Currently, I’m using a remote control that probably set me back about $500 and actually needs a professional home theater installer to figure out how to work the darn thing. It’s from a company called Nevo and I’m not saying it doesn’t work well – it does – but it’s more complicated (at least to me) then trying to understand my teenage daughters texts and instant messages.
Which brings me to the brand spanking new Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote Control.
Logitech 915-000201
It is just being released now (at least when I’m writing this) and there’s a host of reasons why you (and me) will be lusting after the Logitech Harmony Ultimate and why it is going to occupy its place in my home. Check out some of these buzzworthy features:
You can control your entire home theater devices and do it behind closed cabinets and walls. Access IR devices as well such as Bluetooth compatible game consoles. Plus, turn your Android or Apple iOS smartphone into a powerful universal remote control. Takes just a simple touch of the screen and you can be on the fly switching between movies, your DVR, music or your game console. Fully customizable as well thanks to an intuitive touch screen interface.
Control game consoles with Bluetooth
The included Harmony Hub turns RF signals from the remote control into IR and Bluetooth® commands your home theater devices can understand. Access internet services like Netflix® and Hulu® on your PS3®, Wii® or Xbox 360®.
Harmony smartphone app
Anyone in the house can download the Harmony App to turn their smartphone into personal universal remote, including 50 favorite channel icons and one-touch activity control. The Harmony App is available on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Customizable touch screen
The vibrant, 2.4” color touch screen lets you swipe and tap to change channels, adjust the volume, fast-forward or rewind. Or you can customize it the way you want.* Plus you can personalize your list of favorite channels** and switch to them with one tap.
Control Phillips Hue lights
With one touch of your Harmony Ultimate, you can dim your lights, turn on your TV, start your DVD and set the mood. Harmony Ultimate allows you to set your Hue lights to the perfect brightness and color for any activity.
Power only Harmony can provide
Harmony Ultimate can control up to 15 devices and is compatible with over 225,000 home theater devices. And unique to Harmony is our patented Smart State technology, which remembers your devices’ power and input settings and automatically adjusts them based on what you want to do.
Easy, online setup
Connect Harmony Ultimate to your Mac or PC and visitmyharmony.com. Harmony’s guided setup will walk you through the process step by step. And, Harmony One users can use their current device and activity settings to make the setup process even easier.
The Logitech Harmony Ultimate seems to be a category killer. I’ve used several of the older models such as the Harmony Touch and Harmony Smart but there always seemed to be a shortcoming. Going through the feature list here it seems as if Logitech finally checked all the boxes and I’m looking forward to retiring my complicated remote which requires knowledge way above my pay grade to fully deploy.