Logitech Harmony Remote

In my short adult lifetime, I have owned at least a dozen televisions and A/V receivers; yet I have never owned a universal remote control. Even after I wrote the Guide: How to shop for your first HDTV, I refused to open myself up to buying an aftermarket remote. I know that this may seem like crazy talk to some of you, but brace yourselves: sometimes I even right walk up to the equipment and turn it on or off... manually. I blame my denial of convenience on the progress of technology, because it changes so quickly that all of the equipment seems to be replaced long before the remote begins to shows signs of wear. Okay, so it's mostly all of that, but it's also because I'm not lazy.

Regardless of my cautious approach to convenience technology, now that I have a whole new array of electronics the real problem begins. You see, up until 2007 I was a three remote kind of guy. The 'system' was comprised of a television, DVD player, and receiver. Then everything changed. It all started when I bought the new Sharp AQUOS LC-52D62U 52" 1080P HDTV, which was followed by a new 7.1 HDMI A/V receiver, and then the satellite receiver, HD-DVR, and finally a nice Windows MCE HTPC to round things out. My simple entertainment room quickly turned ugly on me, and the new collection of remotes began to occupy almost all of my table space. If clutter wasn't bad enough, all of the equipment was brand new, which meant that I had no idea which remote went to what device.

Since none of the manufacturers filling my entertainment system shelves can offer more than simple one-device remotes, I was in need of either a deluxe remote control caddy with labeled organizer, or I would need to get a universal remote control and take a day off work just to program it. It was a quest for the unobtainable, a journey for the unthinkable; I wanted to replace a collection of remote controls with... One Remote to Control Them All. Logitech heard my cries of despair, and presented the Harmony 890 Pro Advanced Universal Remote Control to save the day.

Short of hiring NASA engineers to build me an in-home command center, the Logitech Harmony 890 Pro Advanced is as good as handheld universal remote controls can get. I know that someone out there reading this is going to wonder why I am praising a review product right at the introduction, and it's because this isn't going to be one of those reviews where the author starts out by sounding tough and declaring "we'll find out if the biggest name in universal remotes knows how to build a good product", that would just be silly. I have already searched online, and looked at what local retailers offered while I shopped for the initial equipment, so I already know that the Logitech Harmony 890 Pro Advanced is a great product. Instead, what I plan to do in this review is explain why I think it's so great, show you just how easy it was to configure, and prove to you that it's well worth the price tag.

About the Company: Logitech

Logitech is a world leader in personal peripherals, driving innovation in PC navigation, Internet communications, digital music, home-entertainment control, gaming and wireless devices. The company's products combine essential core technologies, continuing innovation, award-winning industrial design and excellent price performance.

Logitech's origins lie in the OEM sector, which remains an important part of its business, and represented 11.6 percent of the company's total sales in Fiscal 2006. To meet the demands of its OEM customer base, which includes most of the world's largest PC manufacturers, Logitech offers high-volume manufacturing with focused quality control, worldwide distribution and logistics, and the ability to leverage its infrastructure under changing demand conditions.

Logitech continues to broaden its product offering and its presence in the retail sector. This is fueled by a trend among consumers to enhance their basic PC systems with more fully featured personal peripherals that add functionality and cordless freedom to their desktops. They are also purchasing supplementary devices designed for new applications and specific purposes such as gaming, multimedia, or audio and visual communication over the Internet. Further, Logitech's retail business includes personal peripherals for platforms beyond the PC, such as gaming consoles, portable music players, mobile phones and home-entertainment systems.

Today, Logitech's retail business accounts for 88.4 percent of its revenue. To provide the market with a broadening array of best-of-category products, Logitech's business model calls for supplementing its internal engineering and manufacturing strength with additional products and technologies through a combination of strategic acquisitions and industry partnerships.

More information about Logitech is available on their company website.

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