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Those with more-complicated setups -- and who crave a dedicated touch-screen remote that also has hard buttons -- will be better served with the Ultimate, which can control up to 15 devices. That said, the Harmony Smart Control package -- which controls up to eight devices -- is certainly the better value, and arguably the pick of the current Harmony litter. Moreover, Logitech also lets you use free apps for iPhone and Android phones to control your devices as well (again, over Wi-Fi), so you can use them interchangeably with the Ultimate. There's even more, of course, and features-wise the Ultimate's got almost everything you could ask for in a universal remote.
Once you get the hang of it, though, it's not difficult to set up more complex activities (Watch a Movie, for instance, turns my television and Blu-ray player on and the lights off). Initially, there’s a fair amount of work and setup involved to get the Harmony Ultimate Home system singing. But after you’ve spent your Saturday setting it up, all you need to do is push a single button to watch TV, listen to music, play a DVD or cruise over to Netflix. Logitech’s strong suit is the unparalleled number of consumer electronics devices it can manage. No other product can boast the same capabilities or make custom tasks as easy to manage.
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In some cases the Harmony offered more control over a device than the original remote that came with it. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells.
If you have a previous Harmony remote and would like to import its devices and Activities, you will be able to copy them over to your new Harmony Ultimate. If you do not have a previous Harmony remote, select No, Set Up New. As for this model versus the $129.99 Harmony Smart Control package, it really comes down to how many components you have. If you have a setup with four to six components and don't feel it's going to grow, the Smart Control package is probably the way to go.
What's in the box
I was able to get it working correctly with some tweaking, but this is an example of the small hitches you may run into, particularly with more-complicated setups. I ran one of IR mini blasters out to the TV, setting it under the TV, just in front of the TV's bezel. The mini blaster was able to send commands to the projector mounted on the ceiling on the other side of the room about 12 feet away (I have a 110-inch screen that comes down over the plasma).
Or you can opt for the $149.99 Harmony Home Control, which pairs the Home Hub with a simple, non-touch universal remote. Everything was simple to set up, though I did find myself switching between the remote and my smartphone depending on what I was trying to control. For television, for instance, it's hard to beat Logitech's comfortable remote.
Setup
Of course, compared with the high-priced remote control systems that custom installers will try to sell you, the Ultimate is actually a reasonable deal. And for better or worse, Logitech doesn't have too much competition in this space, so it's hard to go out and recommend other products to you that are better for the money. Beyond the nitpicking, my broader impression is that it takes some time to get completely familiar with the remote, and there is some satisfaction in tweaking your settings to improve the user experience. Everything worked well, though I sometimes felt I had to go through an extra layer of navigation to get to the control or function I wanted. It helps to reassign the hard buttons and customize everything to your liking. The touch screen allows for a limited number of gesture controls.
Using the remote with the PS3 requires a quick setup procedure. However, when moving over to the Ultimate, I had to set up a new account at myharmony.com. Luckily, when setting up the new remote, I was given the option to migrate over my old settings from my old Harmony 900 account. It worked pretty well, though I still had to do some tweaking. The Hub sends out IR signals but also comes with two mini IR blasters that can be plugged into the back of the unit and then placed near components outside a closet or cabinet. Reach out to the Harmony support community Our Harmony product managers also actively participate and provide technical advise.
Logitech Harmony Ultimate Colour Touch Remote — Complete
You can also customize the commands that appear on your screen. If your system is off, tapping a Favorite will start your Watch TV Activity and then tune to that channel. You can use Favorites to quickly navigate your on-screen TV guide as well.
Harmony Home Hub is the center of your home entertainment and home control solution. Placed near your television, cable/satellite box, game console and other equipment, it uses Infrared , Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi to control your various devices. This has replaced 4 remotes and makes watching TV, PVR, DVD, soundbar, easy switching between the various machines with with one touch.
In addition to Bluetooth, the Hub also features integrated Wi-Fi. As I said, you can now update your Harmony's settings on a computer and sync them wirelessly with your remote. It also allows you to use any iOS or Android device to control your system via the Logitech Smartphone App. While the app can be used with tablets, it's really a smartphone app; you use the "2X" button to blow it up to the iPad's larger screen size, but there's not a tablet-optimized app. Home automation and smart technology is not just about making your home more energy efficient and secure, there’s also some fun to be had. Home media and home cinema installers in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany can kit out your home with the latest technology such as smart TVs, media streaming devices, speaker systems and smart home assistants.
If you'd like to further modify any of these Activities by adding additional commands, please take a look at our article regarding adding commands to your Activities. Since you can do so much from the Hub itself, it might seem excessive to spend $350 on the entire setup. After all, you can pick up the Harmony Home Hub for $100, and simply use your smartphone.
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