Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE Standard in mid-priced universal remotes! Worth EVERY Penny!, February 1, 2007
This little unit may have just saved my sanity and my marriage. Trying to keep track of remotes, never mind assisting the wife and kids in using them all the time, had about pushed me over the edge. Enter the Harmony 720 at a nice discount, courtesy of Costco. My research said this had the right balance of bang for the buck for me, and so far it has proven true. The bottom line is that it just works, and works very well.
For a bit more detail, this is a very nice feeling unit, it charges fast, and holds a charge well too. Plus the rechargeable battery is replaceable, should it ever need be. The buttons are intuitive, the display is crystal clear, and it sits very well in an adult hand. It was incredibly straightforward to set-up with the downloaded software (this gets you the most recent versions of software and firmware), and abracadabra, 98% of functionality for all of my components loaded automatically using the tutorial/wizard (of note, I am a Mac User, and I found the software to be relatively easy to use - I'm certain the Windows version would be similar). I then customized the remote to add the few functions that didn't pull through automatically, using the infrared learning capabilities and programming functionality. I also was able to edit the labels of the Activities more to our liking, which I greatly appreciate. All told, I only invested about two hours in programming, and we now have one nice remote, and it runs our entire system. Whether we want to watch a DVD, play the Playstation, watch TV, use the DVR, listen to music, etc, all we need do is press one button, and all needed components power up, and the remote gives full functionality to the individual components. It could not be more simple.
I am once again looking forward to growing my system, and keeping the ease of use that I now appreciate with this remote. Comparing the available online images to my unit, it also appears that Logitech may have fine-tuned the design a bit (removing painted labels under the transport buttons that have been reported to wear off quickly), which means they are paying attention to their user base - and that's great news. About the only feature missing is RF transmission (available in the 890), but I wasn't yet ready to pay the extra bones to get that functionality. Besides, I'm certain that Logitech will soon introduce some of the same styling from this unit into their higher end products, and then I may be ready!
Logitech gets a "Great Job!" for improving on a proven Harmony product line. Do yourself (and the family!) a favor and pick one of these up.
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful, Versatile, Easy-to-Use ... finally an "All-in-One" Solution, January 23, 2007
I've been trying to tame an ever growing morass of A/V components for the last 5 years. Between the TV, DVR, A/V Receiver, CD, DVD, Xbox 360 .... I was juggling what seems like dozens of remotes all the time. A few years back, I picked up a Universal Remote MX-500, which the "experts" all agreed was the best and spent (literally) an entire weekend programming it ... but it's inability to accept discrete codes and limited "macro" ability meant that every "action" (such as 'watching a DVD') required numerous key presses, and I still needed to keep other remotes handy. After sketching out a 6 step process for the baby sitter last week - just in case she wanted to watch a movie - I decided it was time to re-evaluate the "universal" remote technology out there on the market.
I was looking for a remote that offered ease-of-use, but still gave me enough power to customize the most minute settings so that my components would behave exactly how I want. I initially was leaning towards the Harmony 550, but after reading a number of reviews online, it seemed like the 720 had more of what I was looking for.
I received my remote two days ago, and had it set up within 40 minutes. It could have been done in 20 minutes, but I kept poking around the software to see what settings I could "change" (Answer = Almost Everything) After specifying the components I had, and the way in which they were connected (ie, DVD uses Input 4 on my TV and the CD-R setting on my AV-Receiver), the program downloaded all the settings to my remote. My first test of the initial set-up ? Virtually flawless. Everything worked as labeled, and the only customizing I had to do was to decide what features I wanted on the custom display.
To test the ease of the new setup, I had the ultimate arbitrer of "ease of use" (my wife) give it a try. I left the remote on the table and said "figure out how to watch a DVD" ... a process that left her confused and angry with the MX-500. Amazingly, she picked the remote up, it lit up, and she saw "Watch a DVD" on the display. Pressing it, the tv switched on and changed inputs, the AV switched on and switched audio inputs, and the DVD switched on and started playing. Ouila !
I'm looking forward to customizing the living heck out of this, but truth be told, it doesn't need it. A virtually idiot-proof setup, with tons of room to grow as needed.
This is my first go with a Logitech remote, and I am suitably impressed. Excellent product, folks.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Little Bit Of Heaven..., December 9, 2006
Obviously a well thought out product. I purchased one yesterday, spent 45 minutes programming it online, and promptly shelved 4 remotes in the process. The build quality is top notch, buttons are well lit and assignable to whatever you want them to be (the unit programs them itself; however, you can override if desired).
I didn't think I could find a remote to replicate all of the buttons on my Time Warner cable DVR remote (Scientific Atlanta brand), but this baby does it all. I couldn't imagine paying upwards of $1000 for some of the ones I've seen for sale, when this one can control up to fifteen devices (even light dimming modules).
And the best part is that Logitech's database of remote controlled devices ( which this remote utilizes) is continually updated, so even if you buy a new component 3 years from now, you will be able to control it via this unit. A+A+A+A+
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