- Joined
- Jul 3, 1997
- Messages
- 66,478
- Real Name
- Ronald Epstein
Logitech Harmony Link
Remote Control for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android Smartphones and Tablets
Reviewed by Ronald Epstein
February 13, 2012
INTRODUCTION
Remotes have been an obsession of mine for the past five years. My quest for finding the perfect device that simplifies the task of operating my entire home theater system seems to be an ongoing process. Every year I find myself discovering something new and innovative that takes my remote experience to exciting new levels.
I have to thank Logitech for creating remote control devices that are innovative, inexpensive and (most of all) easy to program. In fact, after owning a handful of their remotes that include the
(Click on above photos for larger images)
Ever since my iPad purchase in 2010, I have been wondering how long it would take until someone creates an easy-to-program, all-in-one remote that could be translated to the iOS platform. During an invite to Logitech's electronics fair last Summer, I was very pleased to find them demonstrating their newest innovation, the Harmony Link. At last, Logitech had found the means of taking the remote control experience one step further by creating a multi-touch application that integrates with portable devices that most people already own -- the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android Smartphone.
What is most attractive about the Harmony Link is its price. While most Logitech remotes average in price at $200, the Harmony Link has an MSRP of $99 and depending which device you use it on, their free software application also includes a beautiful program guide that allows you to find the show you want to watch and do so with a simple press of the finger.
(Click on above photos for larger images)
The Harmony Link itself is a rather small, circular device that sits in the palm of the hand. The rear of the unit has an AC jack, two IR emitter ports and a USB connector for the initial connection that needs to be made to a PC in order to program it. A steady green light on the front of the unit assures you that the unit has paired with your home's wireless WiFi network. This may be the best time to mention this: if you don't have a wireless network in your home, then this product is not for you.
Inside the box, in addition to the Harmony Link device, you'll find an AC adapter, USB connecting cable and a mini IR blaster. The mini IR blaster allows you to conceal the Harmony Link inside a cabinet while still allowing a signal to be sent to the unit. I was rather pleased to see that Logitech included such a cable with this package.
(Click on above photos for larger images)
Logitech is renowned for creating remotes that are simple to program. The Harmony Link is no exception to this rule. In fact, I would say that the overall programming experience has become even more intuitive thanks to a recent revamp that Logitech has done on their http://myharmony.com/
The final step in setting up your Harmony Link unit will be downloading the free Logitech Harmony Link app to your iPad or iPhone. This app can be found within the iTunes app store.
Once completing the app download to your device, you will be asked to enter the name and password of the account you created on the Logitech website. This only needs to be done once. There will be an initial synch between the application and the settings you made online. After that, you can expect very minimal delay between launching and using the application.
(Click on above photos for larger images)
The real beauty in the iPad application lies in its included programming database. It's gorgeous. The free programming guide holds a day's worth of programming, and since you set it up specifically for your cable/satellite provider, it lists all the shows playing that day throughout your system with the correct corresponding channel number. Across the bottom of the guide are thumbnail images of programming that you simply flick your finger to move through. I found it rather enjoyable to browse the programming, though the guide was rather slow in loading images as I flicked from one page to the other.
With hundreds of channels to browse through, Logitech has made it simple to display content that is relevant to your specific tastes by creating filters. Across the top of the guide you can filter programming by categories that include movies, sports, children's and news. Additionally, you can create a favorites filter of your favorite programs and most visited channels so that those listings are pushed to the front of the listing queue.
The upper portion of the programming guide provides you with a large photo corresponding to your selected programming. There is also a full description of the program, the time of broadcast, channel number, and minutes remaining till that show is ending. If you want to want to watch that show, you simply press the WATCH NOW button and all the devices that have been programmed under the activity WATCH TV will turn themselves on as you are taken directly to the correct channel.
(Click on above photos for larger images)
With each chosen activity, a sidebar remote will suddenly appear on your iPad to control the corresponding devices. The bottom picture (above) shows the sidebar remote in its simplest form. In most cases the slim panel will provide you with your channel and volume controls as well as play and pause functionality.
However, take a look at the top two photos. As you slide the side remote panel out further, it expands into two additional stages. The first stage provides you with most all the functions related to the hardware you are controlling. The second stage is for more advanced users who need access to hidden controls. In most cases, I think most users will never need to go beyond the functionality of the first two panel stages.
Initially, I had to program 6 components and 5 activities into the Logitech website. I was very pleased to find that once all that information synched to my Harmony Link application that every activity executed itself accurately from the very first try. By that I mean, when I wanted to watch TV, all the proper components turned on. When I wanted to switch to watching a Blu-ray movie, the components I no longer needed turned themselves off while others turned themselves on. It's amazing to watch all these functions perfectly executed with a press of a finger.
(Click on above photos for larger images)
After spending a great deal of time playing with the iPad Harmony Link application, I was somewhat disappointed with its iPhone counterpart. For what it is, the iPhone application effectively allows you to control your entire home theater system by pressing buttons on your touchscreen. It has all the functionality of the app found on the iPad, however, what it does lack is the programming guide. Without that guide, the interface looks dull. For the moment, Logitech is finding it rather difficult to bring a programming guide to a smaller device, which is quite understandable given the amount of real estate that it needs.
One of the things you are able to do on the iPhone, iPod Touch and Android Smartphone versions of the app is to edit the buttons. You can slim down the remote screen, displaying only the necessary buttons you need. As nice as this is, I don't think I want to start deleting buttons that are probably necessary to its operation. Additionally, I could not find a way to rearrange my button layout, so the editing functionality is rather limited.
Still, despite my preference for the iPad app, there is something to be said for the ability to sit down, take your iPhone (or similar device) out of your pocket and start controlling your home theater system with it. It's certainly the kind of thing that will impress your friends to the point that they may rush out and buy their own Harmony Link.
I want to add here that if you own more than one portable device, say an iPod and and iPad for example, whatever you synch to one device will automatically synch to the other. All your settings are shared across devices.
CONCLUSION
The ultimate question you are probably asking at this point is when considering an all-in-one remote, should you go with the more expensive traditional hard-button Logitech products or the more affordable Harmony Link that integrates itself with devices you may already own?
That's an almost impossible question to answer, simply because that depends on an individual's tastes. There is something to be said for having the ability to just grab a Logitech remote off the coffee table and just start using it without having to power on the iPad or iPhone.
Using the iPad as a remote control is a bit more cumbersome for the fact that you have a much larger object in your hand that needs to be powered on or have an application launched prior to its use. There's also no possibility of leaving your normal Logitech remote in the bedroom, car or even at work. However, the trade-off in using the iPad is its beautiful programming guide that really enhances the use of the remote. In addition, with the iPad on your lap, you have the freedom to multi-task. You can read your email or browse the internet without disrupting the remote application. In fact, if you need to close the Harmony Link or even reboot your iPad, the application retains the settings you last left it at.
Give credit to Steve Jobs. He moved us away from hard-buttoned devices and helped us migrate to touch screen technology. It's kind of neat to raise and lower the volume on the iPad application and watch the button beneath your finger react to the command. Logitech has done an incredible job with the iOS interface and the way the buttons react to touch.
That being said, the application is not perfect. Thumbnail images were slow to load as I moved from one screen to another. At least once, the application crashed. Sometimes the programming guide is slow to load. There is no customization of the buttons in the iPad application. All that being said, I was assured by the folks at Logitech that their application would be continually improved upon.
Yes, I would highly recommend this product. In fact, If I had my choice of using my Harmony One or Harmony 1100 vs. the Harmony Link, I would probably grab for the iPad first as long as I had it in the room with me. The iPhone application doesn't really attract me due to its lack of program guide.
The Harmony Link is certainly is the cheapest method of bringing all-in-one remote functionality to devices you already own. Just be aware of the trade-offs before considering a product like this.
Harmony Link Video Part 1: Introduction and Setup
Harmony Link Video Part 1: App Walkthrough