# Which Harmony remote is best for DVR use?



## Kamakzie (Jan 8, 2004)

The 688 or the 880? I am sort of looking into getting one because my peanut remote doesn't control all the funtions of my Amp. Are the Harmony remotes the best for this or is another brand better?


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## NatasNJ (Jan 7, 2002)

Yeah. I need to switch to a multi-use remote. I have a TV remote/Tivo/& Amp and xbox360. But I use the controller for the xbox360 but would love to get a one remote to replace the 1st 3 devices. 

But I got a Pronto a few years ago and HATED IT! Touch screen = BAD!
And the thing was HUGE!


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## jtb (Nov 20, 2002)

I have a Harmony i bought for the wife, she hates it.Like new,I will let it go for cheap.PM me.


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## DavidS (Sep 27, 2000)

Kamakzie said:


> The 688 or the 880?


There are lots of threads on this; including the Harmonys vs other programmable brands.

As to these two models, they all function the same; the 880 has the nice big color screen and is rechargable and costs more. I use the 676 because the transport buttons are closer to the top (like where they are in the TiVo peanut). I have trouble with the little silver ring for the up/down/rt/lt - doesn't always register a push. The 688 appears to share that design.


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## dougup67 (Feb 28, 2006)

I have an 880 and think it's the best remote ever. A friend has the other one and it just doesn't compare. Although the programming is similar, the way the buttons are established and the color screen make a HUGE difference in usability. 

Can't recommend it highly enough!!

DougUp


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## Kamakzie (Jan 8, 2004)

jtb said:


> I have a Harmony i bought for the wife, she hates it.Like new,I will let it go for cheap.PM me.


PM sent..


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## darthrsg (Jul 25, 2005)

my 880 rules.


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## roamerr (Feb 11, 2003)

I have the 688 and like it most of the time. It only is frustrating when the kids are using it and push "watch TV" and the home theater powers on but the tv does not. Same for cutting it off.


Help button works in those cases but it is much easier to just go to the TV or Home Theater and push the power button. Luckily my family does not use the HTPC hooked to it....


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## dagap (Dec 5, 2003)

Techbargains.com recently posted someplace selling the 880 for $130ish.


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## bigpuma (Aug 12, 2003)

roamerr said:


> I have the 688 and like it most of the time. It only is frustrating when the kids are using it and push "watch TV" and the home theater powers on but the tv does not. Same for cutting it off.
> 
> Help button works in those cases but it is much easier to just go to the TV or Home Theater and push the power button. Luckily my family does not use the HTPC hooked to it....


You can fix that problem by adjusting the timing on the remote. Harmony's tech support has been very helpful with these issues.


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## Kamakzie (Jan 8, 2004)

Well I just bought a 676 from Newegg for 116.99 - 50 rebate total cost 66.99.


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

My wife gave me a 680 for Christmas. Best present she ever gave me. We both love it, and when my mother-in-law was babysitting and I showed her the one remote that replaced six, I showed her how she can now just choose activities.

Several hours later, after we returned home, she looked at me with great relief and the completely non-tech woman said, "I understand it!"

I've never had an 880 in my hot little hands, but the two do exactly the same thing and, from what I understand, are programmed exactly the same way.

From pictures I have seen, I far prefer the placement (and I suspect feel) of the hard and separate buttons on the 680. They are also placed more like the buttons on a TiVo remote, and, therefore, it's a really easy adjustment.

I see no need for the color LCD, and certainly wouldn't pay a premium for it. The little picture icons on the buttons and text on screen for the other activities is good enough for me.

I'm a 680 man all the way. I love its basic functions and have had a lot of fun tweaking it until it is "just right." (Although I play DVD's and CD's in my DVD pl


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## Charlutz (Apr 7, 2005)

I prefer the 680 to the 688. The discrete buttons are easier to find by feel. I had a 680 and a 659. The 659 was useable, but the 680 was clearly better for dvr use because of the number and position of the transport buttons. After calibrating an LCD tv and HT sound system for a non-dvr using friend, he offered to buy the 659 from me, so I just ordered another 680. Very high WAF. I have played with a friend's 880. The rechargeable battery is nice (these things chew threw batteries), and Harmony seems to have fixed the problem with them not settling into the charger snugly. I just didn't see any features on it that made me want it over the 680.


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## Draven X. Byrne (Jun 2, 2003)

Charlutz said:


> I prefer the 680 to the 688.


I'm suprised no one from the Home Theater Master brigade chimed in. . . .

I have a MX-750 and a MX-850 - both are awesome and work flawlessly. . . .

Plus - if you truly want complete control of your remotes you have to go this route - the Harmonies from what my co-workers tell me don't have as much of the macro capabilities . . .

DXB


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## Kamakzie (Jan 8, 2004)

The 676 I ordered yesterday shipped and will be here tomorrow.


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

Draven X. Byrne said:


> I'm suprised no one from the Home Theater Master brigade chimed in. . . .
> 
> I have a MX-750 and a MX-850 - both are awesome and work flawlessly. . . .
> 
> ...


They really don't need "macro capabilities." Their activity based functions are much easier to program and easoer to use than device based macros.

Give one a try.


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## mw1597 (Oct 9, 2004)

Kamakzie said:


> The 688 or the 880? I am sort of looking into getting one because my peanut remote doesn't control all the funtions of my Amp. Are the Harmony remotes the best for this or is another brand better?


I have several hundred dollars worth of remotes including the Harmony 520, 688, and a MX-700 that have been retired because of poor planning on my part. I recently purchased both a plasma and LCD tv. Both the plasma and LCD TV's emit so much IR noise that these remotes won't work through a remote extender (IR repeater). Not to mention the random TiVo reboots cause by the IR noise through the remote extender. I replaced them all with several URC-100 RF remotes.


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## abobrow (Jul 8, 2002)

I had the 880 for two days and returned it. As cool as the color screen is, my thumb has to know where the pause and ff buttons are at all times and that remote failed that test for me. Now I have the 676 and like it a lot. I've also had the MX-500 and thought that was awesome. But too big and bulky for my wife. I feel the 676 is a great compromise.


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## abobrow (Jul 8, 2002)

mw1597 said:


> ...Both the plasma and LCD TV's emit so much IR noise that these remotes won't work through a remote extender (IR repeater). Not to mention the random TiVo reboots cause by the IR noise through the remote extender. I replaced them all with several URC-100 RF remotes.


I had that problem but hunted around the web and found a very good solution. If you can place the ir receiver so that's it's behind the plane of the plasma screen, but still in the line of sight, then it isn't affected by the noise. Alternately, there are ir systems that claim to filter out the noise, but I have no experience with them.


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## mw1597 (Oct 9, 2004)

abobrow said:


> If you can place the ir receiver so that's it's behind the plane of the plasma screen, but still in the line of sight, then it isn't affected by the noise.


I had tried that but couldn't get it to work reliably on the plasma. With the LCD no matter where I placed the IR receiver the feedback led would glow a steady red. Now Im glad I have the RF remote as there is no need to aim it.


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