Remotes for Dummies: Harmony 880 - Gizmodo Comments

Remotes for Dummies: Harmony 880

eufreka — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 16:27:05 EDT

I currently use one of their 8-in-1 models and it works pretty well (for me only). Even with it, my wife fusses and fumes about the "remote hell" of our coffee table (no less than 7-9 remotes lay about). Why, my Sony home theater receiver (it's still a Sony!) is not fully supported, so all volume duty requires using a second remote. Hey did I mention that my 5-disc dvd player isn't fully supported either? Then of course, there are the Tivo, the xBox (I have the original dvd remote as well as a MCE extender remote for that alone!) and the Omnifi(!?!?). The Universal Remote? I gave up this particular Holy Grail a while ago. Better that all such AV (and basically all household) devices have insteon/zigbee/x10/etc or serial interfaces for "real" custom programming and control! Particularly with something like that Nokia 770...

eufreka

Remotes for Dummies: Harmony 880

thatedeguy — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 15:05:10 EDT

Another first look review: http://www.supergeekblog.com/?p=9

thatedeguy

Remotes for Dummies: Harmony 880

Skream — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 14:36:39 EDT

I found the 676 model to be more to my liking as the buttons were easier to 'feel' without looking at the remote. Also, be aware you absolutely NEED internet access to configure the remotes with their GUI... the application to configure the settings & transfer them to the remote is web based (which can be annoying if you have slow access.) If they made a 676 with RF -> IR, I'd be in heaven.

Skream

Remotes for Dummies: Harmony 880

RainyDayMagazine — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:27:27 EDT

There is a full FirstLook and FirstUse review here: http://www.rainydaymagazine.com/RDM2005/GearNGadgets/August2005/RDMGG_Harmony880FirstLook.htm http://www.rainydaymagazine.com/RDM2005/GearNGadgets/August2005/RDMGG_Harmony880FirstUse.htm We found it to be one AMAZINGLY easy to program remote...and the only one capable of incorporating ALL the button we needed in one unit.

RainyDayMagazine

Remotes for Dummies: Harmony 880

Monty — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:15:36 EDT

You must have a wonderful grandmother to spend $250 on her. I am not certain I can justify it. I took the $80 monochrome Sony do-it-all-remote plunge right before these things hit the market, but I live in fear of a day the battery dies and I lose all of the programming. I have a couple buddies with these, and they swear they are worth every penny.. Hmmm.. Not hearing from family anymore with device controlling questions.. I suppose it might be worth it after all.

Monty

Remotes for Dummies: Harmony 880

John Laur — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 12:42:33 EDT

The forhtcoming Harmony 890 Pro and Harmony 895 remotes will offer RF -> IR relay capability but presumably no direct RF control of RF-controllable components. I have one of the Harmony 880's and after mucking around for years with various models of Philips Pronto, I find the ease of setup with the Harmony was worth the lack of customization that you can get with a Pronto. Things I used to have to write insane macros to do are done automatically with the Harmony and better yet, when the macros screw up the thing will automatically help you fix the problem with simple Yes/No questions. Ironically my grandparents seem to enjoy the tedium of being mired among four or five remote controls though. Now that they "have it down," changing anything, even to a simler alternative, is unacceptable. My mother, however, would love it.

John Laur

Remotes for Dummies: Harmony 880

zack — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 12:20:57 EDT

by "RF", did you mean "IR"? seems like you did, maybe.

zack