Zoom-in Online

Welcome to Zoom In Online™'s Tech Friday series. This week, we'll review the Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote from Logitech.

Overview:
As entertainment devices, such as TVs, DVD players, High Definition DVD players, cable boxes, gaming consoles, and music systems continue to increase their presence in the modern living room, it's getting increasingly complex to manage these devices. However, the Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote eliminates part of that complexity by introducing the ability to use a single remote for all the above mentioned devices (and more!).

Setup:
Unlike many remote controls, the setup process for the Harmony One remote control is fairly involving, as it has to be configured via a computer. While this is clearly highlighted in the included literature, users that skip the manual are not notified about this initial step via the remote control.

Connecting the remote to the computer is a relatively straightforward task -- install the software and follow the on-screen connections. However, in order to successfully launch and run the software, the user has to be connected to the internet.

Once the software is installed and the remote is connected, the software asks you for your device's model number as well as related activities. For example: If you have a HDTV that you use with your cable-box and a gaming console, your TV is being used for 2 activities -- TV viewing and gaming. Therefore, you'll need to setup both of the activities separately.

While the initial setup process does take more time than traditional remote controls, the process is relatively straight forward.

Pros:
- Elegant packaging, design, and feel.
- Ability to connect to and control most entertainment devices, including computers and gaming consoles.
- The remote control visually simulates the graphical elements of individual remotes, simplifying the transition process.
- All necessary cables included.
- Brief, yet effective setup guidelines.
- Remote control includes charger.
- Based on an activity, it only turns on necessary devices. For example: Your television is connected to your DVD player, cable box, and gaming console. If you only want to watch TV, the remote control will turn on only the television and the cable box.


Cons:
- Compared to the hardware, the software is not as robust. For example: In our test scenario, we added a few devices and proceeded to defining activities. However, when we wanted to add more devices while setting up activities, there was no way to back-track.

Conclusion:
Priced at $249.99, the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote is a worthy investment that simplifies entertainment in the modern living room.