Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360 Review
Finding a good universal remote these days can be a daunting task, that is, if you want one that can control everything in your living room easily. If you head over to the local electronics store, Target, Walmart, or any similar store, you can grab a decent universal remote for about 20 bucks. The problem for Xbox 360 owners however, is that there is no way to navigate through the Xbox Guide with these remotes.
A couple different companies have answered the call to help 360 gamers out with this dilemma. We recently posted a review of NYKO’s Intelligent Remote, and it does the job well. But for gamers who want a more concise, sleeker, all-in-one solution for just about every infrared piece of equipment in their home, we’d suggest taking a closer look at Logitech’s Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for the Xbox 360.
The Style – the Look
Before we get into the details of the Harmony Remote (and I’ll be calling it that fir the rest of the review, since the full name is just too long), let’s touch on the aesthetics of the remote itself. It has a very stylish design, it’s slim, it’s a mix of silver and white, and it just looks cool. Anything that is backlit in green and has a super slim design has gotta be cool. But let’s face it, you’re not going to be looking at the remote, you’re going to be looking at the TV, the 360, the PC — not the remote itself. That being said, it is nice to look at as the only remote next to the couch, instead of one for each component.
Angled view of the Harmony Remote for Xbox 360
Setting Up the Remote
Once you open the package, you’ll discover there is a set-up CD, a mini-B USB cable, some fresh batteries, and a quick start guide. After you pop the batteries into the unit (no need to keep the demo batteries in) and install the set-up software on the PC, you can begin configuring you new Harmony remote.
It might be important to note at this time that there are certain requirements for using and setting up the remote. You can see from the list of items included with it that you will need a PC with a CD ROM drive, an available USB port, and an Internet connection. Since most gamers have all of this, its not really an issue.
The remote uses a step by step type software to configure the remote, which can support up to twelve different devices simultaneously, so you’ll want to track down all of the device information before you begin, such as Manufacturer, model #, and device type. The software also asks you what level user you are at the beginning, so choosing a Beginner might be a good idea so the software can guide you through the majority of the steps.
After you have entered all of the information into the software, it will configure your remote through the USB cable, and ask you to test the remote to see if there are any errors. I set the remote to manage my HDTV, Xbox 360, Set Top Cable Box, VCR, and Media Center PC without any real issues. The one slight hiccup it did have was in selecting the right set top box (for cable). They didn’t seem to have my exact model number listed, but based on the manufacturer, they suggested an alternate and it worked.
Using the Harmony Remote
You can use the remote in two different ways; either by selecting Activities on the remote, or by selecting Devices on the remote. Each of these methods has its benefits and potential drawbacks, so I’ll outline them separately.
Activities
If you choose to operate the remote by pressing the Activities button, you can set-up various configurations quickly. For example, pressing the Activities button and then selecting Play Xbox 360 will turn on the console, turn on the HDTV, select the right HDTV input and power on and select the input for an external stereo (if you have it set for the audio). That’s a heck of a lot for the remote to do, and it does it well. The problem with this method is that, while everything does start fine, selecting another activity, such as Watch A DVD while the TV is on, will turn the TV off. That’s what happens with my set-up anyhow.If you choose to power everything down, by pressing the power button, and then select another activity you will be fine. It’s hard to imagine the remote being able to keep track of what is on and what is off, but if they could have programmed it a bit better I think it could be done. Needless to say, if there is a problem like stated above, you can press the Help button on the remote and it will ask you a series of questions which will normally correct the problem.
Devices
Choosing to operate the remote by pressing the Devices button will put the remote into a more traditional universal remote mode of operation. Press Devices and then TV and it will control the television, press Devices and Xbox 360 and it will control the Xbox 360, and so forth.
I tend to use the remote initially by pressing Activities, and from there I switch over to the Devices style of use, its just easier than constantly having to deal with a particular component being off when it should be on.
Overall Feel and Use
Using the Harmony Remote as the only remote in the living room is nice, but while Logitech is known for their ergonomic design and top end functionality, the remote just doesn’t feel as intuitive as one might think. You’ll find yourself looking at the remote a bit more than you would a normal remote, there are a few different reasons for this. The overall layout of the remote is good, with exception of the numeric keypad. The keypad is a bit too low on the remote for my liking, and the actual numeric buttons seem a bit too small, and a bit too close together.
The other issue arises when you sort through the activities buttons. While the concept works, it isn’t exactly the quickest way to get things done. It’s a slick design and everything you need is right there at your fingertips, but it might be a bit too complicated for the novice user unless they get the settings nailed 100% through the software.
Bottom Line
The Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Control for the Xbox 360 delivers exactly what it advertises, a way to control all of your devices with one remote, and not lose any of the Xbox 360 guide functionality. The price is still a bit high, at the time we wrote this review we checked prices at various retailers, they ranged from $85 to $130, $129 is the suggested retail price from Logitech. Can you get a cheaper remote? Sure you can, but you won’t get all of the features either.
If you just have a TV and an Xbox 360, stick with the two remotes you have, but if you have a more advanced set-up, I’d recommend giving the Logitech Harmony Remote a spin.
Overall Score
Overall Score: 8.2/10
Related Links
Filed under: Hardware • Reviews
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I own one that I’ve configured for ‘Activities’ and it does keep track of the status of power, video feed, etc? for my tv and stereo. So as long as you use only the remote to effect anything it works great.
You might want to put on a hardhat and dive back into the setup software
I\’ve been through the set-up everal times, I know what you are saying, and anything not to do with my TV works fine. It is probably more of an issue with my TV than it is the remote. If I select play a CD, which turns on my Stereo (which i have since programmed into the remote) everything is fine. But changing activities with the remote and my TV switches the on / off command somehow, even after reprogramming it. Granted, I haven\’t contacted Logitech about the issue, so it may very well be something that has since been resolved. Note, I wrote this review a solid month before posting it. Thanks for the comment
It took me about 30 minutes to totally program this remote to work around an input issue with my LCD and to get features to my preferences but, I would say it was time well spent. This is my second Logictech remote and my only negative comment is that each remote must have a separate account name for each remote.