Good remote, controls ANY IR device
Pros:
So simple and easy, my 7yo uses it with no effort!
Cons:
Sometimes gets confused about device states. IDK how you'd set it up without a PC..
The Bottom Line:
Easy to set up with a PC, if you don't, then IDK.. VERY easy to use!
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I got one of these when I got an hdtv to eliminate the 5 remotes I'd otherwise be using.. It is now controlling my tv, HD DVR, VCR, DVD player, cd player, and receiver with little effort. This particular Harmony remote is the best one for Tivos/DVR's - It has the skip, fast forward, rewind, pause, play, list, guide buttons, etc. Even some of the higher priced Harmony remotes don't have all the dvr functionality.
Getting started is a breeze. I was up and running in about 10 minutes. The Harmony connects to your PC via USB, and the software prompts you for all necessary info. You can pick your tv / dvr / dvd / vcr / cd player / receiver models from a huge list - There are currently 175,000 devices defined and more are getting added every day. If your device is NOT listed, it can learn the codes from the original remote. There's an IR receiver on the remote, you point the original remote at it and press the buttons the Harmony asks you to, then it knows what to send this unknown device you're trying to control. Sounds simple enough, I haven't had to use it because all my devices were listed.
The end result is so simple to use, even my kids can control the whole system. My 7yo daughter can do anything now, she could never figure it all out before. There's a button that says 'Watch TV' - It turns on the tv, dvr, and receiver, sets the tv to the correct input, switches the receiver to the correct input, and turns off any unused components such as the dvd player, cd jukebox, and vcr. The 'Watch a movie' and 'Listen to music' buttons function similarly.
My only beef with this remote is sometimes it gets confused about what's on and off. For example, maybe the tv didn't get the 'off' signal last time you shut everything down, and it stayed on. The remote thinks it's off. The remote has a help button that asks you yes/no questions like 'Is the tv on?', 'Is the receiver on?', or 'Is the tv on HDMI1 input?' to help you resolve any problems like that.
The menus are simple and easy to use. It has a big LCD screen on it with buttons next to the menu entries it displays. Every last little function your original remote has is in the menu, and you can easily flip thru screens of commands to find any obscure functions the original remote had.
Nu-Image Corporation
CircuitCity.com
