Quick Review of Logitech Harmony ONE

Discussion in 'Reviews and Articles' started by Torx, May 17, 2008.

  1. Torx

    Torx Indigenous Nudist

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    alright, so ive taken another step back into universal remote land...
    the first experience with logitech was a miserable failure, and one i never wanted to revisit. The Logitech harmony 360 remote itself was awesome, it was the software at the time that really, really made me get rid of it.. It was premature online based configuring that had alot of problems.

    Well, here we are today with the harmony one, the latest from a new line of harmony products introducing touchscreen into the mix, with a sleek black style, and very slimlined rechargeable base.

    [​IMG]

    Let me first say, this has to be the best damn remote ive used in a very long time.. Logitech has really come a long way.

    -- The Remote --

    The remote itself just hugs your hand while holding it, its not too heavy but it feels like youre holding $250. The rubbery silicone film on the rear is what gives it that baby bottom smoothness.. With my past experiences with mice and this film.. ive come to hate it because it eventually wears off, peels off and feels annoying after a while.. Im just hoping to not scrape the film and get it "started" on peeling..

    The buttons have a very soft tactile press to them, it doesnt require alot of finger effort and it doesnt feel cheap at the same time.. They are quiet as well. Backlighting comes on if the remote has been jostled, button pressed, or touchscreen pressed. The LCD doesnt seem to be of latest generation as its viewing angles seem a little washed out and "rainbow-y" at times. Ive already gotten used to it and if i find a brightness setting i'll be turning it down anyways to conserve battery power.

    The touchscreen, its marvelous, the sensitivity out of the box is spot on and has a range of sensitivity settings in the software. I just left it as is. It appears to be using static screening?? As the screen itself isnt squishy like old gen touchscreens. This is, how i should say... "iphone like". they provide you with nice cleaning cloth as well if youre paranoid about smudges.

    -- The Software --

    I gave logitech a second chance, and im thrilled to say im happy i made that decision. They have come a long ways when it comes to software redesign and implementation. Installation was very quick, i skipped the optional garbage messenger crap install.. I was able to fire up the software immediately, it updated itself with no hassles very quickly. Keep in mind the software still relies heavily on an internet connection so a broadband connection is nice in this situation. I connected my remote after a little top off charging and it updated the firmware and some other shit real quick. (I like firmware updates, and i like them frequent on my electronic devices)

    So i signed back in with my old account and i was able to replace the remote with the old online stored 360 remote easily. Selected my preliminary devices, TV, cable, av switcher, xbox, and i was rollin!! With their online database of devices setting up was soo frickin simple. Of course i went back in and did some fine tuning cleaning up the touchscreen pages for each device, adjusted delay ms times, and reconfigured a few hardware buttons. No headaches, no server software issues, the updating of the remote is basically connect, update, tada! Of course, any change you make in your settings you have to reconnect for the software to make those changes to the remote.

    Pros
    - touchscreen, backlit, comfortable
    - software looks pleasing and works just the same
    - change graphic "themes" on the remote
    - allows for custom slideshows on the remote
    - comfortable tactile buttons

    Cons
    - may be a little lengthy for small handed people (as per other reviews)
    - lcd has limited viewing angles (but youre only gonna use it one way in one direction)
    - if youre a hardcore macro type of guy, stick to prontos or similar.
    - no RF, wifi, bluetooth, etc etc
  2. Mr. Ali

    Mr. Ali Junior Member

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    no RF? are they insane?
  3. Torx

    Torx Indigenous Nudist

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    nope, no RF

    its the replacement of the 880 i believe.. theres a spot on the remote board for the rf chip but its empty... i suspect they'll be releasing future versions of the ONE to replace the current 890 and 1000

    since i dont have any use for rf right now this is a good buy for me personally

    after i learned that most "RF" remotes dont truly control RF devices, ive kinda given up on that.
    "RF" capable remotes are merely a gimmick as you have to buy an RF extender device in order to talk to IR devices outside of a room. Basically in a sense, if you have IR devices hidden behind a cabinet, the "RF capable" remote + extender allows you to control them behind the cabinet door.

    Ive searched high and low for a remote that has REAL RF capabilites to control various RF devices but i havent suceeded yet. There just arent any for consumers right now.