Customer Reviews

Logitech Harmony 628 Advanced Universal Remote (Blue/Silver)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The harmony remote connects to a computer using a USB cable. You then install some software on the computer and then navigate to a web site (harmonyremote.com) to configure the remote control. All of the configuration is dependent on this web site. On one hand, this is good in that this web site should always have the latest device commands in its database. However, the drawback is that you have to contend with a web/HTML interface and the wait times associated with a web-based application. Personally I think it would have been better to have a normal installed Windows application that can receive updates on new supported devices over the internet.

Configuring the remote was not that easy but was possible. Basically if you have fairly "well-behaved" and well supported devices with no special characteristics or requirements, their wizards should get the remote configured quickly. But...if you have certain tweaks you want to make then navigating through their configuration pages can be frustrating. For example, if you want to add certain device commands to the list of commands sent when an activity button is pressed (activity = "Watch a Movie"), then you have to navigate through their setup wizard for the activity and then, at the end, choose from one of the 3 responses which dumps you to a configuration page that finally allows you to add commands. This page should be accessible directly - but isn't.

Ultimately, though, despite the poor configuration UI and web site, I was able to get this remote configured the way that I want. The end result was great. It is a very easy to use remote once its configured. One of the things I hate about many remotes is that you have to give guests a tutorial on how to use them so they can operate your entertainment system. With this remote, its pretty obvious what to do to watch a DVD or watch TV, etc.

I did get my remote as a Christmas present and, yes, as the other reviewers stated, Logitech's site was overwhelmed which resulted in some frustration. I got frequent "High Traffic" error messages when first trying to configure the remote. However, ultimately, I waited for times where the web site was not so overloaded and did manage to get the remote configured.

Overall, I'm pleased with the remote. The end result was good despite some hassle in getting it configured. Once you have found your way around their configuration web site, you can get the remote tweaked they way you want it. I've never had a universal remote that didn't require a lot of time to get it completely setup and tweaked to work they way I want. So all in all, I wasn't too disappointed in that.

Pros:

* The remote is phsyically designed well. It can be operated easily with one hand. When back-lit, is bright and clear. The buttons are all easily pressed.

* It uses "Activity" buttons that represent what you want to do..."Watch TV", "Watch a movie", "Listen to music". additionally, you can create your own custom activities and name them what you want. So a guest can pick up your remote and fairly easily figure out what button to press to do what they want.

* The LCD screen has 6 positions with buttons for each position so that you can create custom commands associated with each activity or device. There is a "Next" button below this so that you can have multiple pages of these custom commands.

* It supports "discrete" commands such as Power On and Power Off and "Go to Video 6", etc. This is really important for the remote to be able to function without making assumptions about what the current state of the devices are (e.g. If a device is already on and it needs to have a device on for a given activity, it won't send a "Power toggle" and inadvertantly turn the device off.)

* You can control whether switching from one activity to another turns off the other unused devices.

* You can specify if some devices should always be left on (i.e. a cable box)

* You can add additional commands for any devices

* It can learn any commands that it doesn't already know fairly easily.

Cons

* It relies on a web site and applications that are launched via the site to configure the remote. This means that you have a combination of web pages and downloaded applets that run when you need to update the remote. The result is a clunky interface that is inferior to a normal Windows app. For example, in a normal windows app, a wizard would let you simply press "ENTER" to next through the wizard but the HTML based web site requires you reposition your mouse every time over the next button to get through them. Generally I think web based apps are inferior to Windows apps. Even still, they could still make their web site easier to use. Its too indirect and too wizard - based. Wizards are ok for initial setup just to get things mostly configured, but when I need to go in and make tweaks and refine the configuration, I don't want wizards. I want something more straightforward.

* One of my devices is a Sony Receiver. Its a model that is only about 3 years old but it didn't seem to be in their database. I had to learn the commands I needed with the original remote and head to head learning. Its a Sony - not some cheap off brand no one has heard of!

* Yes their web site was overwhelmed during the holidays - very frustrating

* When you first take out their CD, you're prompted to install their software. But as soon as you go to the web site to start configuring, it tells you there is updated software and you have to manually uninstall what you just installed! It doesn't even do it for you or simply update what you have.

I bought one of these a few weeks ago because I was tired of juggling three remotes. I had tried several other "universal" devices, only to find it impossible to get all the functions included in any reasonable fashion.

The harmony remotes, rather than being programmed using code numbers, are set up through a USB cable and a web site. That means there is a little extra time at the front end, involving loading the PC-based software (more later), the firmware update to the remote, and then the config information. The benefit is that you get almost limitless flexability in defining how the remote works.

Another wonderful feature is that it understands operating modes. If you push the "Watch TV" button it will turn on, for example, your TV, your set top box, and your TIVO. The button labled "FF" will control your TIVO. If you push "Watch a Movie", again the appropriate devices will be turned on (and the inappropriate ones off if you choose to set it that way) and the same "FF" button will now control your DVD player. The result is far fewer buttons and a better interface.

About the software, when you get your remote (and you should), don't install the CD that comes with it. Go directly to the web site where you can install the latest version. If you install from CD you'll probably have to uninstall before the update will load.

After seeing how well the first remote worked, I bought a second remote for my upstairs TV. Now I see they are about $10 less than I paid; an even better value.

This remote is great, it controls everything I need it to with ZERO probelms, and if you did have a problem it can help you fix it! This remote is a little on the pricy side but well worth it when you can control your

TV

VCR

DVD Player

TIVO

Cable -or- Dish System

Stero System

Surround Sound

X-BOX

BOSE

AND MORE....

I love this remote I took all the other ones, and placed the in the drawer. The software for this is really simple to use, and follow it really walks you through the setup process really well. The best part is you can program it to do certain things for example: If you want to watch a DVD, it will turn on the TV, DVD Player, and Audio System all at the same time - how cool is that! This is worth the money - the dog even got ahold of the remote and did a number on it, and it still works! The screen could be a little bit larger though, not by much!

I've got a pile of "universal" remotes in my home, all of which failed to run at least one of the components in my entertainment system. When I saw the 628 in the store and took a chance on paying it's relatively high purchase price, I was fully prepared to take it back if it didn't do EVERYTHING I wanted to do with my system.

And I'm keeping it.

Yeah, the web interface is a bit of a pain, and I'm worried what will happen when their server goes down or Logitech decides to end support. But darned if this thing didn't already know about every one of my (rather odd) components, with just a few buttons missing, and those it learned without any trouble. The state-concious macros allow you to switch entertainment activities without getting out of sync or having to cycle through OFF, and the ergonomic shape lets you run things one-handed. The biggest time-waster is whittling down the kitchen-sink functions that clutter up the soft key menu pages, and I had to lie and tell it my computer was a cassette recorder, but once I got it tweaked it's been very handy. Save the receipt if you must, but give this one a try if you've been disapointed by the others. You may just keep it.

Just got this remote in an effort to make life simpler for my wife and kids and it really delivers! Here is what sets this remote apart from others that I've used:

1) the whole remote responds to one-button macros, i.e., pressing the "watch tv" button on the remote not only turns on the appropriate components and puts them in the appropriate modes but makes the buttons on the remote control the appropriate component...for instance, in my situation, pressing the channel up/down or numeric buttons will then affect the tv while pressing volume will affect the receiver (no switching the remote to control different components when it is in this mode of operation)...the downside is that not all functions are accessible (as far as I can tell) from this mode of operations, so you can:

2) press the device button and select from the list of devices you told it you have and the remote actually becomes a SUPERSET of what you could do on the OEM remote that shipped with your component! I have a Sony 400 disk DVD changer and THIS remote allows me more control than the Sony RM-DX500 remote...the downside is poor documentation on HOW you access everything but you can figure it out from the website and once you know, there is nothing that you have to refer back to (it's just part of your learning curve on how the remote operates)

3) all the programming is stored in flash memory so you never have to beat the clock when changing batteries

4) it is easy to clone the remote into other Logitech remotes if you wish to have more of them (you might miss seeing all those remotes laying around)

This is really a well-thought-out, impressive remote.

I have three different Harmony remotes -- I'm a big fan. This one is in my bedroom. Of the three that I have (880, 659, 628), this is my least favorite. Why? It's missing a few hard buttons that I miss, and the remaining buttons have a layout that I have a hard time remembering. Let me elaborate.

First, as I indicated above, I'm a big fan of Harmony Remotes. You can program them to do everything that any of your devices' IR remotes can do. In general, the dedicated buttons on the remote are enough to handle the tasks that you do 90% of the time. Less frequently used functions can be configured to appear on the LCD screen, which displays 4 (or 6 - it's configurable) items at a time, and can scroll. For really seldom-used functions, everything that the device's remote can do is accessible in "Device" mode.

I have never had any trouble with the website's programming applets. Some folks hate them, but I'm not one of them. There have been occasions where I have had to try a configuration, and go back to tweak it, because it wasn't working exactly the way I wanted it to. I would rather do this on my computer, using the website's huge database of devices and IR codes, than to try to program it manually, the way I used to have to do with older universal remotes.

I also do not have the problems that some other folks complain about where the device state gets out of sync. I always program my devices using what they call "discrete codes", where there's a different command for "On" and "Off", instead fo a single "Toggle Power" command, and different commands for TV input selection. I never have to try to find the discrete code settings, even if they're not provided by the device's original remote, because Logitech's online device database already has all of the discrete codes for all of my devices stored and ready for me to use.

The Harmony 628, in particular, is my least favorite of the three Harmony remotes we have. It is missing dedicated buttons for "Exit", "Menu", and "Info". I use all three of these regularly, so I ended up configuring them as items on the LCD. This isn't too horrible, although it's a little inconvenient. The other issue I have with this remote is that I just can't seem to figure out the button layout. When I'm watching TV, if it's dark in the room, I can never find the Play, Stop, Pause, FFwd and Rev buttons. They're always in the same place, of course, but it's just never where I expect. I always end up having to turn on the backlight.

Overall, this is a solid remote, at the inexpensive end of the awesome Harmony line. If your remote usage does not involve the "Menu", "Info" or "Exit" buttons, then bump my rating up by one. For my uses, though, this device is OK, but not great.

I came across this product searching for a universal remote to control my rather unique setup. I have two devices (D-Link Media Lounge and Creative Labs Audio Decoder) which pretty much all universals aren't compatable with. All of Logitech's promises for compatability were 100% delivered.

The function keys such as "Watch TV" work perfectly turning on necessary devices and changing to correct inputs. This was vital because my girlfriend was clueless with the stack of 4 remotes this replaced.

The setup wizard was extremely user friendly and made the initial setup a breeze. This brings me to my only (minor) complaint. The wizard was a little too user friendly in my opinion. I had to customize a couple of the delays between signals to allow time for the television to power up. The software is so user friendly it actually makes editing for the advanced user a nightmare. But with a little work I figured it out, put all my other remotes in the cabinet and haven't used them since.

Also, there are much more expensive Harmony models out there, but as far as I can tell, they have the same functionality and compatability as this one. The only difference that I can tell is a flashier casing and color LCD. If that isn't a concern of yours, then this is the remote for you.

I have two home entertainment systems: one for the living room and one for my basement. I bought this remote for my living room with 5 components: TV, AV RECEIVER, DVD, DIGITAL CABLE BOX and TIVO. This remote works all 5 flawlessly. Even my wife can use it with ease. The only drawback (which everyone else seems to indicate) is that you need to be PC savvy to tweak the remote properly but once you have it configured properly, it works great! I then bought another remote for my basement where I have a Samsung HLR-5667W DLP TV, which is a great TV by the way but the remote stinks. The Harmony 628 remote handled all of the functions with ease, including functions (such as PIP) that are performed by going through a tedious menu process to use with the TV remote.

I highly recommend this remote so long as you are patient with the setup process.

[ This is almost the same as my 676 review ]

I don't have a lot to add to what other positive reviews have said. These remotes are very flexible and you can tweak them to perfection, or at least as close as your equipment allows. I've got a 676 and a 628 for my house, and bought a 628 for a friend. (I bought the 676 first, but after playing with it and a 628 I think I'd rather have a 628. Less clutter and a better Glow button.)

I give 4 stars instead of 5 because the database isn't perfect; I've had a few keys I've had to relearn, there always seem to be a handful of commands that don't apply to my model, and it's occasionally been missing discrete on/off commands that really exist.

Responses to some negative comments:

"It's hard to set up". Well, yeah, sort of. I think that if you take the default setup for your equipment you'll end up in about the same place as you would with a conventional "universal remote". The difference is that you can then tweak this remote so that it really works right... and when you've got it 95% right, the urge to kill off that last 5% can be tough to resist.

"There aren't enough buttons". This is tricky. I think that the right number of buttons is however many you *need*, and not a single button more. You've got the soft buttons and device mode for features that you only need every week or two, and not giving them a hard button helps to keep the remote uncluttered for the rest of the time. I actually prefer the 628 to the 676 because the extra buttons on the 676 add clutter without adding much value - see details below.

"It's expensive". Yep, but not as expensive as some of the other high-end remotes. The 628 bottomed out at a pretty reasonable price; perhaps the later models will drop similarly when they are discontinued.

"I don't want to have to go back to the computer to tweak it". I suppose that this is a matter of taste. Indeed, the tweak/load cycle is pretty slow, and should be faster. However, personally I think that's more than made up for by the fact that you can look at pages of programming information at once. With a typical learning remote you're almost flying blind - if you lose track of what you've set up and what you haven't, good luck finding your place.

"Web page is intolerably slow". Hasn't been a problem for me. Then again, I didn't get one for Christmas.

A few detailed comments about the 628, mostly for comparison with other Harmony models:

- The Glow button has a different feel than the other buttons, making it easier to find in the dark. It should be *more* distinctive, but is better than the 676.

- The four arrow buttons on the 628 may be better than the ring on the 676. At least one person didn't automatically figure out that the ring was the arrow pad.

- It'd be nice if play, stop, and pause were more distinctive.

- I think the buttons added on the 676 add more clutter than value. They are:
Media - I don't watch TV. Perhaps Guide can substitute.
Chapter f/b - map well to channel up/dn
Sound, Pic - I just don't need to tweak those things very
often.
Exit - I mapped "Prev" to DVD "return" on my 628, and was
mostly happy.
Menu, Info, Guide - Do you really need all three? I mapped
the 628's Guide to DVD "menu", and put DVD "display"
on a soft button.
A, B - haven't needed 'em. (and how would I remember what they do? Soft buttons have labels...)

Now, admittedly, not watching TV does make my use simpler. I don't need to control a Tivo, so I don't know how easy that would be to set up. Programming a VCR might be a bit tough when you want the number pad to control the cable box. (Device mode is probably the answer.) I don't use Picture-in-Picture.

One caution: All three remotes have locked up during initial (one-time) firmware upgrades. A tech support call on the first one yielded the solution: boot the remote into "safe mode" (really!) by removing its batteries, holding down "Off", and plugging it into USB. The firmware upgrades went fine then.

This is my second Harmony Remote (I also have the 676 Model I use for my Home Theater). I'm using this for the my unit in the living room controlling a Sony Bravia LCD HDTV, a Philips DVD player, a Cable Box and a Component Switch.

It basically replaced 4 remotes into one. Great value, a space and time saver too because now I only have one remote lying around instead of changing from one to another. The function buttons takes care of everything. If I want to watch TV or a DVD, you need to only click only on one button. A really big help for the wife and the kids!!!

The only thing here is you need a PC and an INTERNET ACCESS to program the remote. Any changes you need (adding let's say a CD player or VHS) you need to update your profile on the web and it prompt you to update your remote via a cable hook-up through the PC. If you have problems, you can call their technical support and would walk you through.

BTW, note that these WILL NOT WORK for a BOSE LIFESTYLE system at all. Bose uses Radio Frequency on their remote that's why you can control the lifestyle system even if you are let's say on another floor or behind a wall. You may want to look at Harmony 890 for that because all other models uses infrared which is limited to line-of-site.