41 out of 41 people found this review helpful.
LOGITECH 550: One in "perfect" harmony.
Date of Review: Dec 13, 2006
The Bottom Line: Cool looks and brains in one easy to use package, but setup might be a little difficult.
Pretty much every household has more than one device at home with a remote control. That can get out of hand very quickly when shuffling between them is a hassle and worse yet, the one needed is suddenly missing. It may not qualify as essential, but the Harmony 550 struck my sweet spot in a near perfect mix of style and functionality. Though, the true decision point was the special offer I found.
IN A NUTSHELL
The Harmony 550 caught my attention mostly due to its semi-slim design and elegant style -- not flashy or childish and easily combined with a high-tech home theater. While that has to wait, the H550 currently helps to wrestle with the remote jungle of a Motorola cable HD receiver, Panasonic CD/DVD player and a Westinghouse LCD tv. All those components are fully supported in the Logitech database.
The setup is relatively easy if your components are fully supported and you have access to the internet. Computer and net access are required to program the H550, which is shipped "dumb" and needs to be taught what it's supposed to do. This may sound tougher than simply entering a code that's compatible with your equipment (as most pre-programmed devices), but realistically is much more comfortable and powerful. The setup wizard appears to be confusing to some users and it gets a little unclear when you have combined devices like a radio and FM receiver with built in DVD player. It may not be that obvious that you would have to pick the same device twice.
Once taught, the Activities button gives access to four typical things you like to do. Provided all components are turned off (!!!), picking an activity like "Watch TV", automatically turns on your TV and cable receiver (or any other combination) knows where to adjust the volume and programs the other buttons to fit the task. This gets confused when one components wasn't off and get's turned off instead of on. (Put your other remotes away, and avoid obstacles!) Obstacles may confuse the whole sequencing and for instance turn off only the tv while leaving the satellite receiver on. In my case, the coffee table has such tendency and the H550 provides manual ways to control each individual component.
The sculpted bottom of the Harmony 550 is easy to hold and the buttons look better than they feel, but overall it works quite well if you don't mind pushing relatively small buttons without a good tactile feedback. The weight distribution is good and at no point top heavy. The battery compartment is the thickest portion of the body and doubles as the main "grip", while a secondary protrusion secures the remote when accessing the top portion. Only the power button (for components) is hard to reach and may require both hands.
Overall, the Harmony (like most other advanced universal remote controls) is a great choice for enthusiasts that don't mind tinkering a bit and of course do have access to a computer with Internet. If you don't have those ambitions, be advised that a pre-programmed device may be a more cost efficient and easier way to go. However, if you're craving comfort and style, the Harmony 550 is a strong contender. (Especially when considering the $67 I got this for.)
DETAILS
Style: [*****] - This is the most elegant universal remote control I have seen yet. I love the style and the blue back lighting is cool too. The dark Blue/Grey housing (a Logitech typical color) is tastefully combined with Black and Chrome elements. This remote goes well with almost any elegant design (i.e. Bang&Olufson or Bose) but is no bad choice for less pricey designs either.
Ergonomics: [****-] - Generally speaking, the H550 is easy to hold and use. The buttons may be too small for some users, but the tactile quality of the volume and channel buttons may as well be the biggest weakness. The sculpted bottom works good enough for normal use, but does not provide the same comfort at the secondary position and especially the power button. The blue lighting works for the buttons, though the display may be harder to read (due to the relatively low sensitivity of the human eye in the blue spectrum).
Setup: [***--] - Unlike pre-programmed remote controls, the Harmony 550 does not hold any usable codes until programmed via USB and the included software. Setup is normal despite the included quick start guide requesting to plug in the USB first and then install the driver. Going first with the driver is generally preferred and the software installation even requests it in that order. Anyway, internet access is a must, as the device database is 100% online and during installation only the used devices will be downloaded. A faulty USB port (as in my case) can prevent the proper recognition of the H550 and claim that the device is not recognized while the remote says it's connected. Using a different port fixed that issue and I could pick the devices, but had to type in their designation rather than picking it from a list, at least after picking from a list of supported manufacturers. Make sure to use the exact model number and verify that the program indeed found the right one in the database to avoid problems. After defining the devices, one can program typical usage like where to adjust volume and what devices are involved in watching a DVD and so on. The programming is based on predefined instructions that are downloaded. However, the H550 can also learn a command by simply "listening" to the remote control you're trying to replicate. (Still has be be connected to the computer.)
Code Selection: [*****] - The simplest way to find the correct code for your device is by simply finding it in the database by the name of the device. Should there be an issue you can also find the right code setting by sending three commands from the device's original remote. (Make sure to point the original remote at the bottom of the H550.) The remote will take this command and search our database of infrared languages for a match. If no matching language is found based on these commands, the last remaining option is to teach some commands to the remote. It must be connected to the computer. The user guidance is fairly well done, as long as you're aware that you have to use the software to control this task. So with the correct model number and/or the original remote control, the H550 can be taught to control virtually any device.
IR Performance: [***--] - With my setup, the cable receive is somewhat behind the coffee table and technically out of sight for the remote control during normal operation. The Motorola remote doesn't seem to worry too much about this obstruction, but for the H550 it means that the a command can be missed by the receiver. Odd enough, the Westinghouse tv now requires less pointing. I guess overall the H550 is less directional than typical remotes while the spread out signal apparently also drops in power level. A design that's geared towards activating devices in multiple locations, but pays the price when encountering obstacles. (My wife often doesn't wait until all components are turned on and by simply putting it on the coffee table too quickly, the cable receiver typically stays on or off which then confuses the remote.)
Durability: [***--] - The build quality appears to be sturdy and the first week of use didn't show any instabilities or wear marks. Of course that really shouldn't have surfaced anyway. My main focus for right now is the battery life as 4 AAA batteries are rated to last only up to 3 weeks. Well in 2 weeks I will update, but I expect my usage to be less than this test. The blue back lighting might sign responsible for most of the power consumption. (It lights up with every button you push and only stays on for the defined cycle when using the activity button which requires to read the display.)
© 2006, theuerkorn
UPDATES
[14-Dec-2006] - An issue turned up when trying to sequence certain activities like "Watch TV" followed by "Watch a DVD", which involves turning the cable receiver off and the DVD player on. In this case it would turn the Panasonic DVD player on and immediately off again. This can be resolved by going into the device list and turning the DVD back on. Logitech released v7.2.0 of the software and updating the remote control seems to have also implemented a workaround. At least now the DVD command follows up with an "on" and the issue above seems fixed. The update is currently only distributed via update from your computer, but should soon be available for download from the Logitech website.
