When you're done, the instructions are all sent to the remote. Going through the full setup requires about 20 minutes of time assuming you know how your system is set up. It loads up a huge database of devices, including a few really archaic switches I had before my new TV came in, and walks you through the process of explaining how your devices are interconnected. The software is on both Macs and PCs and isn't nearly as horrible as most third-party hardware software. Setting it up requires hooking it up to a computer through a USB plug. We might make the assumption, as Logitech might have done, that one person in the family has the know-how to hook up a home theater system and is likely the one to set up the remote. Setting up the Harmony One remote might be a little daunting at first. All of this is built in once you've set it up. Pause and play will send commands to your DVD player. When you press volume up and down, it knows to change the volume on the receiver. When you press channel up and down, it knows to change the channel on your cable box. Though it isn't exactly completely simplified, everything you would expect is on it and works. The layout of the other controls is logical and easy to use. You can customize the labels, the icons, and directly touch the button on the screen to activate the function. Unlike less expensive Harmony remotes, the Harmony One's color LCD touchscreen ties you even closer to the functions of your home theater system. We've grown accustomed to ignoring such labels (thank you Microsoft) but in this case it's really useful. When you're training your family to use the system, teach them about the help button. The Harmony has a wonderful troubleshooting feature tied to a "help" button that first tries to solve whatever problem might have occurred and eventually walking you through some questions to identify what went wrong. When you activate these functions, the remote sends the right instructions to the right components and next thing you know you're doing whatever it is you wanted to do. Instead of having buttons for your DVD player, TV, and receiver, you have functions such as "watch a blu-ray" or "play my Xbox 360". The key to the usefulness of the Harmony One remote is the concept of building around function, not components. Luckily the designers of the Harmony remotes know that home theaters are just too freaking hard to use. ![]() I spend significant time trying to figure out how to use a home theater system and I still couldn't tell you what DTS Neo:6 is. Too many standards tie together too-complicated components. Unlike other trends in technology (see the iPad, the iPhone, and the iPod Touch), the home theater system is still way too complicated for most people to buy and use. This single remote control is built around the single ideal of making your system easier to use. It's the device that helps your entire family enjoy the system you spent so much time and money putting together. The remote control is your interface to your entire system. I think this is a pretty poor philosophy to take. People often cheap out on the remote, figuring it is a throw-away item they can pick up for twenty or thirty bucks. What many people forget to consider is the remote. Secondary items like speaker stands and cables come next. We have the TV, the receiver, speakers, a DVD player or Blu-Ray player, maybe a subwoofer. ![]() When we're piecing together a home theater, there's a pretty standard check list of components. It's been a long time since I wrote regular home theater component reviews but after having refreshed my basement screening room (don't forget, when you call it a screening room you enjoy it more ), that might change. At just shy of $200, the Harmony One remote is worth your money. ![]() A good Harmony universal remote is a required feature for any good home theater system. With a sleek feel, simple setup, and some excellent features, it builds your home theater system around functions, not components. Luckily the Logitech Harmony One remote solves one of these problems. Home theater systems are hard to buy, hard to set up, and hard to use. Logitech Harmony One Review : īy Mike Shea on 19 April 2010 One Minute Summary
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