Review: Logitech Harmony 1000 remote control

An impressive, if expensive, solution to the problem of juggling multiple remote controls

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Price: 279

Manufacturer: Logitech 01753 870 900

Specifications: 3.5in touch-sensitive colour display

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Verdict

Pros: Controls multiple devices simultaneously; easy to use touch-sensitive interface
Cons: Expensive; initial setup process can be time-consuming
Overall: Great for home cinema buffs, but the high price limits its appeal

Ciff Joseph, Personal Computer World 10 Dec 2007

Logitech's Harmony devices are a nice idea - they're universal remote controls that allow you to control your TV, DVD player and other devices all with a single handheld control.

The only problem with previous models in the Harmony range is that they were so big and bulky, and festooned with so many buttons, that we generally just found it easier to go back and carry on using the remote controls we already had.

The Harmony 1000 takes a more elegant approach to this problem by replacing the dozens of buttons with a touchscreen display that allows you to control all your devices simply by tapping your finger on the screen.

The initial setup process takes a little while as you have to install the software, connect the Harmony to your PC's USB port and then connect to the Logitech website. You need to provide Logitech with the manufacturer and model number of each device you want to control and then set up a series of activities.

Each activity can control multiple devices, so if you set up the 'Watching DVD' activity, this will allow you to turn on the TV and DVD player at the same time and select the correct channel on the TV to watch your DVD film. Switch to another activity, such as 'Listen To Music', and the Harmony will switch to controlling your music and speaker systems instead.

The touchscreen technology means that the Harmony 1000 is certainly more elegant than the other models in the Harmony range. It also makes it a lot more expensive, coming in at a hefty £279.

So while the Harmony 1000 does eliminate the hassle of juggling multiple remote controls, its sheer price means that it's mainly going to appeal to serious home cinema buffs who have already spent a few thousand pounds on their entertainment system.

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