Customer Reviews

Logitech Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3

5 star:		(317)
4 star:		(90)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I have a Logitech Harmony 1000 remote, and I run a Pioneer Elite receiver, a Toshiba HDDVD (ok - not smart), an XBox360, a wireless headset controller, a Pioneer Elite upscaling DVD player, two computers with Zalman IR controls, and a Playstation 3. I could control everything with my Harmony 1000 except the Playstation 3. I tried the Nyko Blu-Wave product, and while I've been extremely happy with most Nyko products, I had tons of problems with it. From not being able to power up/power down, commands executing twice, etc., there were just too many issues to make it worthwhile. Considering that Sony's bluetooth remote was so nice, it made sense to go to 2 remotes.

Well now I'm finally down to one without a sacrifice. This unit has it's own AC power, so it works whether the PS3 is off or on, which is a huge advantage.

The other huge advantage over every other solution is that it contains every single command that the bluetooth remote has (I believe it is 51 in all).

Pros:
-Self-powered via AC adapter
-Works regardless of PS3 being on or off
-Contains all 51 commands, including the PS button
-Doesn't take up a valuable USB port on the PS3
-Commands work in PS2 emulator of original 60gb PS3
-Range via Harmony 1000 is excellent
-No problems with double-commands like Nyko product
-Design matches Playstation 3
-Logitech had all the commands and screens for all of the supported remotes on their website on launch day (nicely done Logitech!!)

Cons:
-Price is a little high (it's 3 times the cost of the Sony bluetooth remote)
-For that money, I would like to have had the option of a rechargeable battery so that an AC adapter wouldn't be needed.
-Unit is small, but it seems like it could be smaller.
-It is still infrared from remote to receiver, so you have to aim it versus bluetooth which is omnidirectional.

Summary: If you want to get down to one remote, this is THE way to do it. If you want to save money, go with the omnidirectional Sony bluetooth remote (don't go third part on that).

EDIT: According to some of the comments below, Logitech has apparently FIXED the issue described below. In light of that, I give it 5 stars (unfortunately, Amazon does not allow you to change your original rating). However, for reference purposes, and in case someone encounters the same issue in the future (for whatever reason), I'm leaving my original review below.

Once you get this product, you'll be able to control your PS3 like any other device on your Harmony. It works well, doesn't lag, etc.

I started (naturally), unboxing. I thought the device would be bigger; it's slightly smaller than a deck of playing cards (not as thick). Plug in the AC Adapter (Yes, it's required. Otherwise, the PS3 couldn't be turned on by the Harmony, since USB on the PS3 doesn't provide power when the system is off.)

For those of you who have a higher with RF function, fear not; it has a plug for RF extension. I have a Harmony 520, so I cannot speak for the RF. IR range is very good, manual says 10M. I'm pretty sure the furthest I can get from the unit in the room it is setup in is about 13M, and it works fine at that range.

After unboxing, you turn on your PS3 the old fashioned way (Sony BT remote or controller), go to the settings part of the cross media bar interface -> Accessories settings -> Register BT Remote. Tap the orange button under the Logitech Unit, it registers.

Next up is the setup. And this is where I encountered problems. If the PS3 is your only unit, you shouldn't have any problems; however, if you have another gaming unit that takes IR, the setup can get REALLY confusing and frustrating. And, yes, I had the latest version of the software (7.5, but the software checks for any updates at startup).

So, I had the PS3 already added (tune in everything else) on my Harmony 520. Per the Logitech Support database recommendation, I removed the PS3 device and the "Use PS3" activity from my Harmony.

I readded it as recommended after this (Game Console w/ DVD, Sony, PlayStation 3, click through the advisory, OK.) Create an activity, update my Harmony, looking forward to use it instead of the Sony remote.

I run up the stairs like a young child at Christmas. Joyously, I hit the "Play PS3" activity. The TV turns on, the HDMI switcher goes to the right input, the PS3 turns on, the startup sound & video play...

I'm on the user selection screen (you see it if you have more than one profile on the console). I try to use the down arrow. It doesn't work. None of the soft buttons are there either.

Frustrated, I remove and readd the device + activity about 10 times. This takes about a half hour. Naturally, it's extremely frustrating.

Finally, I think "Why don't I remove the PS3 & Xbox 360 device and activities, then, I'll add the PS3 device, PS3 Activity, Xbox 360 device, and Xbox 360 activity, in that order."

Voilà! Everything works. Range is good, all the buttons work, including the soft buttons, etc.

IN SHORT: The product does what it says. For the extremely non-intuitive setup in a potentially common situation, I have to dock the unit 2 stars, especially in light of it's premium pricing.

IF YOU HAVE AN XBOX 360 OR ANY OTHER GAME SYSTEM:
-Remove ANY video game devices
-Remove ANY video game activities
-Add the PS3 as a device (Game Console w/ DVD, Sony, PlayStation 3)
-Add the PS3 activity (when you hit "add activity", it should be an automatic "Play Game" activity. You can rename it after you add it).
-Add any other video game devices and activities.

LOGITECH: If you read this, PLEASE fix the Harmony software for this type of situation.

This device is the one PS3 and Harmony remote users have been waiting for. It is very responsive and has all the functionality of the Sony brand PS3 remote (on my Harmony One at least...this may vary depending on which version of the Harmony you have and the number of buttons it has). A few caveats buyers may have about this unit are the price, and the chances are that by now, they already have some kind of solution to controlling the PS3.

$60 seems a bit high at first. The PlayStation 3 Blu Wave Remote and the Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote are both considerably less than this device. However, they both have some drawbacks as well. I have both of the above mentioned remotes. The Nyko is a decent solution for universal remote owners as it allows the PS3 to be controlled through any IR remote (it's especially easy with Harmony remotes, as Logitech has the Nyko device available for programming through the Harmony software). The issues with the Blu-Wave are that you can't turn on the PS3 through the remote, it uses up one of your PS3's USB ports, and it also can be a bit glitchy. Often it will stop responding altogether and I'll have to unplug and replug the USB receiver for it before it will work again. The Sony remote works well and the nice part about it is that you don't need a direct line of site between the remote and the PS3 because it connects through bluetooth. However for all of us who have universal remotes, you'll need to keep both your universal and the Sony remote on hand.

If you are like me and absolutely love your Harmony and are borderline OCD and must be able to turn your PS3 on and off through one unit because you can't stand to have multiple remotes out, then this is $60 well spent. The other options that I've seen that allow power control of the PS3 through Harmony remotes are the IR2BTci and the PS3IR-Pro. These devices are a better comparison to the Logitech Harmony Adapter because they add similar functionality. I have not tried either of these devices personally, so I can't comment on how well they work...however, I can say that they are considerably more expensive than $60, if you can even find them for purchase from a reputable vendor (at the time of this writing, the IR2BTci is $150 and the PS3IR-Pro is $100). Also, aesthetically, they don't hold a candle to Logitech's adapter. The Logitech unit has a small form-factor, and also matches the finish of the PS3 perfectly, while these other units seem to be a tad unsightly and slightly bulkier as well. And as for performance, while I can't say how the others perform, I also can't imagine them being able to perform much better than this Logitech Adapter (which seems to be virtually flawless in terms of performance).

If you're tired of the spotty performance of the Nyko Blu-Wave or having multiple remotes out (or are simply looking to get your first remote for the PS3 and already own or are planning on getting a Harmony remote), I really can't imagine that you'll have buyer's remorse from spending $60 on this, as it is a really great device.

This device is easy to pair with the PS3. It allows you to control your PS3 with the Harmony remote line. The color scheme and plastic appearance matches perfectly with the PS3. It plugs into a wall outlet instead of a USB port so you keep your PS3 ports open. There are no settings to set on the unit other than the "pair" button which you press when you have the PS3 in bluetooth pair mode.

The instructions were fine, but I'm not one to read instructions much. Please note that if you already have the PS3 as part of one of your activities on the Harmony remote, you must log in to the Logitech remote programming software and DELETE then RE-ADD the PS3. The remote control will never recognize the new adapter until you do the delete & re-add because the re-adding process downloads a new template for the PS3 on the re-add.

It seems that many people don't research a product before they buy it. There are some complaints about the price of the Logitech Harmony adapter, but the fact remains that this is the lowest priced IR to BT solution available for the PS3. The direct competition ranges in price from ~$70 up to $160. If you're going to talk price, please compare apples to apples. The Nkyo Blu-wave is not even in the same ballpark as an IR to BT converter.

This product, Like the other currently available IR to BT converters, doesn't just give you power on/off control, it makes all 51 commands of the original Sony BT remote available to the user. IR to USB solutions, on the other hand, only give you access to a maximum of 31 commands. Yes, IR to BT costs more, but you gain substantially more from it as well.

The Logitech adapter is perfect for the niche that is was developed for- users who desire a fairly priced IR to BT solution allowing for full control of their PS3 using their Harmony remote. The purpose of a universal remote is to control your entire system, and this adapter adds the PS3, which has become an integral part of many a/v systems, to the mix.

The adapter fits in the PS3, no problem, has a large power plug, which I don't get, but whatever. Also only about a 3' cord. Has a spot to plug in the Logitech RF adapter for those running the 890/1x00.

Plug the unit in, turn the PS3 on, go to settings, accessory settings, pair BT remote. Press the little connect button on the bottom of the adapter. Done. Sure beats the hell out of that Nyko IR adapter.

Remote requires no real setup other than adding the PS3 if you haven't done so already. You can customize activity buttons like anything else to your liking. Buttons are all in the software menu. It will power the unit on or off. Both automatically or automatically. There is an independent Off button, or it works when pressing the "all-purpose" off buton. There is no independent "power on", but you can use the PS button as such just fine. There are separate settings for the PS button, "PS" and "PSHOLD". Kind of neat. There is no reason you couldn't create macros or integrate the PS3 into existing ones. You do not have to add the adapter to the remote software.

It fits discretely on the PS3 and will not slip off easily. Remember, You do not have to keep this directly beside the PS3. It's Bluetooth, as long as it's in range, and you can aim your remote at it (or use RF), that's fine. It does not physically attach to the PS3 in any way.

So there you go. For what it is, it works fine. Controls are quick and responsive. ON/Off can take a few seconds. I have no outstanding issues with this unit. $60 is a lot for what is basically a plug-in and forget device, but the peace of mind with having all my components seamlessly integrated again is worth it. Plus other adapters can run from $30-100 (give or take) so I don't feel like I'm being ripped off, and it has the added bonus of being a simple, discrete & easy to hide, versatile item to place as all it needs are power and line of sight to remote. Again if you have RF, all you need is power.

Finally, I'm able to control my PS3 with my Harmony 880 remote. The adapter is really small, about the size of a deck of cards, so it is very easy to place anywhere. Setup was very simple, but remember to delete your Play PS3 activity and delete the PS3 device from your setup before adding both again. This will ensure that all the codes transfer in correctly. All the buttons work flawlessly with zero lag. It is so amazing to finally be able to automatically power the PS3 on and off with the remote activities. As a note, remember that the remote doesn't work with games and you may need to eject any games to get the remote to properly work.

Since many people are complaining about the use of an AC adapter instead of USB power, the AC adapter outputs 5V DC so the cable should be easy enough to mod with a USB connector if you want to power the adapter off of your TIVO or other box with USB. If you do this, remember that you can't plug it into the PS3 since it won't receive any power when the PS3 is off.

Although the price seems a little high for what you get, all the competing products with similar features such as the IR2BT run at least $99-150, so the Logitech Adapter is actually a decent value. Although there are cheaper options out there such as the Nyko Bluewave remote, which allows the use of Harmony remotes, or the Sony BT remote, which doesn't allow the use of Harmony remotes, the Logitech is the most all round useful for the money.

I'm really happy with my purchase! Stop reading and go buy one.

Just received this unit today and got it setup in about 5 minutes. Everything works great. The only downside I ran into was that once this unit is paired with the PS3 as a remote, my original PS3 bluetooth remote no longer worked. Apparently you cannot have 2 bluetooth remotes paired with the PS3 at the same time. Thats a PS3 problem though and nothing wrong with this wonderful unit. What a welcome addition to Logitechs line.

This adapter will not stay paired with my ps3. Its already lost its connection 3 or 4 times in the two weeks ive owned it. Its not worth it to me to go in and re-pair it to the ps3 every few days just so i can control the ps3. Basically this adapter is the reason I bought the harmony one remote and I dont feel like it was a good investment. I wouldnt recommend this product.

I'm not going into product details since a lot of other reviewers have already done so. What I will state is that this product works flawlessly and it does what it's supposed to do. Many people complain how expensive it is but in my humble opinion, I think it's a small price to pay for convenience. It's extremely satisfying to be able to control your complete home entertainment experience with one control.

I had no issues with setting it up. I followed the instructions that were included and it worked with out a hitch.