Logitech Harmony remote controls; a man's best friend

The Logitech Harmony 890 is pictured above.

I can't tell you how many phone calls I've received from my wife, my friends, or even my family with the same opening line "The TV isn't working..."  Because I am a computer guy, people assume that I am a master of all technology, and as such, expect me to have the immediate answers.  The TV is a different story - 99% of the time, the error is related to the TV or receiver being on the wrong input, but since I'm not at your house, I don't know the right answer.  If only there were a robot with learning capabilities that could operate the TV with a single button, and more importantly, provide step-by-step assistance when something isn't working.

The wonderful people at Logitech created that robot in the form of the Harmony Universal Remote.  The Harmony remote is "activity-based" and uses a single button press to turn on the TV, switch to the DVD player input, and turn on the receiver.  It also maintains information on the "state" of your devices, so if a different activity requires a different component, it knows if it is on or off, and turns it on as needed.  So to summarize the activity concept, you program your favorite activities, whether it be "Watch a Movie", "Play Wii", or "Listen to Music", and the remote completes every step for you with one button press.  When you are finished, you press power and it turns off any device that is on.  Now the activity concept was enough for me to consider shelling out the cash to buy one, but I soon noticed the "Help" button, and the device doubled in value.

The "Help" button provides a step-by-step walkthrough to fix any component that isn't working correctly.  For example, the other day I was watching an Atlanta Braves game and turned off the TV using the TV's power button, rather than the remote.  This caused the Harmony Remote to think the TV was still on, so when I later pushed the button for "Watch TV", the receiver came on but the TV remained in its off state.  I hit "Help" and the remote immediately sends a signal to all of the devices letting them know that something is wrong.  It then walked me through, one-by-one, each component to see if the error has been resolved.  The first message was "Is the TV on?", I selected "No", and magically the TV turned on.  It then asked me "Did this fix your problem?".  I answered "Yes" and began watching TV.  Once you try one, I can guarantee you'll never be able to live without one.  I personally have 2 Harmony 550's, which are in the $100 range.  There are cheaper and more expensive options available, but I'll leave it up to you to decide how much you can spend on a remote.  You can pickup a Harmony One from Amazon for about $200, and it is a pretty perfect remote.  Check them out and let me know what you think!

If you have any ideas for future topics, a gadget you want reviewed, or just want to say hello, you can always email me at paulfalor@gmail.com.  You can also check out my blog, Gizmo Guide for all of your technology and gadget reviews, previews and tips.  Additionally, feel free to subscribe by clicking the link at the top of the page to be alerted when I post a new article.

For more info: Logitech Universal Remotes