Logitech Introduces Two New Advanced Harmony Universal Remotes (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Logitech Reimagines Home Control with Two New Advanced Harmony Universal Remotes

Logitech Harmony Hub Adds Closed-Cabinet, Game Console and Lighting Control to Your Universal Remote and Smartphone

NEWARK, Calif. — April 16, 2013 — Today Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) announced the expansion of its award-winning universal remote control lineup with the Logitech Harmony® Ultimate and the Logitech Harmony® Smart Control. Both products feature Logitech’s Harmony Hub and Harmony Smartphone App to enable closed-cabinet control and one-touch entertainment access to game consoles from your universal remote or smartphone. The Harmony Hub takes personalizing your activities a step farther into home control with the ability to program your Philips Hue lights to the desired brightness and color with a tap of the Logitech Harmony Ultimate.

“We’ve elevated the universal remote to the next level, taking a personalized approach to home entertainment,” said Joerg Tewes vice president of Logitech’s digital home business group at Logitech. “Furthermore, our Harmony product line is no longer just about entertainment access – we’ve designed the Logitech Harmony Ultimate so you can also control your home’s lighting. Now you can tune the TV, start a movie and adjust your lights to set the mood, with the touch of your finger.”

The Logitech Harmony Ultimate and Logitech Harmony Smart Control are compatible with more than 225,000 home-entertainment devices and more than 5,000 brands. Both include the Harmony Hub, which uses Bluetooth® wireless technology to power on game consoles such as the Sony PS3®, Nintendo Wii® and Wii U. The Harmony Hub also, controls infrared devices inside closed entertainment cabinets and without the need to point at them. Each also comes with the Harmony Smartphone App, which anyone in the house can download to turn his or her smartphone into a personal universal remote.

Able to control up to 15 devices, the Logitech Harmony Ultimate is a fully featured remote with a 2.4-inch color touch-screen that enables no-look control over television programs, movies and music by using simple swipes and taps. It also introduces the ability to program Philips Hue lighting systems with entertainment activities allowing you to adjust the room’s lighting as easily as changing the volume of your television. Other exclusive features include vibration feedback so you know it received your touch-screen commands, tilt sensors and buttons programmable for both short and long presses, doubling the available functions.

The Logitech Harmony Smart Control and Harmony Smartphone App turn your iOS or Android phone into a universal remote, giving you personalized control of up to eight devices from anywhere in the house using the smartphone you already own. Plus, it includes a simple remote control for when your smartphone isn’t handy.
Pricing and Availability

These new products join the Logitech Harmony Touch to complete the Logitech Harmony remote lineup. The Logitech Harmony Ultimate is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe in April 2013, for a suggested retail price of $349.99. The Logitech Harmony Smart Control is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe in May 2013, for a suggested retail price of $129.99. The Logitech Harmony Smartphone App will be available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. For more information, please visit www.logitech.com or our blog.

 

[DaveF]

Interesting that they've rolled up the Harmony Touch with the smartphone thingy. Unfortunately, there's no improvement to the Touch design, which has gotten mixed reviews.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Interesting that they've rolled up the Harmony Touch with the smartphone thingy. Unfortunately, there's no improvement to the Touch design, which has gotten mixed reviews.

I was reading a user review on Amazon for the Touch and he made a very good point, at least for me. I have an 880 and the buttons I use the most are for fast forwarding through commercials on my dvr.

There are no buttons for that on the touch, you would have to use the touch screen, which first has to be woken up, then you have to find the right screen buttons. I think I would soon become pissed off by the Touch.

Not sure how practical using a smart phone is. Right away, you've got to wake the phone up (unless you leave the screen going, draining your battery).

A universal remote needs to be all about simplicity and requiring the least number of button pushes (touch or physical) to use it.

 

[nolesrule]

I agree with Johnny on all counts. I have an 880 as well (and had a pre-Logitech 659 before that). I prefer the LCD as an "extender" for buttons that don't exist, but I prefer having tactile buttons for my most-used functions.

 

[eddennis]

I have had two Logitech products and neither worked as advertised. Anyway, ogitech is exiting the remote control business. It is up for sale. Logitech wants out. They want to concentrate all their efforts on cheap electronic accessories. I think all of these guys are seeing the writing on thewall and that is the smartphone has the capabilities of handling any IR or RF communication. Some Korean manufacturer (Samsung) is going to take a smart phone and strip it of the phone and sell it for $19.95. Amazon or Google will sell thevarious Apps for $4.99 and that will be the end of the high end remote business.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I seem to be on the other end of the spectrum concerning my opinion of Logitech remotes as I own several.

I really enjoy Logitech's line of remotes. They have always worked quite well for me. Realize, I started with those really outlandishly expensive $400+ professional remotes that required extensive knowledge to program them.

Logitech was a breath of fresh air. You simply entered all your component information into their database tool and your remote was automatically programmed.

The Harmony One is still my favorite of all their remotes I own.

Really sorry to learn (if true) that Logitech is looking to exit the remote business.

 

[Sam Posten]

I'm also in the disappointed camp with regard to my Harmony One. I actually backed it out and went back to using the PS3 remote (which I actually kind of like, if only it was backlit!) and 3 others which are 'meh'. The problem is that it only takes one little hink to make the whole thing a mess, in my case it was impossible to do anything serious with a PS3 with the One and I hated the setup process on PC.

But....

They obviously continue to grind against this in ways that nobody else is even trying.

I keep hoping the Apple TV rumors are true to see Apple's thoughts on this mess. I actually don't have reason to believe even they can make it all easy to use.

I'll give the new Harmony's a look Ron, thanks for the announcement. If they have improved PS3 functionality this might be the revision that hooks me!

 

[Johnny Angell]

I have had two Logitech products and neither worked as advertised. Anyway, ogitech is exiting the remote control business. It is up for sale. Logitech wants out. They want to concentrate all their efforts on cheap electronic accessories. I think all of these guys are seeing the writing on thewall and that is the smartphone has the capabilities of handling any IR or RF communication. Some Korean manufacturer (Samsung) is going to take a smart phone and strip it of the phone and sell it for $19.95. Amazon or Google will sell thevarious Apps for $4.99 and that will be the end of the high end remote business.

What's your source that says Logitech is getting out of the remote business?

 

[Wendell R. Breland]

What's your source that says Logitech is getting out of the remote business?

Try Google, here is just one story.

 

[DaveF]

I love the One, and it has huge SAF. it saved my marriage and for me, it works daily without a hitch. The key is to keep it pointed at the entertainment center until everything is turned on.The config software on the Mac has been a real problem, including last year where it just didn't run on OS X. I had to run bootcamp to config my One.But I compare the software to when manually programmed the radio shack 1994, and life is better. My gripe is Logitechs design has gotten worse with the Touch. And I don't see any sign of course correction. If anything, the move to becoming an iOS app only increases.

 

[Ben Jordan]

My Harmony 700 is going on 3 years and it's been great. Lasts a long time between charges, has decent enough power to bounce off walls, and controls everything without any fuss.

I don't like that I have to use the computer to make minor changes, but once it's setup, there's nothing really to change, so not a big deal. I even sent a few discrete codes to Logitech support & they added them to my device easily.

The thing that I find most interesting is that it's now double on Amazon what it used to cost when I originally bought it!

 

[Bill Coolidge]

We had a Harmony 720 and it was so awesome my wife loved it. Then it broke and I bought a Touch and my wife hates it and I'm not real fond of it either. I don't need a fancy remote that works with closets and video games, I just need one where the buttons are well positioned and easy to use. I love the activities based set-up but I'm tired of turning off the TV when I'm trying to hit the fast forward button.

 

[TonyD]

I just bought a harmony smart remote for use on my tablets and GS3.Not using the phone or tab app hardly at all but the little remote that cones with is used by me and And my wife which is fabulous. All. She has to do is hit one button then maybe one or two more and she is watching whatever she wants on the tv.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Just got an email with a 30% off code (looks like it's a one-use code) for Logitech storewide. I quickly think remotes and the code is not good for the Harmony Smart Control and the Ultimate. I'm thinking that's a chunk of change off the Harmony Touch, but I read this thread and refresh myself with the idea that I wouldn't like the Touch.

So I look at pictures of the Touch and I can't see any hard buttons on the remote that would make sense programming for the the 30-second advance. I then notice that the Touch and Smart Control remotes look like they have identical button arrangements, except the Touch has the screen.

If the Touch had more hard buttons, I think I'd pull the trigger on it today.

My problem with my 880 is that the volume up button is requiring heavy pressure to work. I wonder if a blast of compressed air might clean it out and fix or help the problem?