Logitech Harmony 1000 Touchscreen Remote Control Page 2
The Short Form |
Price $499 / harmonyremote.com / 866-291-1505 |
Snapshot |
An affordable touchscreen remote that offers Harmony's terrific programming and user interface, though manic channel-surfers and chronic button-mashers might miss hard buttons. |
Plus |
•Awesome high-tech looks •Great touchscreen graphics •Programs and performs in the usual Harmony fashion |
Minus |
•Very limited (by touchscreen standards) customization •Buttons on some screens may be too tightly spaced for large fingers •Infrared output could be stronger •Battery requires nightly charging |
Key Features |
•Computer "wizard-based" setup •Controls up to 15 devices •Radio-frequency control available by adding a Harmony Wireless Extender (available separately, $199) •3.5-in color touchscreen (320 x 240 resolution) •Harmony code database for 5,000 manufacturers and 175,000 components •Rechargeable lithium-ion battery with charging cradle •Activity-based system control with Harmony "Smart State Technology" •Includes telephone tech support |
Where most remotes require you to program macros - multiple commands that are strung together - to perform complex tasks, Harmony breaks these down into specific activities such as "Watch Cable TV," "Watch a DVD," or "Listen to CDs." The wizard asks basic questions (which device is used to control the volume, which inputs do the TV and A/V receiver need to set to, and so on) based on how you've wired your system.
After all of the activities are set up, the remote is 90% programmed. The final 10% is adding extra buttons to the interface, downloading the programming to the remote, and then testing and tweaking the remote and programming until everything is perfect. Programming a Harmony to the nines rarely takes more than an hour. Beyond adding additional buttons for each device, entering favorite channels, and adding a background image, there's not much else you can do to customize a 1000.
PERFORMANCE The Harmony DNA runs strong in the 1000's chipset, so its operation will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used a Harmony before and easily learned by anyone who hasn't. The touchscreen comes immediately to life when you pick the remote up, and the screen has bright, sharp graphics that are easy to read in virtually any lighting. The remote's hard buttons, meanwhile, are backlit in a soft blue.
The "home" page on the touchscreen lists the activities set up during programming. Simply touch the activity you want, and the 1000 takes care of the rest. Pressing "Watch a DVD" on my system fires up the TV (and then waits the ridiculously long 30+ seconds while it warms up and can't receive any commands) and switches it to Component 1; turns on my receiver, switches it to DVD, and engages THX processing; and powers up the Escient DVD manager and selects the Movies option. All that from one button-push!
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