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"unfinished product" on by apguser
Pros: works quite well and looks cool
Cons: software very, very poor
Summary: Once again, we see a very usefull, cool looking gadget with extremely badly designed software that comes with it. WHY JAVA??? And if Java, why so poorly written?
Is the cross-platform compatibility that important in this case?
The good news is that the remote works great, after several attempts to try to get the setup working and few days of getting used to feel of it. I like having 1 remote on my coffee table instead of 5. The sleek black and silver design with bluish glow fits well today's gadget-filled living room. But the software, that's another story. GUI is very sluggish, lack for coursor keys support for scrolling, "exit" button doesn't work to name only a couple of faults, JRex for viewing pdf user manual? BTW, links in the pdf viewer don't work. Reminds me of PRISMIQ media player, works great but looks ugly (the early 90s external modem look is not in style anymore, guys) and the software absolutely sucks.
Overall, great idea, gets the job done but lacks a decently designed piece of software to come with it. -
"Gets the job done, could be better" on by bc0203
Pros: slick design, programmable keys/labels, downloadable codes for thousands of devices
Cons: default layouts for several devices not optimized for this remote, occasional slow response times
Summary: I bought this remote to replace the stack of remotes that came with my receiver, cable box, tv and streaming media device.
The included software guided me through setting the remote up to perform specific activities, and as far as that goes, I have little to complain about - it functions as advertised. The problem is the device-specific menus, which are NOT well laid out, can be very frustrating to navigate. I ended up having to manually re-program them, which kind of defeats the purpose of a downloadable codes database.
In short, if you purchase this unit, expect the "activity-based" tasks to work as advertised, but still expect to spend some time re-programming the device-specific buttons and menus to your preferences. -
"This Unit Worked Better Than Expected!" on by speeder150
Pros: All configuration done on your PC
Cons: None identified
Summary: After a co-worker told me about the simple on line set-up capability, I began researching the various Logitech Harmony remotes prior to accidentally finding this one at my local Sears store.
This remotes appearance is better than several of the other Logitech remotes I have seen and all of the factory Sony/Denon/Philips/Comcast DVR remotes scattered throughout my family room. The blue back-lighting for all the keys and the LCD display makes the 520 much easier to use in low light conditions.
I was surprised to find the exact match for each of my audio/video component models and had no problem setting up the unit. (I too loaded the new version of the software prior to starting).
I quickly set up 6 Activities and each one worked perfectly the first time. I also particularly like the Device Mode feature. For example, if you select Device then TV, you get 24 pages of key functions on the LCD screen that emulates the factory remote. I have tried 90% of these key mappings and so far they all work
I would recommend this remote based on the ease of set-up, appearance and overall functionality. -
"A great remote. Extremely easy to use and setup." on by Mogambo
Pros: Extremely easy to use and setup. Looks super cool.
Cons: There appears to be a lag between a button click on the remote and actual action
Summary: I love this remote. Contrary to some of teh other reviews I have read here, I found this remote extremely easy to setup. I installed the software, connected the remote to my computer via the USB port.
I then enterred the brand and model information for each product in my home theater system and other products too.
The software was amazing. It looked at what I had and proposed macros that I would most likely need. The macros were accurate. Clearly it could not decide which DVD to play on my carrousel (sp?)but that is minor. Once I accepted all the changes, the remote was programmed within seconds.
I was actually shocked by the ease of use. I was expecting a very complex process, but instead, in under 10 minutes, my remote was programmed and functional.
While the buttons on the remote handle only very basic functionality, all advanced features of each device can be controlled via the LCD monitor and 4 buttons around it. Takes a little getting used, BUT, what I love about this is that the remote has very few buttons.
Most universal remotes offer so many buttons that they are virtually impossibel to use.
So, in conclusion, contrary to most reviews here, I think Logitech got this product right. Oh! and it looks cool. -
"Great Remote - It Does What It Says It Will" on by nscave
Pros: It runs all your equipment activities with one button as advertised. Easy to edit or change your setting on the internet.
Cons: The small display can be difficult to read, the number buttons are very tiny, and it may miss some features on some TVs.
Summary: I found it only handled some TV models basic functions. If you needed to get to the TV's setting for colour, etc. you needed to have the original remote, or go through a long procedure for learning those functions. And in most cases you would again need the original remote to do that. Keep in mind that I am using it to control one complete home theatre system, and another separate TV in another room.
To get a good manual with full instructions, especially on the learning capabilities, you have to search a bit on their web site to find the pdf version. It is not easily found when first setting up the remote during the anxious moments.
It's main purpose is to control a home theatre system by pushing one function button. It does a good job at this once a little tweaking is done. For example if you press "Watch TV", it turns on all associated equipment to do that. Since our large screen TV is only used as a monitor, I did have to customize the setup a bit so that it does not select the input - because it is always on the proper input anyway. By sending the signal to select the proper input, when that input was already properly selected from the last use, caused the tv to do other things sometimes.
Pressing "Watch A Movie" powered up all equipment to do that, as did "Listen To Music". Pressing "Off" turns all equipment off from any of the selected function activities.
Overall this is a fine remote, I like it a lot. It is not perfect. On the other hand, I have used a number of programable remotes. Second best was a plain twenty dollar one for all six. This one now sits at the top of the list despite a little required tweaking as listed above.
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