Customer Reviews

Harmony 520 Universal Remote Control - Refurbished

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this remote from Walmart for 99.00 a couple of years ago. I couldn't imagine not having this remote to operate my receiver, TV, XBOX, Blu Ray, Dish, etc. With this remote my 8 year old can easily setup his video games and his movies without calling me for help. Setup is a breeze by connecting to your computer via USB and logging onto the logitech website where you create a profile and list all of your electronics to be controlled with the remote. And this remote controls everything; ceiling fans, lights, you name it. The only issue I have is with the buttons sticking or even stop working all together. I sent mine back a few months ago and Logitech sent a replacement for free. I know its only a matter of time before the same thing happens to the replacement unit. I'll probably upgrade to the 670 or the 800 series if that happens. The buttons on the higher end units seem to be better.

Being the first modern, digital "learning" remote that I have owned, I cannot compare this to any other Harmony or likewise similar products. However, for the refurbished price point on this unit, it is hard to beat the benefits for anyone who uses multiple remote controls on a consistent basis.

Pros:
* Can control multiple components at the same time. For example: Channel up/down controls the television while Volume controls the AV Receiver
* I found this very easy to set up. A fairly comprehensive wizard makes it so that you need very little technical know how.
* Macros: With a little fiddling, I can have one button that my 3 year old daughter can recognize and push that will turn on the TV, Satellite, and AV Receiver, and set them all to the appropriate settings/channels so that she can watch Disney Playhouse on her own.

Cons:
* Setup software requires internet connection to work. While this isn't an issue for most people, it can be due to the remote location I live in.
* The buttons on the number pad are smaller than usual for a remote, which may be an issue. My wife dislikes it for that reason, however this hasn't caused comment from anyone else.
* Non-rechargeable. Easily fixed by using rechargeable NiM batteries, however this may also be something to consider when purchasing.

Final thoughts: These kinds of remotes are a great thing to have for anyone who likes their tech toys. This one stood out to me due to its low price for much of the same functionality as the much more expensive newer models. Unless you wish to use one remote in several rooms filled with lots of components, this model should suffice.

Wow you cant go wrong with this product. I thought our entertainment system was the most complicated ever, and did not have much hope that this remote would be able to do what it would need to do. I bought this for my parents for christmas because I am going to college and the cant work our entertainment center, and constantly have to call me to help them watch tv, dvd, or wii. This remote had a very simple set up. I do enjoy working with electronics and can figure stuff out well, but with an hour or two, I had what I thought was the most complicated system set up on the remote, and with a little troubleshooting one press of a button controlled anything I wanted to! Great product. No need to spend 200 dollars.

Pros:
1) You really can get all your electronics set by pushing a single button

Cons:
1) Steep learning curve for new users (read the manual)
2) Most used buttons (metal ones on side) started having trouble responding after a year
3) No color buttons (i.e. R/Y/B/G) that are now popular with Blu-Ray players
4) May find you don't have enough buttons to replace certain remotes
5) The thin shape makes the remote squeak and creak as you press the buttons and the two halves mash together. Needs a unibody design.
6) Price

Logitech Harmony is a tough product to review. It does what it's supposed to do but there is a steep learning curve and you'll find some quirks that make it difficult to program without some assistance initially. For instance, my TV seems to take forever to turn on before it starts accepting commands. In spite of owning this remote for a year, I have only recently discovered the setting which allows the remote to pause after powerup. I still don't know whether this was a recent addition to the Harmony software or I am just stupid (probably the latter). In any case, I spent the past year having to redo the settings each time I turned the TV on because the remote used to blaze through the different commands too quickly. Plus, even the support staff wasn't knowledgeable enough to help me with this issue; I finally discovered the answer myself (or, again, the software was recently updated.) What is most frustrating about the software is for some stupid reason, the software will not let you remove some control settings. In my case, I need this done or the entire setup is impossible so I'm forced to contact customer service every time I make a change to my system. It's a very time consuming and frustrating process and frankly I dread the process of setting up a new component because of this.

Regarding this particular remote, I liked the thin shape and LCD display but found it creaks a lot as if the pieces weren't solid. Unfortunately, a slim remote like this probably needs a single unibody design instead of two halves being put together in order to keep this problem from happening. After a year of usage, I have also noticed the most used buttons, the silver side buttons next to the LCD Display and the (TV) Guide button, are getting difficult to register. I end up having to mash these a few times before the remote starts working. I may need to take it apart and hope I can clean it out so it works again. Otherwise, I'll need to buy a new remote. Unless I catch this with a really fantastic sale, I will most likely choose one of the larger models, hoping the buttons don't wear out so quickly.

Once you figure out how to think like a programmer and work around the idiosyncrasies of your various equipment you will find it useful but the price vs. longevity of this particular model makes it tough to recommend.

I bought one of these remotes used from a friend and loved it. My Mom told me she was tired of having to use three remotes to watch tv. Also, my dad loves gadgets so I picked up a refurbed Logitech 520.

The software is pretty user friendly and makes the remote easy to set up. The only drawback is that it takes a while. Expect to spend about 30 minutes. That's the only thing I can think of that would be anything resembling a "Con".

My wife hates our TV/Entertainment system because of all of the remotes involved. It is great to have one excellently programmed remote that does exactly what she needs it to do. She loves it...now if I can just get my in-laws to be able to use one remote...
There is no rechargeable battery for this remote, but it does last a couple of months on 2 AAAs.

This remote is so easy to use, we have had one for a couple of years and just bought another for a different room. It is easy to program, easy to use, and the backlighting is a must. I can't think of anything more I could want in a remote!

This product would have been one of the best products that I have ever had if all of the buttons had worked. The button to increase the volume never worked. Because it took some time for me get around to using the device by the time I begin using it the 30 day window for returning the product was gone. Another $50 bucks down the tube. Costco and places that have a more liberal return policy is probably the way to go for a product like this. Particularly since it was Refurbished.

It creates harmony in my house controlling my several entertainment center devices. My recommendation would be 10 stars if I could.

Very satisfied with this product. Buttons and screen are a bit small but manageable. Wish it had a longer timeout for the backlit glow. Good product for the price. Setup was relatively simple although you do need some basic "techie" knowledge to know what you're doing and have it set up just right. Not recommended for the non-techie types since you do have to get on line and configure your remote before use. Overall, I would recommend this product.