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Logitech Harmony suggestions

A

acole1

Golden Member
My birthday is coming up soon, and I have been wanting a Logitech Harmony remote.

Right now my components I want to control are an older Sony receiver for my audio, a digital over the air TV tuner box, an older Mitsubishi TV, a DVD player, and an HTPC running Vista MCE. Note: all these components are likely to change in the next 3 months (except for the MC).

I would like a remote that can control all this, be flexible, and easy to use. I want just one remote for everything. My only experience with them is one my friend has (an 880 I think) and it seems to work really well for his system.

Is the Harmony the way to go? Which one would you suggest?

Thanks!
 
I have the Harmony One, and it's awesome.

The 880/890 you can get RF instead of IR, but lose the touch screen which I happen to like. Any of the Harmony remotes will work though, just the 880/890/One all will give you the ability to do more. I'd stick with those 3 if I could.
 
Are there any particular price points I should be looking for?

NE has a recertified 880 IR for $109 with free shipping. Is that a good deal?
 
yeah it's warmish.

The 880 IIRC sold around $175 new, and as long as you don't mind refurbs then it's pretty good price. Sub $100 is when it gets hot, but $109 shipped for a refurb is about average when I was looking a few months back.
 
I bought my 880 back in 2006 for $125, so $109 is okay. Get the Harmony One, the buttons are better.

I have the 880 and the 520. I'd rate the buttons (especially numbers) on the 880 about a 4 (out of 10) and about a 2 on the 520.

Just avoid the 510 as I think it is limited to 5 devices. The old 659 doesn't have hard keys for your skip / replay (just fast forward and rewind), so if you have a DVR (I.e. Vista MCE) I'd avoid that one.

I have programmed my Vista MCE into my 520 and it works well, just need a little tweaking yet.
 
Logitech puts rebates out on the 880 fairly often, which then allows you to grab one for around $80 AR.. Otherwise you might want to check eBay for people unloading one there..

I got a good deal on the Harmony One recently (paid about $130 for it). I really like it a lot. Its an improvement over the 880, but usually sells for over $200 and I don't think its worth it at that price over the 880.


 
I have the 550, and it goes for $50, well worth it for entry level, and does everything i'd need it to do.
 
I wouldn't pay more for the later models unless you need IR functionality. I have a 550 and a 670, and they are great for me.

There is very little difference in functionality in the Harmony line.
 
I don't like the layout of the 880, nor its size, nor the fact that it needs to be recharged.

I own the Xbox 360 version, which is similar to the 550. In fact, I own three Harmony 360 remotes.
 
They last well. I don't have to recharge them very often.

I actually prefer the non-rechargeable ones, because I don't want to have to leave the remote in a cradle near a plug.
 
Originally posted by: acole1
How long to the batteries last on the 550 or other non-rechargeable ones?
Click to expand...

My 880 stays on the charger in the theater room when not in use, so not sure there.

My 550 is nearly 3 years old and I'm on my 3rd set of batteries. So I have been getting about 9-10 months per set of batteries.
 
I have the 880, love it. My roommate has the 890, loves it. My buddy has the 1000 and loves it.

The 890 comes with RF which is nice.

I would get the 880/890 or wait and get the 1100 if you want touch screen.
 
The 720 is nice if you like the style of the 520 and 550. The 720 has a color LCD and comes with a rechargeable battery and charging base.
 
I've got to put in another word for the Harmony One. Great remote, customizable touchscreen (add your favorite channels), smooth recharger station. If you still have a circuit city in your area still open, you can get a Harmony One for cheap (around the price of Amazon).
 
Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
I wouldn't pay more for the later models unless you need IR functionality. I have a 550 and a 670, and they are great for me.

There is very little difference in functionality in the Harmony line.
Click to expand...

lol, i think you mean RF functionality 😉 :beer:
 
How is the harmony 720? Too me it seems like the harmony one's little brother. I want something that has a color screen and a rechargeable batter.
 
I wish I could get the Harmony One for under $160 then I would be all over it. I just can't justify spending $200 on a remote....
 
Originally posted by: zod96
I wish I could get the Harmony One for under $160 then I would be all over it. I just can't justify spending $200 on a remote....
Click to expand...

I think someone over at the "deal" websites said CC has them for ~$150. Not sure if you have a CC near you or what tax would be in your state but it might be worth a look.
 
Dam :-( They just closed the last CC by me last weekend. I knew I should have gone over their...
 
Originally posted by: de8212
Originally posted by: zod96
I wish I could get the Harmony One for under $160 then I would be all over it. I just can't justify spending $200 on a remote....
Click to expand...

I think someone over at the "deal" websites said CC has them for ~$150. Not sure if you have a CC near you or what tax would be in your state but it might be worth a look.
Click to expand...

They had them 30% off MSRP (not 30% off original CC price because that went away when the liquidators took over). I was there last night and they were $175 + tax. No returns, good luck.
 
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