Review: Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote

Grown Up Geek's Review

Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote
Reviewed by: Mark Blair (www.userintervention.com)
Purchase date: April 2006
Purchased from: Online (eBay)
Price paid: $155 (+ $13 shipping)
Overall grade/comments: If you have a home entertainment system, you need this remote. I highly recommend it.

I'm sure most people have come across this dilemma. I have been dealing with it for quite some time. That is, until recently when I decided to do something about it. Here's the story...

I own a JVC TV (with a cable box), a Kenwood Stereo, a Sony DVD Recorder and a JVC VCR. That's five devices (including the cable box) that all have their own separate remotes. Talk about confusion. If I want to watch TV, I
just turn on the cable box, the TV and the stereo. Not too much of a hassle. However, to watch a DVD I have to turn on the cable box, the TV, the stereo and the DVD Recorder. I then have to switch the TV to Input 2
and switch the stereo from AUX to CD/DVD. And returning to just watching the TV can be a nightmare and it has left many people that visit my house scratching their heads. I know I'm not alone on this issue. I've tried universal remotes before but after spending $80 on one in the past, I didn't like how some devices wouldn't work with it. If I was going to spend $80 on a remote, it better do everything.

Introducing the solution to this problem:

The Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote

It allows for up to 15 devices to be programmed into it and it understands everything. It uses a Lithium Ion battery so there's no need to replace batteries on a regular basis. To setup the remote, you plug it into your computers USB port and access a Logitech website to add each of your devices. You then specify how each device works and what settings should be customized to make certain activities work. Now when I want to watch a DVD, I simply press a button
that says 'Watch DVD' and every device turns on that needs to be on. Also, the input modes and various other settings also are activated so I am left with a one-touch operation. Now that's what I'm talking about.

Logitech Harmony: Worth the price

Now most people will look at the price of this universal remote and run the other direction. At a suggested retail price of $249.99, I can't blame them one bit. I also would never pay that much money for a remote control. So I
didn't. I shopped around and found various prices ranging from $150 on up. I was also fortunate to find out that Logitech is currently offering $50 off the price of this remote via a mail-in-rebate which expires on April 25th.
I eventually found a place to buy the remote from a company on eBay. I paid just over $150 and with the $50 rebate, my price will drop to around $100.
Now that's much better than $250, right? The remote was brand new in the box and not refurbished. It made the decision to buy this remote all the easier and I couldn't be happier. It works as described by Logitech and I have had no complaints thus far. Now even my mother can visit my house without worrying how to control the many devices I have in my living room.

Logitech Harmony: Highly recommended

I highly recommend the Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote for anyone that is tired of using two or more remotes to function your home entertainment system. Why fumble with all of those remotes and deal with
replacing batteries all the time when you don't have to?


Grown Up Geek's Note:
About Mark Blair
Mark is a long time GrownUpGeek.com associate. He runs a great computer user-help forum at www.userintervention.com