Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for XBox 360 Review
Ease of Use, Performance: 24/25, Look & Feel: 25/25,
Features 24/25, How much I enjoy 25/25
Total: 98/100
The Blue Ribbon for Excellence goes to the Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for the XBox 360, an all around fantastic remote for your XBox 360 and any other remote type things lying nearby. The Harmony will not only control your XBox 360 but pretty much anything else that works with a remote.
The features of the Harmony remote from Logitech:
360° Command
One trigger finger is all you need.
One-Touch Control: Choose the activity you want to do, not the component you want to turn on.
Up to 12 Components: Control Xbox® 360, home theater, audio-even lights and appliances.
Customizable Buttons: Put your most frequent activities at your fingertips.
Learning Port: Add favorite functions from an old remote just by pointing it at your Harmony.
Comfort and Convenience
Never get numb-thumb again.
Comfort-Grip Shape: Hold on comfortably and reach all the buttons with ease.
Fully Backlit Controls and LCD Display: Navigate even in movie-theater darkness.
Help Button: Confused? Let the Help Button figure it out for you. (No one else has one.)
Simple Setup
It doesn’t get easier than this.
Online Wizard: Plug into a USB port and walk right through initial setup or adding equipment.
Incredible Compatibility: From laser disc to Blu-Ray® disc, find your components in our 175,000-device database.
Free Support: Expect total customer satisfaction, whether you have a problem or just a question.
Installation of the Harmony program only takes a few minutes and using the program is very simple. There are two major areas that the remote uses for controlling devices. The Device section is a hands on area for each device and the Activities section lets you choose what you want to do and the remote does all the work. Want to watch a movie from your XBox 360, just click on activities and watch your movie. The remote will turn on the TV, the XBox 360 and set the proper channel and settings to watch your favorite movie.
Setting up these functions is very simple and the Harmony program takes you through them step by step. When I received the Harmony remote I was using the XBox 360 in my office to watch DVD movies on. The Harmony setup will take you through your setup and ask questions like what channel do you need to set to watch a movie or if you use an AV setting on the television.
It automatically sets all these things up for you and if you are having any problems while using the remote you can simply press the Help button on the remote and it will try to correct the problem for you. The remote has plenty of settings and really nice clear questions and answers in the help section but I have not had to use it except to see what the section was all about. My televisions, XBox 360 and VCR have worked flawlessly with the Logitech Harmony Remote for watching TV, movies and playing the XBox 360.
The program that downloads information and sets up the devices is very easy to use and programming the remote is not done by pushing those tiny buttons or entering codes on the remote itself. It automatically sets up programs by model number and manufacturer of devices and there are 175,000 devices that Logitech has in their data base.
To program a device you enter the manufacturer and model number of the device and the remote program just asks if the model number and device is the correct one. It does not ask for a code or other information and when you press the update remote button after connecting the Harmony remote to your computers USB connection it will download the latest setup without any hassles. Turn on the device and see how it works, the remote will ask you if it does and try to correct any problems.
Once you have the devices entered you just enter the section for activities and choose the various things you want to do with your remote. To play the Xbox you need to turn on the TV and the XBox as well as change the channel on the TV or set the TV to component or AV input. The remote will do this as one step without being told when you choose the Play XBox Activity. The Harmony remote works with a huge amount of devices; TV’s, VCR’s, DVD’s, XBox 360, remote lighting, ceiling fans and appliances. If it can be controlled by a remote than chances are the Harmony remote can control it.
After you have the devices and activities entered into the Harmony program you can even change the order of things as they will appear on the small screen of the remote that you use more often. If you have more than four things, four entries come up on the screen at one time, you simply use the arrow buttons to go to the other pages. Once the devices, activities and pages are set up you download the settings to your remote and it’s off to entertainment heaven. No lost remotes or having four or five sitting on the coffee table for your entertainment center, my wife hates this.
The Harmony remote for the XBox 360 is a fantastic remote and very simple to use. Do you have one of those ceiling fans, lighting systems or air conditioners that use a remote? Chances are very good that the Harmony remote will be able to control it as well as your entertainment devices for total home environment control from your couch. Talk about the total couch potato, seriously, you can have the ultimate entertainment system with the Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for the XBox 360.
I have been trying out the Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for XBox 360 for a few weeks and everything I have that uses a remote, 4 TV’s, XBox 360, XM Satellite radio, 5.1 sound system and VCR/DVD player, all work perfectly with the Harmony remote. The Harmony remote is incredible and so easy to use that I cannot recommend it highly enough.
