Recently I purchased a Philips 37" LCD HD television complete with half a dozen different types of video inputs that range composite video to HDMI. From a quality perspective this is fantastic because I can connect each device (DVD, PVR, cable TV) to the television in a way that will generate the optimum display performance. Unfortunately this complexity when combined with the intricacies of the surround sound system, cable TV decoder and MythTV PVR system becomes a little overwhelming for the technically orientated and down right impossible for those who consider modern toasters too challenging.
Enter the Logitech Harmony range of universal remote controls. Most universal controllers focus on emulating two or more different remotes so that you do not have to juggle each time the channel needs to be changed or sound tweaked. This is fine but the Harmony range takes remotes to the next level by allowing complex processes to be performed with a single click.
Logitech offer a range of programmable remotes but being a first time user I purchased the entry-level Harmony 520 for approx $120NZD. Even though the 520 is at the bottom of the Harmony range it still features back-lit keys, an LCD screen and almost exactly the same levels of functionality as its pricier and flashier siblings.
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| The Harmony 520 remote and the Web-based configuration screen (click to enlarge) | |
Configuration
Harmony remotes are programmed via USB connection to your computer. To configure the remote you must create a Harmony Account on the Logitech website which stores all the information needed to successfully operate the devices you have in your home. This means if you loose, damage or upgrade your remote all your settings are just a click away which is nice considering the amount of time and effort that can be spent getting everything 'just right'. To help in the configuration process Logitech also provide a piece of software for Windows/OSX that is essentially a Logitech branded Web browser with a slightly more styled interface than the generic Web console.
After creating and logging into your account you describe what pieces of hardware that need to be controlled by entering their product serial numbers. The Logitech device database is huge and it easily found my home theatre system, PVR (Hauppauge PVR250) and cable TV box. It had a bit of trouble with the television but it offered some intelligent alternatives that seemed to work. Once identified the software runs through a few tests just to make sure everything is working okay. The whole process took about fifteen minutes and was relatively painless, in fact the thing that took the longest was downloading an updated version of the OSX client software.
With the devices are setup and tested you are then able to create Activities which are the heart and soul of the Harmony's functionality. Activities are like 'Watch TV' or 'Watch a DVD' and combine a number of choreographed actions into a single click. For example to 'Watch a DVD' the TV must be switched to component video, the surround sound activated and the DVD set to play. Activities can be as simple or complicated as you wish but fortunately for the uninitiated the process is greatly simplified by the Activities Wizard.
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| The OSX configuration application (click to enlarge) | |
Giving it a try
With configuration complete and the settings stored on the remote it was time to give it all a try. I pointed the remote at the general direction of the TV and selected the 'Watch TV' activity. Although I've lived with remotes for the majority of my life it was magic to see the TV, home theatre and cable boxes spring to life and start configuring themselves for TV watching. Even better was the fact that once configured the remote is intelligent enough to send volume changes to the surround sound, channel changes to the cable box and picture tweaks straight to the TV. To really see what the remote was made of I selected the 'Watch PVR' activity, things starting changing but unfortunately the TV did not display anything....
My first problem and Logitech support
The television was not displaying anything because the remote had selected the wrong video input source. The PVR signal comes via the VGA input but the remote had selected a different one. After a bit of testing I realised the problem was only partially the remote's fault. The remote is smart enough to remember your last video input selection and it had made the assumption that the television did too. Unfortunately my Philips TV is not that smart and has an awkward video input select menu that must be navigated in a certain way every time. A look on the Logitech forums found a couple of people with the same problem as myself but no answers. Not being one to rely on telephone support I tried a few things with no luck so eventually I gave in and rang Logitech's New Zealand support line.
I must admit I was not too sure what to expect from the Logitech support. I was half expecting my call to be forwarded through to a generic Indian call center where I would have yet another broken discussion with someone who only knows half the English language and doesn't have running water let alone a Harmony remote. I was pleasantly surprised when after only a brief period on hold my call was answered by an American who sounded like he actually knew what he was talking about. After explaining the problem he figured out what the issue was but could not fix it himself. He forwarded my call through to an even friendlier Level 2 support technician who had the ability to roll her sleeves up and tweak my account settings. 38 minutes after first dialing the number my problem was corrected and tested a number of times to ensure all was well. In this day and age to be able to ring a helpline, talk to intelligent people and have my problem fixed all in the time most companies have you on hold is just amazing.
Happy, happy, joy, joy
With the remote up and running at full steam I have been able to tweak my audio/video settings to get optimum performance without having to worry about whether other people will be able to figure out how to use everything. The range on the remote is excellent and seems to be able to operate in sunny conditions without trouble. More importantly it is great to be able to enjoy different media without having to flick more switches than a 747 pilot on final approach.
The not so good things
I have a few annoyances with the remote, there are a couple of key layout issues and the sequential operation of the remote signals could be more intelligent.
The keys on the Harmony 520 are not the most well designed and have suffered from a strong emphasis on aesthetics over usability. The number keys are too small and due to a slight recess are difficult to press without using more than your average amount of button pressing force. The worst offender is the center number 5 key as this is intentionally smaller than the rest in order for you to sense where your fingers are without looking.
Another issue with the key layout is the placement of the Activity button and LCD right at the top of the unit. Aesthetically this maybe the best place for it but apart from the number keys the Activity button and LCD are the most used elements and should be a lot closer to your primary remote holding hand. If these elements were closer the remote could be used with one hand quite easily, but in its current configuration two hands are required to operate the core functionality.
The last annoyance lies with the manner in which the remote sends signals to the different devices. Each command has a certain preset delay while the remote waits for the device to complete its task. Unfortunately the remote does not take advantage of this delay to send different signals to other devices in the Activity chain. For example the television takes a number of seconds to power on before it can change input settings. Rather than setting off other commands in the queue not associated to the television (like the surround sound system) the remote waits patiently for the television to power up, changes its input and then powers on the next device. There is some intelligence built into this process but it seems to be focused at the functionality level rather than multi-threading device activity. These inefficiencies only amount to a couple of seconds delay but when you are sitting there waiting for one device to finish something knowing that the other two devices aren't doing anything at all it is kind of annoying.
Conclusion
Overall the Harmony remote is a godsend for those home entertainment systems suffering from MRS (Multiple Remote Syndrome). It allows technically orientated people to create insanely complicated home entertainment setups that normal people can use. At the heart of this capability is the intelligence built into the remote which most of the time is fantastic, though on occasion it can get a little confused. The Harmony supports a massive range of hardware and the Logitech technical support both on-line and in person is excellent. Apart from a few little niggles I'd say the 520 or any of its bigger siblings are must have for any serious gadget lover.