just press it enough to hear the button click, sometimes it's not hard enough to do the command. So you have to press firmly.
ALL IN ALL THE 520 IS EXCELLENT -- a classy and simple tool that really does allow you to store your pile of remotes somehwere, once you get your setup finalized (like I say, a few days of tweaking this and that.)
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Awesome. My coffee table never looked better
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| Review Date: November 22, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Ajaya Agrawalla, Berkeley, CA |
| I got like tons of devices in my entertainment center and this thing could operate all of them. I have the most unusual set of devices. Syntax Olivia TV, Oppo DVD Player, Omnifi DMS1, Harman Kardon. It found all of them. WOW. Awesome. and I didn't have to fiddle through codes. I haven't figured out how to teach this guy new commands but thats next. |
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