Full Review - Setup and Use
Setup and Use
The experience of setting up the Harmony 1000 remote can vary from easy and fun to slightly aggravating. This depends entirely on how many audio/video components you'll be setting up on the Harmony 1000, how much patience you have, and whether or not your a technophile or technophobe.
The first thing you'll want to do is plug the Harmony 1000's charging station into an outlet and charge the remote for at least a few hours. Once the remote is properly charged, connect it to your home computer using the included USB cable or any other USB cable with a standard 6-pin connection on one end and a 4-pin mini-USB connection on the other. Most people with digital cameras or Smartphones have at least one of these cables.
Software Setup
With the Harmony 1000 connected to your computer, install Logitech's PC or Mac software on your system by using the included CD or by downloading it from logitech.com. The first time you run the software program it'll walk you through the setup wizard. Mid setup, the program will check for software and firmware updates. In my setup experience, the Harmony 1000 went through two firmware updates and two reboots. A final firmware update completed the 8 minute initial setup.
Adding your home theater components to the Harmony 1000
Once the firmware and software are fully brought current, the setup wizard will ask you to select your a/v components from a very comprehensive list - so comprehensive, in fact, that it includes some of the most obscure and archaic components still controlled by remotes - 175,000 devices at present, updated daily. Logitech really intended the Harmony 1000 to control anything you might use in your home theater setup. While the list may not be complete (e.g. the Apple TV is not on the list - yet), Logitech gets an A++ for the devices they do support.
Macro Programming
As part of the setup process, you're asked to define typical scenarios or "uses" for the remote - watching DVDs, watching cable TV, listening to CDs or radio, etc. This helps the Harmony 1000 create subsets of IR controls to keep things simple for you later on. After all, if you tell the Harmony 1000 you intend to watch DVDs, you'll appreciate not having a bunch of FM radio controls crowding up your LCD screen.
Creating your activities with the Harmony 1000
The total setup time for my 5-component system took roughly 90 minutes. Your time will obviously vary depending on your familiarity with setting up remotes and how many components you have to configure the Harmony 1000 for. If you want to reduce setup time and control your blood pressure, configure the Harmony 1000 by using a laptop in the same room as your home theater components. That way, you can set up components, then test, then modify settings to perfection, all without ever leaving your seat.
According to Logitech, the Harmony 1000 can handle up to 15 programmed components. Though this is an acknowledged limitation, the chances of finding a home theater setup with more than 15 devices are rare - at best.
The Logitech Harmony 1000 Display
RSS Feed
by Donna on May 26, 2008:
“Although pricey, the remote fulfilled my expectations. It took a little time to get all the activities set up and tested, but once I was done, it worked beautifully. My husband is technically challenged and he loves it! The help option is especially useful....” More...