![]() Still, for users who are absolutely sick of tableside clutter, the Harmony Hub is a credible way to get rid of it all while still letting you do-albeit a bit slowly-everything a physical remote can do.Like most remotes, the Harmony Link relies solely on IR, which really exposes it to lots of opportunities for things to get out of sync - and the dreaded Harmony Help. Similarly, other devices, like Apple TV, can be fairly difficult to control without the touchpad integrated into that particular remote. If the action is open, you can simply use your phone’s volume rocker to change sound level, but if the action is closed, getting to the volume page is a chore, requiring one tap and three swipes in order to find the icons you need. If your app isn’t left open to the action, finding simple commands like changing the volume aren’t easy on your phone. In actual use, the Harmony mobile app works well, but if you’re the type of person that doesn’t have their phone permanently grafted to their hand, it’s definitely less convenient than a dedicated remote. Smart home products and home entertainment gear are integrated into a single screen. Harmony also integrates with Alexa, so you can perform most of this via voice, as well. Lights and other smart home devices receive a basic but functional interface within the Harmony environment – and you can tie these together with entertainment center one-touch commands, so if you want to dim the lights when you launch “Play a Movie,” that can easily be programmed. These can be added to the system through a similar wizard-based setup, which kicks you over to a web browser to log in to the respective network. While you’ll find most of these on the front of your devices, it can mean hunting around on the back of some equipment, particularly TVs.Īs noted above, the Hub also supports a number of smart home products, including SmartThings, Nest, and Philips Hue, among others. The wizard-based setup is fairly easy to follow, but note that you’ll need specific model numbers for all of your gear, which you’ll have to enter into the app by hand. I had the same problem on another iOS device and eventually resorted to using the MyHarmony software on a Windows PC to get things going. I had trouble from the start when setting up the Harmony Hub on an iOS device, which got interminably stuck trying to connect to my Wi-Fi network. Such power does come with considerable complexity, and while Harmony touts its ease of setup, things aren’t always smooth sailing. ![]() Babysitter can’t figure out how to turn on the TV when you’re out on a date night? You can handle it for her without leaving the restaurant. ![]() Programming can be synced among multiple devices and computers, and, assuming you have an internet connection, all of this works remotely. Tweaking actions can be a deep dive into the minutiae of how various products operate. However, given that Logitech has effectively abandoned its Harmony remote business, we recommend you consider a universal remote from another manufacturer. Logitech has pledged to keep its Harmony service running “as long as customers are using it,” and you may still be able to find new and refurbished Harmony remotes (often at inflated prices) in retail channels. Update (June 2022): Logitech discontinued all of its Harmony remotes in April 2021, and the company isn’t planning on making any new models. (Smart home devices are considerably more limited.) The Hub can support up to eight devices total, and chances are you won’t be able to stump it: Logitech claims compatibility with a whopping 270,000 home entertainment and smart home devices, and I couldn’t find any home entertainment devices that the Hub didn’t support. But beyond that, it also controls other Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices. In simple terms, it is a Discman-sized device that bridges your home’s Wi-Fi and your entertainment center, courtesy of a built-in IR blaster. The Harmony Hub is the starting point for all of Logitech’s high-end Harmony systems. Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
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