# Which Harmony remote?



## mtndave (Jan 11, 2003)

I have just updated my setup and am in need of a new universal remote.
For various reasons, a Harmony seems to be the best choice.
Here are the devices I want to control:
1) Panasonic PT-50LC13 LCD projection TV
2) Sony STR-K7000 receiver
3) Sony DVP-NC85h (2 & 3 from a Costco Hometheater set)
4) Sharp DV-RW2 DV recorder (used as a VCR)
5) Series 2 Tivo
6) Dish 622 DVR
7) Dish 322 (used by Tivo and guest bedroom)

The Dish receivers are set to different code frequencies so the remotes don't affect each other. Logitech says the Harmony remotes support this.
Note that I leave the Tivo and Dish boxes on all the time.

Anyway, I have been looking at the Harmony 520, 550, 659, and 680 and can't decide. What do you all think?

Thanks for any help.


----------



## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

mtndave said:


> I have just updated my setup and am in need of a new universal remote.
> For various reasons, a Harmony seems to be the best choice.
> Here are the devices I want to control:
> 1) Panasonic PT-50LC13 LCD projection TV
> ...


Any of those will do everything you want. For me, it's all about the button layout, which is why I prefer the 676. The 659, 676, 680, and 688 have the "pic" and "sound" buttons.

http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-harmony/thread.cgi?4251


----------



## terryfoster (Jul 21, 2003)

The 880 has been "designed" for HDTV in mind. I highly recommend the 880 for your equipment set, you won't be disappointed. Also it is important to think of the number of "Activities" you will be doing. I will wager to guess that you plan on doing more than "Watch TV", "Watch DVD", "Play Music" & "Play Video." The 880 can custom tailor activities to meet your needs like, "Watch TiVo", "Watch Dish", Etc


----------



## GlennL (Mar 1, 2005)

I'm lovin' my 880!


----------



## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

terryfoster said:


> The 880 has been "designed" for HDTV in mind. I highly recommend the 880 for your equipment set, you won't be disappointed. Also it is important to think of the number of "Activities" you will be doing. I will wager to guess that you plan on doing more than "Watch TV", "Watch DVD", "Play Music" & "Play Video." The 880 can custom tailor activities to meet your needs like, "Watch TiVo", "Watch Dish", Etc


The 880 can't do any more activities than the 659, 676, 680, and 688. It just has more one touch activity buttons.


----------



## mtndave (Jan 11, 2003)

Thanks for the help. I will have to look at the button layouts and decide which is best. Two more questions. I have big hands. Which one has the best-spaced buttons? And which has the best Tivo-centric buttons?


----------



## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

I love my 628.


----------



## markandjenn (Sep 21, 2003)

I have the 676. I love it. It is excellent for TiVo because of the button layout. Any Harmony that you pick will work well. Just look at the button layouts and pick one that has the layout you like. I picked the 676 because the buttons are layed out like a "typical" vcr remote.


----------



## kman965 (Apr 23, 2006)

I am bidding on an 890 on ebay, but have a 688. Can it be programmed for a series 2 tivo and the H10-250 HD DVR from Directv? I have set them up to work properly on the tivo remote using the 1 & 2 settings on the remotes. I cannot figure out how to change that setting on my Harmony.

thanks in advance kenny


----------



## annenoe (Oct 19, 2003)

cherry ghost said:


> The 880 can't do any more activities than the 659, 676, 680, and 688. It just has more one touch activity buttons.


Well, when you have more than one "Watch TV" activity, having only one "Watch TV" button makes these other remotes useless. I use the 880 and have more than one "Watch TV" activity - one is to watch SD thru a Series 2 tivo, one is to watch HDTV thru an HR10-250. Each one requires different inputs on the tv and different sound outputs and takes 4 native remotes to do correctly.

I also love my 880.


----------



## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

annenoe said:


> Well, when you have more than one "Watch TV" activity, having only one "Watch TV" button makes these other remotes useless. I use the 880 and have more than one "Watch TV" activity - one is to watch SD thru a Series 2 tivo, one is to watch HDTV thru an HR10-250. Each one requires different inputs on the tv and different sound outputs and takes 4 native remotes to do correctly.
> 
> I also love my 880.


 The other Harmonys can also have more than one "Watch TV" activity. The 659, 676, 680, 688, and 880 all can handle up to 255 activities. I have 2 "Watch TV" activities on my 676, one to watch through my Tivo and one to watch through my Comcast DVR, both using different TV and receiver inputs. I have renamed them "Watch Tivo" and "Watch Comcast".


----------



## bud8man (Feb 13, 2004)

Getting a 628 for $35 has me in remote heaven...where are my other remotes anyway? Who cares!
Watch Amazon for some great deals....and you can program a soft buttong for your TV aspect which should help with HDTV, and another one for the cable signal box as well.
Overall pretty slick.
I see why the other Harmony units cost more, and look as slick as they do, but for the money the 628 on sale was a steal.


----------



## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

There's a plus and minus to just about every Harmony remote, so you really have to weigh your options carefully and determine what is most important to you. 

I just picked up the Harmon-Kardon TC30, which is a meld of the 520 and 880, for $175 at etronics. I had the 676 before that, and must say I like the 676 button layout much better than the TC30. The "joystick" on the TC30 is too far down from the transport keys and LCD. 

On the other hand, I love that I have 8 soft-keys on the TC30, versus only 6 on the TC30. 

The TC30 also has back and forward navigation buttons for the LCD displays, while on the 676 you can only go forward. 

One other important note: the TC30 (and 880) are rechargeable, which the 676 eats through batteries with as much gusto as Audrey II feeding in Little Shop of Horrors.


----------



## mtndave (Jan 11, 2003)

I appreciate all the input, and since others are looking also, I wanted to pass on this link I found in the RemoteCentral forums:

Compare Harmony remotes


----------



## mtndave (Jan 11, 2003)

Well I decided to get a 680. 
Main reasons: 
1) the 880 layout does not work for me.
2) 680 layout is "Tivo friendly"
3) I am building an XP MCE computer for the living room and the 680 is best for that.
Downsides:
1) Battery life? Will see.

Again, thanks for all the help. If I can get it to work properly I will post later with the results.


----------



## GoHokies! (Sep 21, 2005)

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned the 550 yet - I just bought it tonight, had it working in about 10 minutes, and have no complaints so far. The transport buttons are up new the top, and well spaced out, a winner!!!

I really like the color screen on the 880 and the added soft keys, but it certainly wasn't worth the extra money...


----------



## jgruiz (Dec 28, 2001)

I think the 680 and the 688 have the best button layout for a DVR. I have owned a 688 for a couple of years and I love it.


----------



## Guyute1210 (Jan 3, 2005)

Are all these remotes capable of enabling and using the 30 Second Skip? and do they also have the 8-sec rewind?


----------



## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

Guyute1210 said:


> Are all these remotes capable of enabling and using the 30 Second Skip? and do they also have the 8-sec rewind?


yes


----------



## Double-Tap (Apr 18, 2002)

Harmony remote confusion is an understatement. It's been mentioned before, but the Harmony 628 is currently $48 with free super saver shipping at Amazon.com. eCost has the Harmony 880 for $150-ish on a rather regular basis. Be forewarned that eCost is not as lenient on refunds as Amazon. Be very certain that you understand their return policy before buying there.


----------



## coachO (Nov 26, 2004)

I cant find the 8 sec rewind on the harmony 659, can anyone help me? I tried rewind but it did not work, is there another name for it?


----------



## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

I had to program an LCD button on my 628 to perform the replay function, what you called 8s rewind.


----------



## coachO (Nov 26, 2004)

Thanks Jim. I setup the 30 sec skip right next to the 8 sec replay on the lcd.


----------



## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

I have the 880 and I hate it. It does everything they say but the buttons are too small and too close together.


----------



## alansplace (Apr 30, 2006)

SNJpage1 said:


> I have the 880 and I hate it. It does everything they say but the buttons are too small and too close together.


yes, considering the price and the fact that all of the owners on this forum were so enthusiastic about it, i was quite let down after getting mine as well. the button layout and design are just awful. my 628 is no where near as badly designed, but i honestly don't really care very much for it either for different reasons.
--
Alan


----------



## Ladd Morse (Feb 21, 2002)

Because of the 880's button size and placement issues noted above, a few months ago I purchased a Harmony 720 instead. Very nice. Among other points, there is more space between buttons and transport controls fall right under the thumb when holding the remote.

Can be had new off eBay for just over $100 if you catch a deal.


----------



## TiVo Steve (Nov 8, 2005)

Tiny little remotes...I use one in the bedroom and one in the front room. They don't have as many buttons and are very easy to use "by touch" (I don't have to look at the remote to use the TiVo functions at night while in bed!). They also have free TV listings for life!


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

I also like the 720, and think the button layout is the best of what Harmony offers. It does have one annoyance though -- the button labels "replay," "skip," etc wear off. I've heard new batches of the remote may fix the problem.


----------



## Ladd Morse (Feb 21, 2002)

bkdtv said:


> I also like the 720, and think the button layout is the best of what Harmony offers. It does have one annoyance though -- the button labels "replay," "skip," etc wear off. I've heard new batches of the remote may fix the problem.


To the best of my knowledge I was the original reporter of having the text labels wear off rapidly -- rapidly defined as six days. I contacted Logitech, the remote was replaced no questions asked and the second remote has had no issues with the text labeling in two months of use. As you have noted, I speculated that there might have been some issue with the early batch(es) but not currently.

I note the photo of your 720 has some text labeling missing ...


----------



## tai-pan (Feb 9, 2006)

will the harmony remotes access and navigate the tivo menu?


----------



## bud8man (Feb 13, 2004)

on my 659 every button is able to be customized....so if you want the stop button to be the tivo button...DONE...but it also has 6 soft buttons which you can make what ever you want...and then you can have multiple by switching screens....control of the TiVo is great...I rarely use the previous button on remote (more for live tv watching) so it is my info button.
Chances are 30 second skip ahead and 7 second rewind are more used than FF and RW so I can make that change too.
The kids are too used to the TiVo remote to understand the Harmony but no biggie...


----------



## DriverJ (Jan 29, 2006)

GoHokies! said:


> I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned the 550 yet - I just bought it tonight, had it working in about 10 minutes, and have no complaints so far. The transport buttons are up new the top, and well spaced out, a winner!!!
> 
> I really like the color screen on the 880 and the added soft keys, but it certainly wasn't worth the extra money...


agreed! I love the 550!!
I have it and its great. It also allows for multiple configureable activities
I have 2 different watch TV activities setup for two different TV's its pretty slick...
I've also noticed you can control home automation with the device
which is super slick...


----------



## Double-Tap (Apr 18, 2002)

I had an opportunity to try the 880 and 628. Onto the 880. As others have said, the buttons near the LCD screen are too close together and are rather small. While the online device configuration is good, it's not as easy as I thought it would be. Be prepared to do some tweaking to get it just right. The color screen is nice with the enhanced graphics, but for me doesn't justify a higher cost. I liked the feature that activates the internal light anytime the remote is moved. The charging cradle is okay, but since I use rechargeable batteries for other devices in the house, it wouldn't be a necessity in my case.

I tried the 628 and like the feel of it in the hand, very comfortable. The buttons near the LCD screen were better than the 880s, but were still somewhat difficult to select. The remote I tried had a LCD screen defect, working for a bit and then not. Tried different batteries, etc. I had to return it as defective. If the 628 had worked as advertised, for the money it would be a decent universal remote. If given another chance, I think I'd try the 676/680 and see how that one felt. That's the hook with these different but similar remotes. You really need to hold and use them to decide which one you'd like to buy.


----------



## tai-pan (Feb 9, 2006)

it would be sweet if you could have an activity button that says Watch Tivo and when you push it turns on the tv (if it's off) and goes to the Now Playing menu


----------



## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

tai-pan said:


> it would be sweet if you could have an activity button that says Watch Tivo and when you push it turns on the tv (if it's off) and goes to the Now Playing menu


you can


----------



## tai-pan (Feb 9, 2006)

cherry ghost said:


> you can


Which remote did you say you have?


----------



## classicX (May 10, 2006)

tai-pan said:


> it would be sweet if you could have an activity button that says Watch Tivo and when you push it turns on the tv (if it's off) and goes to the Now Playing menu


You can do that with any harmony remote. They will all control all of the same things (with the exception of the 890, which will control any Z-Wave device, RF) and are great once you're done tweaking.

I have the 550 and the 880 and both work very well with my setups.


----------



## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

tai-pan said:


> Which remote did you say you have?


I have the 676, but you can do it with any Harmony. After setting up the activity, it will ask if the settings are correct. Pick "Yes, but I want to add more control of options and devices for this Activity." You can then add in the Tivo command twice. This will get you to "Now Playing"


----------



## ashu (Nov 8, 2002)

The Harmony remotes are all functionally identical. They can all 'do' the same things, with clever programming. The whole 'HD-ready' thing is a stretch. Pun intended. I watch every source at the Original Aspect Ratio and don't stretch/squeeze anything.

If you feel you need frills and a handful of programming shortcuts (and rechargeable batteries) get the coughripoffcough 880. If you need RF, the 890 (doubleripoff) may be your only choice. Unless you buy one of these used, because someone hated their button layout or bought them dirt cheap (70ish or less!) from Dell after rebates on one of the 'hacked' multi-coupon deals that Dell allows to slip through the cracks.

Otherwise, save your money and get a 659/676/680/688 - whichever layout & price you like best.

For me, it was the 676 for under 80, new, no rebates.


----------



## classicX (May 10, 2006)

ashu said:


> If you feel you need frills and a handful of programming shortcuts (and rechargeable batteries) get the coughripoffcough 880


I think my 880 was worth the $110 I paid for it (brand new!).

And while functionally the same as the other harmony remotes, it's colour screen and 8(!) activity buttons really make a difference for those with a lot of equipment.

I already have six activities and have yet to add the other 4 that I need.


----------



## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

Ok, to each his/her own, but I will stand on my pulpit until I am hoarse and speak out for my trusty ol' Pronto TS1000. I got it free (should still be some available on ebay for a decent price - recent auctions closed anywhere from $30-$75). If you like touch screen, it is a great remote (or style of remote). 

I have attached a screen shot of my home screen and my TiVo main screen. For anyone that is interested, I have also attached a zipped up version of my CCF file. Feel free to use any or all of it.


----------



## ashu (Nov 8, 2002)

classicX said:


> I think my 880 was worth the $110 I paid for it (brand new!).
> 
> And while functionally the same as the other harmony remotes, it's colour screen and 8(!) activity buttons really make a difference for those with a lot of equipment.
> 
> I already have six activities and have yet to add the other 4 that I need.


Hey, at THAT price it's worth it. Like I said ... unless heavily discounted the 880 is a ripoff.

As for activities, 6 eh? *yawn* I have 16 and I know I'll need more when I finally give up on using my wireless mouse to control the PC for video/DVD playback and get some other kind of IR input for it 
When you have that many, it's not a big deal that a couple more of them need TWO button presses (enter Activity Lit and pick the one you want) instead of just one.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

I can't figure out why Harmony (Logitech) can't figure out how to design the button layout to be more useable. I would love the functionality of a Harmony, but I can't give up the awesome button layout of my MX-500 which allows me to pretty much do anything I want without ever looking at the remote.


----------



## RayChuang88 (Sep 5, 2002)

Since I need to revive this old, old message thread, I need a _Harmony_ remote that supports the following devices:

Sony KDL-40EX500 40" LCD flat panel TV
Sony BDP-S370 Blu-ray player
TiVo HD XL DVR
Bose Cinemate II speaker

Can I get by with a Harmony 700 or do I need to upgrade to the Harmony One?


----------



## ndcowpoke (Jul 14, 2012)

Am I the only perosn in the world that has a Harmony 700???


----------



## RangerOne (Dec 30, 2006)

ndcowpoke said:


> Am I the only perosn in the world that has a Harmony 700???


I have one too. However, I've been thinking about upgrading since I have more than six devices now.


----------



## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

DevdogAZ said:


> I can't figure out why Harmony (Logitech) can't figure out how to design the button layout to be more useable. I would love the functionality of a Harmony, but I can't give up the awesome button layout of my MX-500 which allows me to pretty much do anything I want without ever looking at the remote.


Apples to oranges. Harmony is activity-based; HTM MX-500 is device-based. Depends on what your priority is...


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

DevdogAZ said:


> I can't figure out why Harmony (Logitech) can't figure out how to design the button layout to be more useable. I would love the functionality of a Harmony, but I can't give up the awesome button layout of my MX-500 which allows me to pretty much do anything I want without ever looking at the remote.


I would say it's just the opposite for me with the MX-500. That button layout isn't usable at all for me while the Harmony One(and other harmony remotes) is more intuitive for me. I don't need to look down at the Harmony remotes(especially the Harmony One) for most functions like I did with the MX-500 which has a lousy button layout. I have one gathering dust somewhere around here. It was one of the worst universal remotes I've ever owned.

The Philips Pronto is another one I didn't like that I had around ten years ago. It was color and looked nice with the graphics. It did work and I used it to control my HiPIx cards when watching my HD recordings from my HTPCs. But since it was basically all touch screen you had to always look down at the remote to see what you were doing. That is why after trying many, many remotes, when I tried the Harmony One , it was perfect for me. It was the best of both worlds. It had hard buttons and a touch screen and fully customizable. My only complaint with it is that the device limit is only 15, which is too low.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Bierboy said:


> Apples to oranges. Harmony is activity-based; HTM MX-500 is device-based. Depends on what your priority is...


Don't see how device-based vs. activity-based has anything to do with button placement. Once you select your device or activity, you then want all the commonly-used buttons to be grouped close together in a logical layout so you can do all the standard functions without having to change your grip on the remote. See next post:


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

aaronwt said:


> I would say it's just the opposite for me with the MX-500. That button layout isn't usable at all for me while the Harmony One(and other harmony remotes) is more intuitive for me. I don't need to look down at the Harmony remotes(especially the Harmony One) for most functions like I did with the MX-500 which has a lousy button layout. I have one gathering dust somewhere around here. It was one of the worst universal remotes I've ever owned.


The thing I love about the MX-500's button layout is that all the controls I need to operate TiVo (or pretty much any other standard A/V device) are grouped together in the center of the remote, right where your thumb rests when you're holding the remote. The direction pad is in the center with all the shuttle controls (play, pause, FF, rewind, skip forward/back, etc.) neatly laid out around the outside of that circle. Instead of having to move my thumb back and forth from the directional controls to the shuttle controls, they're all right together and easy to distinguish without ever looking at the remote.


----------

