# Harmony Remote Users



## trdrjeff (Dec 3, 2007)

Putting this here because 90%+ of use will be Specifically for use with an HR2x

Anywho, I just got a Yamaha Sound Bar and after not being able to find a code for the RC64R to work well I picked up a Harmony 659 at Sam's yesterday and am real happy with it so far. So today I see on Amazon the refurb 880 is $5 less than I paid for the 659, but it also looks 'busier' and maybe not as 'PVR friendly' as the 659. 

Any thoughts by you experienced users of both


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## onthecake (Dec 11, 2006)

I have an 880 and the newer Harmony One.

The 880 is nice but the buttons are so shallow its hard to tell which one your on. You get use to it but it takes a bit of time. Its a pretty decent remote.

Just my 2 cents but go out on ebay and try to find a used or new Harmony One. 

They are by far the best universal remote out there. They have a Tivo like feel to them and the buttons are much more defined than the 880.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

I have a 670 (similar to the 659) and an 880.

The 670 is much better for every day use do to the feel of the buttons, so that's what we have in the living room. I use the 880 in the theater since it's always dark in there and I like the way the 880 glows when picked up. Also, since we mainly use the theater for movie watching, the remote isn't used as frequently.

The 880 is definitely cooler looking and I like the rechargeable battery/cradle, but for constant use (channel changes, trick play, list, menu, etc.), the 659 would probably be better (I know the 670 is).


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I understand why this was put in the HD DVR forum but we prefer to see these threads in the General forum. As such I am moving it.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I have the Harmony 1000 and just love it for controlling all my devices!!!


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

I have the 880. I don't care for the locations of the transport buttons, so I reprogrammed the LCD screen buttons to do those tasks. I do like the LCD screen because it has 8 buttons. It is a very capable remote with the above mentioned exception.


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

A lot of people have issues with the 880 making contact with the charging cradle. They have redesigned it and the newer type cradle (two contacts instead of three) works better. Harmony has been very good about exchanging those with problems, even beyond the warranty period (they sent me a whole new remote, although some people have only received new cradles). With the 8 programmable buttons I don't even have to page through them.


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## MRinDenver (Feb 3, 2003)

Agree on the Harmony One. I have had, and still use, and 880 and a 659, but the One is head and shoulders the best, easiest to use, etc.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

When you say Harmony One I guess you are referring to my Harmony 1000. I find it easy to program and to change after talking to Logitech who by the way has one of the BEST TECHNICAL DEPARTMENTS I have ever dealt with.


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## schoolyard (Oct 17, 2008)

I have been using Harmony 676 for two years and switched systems from Comcast to Direct Tv and it is easy to update and very used friendly,only down side is that it uses batteries pretty quick.I love not having six remotes on my coffee table.


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## dhoganjr (Oct 28, 2008)

richierich said:


> When you say Harmony One I guess you are referring to my Harmony 1000.


Nope, their new remote is the "Harmony One" and it truly is "The One". It is by far the best remote I've used in 20+ years of using universal remotes.


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## Jolliec (Sep 1, 2006)

dhoganjr said:


> Nope, their new remote is the "Harmony One" and it truly is "The One". It is by far the best remote I've used in 20+ years of using universal remotes.


+1


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## Alebob911 (Mar 22, 2007)

dhoganjr said:


> Nope, their new remote is the "Harmony One" and it truly is "The One". It is by far the best remote I've used in 20+ years of using universal remotes.


+1 as well!


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## Ed Campbell (Feb 17, 2006)

I'll probably go with a One if I ever kill my 880. Works fine with everything from the Yamaha to my Apple TV.

I definitely agree about tech and warranty.


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## GirkMonster (Mar 20, 2007)

I put my money on the 880, here's why. a) price. You can pick one up for $75. b) versatility...it has two extra softkeys over the One...if you have multiple devices or one modern DTV receiver (that needs the color buttons), you need them all.

I have the old cradle and you need to put the remote in the cradle properly, it's an operator issue really. No issue at all with my two newer units. I was a bit put off by Logitech's response to my attempt to get a new cradle well out of warranty, but whatever...I really don't have any trouble.

TIP for using multiple Harmony remotes...call them and ask to clone your program...you will save bundles of time by changing your devices for a different room, but leaving some of the basic programming intact (like two DirectTivos that are accessible from anywhere, for example).

Either way you go, the Harmony remotes are by far the best universal remotes out there...


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## johnp37 (Sep 14, 2006)

dhoganjr said:


> Nope, their new remote is the "Harmony One" and it truly is "The One". It is by far the best remote I've used in 20+ years of using universal remotes.


Agreed, bar none, it is the best, far and away. As for the Harmony 1000, very cool looking but way overpriced at double the cost of the Harmony One.


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## Reggie3 (Feb 20, 2006)

I have both and prefer the 880. It works great with my DVRs and I don't lack for any button or feel the arrangement of the buttons is bad


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

I got the 659 for free when I bought my flat screen TV and I really like it. If you can get the 880 for about the same price as a 659, I would go for that model. I'm sure the Harmony One is great, but it will cost you twice as much.


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

i have an 880 and a 670. i like the 670 for everyday use due to the DVR buttons. they are way more user friendly than the 880 that is used in the theater room. the 880 is more advanced than the 670, but for everyday use, keep the remote you have(659)


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## Drewg5 (Dec 15, 2006)

I have 2 676 here love them. I will keep them for as long as I can


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## David MacLeod (Jan 29, 2008)

I have an 880 and a 1000.
I prefer the 1000, I love it.


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

I received my 670 2 years ago on Father's Day (requested gift). While I'd like a color screen, I love my 670. I programmed 4 of the soft buttons with the colored buttons (red, blue, etc.) use one for for List and one for PicSize on my TV (56" Toshiba DLP). While I do have functions programmed on the 2nd and 3rd screens I rarely use them. If/when my 670 dies I'll probably look for a deal on a Harmony One.


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## j0hnnyv (Oct 28, 2008)

I have a 670 and love it, been goin 2 years strong. My girlfriend at the time surprised me with it and it gets daily use 

I have added the ONE to my xmas list though...thing looks untouchable.


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## dshu82 (Jul 6, 2007)

johnp37 said:


> Agreed, bar none, it is the best, far and away. As for the Harmony 1000, very cool looking but way overpriced at double the cost of the Harmony One.


Agreed. Had my "One" for about a month now, love it.


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## dixoncider (Sep 10, 2006)

I have and 880 and 659. My 880 started having problems with the buttons. you would have to push them real hard to get anything also charging problems also the tilt switch quit. all that being said i gave them a call after owning it for 2 years figured they would send me packing but quite to my surprise they said Oh we will send you a new one just throw the old one away! sure enough week later brand new one. pretty good company. buttons on the 880 are flush which takes some getting use to. all in all my vote is the 880 of the 2.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Best remote for a DirecTV DVR is the Harmony 360 model. Has 4 soft buttons AND the color buttons. I also have an 890 which does nicely for the more complex home theater.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Just bought the Harmony One because I love my Harmony 1000 and need another Universal Remote to control my Home Entertainment System upstairs. I hope it is as good as y'all say!!!


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## lflorack (Dec 16, 2006)

trdrjeff said:


> Putting this here because 90%+ of use will be Specifically for use with an HR2x
> 
> Anywho, I just got a Yamaha Sound Bar and after not being able to find a code for the RC64R to work well I picked up a Harmony 659 at Sam's yesterday and am real happy with it so far. So today I see on Amazon the refurb 880 is $5 less than I paid for the 659, but it also looks 'busier' and maybe not as 'PVR friendly' as the 659.
> 
> Any thoughts by you experienced users of both


My sons have the 659 and a 880. I have two 880's (one is an Amazon 'refurb') and a 'One' as well. They all essentially run the same way but the button layout and screens look (obviously) different. The 880 is a very nice remote and I highly recommend it. It is not really 'busier' to me than the 659 and it functions extremely well for your HR2x's.

The best Harmony though is the Harmony One! It has larger buttons and a very good balance and feel. The screen is clear and bright. I recommend the 'One'.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

richierich said:


> Just bought the Harmony One because I love my Harmony 1000 and need another Universal Remote to control my Home Entertainment System upstairs. I hope it is as good as y'all say!!!


A boy and his toys...at least we'll know how you're spending your Thanksgiving - programming the new remote...  :lol:


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## Peapod (Oct 14, 2006)

I previously had a Harmony 880 (and a Home Theater Master MX-500 before that), which died and I replaced with a One. The one thing I really did not like about the 880 was that it was very slick, and in my hand would slide around a lot, causing me to sometimes need to use my left hand while the right hand held it steady. The remote would also slide off of almost anything onto the floor over and over again.

The One is much better in this regard, it's a bit flatter, and has a grip surface on part of the bottom. I can do every operation with just one hand. I find that I don't much mind the 6 soft buttons instead of the 8 on the 880, but I am not a huge fan of the touchscreen the soft buttons use. I find myself looking down at the remote when I want to use those functions, and with the 880 that was not the case.

However, even with that caveat, I find the Harmony One to be a nice improvement over the 880. If it had hard buttons around the LCD, it might be my perfect remote.


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## RVD26 (Oct 12, 2007)

Drewg5 said:


> I have 2 676 here love them. I will keep them for as long as I can


I have the 676 as well.
I have had it for just over a year now.
It's great and all, but I've noticed lately that about 30% of the time it will not turn off my TV when I press the off button.
I have to press the help button to finally turn it off.


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## Dave (Jan 29, 2003)

Over at ecost.com they have the Harmony 520 right now for $ 47.00. Looks like a real good deal. May make one of your in-laws or children or parents a good Christmas gift.


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## trdrjeff (Dec 3, 2007)

Thanks for all the input everyone. Not that all the differing opinions have made it any easier :lol:



Ken S said:


> Best remote for a DirecTV DVR is the Harmony 360 model. Has 4 soft buttons AND the color buttons. I also have an 890 which does nicely for the more complex home theater.


I had not looked at that one due to the "Xbox" tag. That looks like a decent setup with the 4 Buttons. I find myself using those more and more.

I assume anyone of these even the 360 will operate a PS3 w/o issues if I add one?


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## jtm (Dec 14, 2006)

I had an 880 and liked it very much although I too found the device a little slippery and the key placement and feel less than ideal. I replaced the 880 with a Harmony One and for me it is a huge improvement. Both units do the job for which they are intended very well, but if you can afford the difference in price I would strongly recommend the Harmony One


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## knew001 (Sep 13, 2007)

I have the Harmony One and I love it. Very easy to program as well.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Well, I'll be programming mine over Thanksgiving Weekend.


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## Thaedron (Jun 29, 2007)

Ken S said:


> Best remote for a DirecTV DVR is the Harmony 360 model. Has 4 soft buttons AND the color buttons. I also have an 890 which does nicely for the more complex home theater.


Ahh, wouldn't it be wonderful if Harmony came out with an 880/One that incorporated hard buttons for the four colors? I think it was Drew2k that had some mock ups about the time that the One was being introduced.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

trdrjeff said:


> but it also looks 'busier' and maybe not as 'PVR friendly' as the 659.


I persinally don't think the 659 is PVR friendly with the transport buttons at the bottom. I had good luck with the 676 (rubber buttons) and 680 (jewel buttons like the 659). My 880 had charging issues.

But I have now replaced all my Harmony remotes with URC's.


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## tigercat74 (Mar 25, 2007)

trdrjeff said:


> I assume anyone of these even the 360 will operate a PS3 w/o issues if I add one?


I think a PS3 can only be operated by a Bluetooth remote, but I am not positive.


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## recorder (Nov 1, 2008)

I love the One except for this:

I eat in front of the TV, and my touch screen is a grease pit:lol: 
I have very unsteady hands & my fingers tend to either hit the wrong soft key, or change the page, or put it into device mode. 

That being said, coming from a Rat Shack 8 in 1 , I'm in Universal heaven w/ my One.
As one of the others mentioned, it's a good idea to set up a clone account, so u can play around & still have your original config. Like having Norton Ghost!!


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## DarinC (Aug 31, 2004)

Just to cool off the lovefest a tad... I recently got a Harmony One, and I find it a mixed bag. I like the design and the screen. And I also think Harmony's programming method is great for helping people to get going quickly. But I find myself constantly frustrated with the lack of ability to _really_ program it. As in tell it precisely which commands to do when, program ALL the buttons in ALL situations, setup shortcuts to different screens, etc. I guess I was spoiled with my MX-700, which was much more time consuming to program, but did give the user total control. The Harmony One is much newer, and it shows. If only Harmony would "unlock" it, and give us some manual programming capability, it would have the best of both worlds.


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## DBSNewbie (Nov 3, 2007)

DarinC said:


> Just to cool off the lovefest a tad... I recently got a Harmony One, and I find it a mixed bag. I like the design and the screen. And I also think Harmony's programming method is great for helping people to get going quickly. But I find myself constantly frustrated with the lack of ability to _really_ program it. As in tell it precisely which commands to do when, program ALL the buttons in ALL situations, setup shortcuts to different screens, etc. I guess I was spoiled with my MX-700, which was much more time consuming to program, but did give the user total control. The Harmony One is much newer, and it shows. If only Harmony would "unlock" it, and give us some manual programming capability, *it would have the best of both worlds*.


DarinC,

Have you checked out the MX-880? It has the color LCD of a Harmony with the complete custom programming capability of your MX-700 (with RF, to boot). I think that would qualify as the best of both worlds.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Sony uses Bluetooth...but it is possible. Here's the note from the Harmony databse.

The Sony PS3 is not compatible with IR remotes. It uses Bluetooth technology for its own optional remote control. Currently, no universal remotes can control it directly. There are third party attachments available which can be used to control the PS3 with a Harmony remote such as the IR2BT and Nyko Blu-Wave peripherals. Note: If you are using a third party attachment, please add it under its manufacturer and model number (Ex: Nyko Blu-Wave) under the category Game Console (with DVD).

This is the same as the Wii which does not use IR either.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

dhoganjr said:


> Nope, their new remote is the "Harmony One" and it truly is "The One". It is by far the best remote I've used in 20+ years of using universal remotes.


I don't own one, but from what I saw while looking at it at CC, it does look pretty good, I like the layout, but wish it was RF. I wish D* and Harmony would get together and create an RF remote compatible with the HR's.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Where can I get more info about this cloning technique as I have never heard about it before yall mentioned it here.


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## Azdeadwood (Aug 18, 2007)

theratpatrol said:


> I don't own one, but from what I saw while looking at it at CC, it does look pretty good, I like the layout, but wish it was RF. I just wish D* and Harmony would get together and create an RF remote compatible with the HR's.


I agree, the lack of RF is the only downside of the Harmony One.

I had to get the Harmony One because I couldn't get Directv codes to work for my LG 60" TV, my Sony Blu-ray Player and my Philips surround sound even though I have a RC64RB remote.

I really like how I could modify the individual buttons on my computer so everything works exactly how I want. It has been well worth the investment.


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## SledDog (May 6, 2007)

I have an 880 and for the most part it's good remote. The thing is slicker than snot and will slide around on just about any surface.

The software to program it is OK. I have a couple of different setup for my equipment. They are, TV without 5.1 system, TV with 5.1, DVR (non DirecTV) with 5.1, DVR without 5.1, DVD with 5.1, DVD without 5.1.

The software has a problem re-defining the volume controls for with/without setup. You have to change the volume button configuration manually.

Other than these little oddities, remote programming is easy and I like the overall operation of the remote.

I would love to have a One. But I could not justify the price difference.


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## captain_video (Nov 22, 2005)

Choosing the remote that's right for you can be a daunting process considering the vast number of choices available. The first thing you need to do is decide how many components you need the remote to handle. Second, you need to decide if you want to set it up to control macros (i.e., multiple commands with a single button).

Different manufacturers handle remote functions differently. They all have discrete commands fro individual devices but the way you set them up to control multiple devices varies considerably. For example, you will set up a single component, such as a DVR, under a device button. The buttons that are available for that device will also control other devices in your system, such as the TV, A/V receiver, etc.

Most remotes work in a similar fashion but the way in which you program them varies. The higher end remotes, such as the Harmony and Home Theater Master remotes, use a software program that you install on your PC and then connect the remote via a USB cable. The HTM remotes allow you to test each function before you save it whereas the Harmonys have you save the configuration and download it to your remote before you can see if it works. The HTM remote configuration is stored on your PC whereas the Harmony configuration is uploaded to their website and stored there. Switching from one remote to another of the same brand is simple because you can simply download the configuration file to the new remote. You will have to make a few changes manually, such as programming custom buttons, but the process is fairly quick and easy.

What sets the Harmony remotes apart from the rest is the way in which they handle activities. You select an activity and the remote turns on the appropriate gear and switches to the correct inputs on each device. The HTM remotes would require that you program a macro to perform the same function. I have to admit that this mindset threw me off at first but once I understand the philosophy I grew to love it over all the rest.

I've owned numerous universal remotes over the past decade or so and the Harmony remotes have become my favorites. I've owned all kinds of offbrand remotes and eventually migrated towards the higher end models, such as the Marantz RC-2000 MKII (once known as "the remote of the Gods"), HTM MX-700, Harmony 880, and Harmony One. I have yet to set up the Harmony One but I already appreciate the button layout over the 880. The 880 has small buttons that are very close together which sometimes makes it difficult to hit the right one without looking at the remote. The One has a more logical layout with larger buttons and better spacing between them.

The fact that they both use charging cradles instead of having to replace batteries all the time is a major advantage over other remotes. The remotes are much lighter as a result and more convenient since you don't have to worry about switching batteries in the middle of watching a show or performing some other function. My Marantz used to go through a set of batteries in less than three weeks and four AA's made it extremely heavy.

Now that you've been overwhelmed with info here's some more info for you. Check out www.remotecentral.com for info on just about every remote in existence. There are downloadable configuration files and forums that discuss specific makes and models.


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## DarinC (Aug 31, 2004)

DBSNewbie said:


> Have you checked out the MX-880? It has the color LCD of a Harmony with the complete custom programming capability of your MX-700 (with RF, to boot). I think that would qualify as the best of both worlds.


Perhaps next time around I'll switch back to HTM. Everyone had been raving about the Harmony's, so I thought I'd try it out.  And I don't _dislike_ it, I just find myself very frustrated that I can't make it do all the things I want it to do. I have no doubt that it _could_ do most of what I want, if they would just put in some more flexibilty and manual control to the programming. It is _extremely_ frustrating when I just want to tell it "do this", when instead I have to answer all these questions in the software and let it do what it thinks is best for me.


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## LameLefty (Sep 29, 2006)

Ken S said:


> Sony uses Bluetooth...but it is possible. Here's the note from the Harmony databse.
> 
> The Sony PS3 is not compatible with IR remotes. It uses Bluetooth technology for its own optional remote control. Currently, no universal remotes can control it directly. There are third party attachments available which can be used to control the PS3 with a Harmony remote such as the IR2BT and Nyko Blu-Wave peripherals. Note: If you are using a third party attachment, please add it under its manufacturer and model number (Ex: Nyko Blu-Wave) under the category Game Console (with DVD).
> 
> This is the same as the Wii which does not use IR either.


I use a Nyko Blu-Wave IR dongle plugged into one of the USB controller ports of my PS3 and it works great - $14 at Amazon. Once I added that into my Logitech setup, my 880 controls the PS3 just fine. You have to physically touch the PS3 power switch, but since I'm getting up to get a game controller or put in a disc anyway most of the time, it's not a big deal to me.

That said, we've had an 880 for two years and love it. It's starting to have difficulty charging (doesn't seem to want to make contact with the charging cradle all the time) but it works great for all the components we've got hooked up in our living room - TV, Yamaha A/V amplifier, DVR, PS3, and XBox 360. I'm not sure I like the look of the Harmony One body, but I do like the button design.


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## Peapod (Oct 14, 2006)

captain_video said:


> Choosing the remote...models.


What he said.

Seriously, lots of good info there. The thing I most like about the Harmony remote compared to the HTM that I previously used is how the Harmony tracks device state, i.e.:

I have a Toshiba HD-A1 HDDVD player that does not have discrete codes for power on/off. With the HTM remote I could program the device to toggle power when I went to it, but I could not toggle power when leaving it unless I added that to the macro for every other device, which meant it would be constantly turning on and off as I switched between devices. The Harmony knows that it should be off and toggles power when you switch to it, and toggles power off when I switch to anything else (I could also remove power toggling entirely if I wished to do so). It can also do a better job of dealing with input selectors that are not discrete, but luckily I don't have that problem. I am also able to add additional commands both when I switch to a device, and switch from it (I use this to change aspect ratio on the tv when I switch to an SD DVR and change it back when I switch from it).

Tracking state also allows device switching to happen faster, as it only sends the commands necessary to get from where you are to where you want to be. Often just switching the AVR input is enough to switch devices, whereas I had to set 5 devices for every switch on the HTM.

Granted I have not used a more recent HTM model, so it is possible that they can do these things now.


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## DarinC (Aug 31, 2004)

LameLefty said:


> I use a Nyko Blu-Wave IR dongle plugged into one of the USB controller ports of my PS3 and it works great


I also have the Nyko, and it works fine with the given limitation that you can't turn the PS3 on with the remote, and you can't turn it off without looking at the screen to navigate to "power off" function. With the Harmony One, I did have a problem initially... the only buttons that mapped to the remote were the "special" ones (circle, triangle, etc.). Once I realized what the problem was, it was just an issue of manually mapping all the other buttons.

I also bought an IR2BT interface that is supposed to get past the power on/off limitations, but right after I got it, Sony did a firmware update that hosed the setup of the IR2BT. I've never even used it, and now I have to pay $15 to have it upgraded to work around that problem. I'm still trying to decide if I want to invest another $15, or just sell it (they don't make that version any more, so I could easily sell it for what I paid for it). I'm tempted to just sell it, as I dont' like the idea of sending more money their way for what I consider to be a poorly handled customer service issue.


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## recorder (Nov 1, 2008)

richierich said:


> Where can I get more info about this cloning technique as I have never heard about it before yall mentioned it here.


Richie,
I was having issues w/ my One, and talking to Harmony support about the lack of a method to back up my data.
The Support tech offered to "Clone" my account, which basically just required me to log in w/ another username/pswd, and have all my activities & settings duplicated.

I can make changes on one account & if I goof, just update the remote on my "Cloned" account, to get back to where I was.

Of course, to be of value, you'd have to manually update both accounts once you've made changes that you wish to keep, but for some of us "tweakers" It's worth the effort.
Hope that helps.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Thanks for the info!!!

I was out to Orange County California two years ago on my way to stay in Newport Beach or Newport Coast to stay for a week!!! Lots of expensive cars on the road!!!


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## recorder (Nov 1, 2008)

richierich said:


> Thanks for the info!!!
> 
> I was out to Orange County California two years ago on my way to stay in Newport Beach or Newport Coast to stay for a week!!! Lots of expensive cars on the road!!!


You're welcome.

Expensive cars? I drive a 1999 Honda Accord.
Prefer to spend my bucks on "Toys"


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## randyk47 (Aug 21, 2006)

I have a Harmony One and 890. I like the touch and feel of the One better than the 890 but needed RF for one setup so went with the 890. Overall very pleased with both and wife especially likes the One which is operating the family room equipment where she watches most of her TV.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

I used an 880 in my living room as my main remote for a couple of years and loved it. Within the past few months however I picked up one of the Harmony Xbox 360 remotes and like it even more. It has the color coded buttons on it and with the HR2X's now having a lot more features for the colors than they originally did having these buttons is important. 

Yes, I know you can program them into the top portion of the 880, and I did, but their location on the 360 remote is perfect.


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

RunnerFL said:


> I used an 880 in my living room as my main remote for a couple of years and loved it. Within the past few months however I picked up one of the Harmony Xbox 360 remotes and like it even more. It has the color coded buttons on it and with the HR2X's now having a lot more features for the colors than they originally did having these buttons is important.
> 
> Yes, I know you can program them into the top portion of the 880, and I did, but their location on the 360 remote is perfect.


The Harmony 885 is like the 880 except for having the four color-coded buttons in place of the up/down arrows. Unfortunately it is only available in Europe, but occasionally they will show up on amazon.com or eBay (usually at fairly high prices).


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## fl panthers (Sep 19, 2007)

just in case you have not seen 880 online or in store circuit city 99.00


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## sangs (Apr 2, 2008)

I've had the 659 for about three or four years now and love it. It controls everything from the TV, DVRs, Xbox, PS3 (through the Nyko IR port), receiver - I've been very happy with it and see no need to upgrade until it dies.


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## RD in Fla (Aug 26, 2007)

Bought a Harmony One on Tuesday. The best remote I've ever owned, hands down, and the wife loves it too.


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## redrocker (Jan 3, 2007)

ONE


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## bamafanpt (Nov 29, 2008)

Picked up an 880 today at CC for $99 but now I see the "one" online for $139.00 after rebate with free shipping. Looks to be a good deal.....worth the extra $$ ?


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## randyk47 (Aug 21, 2006)

That is a good price for the One. Don't have any experience with the 880 but I like the One better than my 890 but the lack of RF is a deal killer on the One for me for my theater because of where the equipment has to be.


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## bamafanpt (Nov 29, 2008)

randyk47 said:


> That is a good price for the One. Don't have any experience with the 880 but I like the One better than my 890 but the lack of RF is a deal killer on the One for me for my theater because of where the equipment has to be.


I really hate that neither of those have RF, but it won't be a breaker for me for now. I guess that is a Black Friday price, although it doesn't specifically say so.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Well, my Harmony One comes on Monday so I will be having fun programming it as I did for my Harmony 1000. 

Can't wait to get rid of my 4 remotes lying on my stand next to my bed.


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## randyk47 (Aug 21, 2006)

Upgraded a DVD player to a BD DVD player yesterday. Took all of 5 minutes to change the programming on the Harmony One and most of that time was getting the computer up and running. Great product.


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## cover (Feb 11, 2007)

I had read posts that said the Next Generation Remote Control Extender

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C1Z0HA

does not work with Harmony remotes. I've been fighting with the pyramid type IR extenders for years, so I thought I would try the Next Generation for myself.

I don't know what problems other people may have had, but it works great with my Harmony 550s and 688s (old but similar to 670). It is far better than the pyramids.

I also have an 890 and like it OK. I only have 2 gripes about it:

1. Sometimes doesn't want to make the connection to the charger.
2. RF receiver has to be paired and programmed with each 890, so if I wanted an 890 in each room I'd have to set up multiple RF receivers and emitters.

Anyhow, if I had it to do over, I'd probably skip the 890 and just get the Next Gen extender.


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## Paul E Fox II (Jul 6, 2008)

I had an older Harmony 680 that went swimming this summer in a glass of ice water. We put it in front of the fridge and in 24 hours, it was back in action.

That was right around the time that the Harmony 880 went on sale at Amazon for $79.00 (after $50.00 Mail-In rebate) so I bought it.

I like it better than the 680 but it is slick and getting used to the button layout took a while. I don't have any problems with the charger as it's one of the newer ones with the magnet to facilitate good contact with the charging connections. With heavy use, I get about a week and a half to two weeks between charges. 

As for the PS3, I bought an IR4BT from Ben in Canada and assembled it myself from the Sony Bluetooth remote I had. It's completely flawless in it's operation. Powers the PS3 On/Off with no problems and to my knowledge, it's never failed to do what I was attempting with the PS3. I believe it was $54.00 and some change shipped to my door.

I looked at the Harmony One at the Best Buy in SC during my visit there a couple weeks ago and it looks to be a great little remote too. It's probably a good bit more comfortable than the 880 but I didn't really want a touch screen interface at all.

My 680 is now doing duty in my bedroom and continues to work like a charm there as well.

These are GREAT remotes and while it takes a while to get used to the interface for programming...with work you can usually get them to do EXACTLY what you need them to do...at least that's been the case in my situation.


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## captain_video (Nov 22, 2005)

FYI - Amazon has the 880 for $79.99 with free shipping and no rebates to mess with:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Advanced-Universal-Control/dp/B00093IIRA?tag=slickdeals


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## trdrjeff (Dec 3, 2007)

caught that this morning on fatwallet and pulled the trigger


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Well, I finally got my Harmony One Remote programmed and it is indeed AWESOME!!!


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I'm really liking this Harmony One alot!!! I am now tweaking it with Customization Buttons and it fits in your hand really nice and it is LIGHT!!! AWESOME!!!


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## trdrjeff (Dec 3, 2007)

W00t! Thanks all I got the 880 from Amazon yesterday and I like it much better!

The dedicated buttons for trick play and skip alone make it better as that was my biggest gripe, but the recharge and auto light are the icing on the cake. The balance seems nicer also and the telephone like keypad is a plus for using the search feature.


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

Kewl man, welcome to the Harmony club!


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Peapod said:


> The thing I most like about the Harmony remote compared to the HTM that I previously used is how the Harmony tracks device state, i.e.:
> 
> I have a Toshiba HD-A1 HDDVD player that does not have discrete codes for power on/off. With the HTM remote I could program the device to toggle power when I went to it, but I could not toggle power when leaving it unless I added that to the macro for every other device, which meant it would be constantly turning on and off as I switched between devices. The Harmony knows that it should be off and toggles power when you switch to it, and toggles power off when I switch to anything else


T.O.A.D.'s suck no matter what. The issue you might have with the way the Harmony works is if someone pushes the eject button to insert a disk before they turn everything else on. Its a common occurence. The Harmony thinking it is off, toggles Power which turns if off so you have to go into the Help function to fix it.

With the programming on my MX-980, the power up sequence for my A1 is Play>Stop. This turns it on or if it is already on, doesn't turn it off. Once I have the A1 selected, the Power Off button is a macro the toggles power on the A1 and changes the input on the AVR to SAT. If I am finished viewing for the evening, another press of Power Off turns the system off. Much finer level of control than with the Harmony.

I could have also used variables, but since I had already done similar programming with my MX-900 (which at the time did not have variables), I just kept the same logic.


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## Tom_Oliver (Jan 4, 2007)

Just another vote for the One.


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## Sneezy (Dec 18, 2006)

I have an 880 from when they were frist released and love it. It's starting to show age but still works well. I have a 6 series in our bedroom and hate it.

The 880 button locations are where you expect them. I'm toying with getting a one but I have a few cases of wine to buy and that simply takes a front seat!


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Sneezy, I am a Wine Lover too but really can't you just buy one less case of wine and buy the 880 or the Harmony One??? Get REAL, Man!!!

Nothing is better than sitting in front of your Home Entertainment System with a glass of your favorite wine in your hand with your Harmony Remote in your other hand.


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## twiecek (Mar 11, 2008)

I just got and programmed a Harmony One. OMG--so awesome. Programming was a breeze. Although I hit a little bump in the road and called the CS. The problem was an easy fix, but the CS guy offered to stay on the line and help me through the whole programming. process. I pretty tech-savvy, so I didn't think I needed the help. But what the heck. So he stayed on the line with me for about 20 minuted; he even did some things on his end that helped move things along. Voila! Perfect! Absolutely love it! Well worth the $$. And I love Logitech (at least the CS guy who helped me).


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## Jason Nipp (Jun 10, 2004)

trdrjeff said:


> Putting this here because 90%+ of use will be Specifically for use with an HR2x
> 
> Anywho, I just got a Yamaha Sound Bar and after not being able to find a code for the RC64R to work well I picked up a Harmony 659 at Sam's yesterday and am real happy with it so far. So today I see on Amazon the refurb 880 is $5 less than I paid for the 659, but it also looks 'busier' and maybe not as 'PVR friendly' as the 659.
> 
> Any thoughts by you experienced users of both


Having both a 659 and 880, the 880 is much more DVR friendly as the 659 doesn't have skip back or skip forward buttons.

Plus the 659 has the forward, reverse, play and pause buttons at the very bottom of the remote.

I would happily trade my 659 for another 880.


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## racermd (Dec 18, 2006)

Haven't seen anyone with a Harmony 550 yet, so... Got an 880, too.

550 Pros: Buttons are slightly larger and have more 'feel' (the 880 is very flat). It feels like it's weighted better. Lastly - and this may or may not be a 'pro', depending on your tastes - it takes 4x AAA batteries instead of a Li-Ion pack.

550 Cons: Limited soft buttons. No color screen.

I originally got the 880 for the wife to use on her setup in the living room (TV, HR20, 5.1 receiver, DVD, and VHS). However, I set it up once for my own setup in the basement (TV, HR20, 5.1 receiver, DVD, and Roku streamer) and it does a great job. I couldn't get past the small and shallow buttons. I really did need to look at the remote to use it even after learning where all the buttons were located - something I've never had to do before.

The 550, while it lacks some of the more advanced features of the 880, it much easier to use.


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## GolfProRM (Sep 4, 2008)

racermd said:


> Haven't seen anyone with a Harmony 550 yet, so... Got an 880, too.
> 
> 550 Pros: Buttons are slightly larger and have more 'feel' (the 880 is very flat). It feels like it's weighted better. Lastly - and this may or may not be a 'pro', depending on your tastes - it takes 4x AAA batteries instead of a Li-Ion pack.
> 
> 550 Cons: Limited soft buttons. No color screen.


Have a 550 myself - only thing I don't like about it is the blue backlight. The remote is wonderful otherwise. The blue backlight makes the text on the screen difficult to read.

Just imported a 555 from Europe. Very similar layout to the 550, but it has an orange backlight (MUCH easier to read text). Also, the bottom row of buttons are the color buttons instead of the picture/sound/a/b. I absolutely LOVE this remote. Wish they would sell it in the US.

One pain about importing the 555 is that if it breaks, Logitech won't ship you a replacement directly. They'll either offer to send you a 550, or they'll ask for a Europe address to send the 555.


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

The new 510 in the US has colored buttons. Don't know what color backlight.


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## GolfProRM (Sep 4, 2008)

mdavej said:


> The new 510 in the US has colored buttons. Don't know what color backlight.


Yes, but it only controls up to 5 devices - the 550/555 controls 15. It also has 2 less buttons (you lose the picture/sound menu buttons).


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## apace (Feb 1, 2007)

GolfProRM said:


> Have a 550 myself - only thing I don't like about it is the blue backlight. The remote is wonderful otherwise. The blue backlight makes the text on the screen difficult to read.
> 
> Just imported a 555 from Europe. Very similar layout to the 550, but it has an orange backlight (MUCH easier to read text). Also, the bottom row of buttons are the color buttons instead of the picture/sound/a/b. I absolutely LOVE this remote. Wish they would sell it in the US.
> 
> One pain about importing the 555 is that if it breaks, Logitech won't ship you a replacement directly. They'll either offer to send you a 550, or they'll ask for a Europe address to send the 555.


The sad part is on the Harmony website, when you click on the product tour for the 550 you get pics of the 555. If anyone is like me and thought the remote in the pictures is the one they are getting, they will be very
disappointed. Its obvious why the 550 was selling for 49.99 at BB. It rarely turns everything on or off correctly.


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## smalltownhick (Jan 2, 2008)

I had the Harmony 620 from Costco (same as 670). I used it in my setup with my HR21. I liked it but didn't love it enough to spend $80 on it. Honestly I love the layout of the RC64R that I have except that it wont control my av receiver.

Harmony 620

Pros: 
activities are great.

Cons: 
skip back button is too close to the volume up. I kept hitting skip back accidentally.
No hard button for the red yellow blue and green. (and by default only 3 of these are on the soft buttons main screen)
No hard button for "back" (I use this in the menus all the time)
When trying to use a function of a device (say the audio format on my receiver) I had to scroll through a big list of obscure function names in the remote's display. This could be improved.

From what I see online about the Harmony for XBox 360 I like that layout but I dont have an XBox. I assume it would work fine anyway. Does anyone else use the 360 without an Xbox?


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## GolfProRM (Sep 4, 2008)

smalltownhick said:


> No hard button for the red yellow blue and green. (and by default only 3 of these are on the soft buttons main screen)
> No hard button for "back" (I use this in the menus all the time)
> When trying to use a function of a device (say the audio format on my receiver) I had to scroll through a big list of obscure function names in the remote's display. This could be improved.


You can use the software to rearrange the order the soft buttons are listed. You can also add commonly used functions to your activity soft button list so you can change receiver audio format without having to change to the device.


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## dbmaven (May 29, 2004)

twiecek said:


> I just got and programmed a Harmony One. OMG--so awesome. Programming was a breeze. Although I hit a little bump in the road and called the CS. The problem was an easy fix, but the CS guy offered to stay on the line and help me through the whole programming. process. I pretty tech-savvy, so I didn't think I needed the help. But what the heck. So he stayed on the line with me for about 20 minuted; he even did some things on his end that helped move things along. Voila! Perfect! Absolutely love it! Well worth the $$. And I love Logitech (at least the CS guy who helped me).


I'm wondering if you'd be willing to provide more details on what the "bump" was ?? I have a Harmony One being shipped to me - any info you can provide would be most appreciated !


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Jason Nipp said:


> Having both a 659 and 880, the 880 is much more DVR friendly as the 659 doesn't have skip back or skip forward buttons.
> 
> Plus the 659 has the forward, reverse, play and pause buttons at the very bottom of the remote.
> 
> I would happily trade my 659 for another 880.


I have a 659 that was free with my Plasma TV. I didn't like the fact that there wasn't a skip forward and skip back button and the other main DVR buttons were at the bottom. So I set up most of them in the first and second screen of display and rarely use the ones at the bottom. They are set up like this:

..........First Screen.............---Second Screen---
o Play----------------List o | o Red--------Green o
o Rewind----Fast Forward o | o Yellow-------Blue o 
o Skip Back--Skip Forward o | o Record-----Pause o


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## CorpITGuy (Apr 12, 2007)

Harmony 550 works great with my HR22, 42" LCD and Phillips up-converting DVD player.


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## twiecek (Mar 11, 2008)

dbmaven said:


> I'm wondering if you'd be willing to provide more details on what the "bump" was ?? I have a Harmony One being shipped to me - any info you can provide would be most appreciated !


The "bump" was I was having trouble getting the One to "learn" the remote of my old Tivo box. Turned out to be an easy fix, and no other bumps. Enjoy your new toy!


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## rotohead (Nov 29, 2007)

I'm going to put a vote in here for the Harmony 890 Pro. It's not been mentioned here for a variety of reasons but if you need a RF capable remote it works pretty well. It's almost identical to the 880 but with the rf extenders it can address those issues well. Pros are the same as for the 880 and the cons are the same too...small buttons, etc. and takes a bit more time in setup/updates and is pricey but if you need RF capability ro have never used a RF remote it may be your answer. 
It's also common for the tilt function to dissappear on these Harmony's after you drop them more than three or four times. Try to avoid that...not likely if you're human. 
Also new users should be aware that Harmony's policy for tech support has changed recently. Use to be phone tech support for long time...not the case anymore...limited to the first 90 days now I think. Check their web site and don't hesitate to use the support early if you need it.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

The Tech Support is for 60 days but if you insist and your problem will not take along time then they will help you as I have had them help me and I explained that alot of us are not happy with their new tech support policy and then he explained that you can still get help if it doesn't take a long time.


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## rotohead (Nov 29, 2007)

richierich said:


> The Tech Support is for 60 days but if you insist and your problem will not take along time then they will help you as I have had them help me and I explained that alot of us are not happy with their new tech support policy and then he explained that you can still get help if it doesn't take a long time.


That's good to know. I've been a big Logitech purchaser over the years and it's been hit/miss with their tech support...some products I have good success with...others not so mucho. Most of my problems with the remote take some time to hash out on the phone. Utilizing the forums here and at Logitech can help but specific, unique problems need first hand info. Best method I've adopted is to document every service call/issue with all my tech gizmos and keep a three ring binder for all. It's surprising how often these problems reoccur or are similar to problems I've had previously. Either way I hate learning the same solutions I solved six months ago.


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## BigSey (Oct 18, 2006)

I had a 659 and loved it...until I fried it by spilling a glass of wine on it. I was going to get another one until I saw an 880 at Amazon for $129 with a $50 rebate for a total of $79. 

To me, the 880 is a more reliable. My 659 would forget to turn something on or off frequently and the 880 never does. Plus, I love the charger. My 659 would need new batteries every few months. 

I say go with the 880 if the price is equal or not much of a difference. Good luck.


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## dbmaven (May 29, 2004)

twiecek said:


> The "bump" was I was having trouble getting the One to "learn" the remote of my old Tivo box. Turned out to be an easy fix, and no other bumps. Enjoy your new toy!


Thanks for the update. Rearranging the HT setup tomorrow and installing the H-One once I've got all the new connections documented.

Thanks again !


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## opie168 (Jun 15, 2008)

i just got the 890 pro myself along with the RF extender to replace my older harmony remote that was a harmon kardon and is no longer supported now. 
Absolutely love it btw!!

My only gripe is the face that the logitech remotes cant tell if something is already on by accident and then when you try to turn on that activity it will toggle the power and end up turning the device off.

I looked at the MX890 and 980 and was about to pull the trigger on these but then found out that you dont get the software to program those and in turn have to hire a installer to come out and program it for you. That in itself made me turn that down as I dont want to spend another $150 on someone programing my remote when I could easily do it myself if given the software. Searched everywhere and couldn't find it. only could find software for their older large touch screen remote the mx3000.

In the end if i could get the software for the mx980 or find a way to get the logitech to check if unit is already on b4 toggle power either remote would be perfect to me. The custom icons in the mx980 is kinda cool though.


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## rotohead (Nov 29, 2007)

My HT was first built using a Niles RF remote that is big and sits on a tabletop. Very well built but big and bulky. Discrete codes, very customizable, etc. Only problem is programming. Any time you want to make the slightest change or mod (like making a simple channel number change) to a more involved upgrade (like changing a component) you had to schedule a visit with the professional installer and $150 to $200 later you might have your system the way you want it. That propietary issue with Niles remotes lost me as a customer. The installer's attitude was like he was doing me a favor coming to my house for a couple hundred bucks to configure my system so it worked the way it was suppose to in the first place. I don't mind the few hassles I run into with the Harmony products b/c I can fix or change it when I want.


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## IcedOmega13 (Mar 3, 2008)

Drewg5 said:


> I have 2 676 here love them. I will keep them for as long as I can


go go gadget remote face plates. I love mine too.


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## Ytsejamer1 (May 15, 2008)

i have a 550 for my living room, and then an 880 for my downstairs man-cave...for lack of better terms. I like the 880 a lot better than the 550 due to the better layout, larger buttons, but both work pretty well and do their job. The 550 was only $49 anyways...well worth it so my fiance doesn't have to find me every time she wants to use the TV.


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