Customer Reviews

Logitech Harmony 700 Rechargeable Remote with Color Screen

5 star:		(155)
4 star:		(92)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

I'm a huge fan of my Harmony One, and use it to control my entire living room...from lights, TV, computer, ps3, a/v receiver, xbox 360, blu ray player, even the air conditioner!

After a year or so of perfect operation, I decided Logitech was the way to go for universal remotes...and decided to look into something for my bedroom. I Tried the 550 and 880 but they just didn't feel comfortable in my hand, and the hard buttons (namely the ones up the side of the screen) were just to hard to press or find in dark situations.

I was just about to buy another One for my bedroom (which would be total overkill) when I saw the 700 series, with a $30 dollar price difference. I picked one up and brought it home.

Setup:

The setup is just the same as all Harmony remotes, internet based, and simple! I wrote down the model numbers for my components and started the setup. I breezed through this because I'm used to using the interface, but even for beginners its quite easy and user friendly.

For this setup I was going to be controlling A 46" Sony Bravia, PS3 Slim (with Logitech's ps3 BT adapter) a tower fan, and a IR light switch.

Everything worked perfectly, and the new hard keys on top of the remote are perfect for choosing your activity.

The remote includes an internal rechargeable battery, and a charging cable for your wall (AC Power). I haven't gotten to test the battery life, and the only thing I can say I miss from my H1 is the charging base, though not a deal breaker it was nice to keep track of your remote.

This is an all around excellent remote, with great features and quick setup (be sure to write those model numbers down) Anybody who's sick of struggling with numerous remotes should give a Harmony 700 a try!

Hi, I had tried this remote but was disappointed by a couple of things. Don't get me wrong, like all Harmony's, this remote is overall great and is well worth the money if you want a great universal remote. Compared to some of the others, however, it's a little disappointing. For reference, I own a Harmony One, and 880, and have used Harmony for 6 or 7 years, back when the first remote ever came out.

If you're looking at Harmony remotes, you already know how great they are and you will know if this will do the job. I'll basically mention what I don't like about this remote, and why I would go for the 880 instead:

1) This remote has a flimsy feel to it. The buttons are squishy and have some "play" in it..they don't just press down -- they move a little in some other direction while being pressed. It's a little subtle, but noticeable compared to the other remotes. It somewhat has the feel of one of the rubberized button cheap remotes that come with the AV equipment you might buy. Overall the remote just feels light and plasticky and I just don't get the feeling that it would handle normal drops and wear and tear that well. Obviously, I didn't test the durability. Again, I would just note that in contrast to every other Harmony I've owned, the build quality on this is not that great. It's not bad, just not what I've come to expect. It does not have the same premium feel to it.

2) No cradle. Definitely disappointing that there is no cradle for this remote. The charging is through the supplied USB cable and a wall dongle. Basically, it takes two hands to plug this remote in. But think about it from the perspective of where you would keep this remote. Do you want to have a lone USB cable dangling around, free to slip off the endtable when you're not charging it. It seems like a pain to fish for the USB cable and plug it in. This is in contrast to dropping it into a nice custom cradle that the other remotes just "slip" into. A word on the wall charger part of it...Cheapo. It comes in two pieces (the plug and the transformer), but the fit and finish is just bad. It really feels like it was made with minimal effort in design...it reminds one of buying a really cheap piece of electronic gear by some off brand that no one has ever heard of and is only sold in Korea or China, with one of those cheap boxes with bad faded photography and Asian letters describing all the features and you know it's just not going to work. I know, I digress, but when you buy a [...] remote, you really don't want to be reminded that they cut a corner here. (for reference, I own other Logitech devices that don't have cradles, but at least the power supply is decent, such as the DiNovo Mini Keyboard).

3) Only 4 screen buttons. When it comes to extending this remote, the screen only supports 4 buttons. At first, I was excited that it actually had easy to access buttons next to the screen. The Harmony one has Touch Screen buttons, which I personally find hard to use. In the dark, you can't just go on feel with the One. The One supports 6 potential buttons. The 880 supports 8 buttons on the screen, via hard buttons next to each item. While the buttons are hard, they can be a little hard to find in the dark without practice. But it's doable. I was hoping the 700 would be the best of both worlds. In reality, it probably is, especially if it supported 6 functions instead of only 4. But even at 4 buttons, it's a reasonable sacrifice if the rest of the remote was outstanding. One advantage of this remote is the 4 colored buttons that correspond to a lot of the DVR and Satellite boxes out there, as well as game systems, etc. So in a way, you don't need as many Screen buttons. Still, this remote would have been better with 6 buttons and would have made it feel like you were buying a premium Harmony remote. Here, it just feels intentionally crippled.

4) This is a bit of a minor gripe....but, after getting the less than premium/cheapo feel on this remote, the batteries continue the cheap feel. It comes with AA sized rechargeable batteries. They are NiMH. Now, if I got a remote in 1997 that sported AA batteries that charged inside the remote, I would be telling everyone how awesome this was. But these days, we're all used to those slim little Li-Ion batteries that come in every other rechargeable gadget like cameras, gameboys, etc.

So overall, again, this remote is still a great Harmony remote and will blow away most of the other remotes out there. These are all relatively minor points of distinction for the discerning user. I would think about your purpose and how often you'll be using, and how many devices you will control.

In fact, I would agree with the first poster on this point: it's a great second remote for limited applications. It's perfect for a bedroom, or a very small, simple setup. I don't think this competes at all with the One or the 880. With the 880 at only $10 more on Amazon right now, I think it is the better buy. Personally, I find some of the buttons more user friendly on the 880 than on the One/700. And of course, there are some buttons on the One that are better than the 880. The layout of the 700 could have been awesome, but the remote is limited by the fact that it is designed to be a crippled, entry-level remote in comparison to the higher end models.

So I would think hard about the 880 (I wish the screen on the 880 was prettier....) if you're looking at this.

Finally, I really hope Logitech isn't ruining the Harmony brand here. I hope they are not planning on continuing to make a cheaper feeling product across all the models. The new 900 apparently is weaker than previous remotes in that it does not support "sequences". I know most people were hoping that it would be a One with RF. But it sounds like you have to give something back to the get the RF. I hope Logitech remembers that there are plenty of "power users" out there who want a fantastic remote and are willing to pay for it.

I have heard so many wonderful things about the Harmony line of remotes. I could not wait to try this one out.

OUT OF THE BOX

In the box came a remote with a USB cord and a charger with partially charged rechargeable batteries.

The remote is sleek and stylish. It is weighted towards the bottom, but my hand wants to be in the middle to control the buttons up top, so there were balance issues, but no big deal.

I have lots of rechargeable NiMh batteries, so I put a pair of fully charged hybrid batteries in. That way, I wouldn't need to plug in my remote very soon. It immediately flashed instructions on the little tiny screen about how to set it up, including when to connect to a computer and what website to visit.

SETUP

Setup was easy but much more time consuming than I expected from all the buzz. I am not that familiar with the Harmony remotes, but I thought ease of setup was its allure. So when the instructions said to allot 45 minutes for setting up, I was surprised. And remember, you'll need a computer with an internet connection. For the technologically challenged, this could be a problem.

Most of my time was spent pulling the AV units out of the cabinets and looking for a model number. I also had to run up and downstairs in order to answer setup questions about how the remote operations are set up on my television. Once, when I did not know the answer to a question of how my old remote is set up, the Harmony "learned" from my old remote by having me place my old remote behind it.

The availability of channel icons is pretty limited. I could not find most of the ones I wanted and had to either go without or find them on the internet, download them, unzip them and install them.

Once I was done, I got to experience the beauty of the remote.

PERFORMANCE

Once it's set up, it's very easy to use. My 8 year old figured it out right away. My husband, who's not technologically savvy, figured it out.

The favorites show up on screen as soon as I press the "watch TV" button. If you have a very challenged family member, put their favorites right there and s/he can just press the button next to his/her favorite channel.

I press a button and all the proper equipment turns on or off. Want to watch TV? The satellite receiver and TV turn on but the DVD player and VCR stays off. Want to watch a movie on DVD? Press the button and the DVD player, TV and satellite receiver (I have that set to always be on but it can be set to automatically be off) are on but the VCR stays off.

The biggest disadvantage with the operation I see is a mild delay when I press the commands. Press the "watch TV" button and I have to wait a second. Press the Disney channel and I have to wait a second. It's not a long wait, but it is noticeable.

PROS:
+ a true all in one remote
+ Harmony remote can "learn" from other remotes
+ easy to use and learn
+ one touch on/off operation -- simultaneously turn everything you need on and off at once (things you don't need on will stay off)
+ set up instructions flash on screen when batteries installed -- includes which website to visit
+ sleeps when put down, wakes up when picked up
+ favorite channels show on remote screen when watching TV for quick access
+ comes with batteries

CONS:
- allow 45 minutes to set up
- included icon selection is limited -- must download your own
- must plug in to recharge -- no cradle, and no memory if batteries removed
- need an internet connection for setup
- weighted towards the bottom but my hands wants to be near the top -- causes balance issues
- slight delay between pressing a command button and seeing the action desired

SUMMARY

Overall a terrific device, definitely a step above the all-in-one remotes requiring code entry. Love the customizability of the favorites channels and the ability to add icons. Wish I didn't have to go hunting the internet for those icons and would like a cradle for my next Harmony. I do plan on upgrading one day.

UPDATE: I did find a way to fix the delay issue in the online manual (that is another disadvantage, no printed manual), but I haven't gotten around to fixing it, yet. If it's a problem to fix, I will update.

UPDATE: Before writing the initial review, I did take out the batteries to see what would happen with the remote. When I put them back in, the remote would not turn the TV or any other device on, so I had to go back to the computer to get my settings back -- hence the comment about no memory.

I have since been told there is a memory, so I went back to try again. This time, I did get the settings back, but it was not perfect. Some things changed, little things, like the remote assistant is on when I turn on the TV. I had it set to off.

Thank you, Logitech, for assisting me. At least I know there is a memory.

I bought the Harmony 700 to replace an earlier Harmony remote that had reached the end of its lifecycle. I let it charge for a couple of hours and then set out to update it on the Harmony website, hoping that all of work I put into setting up my original remote would be transferable.

I was pleasantly surprised that there was an option to "upgrade my remote" on the opening screen, front and center. It was a matter of less than a minute to click through a couple of screens and then just let it go. A little while later, everything was transferred over and the 700 worked perfectly with my AV system. All in all, it took less than half an hour of setup and most of that was just letting the files transfer over to the remote. The process could not have been any easier.

It is very convenient having "activity" buttons at the top of the remote, so hitting one button can turn on the TV and stereo, selecting the proper components for each. It feels light in the hands, very comfortable. There is a fair amount of customization that can be done on this remote, changing what the buttons map to and what you would like to do with each device you own.

A very good remote, and a good price for one that works so well! And if you already have a Harmony remote, your settings get copied over easily so you don't have to spend time re-defining all of your activities.

I owned a Harmony One (touchscreen) for many months. Though it costs a lot more than the 700 I think the 700 is a much more user friendly remote (for a maximum of six devices to control).

The MAIN ADVANTAGE of the 700 over the Harmony One is NO UNWANTED SCREEN TOUCH COMMANDS: I got so tired of accidentally touching the screen on the H-One and it would go and do something I didn't want it to. Then, when you're sitting on your couch and pointing the remote at your home theater system, you have to be real careful about where you touch on the screen, to make sure you don't issue the wrong command. Plus, when you're looking at the remote at an angle laying back on your couch, it looks like you're touching one screen button but it's actually the one below. Bottom line: real buttons are much better for a device that isn't facing your face or in a fixed position. With the 700, you can easily feel which button you need to press, the layout is so intuitive that after a short while you don't even need to look at the buttons.

ISSUE 1 -- LACK OF A CHARGING CRADLE: It requires you to plug the USB cable into it. While not a deal breaker, it's kind of a let-down after owning the 720 and the Harmony One. It comes with rechargeable NiMH AA batteries, which you can just swap out with standard AA batteries in a pinch.

[UPDATE: After using this item for a few weeks, I don't miss the charging cradle at all, and the remote stays charged for weeks at a time, so plugging it into the USB cable is no biggie!]

ISSUE 2 -- NOT ENOUGH SCREEN BUTTONS: The 4-button screen layout would have been way better with 6. It still works great, but again, after owning the 720 and the Harmony One, it just seems like such an irritating limitation.

ISSUE 3 -- You can't specify an order for the list of Activities or Devices. They just display in some random order, so if you want to re-organize your Activities, you have to delete the one you want to move to another screen and re-create it. I assume it's the same way for the Device list.

Other than those three issues, I like the feel of the remote (velvet-rubber buttons, nice feel), the layout is VERY intuitive and easy to memorize, and overall I highly recommend the Harmony 700.

I had a Sony Direct TV Ultimate TV receiver and had to replace the remote at over a hundred dollars, and it did was control the one receiver, and the option of doing simple commands on a Sony TV set as well. My bedroom TV which was a Zenith had a defective remote and I bought a cheaply made universal remote that you can set for only one type of TV for regular use and it did not have most of the commands that I needed in order to fully use the TV's features. Then along came Logitech with their Harmony line of remotes. Wow. For the cost of one remote you can control an online menu of thousands and thousands of different makes and models of gear, not just one type, or brand. You can create "Events" so when you want to watch TV, for example, and then turn on your stereo to hear it through, and turn on your cable TV, dish, etc. box you can do all of that with one keystroke. It doesn't stop there; you also have the ability to automatically dial in a certain channel, on your TV, audio receiver, etc. and all of this for the price of what you would pay for one dedicated remote.

Step 1: Plug in your remote to your PC with the included USB cable.
2: Go online, and sign up with Logitech.
3: While online input the make and model number of your gear. (They already have the settings for thousands of different makes and types of gear, even my ancient audio receiver)
4: Choose your events. Like the example above turning on all of the gear related to watching TV. The online site records in your account the events and gear so you can edit or expand them later.
5: Enjoy the automatic download into your Logitech Harmony remote device all of the settings. All of the work is done for you.
There you have it. Now you can use just one remote to control any individual component, or with the click of a button, orchestra an "event" to automatically control all three devices, or more.

So what about the Logitech Harmony 700? How does it differ than the other models? Think about the problem. How do you create a remote that resembles a PC in its complexity, and being able to get the job done, while still maintaining the kind of simplicity that enables an ease of use that is uncanny for a device of this type? That is very simple. Introduce the LH700. It not only has multiple menus on the easy to read LCD, it also has something that I have not seen on the other remotes, and that is the cool set of buttons across the top that handle the 3 most popular things we use the remote for, and they are watch TV, watch a movie, and listen to music. The 4th button on the top is for more activities. Now you can sit down to watch TV for example, and only press one button, and wahlah you are there. So you hit the one button, on one remote that automatically turns on the TV, the stereo, and cable box for example, instead of picking up the remote for the TV, then the one for the stereo, fumbling around and finding the remote for the cable box, and putting up with each one of those. You simply hit one button and that is it. So how is this different than many of the other Logitech Harmony remotes? Simply this, not to be lazy, but the others have the necessity of browsing through menus, and sub menus to do most everything. At the very least you have to choose "Activities "or "Devices" and then press a couple more times to execute the event. With the 700 it is hit one button, and that is it, your done. With one button, your whole wall of related devices lights up at the same time, tuned to the channel, and function already for you.

Look I love the whole product line up of Harmony remotes; I have the 720, 880, and now the 700. In my living room I have components on 2 different locations so the 900 is an item I am drooling over, with the radio controlled 3 position capable infra-red portable receivers. But the one thing I enjoy about the 700 is the single button simplicity, while still being a complex device with scrollable sub-menus for a full suite of possibilities. You could say they engineered this one to simplicity; something the whole family can appreciate, yet evolved enough for the tech centric gear head to enjoy.

Pertaining to the comments about the feeling of the remote being a bit cheap, I have to whole heartedly disagree. This thing is built like a tank. The easy to push control buttons, are made out of a softer rubber, and yes they are larger, and get this, totally illuminated when you touch the remote in the dark, so the words such as "guide" "Menu" "Exit" etc. glow in the dark. The only buttons that don't light up are the single touch buttons, and they are the ones you already know from the most frequent use for watching TV, a movie, or music. You would be hard pressed to get any one of the buttons on the entire remote to wiggle in place. I tried, they are rock solid, and have a great feel. More importantly is they are spaced out more nicely, giving you sufficient room to avoid making a mistake. Get it right the first time every time, and I love the 880, but the slim waist design, forces the buttons to be too small, and you feel like you are working with a mini keyboard all of the time.

So what are the possible downsides? You should plan on investing, like the manual says, about 45 minutes in order to properly setup your remote. You have to get all of your devices in, and your activities/events setup. After that you are in the long run going to enjoy ease of use, and a lot of time saved from having to juggle numerous remotes. Another thing that I am not crazy about is that there isn't any charging cradle with the 700, but it rather relies on a plug in USB cable to charge the NiMH battery. The only caveat is that a single charge is good for up to a week, so you only have to remember to plug it in at least once every 7 days. Additionally this replaces up to 6 remotes, so if you have a huge amount of gear, and need to replace more than 6 remotes worth of control, then you should look at one of Logitech's other models with even more remote replacement capabilities like the 880 which will control up to 15. It may be an older model but it has the expanded remote replacement capacity of up to 15.

All in all once you get used to the capabilities of one of Logitech's Harmony remotes you won't be satisfied just using a coffee table full of different ones anymore. Put them all in a drawer because your New Harmony is here, and it is all blending together into one unified symphony of control. I'm hooked, and I guarantee you will be also. After buying the 720, and 880, I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed with the 700. Highly recommended. Get one.

I've had the remote for a couple of days now and I've got to say its a great remote. I am an owner of the Logitech Harmony 890 as well. The 890 has RF capability as well as a larger LCD - and it's also about double the price. Obviously there are things that the 890 has over the 700 but I really found the 700 to be a better remote in terms of the "feel" it has.

I'm using the remote to control a bunch of electronics. I have an Onkyo receiver, Panasonic Plasma, Xbox 360 (which it doesn't control), PS3 (which it controls through a separate attachment), a Blu-Ray player, and a Tivo. To program the remote, you download and install software (Mac or PC), plug in your remote to your USB port with the included cable, and start the wizard.

In the wizard, you enter the devices you own and it automatically figures out the infrared codes for the remote that comes with your device (you can still manually enter buttons from your old remote to the new one, but its not necessary). You then choose activities you want to perform like "Watch TV" or "Listen to Music", etc. For each activity, the software asks you a series of questions about what channel to turn the TV to, or which source to turn the receiver to, etc. After you configure each activity, it programs your remote and you are good to go! Simple as that!

Software was pretty standard and I had the same great experience with my old harmony. What was different was the feel of the remote. I honestly LOVE the feel of the Harmony 700. The buttons have a great feel to them; they are responsive and springy. When you press down on them, you can really feel the quality of the remote. The remote feels great in your hand; heavy enough to feel like a quality remote, but light enough not to get tired holding it up. The ergonomics are great and it fits well in your hand. I also love that the buttons are raised (unlike the 890 where the buttons are all flat) because I can feel my way around the remote without having to look down on it.

While I think its a great remote, I do have a few minor gripes. First of all, I wish the resolution of the LCD were a little better. There are only a few "activities" and controls that fit on the screen, but I supposed if I was far-sighted, I would not be complaining as much. Also, I wish that the remote came with a cradle and RF like the 890, but then again, the 890 costs about twice as much. The way you charge this remote is by plugging in the USB to the top of it...Its much like the first few generations of iPods; there is this wall block that you plug the other end of a USB cable (the same one you use to plug it into your computer with). Finally the Macros can take a few seconds to all kick in (Turn on TV, turn on receiver, turn to channel, etc.). I wish there were some way to speed those up.

Again, the gripes that I have are very minor. I really love this remote and highly recommend this one. I think its also at a great price point for what you get.

I upgraded to the Harmony 700 from the Harmony 550 about one week ago and I honestly like this remote a lot more than I thought I would.

I am a self-professed ergonomics aficionado. A recent review by a reputable tech site stated the 700 had a "budget feel", but it's a massive step up from the Harmony 550. I might even say it feels better than the Harmony One due to its matte finish and rubbery buttons. While the buttons are rubber, there is a tactile click to most of the buttons when fully pressed. The remote as a whole feels tightly built... there are no creaks or loose seams that bend under pressure like the 550 is known for.

Setup, as with the 550, was a breeze using the (somewhat clunky) Logitech software on Mac OS X Snow Leopard, controlling a Philips HDTV, Xbox 360, PS3 (with adapter), Onkyo 6.1 system, and standard Motorola Comcast DVR.

Having upgraded from a cheaper Harmony remote, there are a number of welcome new features... not having to press a "GLOW" button for the backlight to turn on is nice. The remote lights up just by moving it. The color screen with favorite channel icons is definitely a huge bonus (and if you look around, you can download custom channel icons to load onto the remote for a more uniform look). Of course, the assignable color buttons are great for quickly accessing DVR menu items with one click.

One nit I might pick is the omission of a "Play Game" hard activity button. Currently, I have "Listen to Music" set to turn on my 360 and "Watch Movie" set to turn on my PS3.

And for those wondering, most of the keys are backlit. This feature seems to be omitted in the product description.

This is a terrific mid-tier remote that is surprisingly well-built for its price point and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

We have been living with an A/V setup in my family room with mostly new equipment--large LED TV, Samsung Blu-ray DVD with built-in Netflix streaming, Apple TV, and an A/V receiver to power all the sound. This remote has made everything easier to live with. Not only has it eliminated our remote clutter, it has actually solved quite a few niggling problems for us. It is also simple to use and even the kids and my husband are comfortable with it.

I don't have a cable set-top box or Tivo. I DO get a ton of digital stations on sub-channels via basic cable with the tuner on the TV. Due to the foibles of digital tv, every tv tuner tunes a bit differently, so my two digital tv's have different channels for the same stations. I was tired of remembering them all. Plus, it takes a bit longer to tune a channel with digital. If you make a mistake or need to hunt for a channel, it takes much longer than in the "old days" of analog. I went ahead a set up favorite channels to program in almost all the channels we watch regularly. I downloaded logos from a 3rd party site to use on the remote. Now we have cute logos on a screen to select from and they can be reordered and changed easily any time. No sub-channels to remember any more.

My blu-ray device works fine. Even Netflix streaming works. The buttons were not set up completely by default. I think I was missing the "red" button that would bring me to Netflix in one click. I bought this remote partially because it has the red, blue, yellow, green buttons that were familiar to us and we really need that red one for our Samsung. I called customer support to get walked through adding in that functionality. The agent surprised me with wonderful service. She started by asking what my user name in their system is. Then she asked me what I needed. Then she told me, "Okay--update your remote." I did and it worked! We get this service for 90 days with this product. I have no doubt that I could have called before I set anything up and had them do it for me, but I like to learn things and be somewhat self-reliant, so I did most of it by myself.

The Apple TV works better with this product. I did have to follow a faq that they link to in the setup program to "unpair" the device to make it be able to control the Apple TV. After I did this, the Harmony works BETTER than the remote that comes with the Apple TV. In our family room, our seating is fairly far from the Apple TV and the little remote that came with the Apple TV sometimes only worked if we moved closer. What a pain. The Harmony works very well.

I really like this product. The setup takes a bit longer than I expected so it lost a star for that. Also, the mac program doesn't look and work "mac-ish" and sometimes had glitches (I just quit and restart to make it work properly) so it lost a star for that. It is pretty easy to use the program after getting used to it, so I only took off the one star.

I have been using this remote for 8 months (since Christmas) and I am madly in love with it. I am a very non-technical person, and this review will surely make that clear.

Our situation is this: in our living room we have an HD TV, a cable box with built-in DVR, a surround sound system, and a DVD player - each with its own remote. And then my husband has a complicated stereo system with several components, many of which I cannot identify, involving several additional remotes.

I will now describe the scenario BEFORE and AFTER getting the Logitech 700.

BEFORE: You decide to watch a DVD. It is necessary to operate a minimum of three different remotes for this to happen. Your husband is faster than you and grabs them first. As you have many times before, you grit your teeth and watch him cluelessly pressing random buttons trying to get the system set up. As the DVD plays on and on with no sound, you finally shriek "Just GIVE me the damn thing!" and rip the remote from his hands. Then you confidently press the wrong buttons and not only fail to produce sound but sometimes lose the picture, while your husband ridicules you. Finally, the DVD is playing correctly and you settle on opposite sides of the couch, no longer on speaking terms.

AFTER: You decide to watch a DVD. You pick up the Logitech 700. You smile fondly at your husband as you press the "Watch DVD" button. The radio turns off, the TV but not the cable turns on and selects the correct input. The DVD player turns on. The surround sound selects the proper setting. You press "Play," cuddle up on the couch and enjoy the movie.

I'm not exaggerating, this thing is incredible. The first time we tried it, and it worked just like it was supposed to, we stared at it with reverent awe, probably not unlike the cavemen who first discovered fire.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say the initial set up, where you have to connect the remote to your computer and enter all the serial numbers of your equipment, is an enormous pain. The numbers will usually be located in the most inaccessible spot on each appliance. So while you're wedged upside down between the wall and the TV, tangled up in various cords and cables, squinting at the back of the TV with your flashlight, you have to guess which of the many random strings of numbers is the serial number. And then enter them all into the computer. So yeah, that part sucks. But after that, bliss.

I noticed another review said the remote felt flimsy, but I don't feel that is justified, it seems well made and sturdy to me. Also the lack of a docking station is a good thing in my opinion, as the last thing I need is something else I have to plug in and clutter up my living room. When the remote needs a charge (and this has only happened three times since I got - the battery seems to last forever) I just take out the cord and plug it in to charge, really not a big deal.

So to reiterate, this remote is worth every penny and I would recommend it to anyone.