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Customer Reviews for Logitech Harmony® 900
Logitech Harmony® 900
A universal remote that lets you control your home-entertainment devices&em;even when they're hidden.*
Average Customer Rating:
(92 Reviews) 91
Rating Snapshot (92 reviews)
5 stars
36
4 stars
12
3 stars
13
2 stars
21
1 star
10
51 out of 92(55%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Harmony® 900
Review 1 for Harmony® 900
My wife loves it!
Date:May 2, 2012
By opy01
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
4
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
The title says it all! My wife no longer has to remember which output on the receiver is for what device. Now the display shows Wii, PlayStation3 and Watch TV.
Setting it up took about 30-45 minutes. For devices I selected the brand and typed in the model and it automatically programmed the remote. The only one I had to learn was my HTPC remote and it only took 4 buttons for it to find the proper codes for all the buttons.
The only thing that wasn't automatic was setting my HTPC to never shut off since I leave it on 24/7. That took 1 minute and was easy to do.
With the PS3 adapter I no longer have to pull out the PS3 controller to play my Blu-Rays.
This thing is awesome!
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: Less than a week
Review 2 for Harmony® 900
One fine remote
Date:February 25, 2012
By Chromero83
from New York, NY
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
Images for this Review
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I owned the Harmony 550 for some years and i was happy with it, no problems what so ever.Once one of the buttons started to not function at times it was time for an upgrade. Using the remote on a daily basis for some years it took a beating, so i went with the Harmony 900. This is a complete different animal. Its very easy to set up and the screen is very vibrant in color. I love the fact that you can upload your favorite Channel icons to the remote to be seen for a soft key button. The set up was easy and straight fwd. Quality seem to be good but cant tell after a good amount of time in use. The side soft key buttons to switch to the next page is a little unresponsive at times, need to hit it twice sometimes. The remote tends to slide off ur hand if you dont hold it right when trying to flip thru pages on the remote cause the back of the remote is smooth Battery life is ok depending if you surf channels frequently i can see the battery not lasting long between recharges. over all the remote is pricy but the RF function is pretty sweet. for the price i definitly got the insurance just in case it falls off the hand and breaks cause it would hurt the pockets to buy another one.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One week to a month
3 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Harmony® 900
My favorite toy
Date:February 17, 2012
By Taylor
from Virginia Beach
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
I'm a little bit of a geek when it comes to electronics and this remote is the best thing I've ever bought. After years of programming either the new TV remote or the receiver remote to work everything I finally purchased the harmony remote and every time I use it I'm amazed. It is easy to set up, it does the little things like turning off other devices when you change inputs. You connect it to your computer and you can program it to do an infinite number of function in any order you want. If you use a Blu-ray player, a cable box and a receiver for sound then you'll be glad you bought this product.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: More than a year
1 of 1 found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Harmony® 900
Great device
Date:January 30, 2012
By Av man 1999
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
Does everything and more you could ever want from a controller. Set up was less then an house for 12 devices. A+++ rating.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One month to a year
Review 5 for Harmony® 900
Not up to Logitech's usual quality
Date:January 17, 2012
By A random software developer
Overall Rating:
Quality:
3
out of
5
Features:
2
out of
5
Performance:
2
out of
5
Ease of use:
1
out of
5
Ergonomics:
1
out of
5
I bought this remote based on recommendations from owners of previous models. Setting it up to work with my system took a whole afternoon. Fine tuning the commands, another half day. The remote is not even working perfectly now. This is mainly due to one of the most unintuitive piece of software I've seen: slow, badly designed (how come I must always scroll down to click on 'next' even on a 42" screen?), in short, a very irritating experience.
The remote itself is ok though a bit long and unbalanced which makes it hard to reach both ends using only one hand. The touchscreen is so-so especially for the arrows which will give you a pretty hard time trying to press them (come on, we're in the smartphone era!). And a HUGE showstopper here: no macro, no sequence of commands, meaning no way to enable 3D on the tv with a single button press).
And the list of annoyances and issues continues:
- Only 3 activities per screen
- Buttons are restricted to devices configured for current activity which means no way to pre-start your media player while you're still on the previous activity
- Responsiveness really bad on a Popcorn C-200 no matter how I configure the remote
- Only 3 activities per screen
- Buttons are restricted to devices configured for current activity which means no way to pre-start your media player while you're still on the previous activity
- Responsiveness really bad on a Popcorn C-200 no matter how I configure the remote
As a conclusion: with the current design and without a significant software overhaul, I'd really recommend avoiding this model.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One month to a year
21 of 28 found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Harmony® 900
Is this the best the industry has to offer?
Date:January 16, 2012
By BoFID
from Los gatos, CA
Overall Rating:
Quality:
4
out of
5
Features:
2
out of
5
Performance:
2
out of
5
Ease of use:
3
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
This Remote is OK. But as this is supposed to be one of the best the industry has to offer, I have to say that someone who comes up with an innovative approach should be able to quickly grab the majority marketshare.
For example, I really thought that a Remote at this price would be able to have multiple User ID's. When my wife watches TV at Night, it would be ideal if her setting was set up for less Bass and the back speakers turned lower. She prefer less background noise and is OK with just the front speakers. I on the other had want the full effect. My user ID would prefer to have the settings so that the back speakers were louder.
One other note, the rechargable batteries are disappointing. The device needs to constantly be on the charger when not being used, It gets low after a few hours. I have asked others who have the same device and they voiced the same frustrations.
Lastly, the Help function is nice, but I need to use it about 50% of the time when turning on my system. Half the time one of the devices (TV, Cable Box, Receiver or DVD) will not turn on.
For example, I really thought that a Remote at this price would be able to have multiple User ID's. When my wife watches TV at Night, it would be ideal if her setting was set up for less Bass and the back speakers turned lower. She prefer less background noise and is OK with just the front speakers. I on the other had want the full effect. My user ID would prefer to have the settings so that the back speakers were louder.
One other note, the rechargable batteries are disappointing. The device needs to constantly be on the charger when not being used, It gets low after a few hours. I have asked others who have the same device and they voiced the same frustrations.
Lastly, the Help function is nice, but I need to use it about 50% of the time when turning on my system. Half the time one of the devices (TV, Cable Box, Receiver or DVD) will not turn on.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: One month to a year
4 of 6 found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Harmony® 900
Pricey remote no Mac software???
Date:January 14, 2012
By Zwaylo
from Boise ID
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
Great remote ! Working well at this time. The only two minor complaints I have are, I have large hands so the remote is fine for Myself, But my wife's small hand's find it a little bit hard to navigate the long remote. The other prob is,If you have a Mac, Logitech offers no software!? A mac runs at 64 bit, Where a PC runs at 32 bit. Logitech tells you how to "dumb" down your Mac to 32 bit, But I think "THAT" is dumb! So i had to borrow my brother in-law's "dumb" PC to set up my remote!? But as I stated it is working well.
I've used this product: One week to a month
2 of 7 found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Harmony® 900
Most frustrating techie project ever
Date:January 12, 2012
By Becca
from Chicago
Overall Rating:
Quality:
1
out of
5
Features:
3
out of
5
Performance:
3
out of
5
Ease of use:
1
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
The software was buggy and frustrating beyond belief. I tried to write a more thorough review but I got an "inappropriate language" error message, though there were no inappropriate words in my review, strictly G-rated. You can see my review on Amazon.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: Less than a week
2 of 7 found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Harmony® 900
Surprisingly Adaptable
Date:January 7, 2012
By Mat
from North Carolina
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
I purchased one Harmony 900 about a year ago and a second 6 months ago. I have a complex home system with various audio and video sources distributed by an Elan system from a central location. Installed by professionals, the system was initially controlled by a Phillips Pronto (TSU3000 RF capable) in each room. (No longer manufactured). The Harmony 900 was the least cost RF option for replacement that I could find. It is compatible with all of the various pieces of equipment in the system including the Elan components, an outdated CD player and a new Blu-ray player. Programming was simple but took quite a while due to the number of options required by the system. The units seem sturdy, are well designed and easy to use. The touch screen works well, especially for favorite channels in the TV mode. The occasional lockup(?) has been easily corrected by a simple restart. With the included charger, battery life is not an issue. The second unit controls a different room without conflict. My only complaint is the cost, but I haven't found anything this versatile any cheaper.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: More than a year
2 of 2 found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Harmony® 900
Great idea. Not durable.
Date:December 30, 2011
By Krw
Overall Rating:
Quality:
2
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
2
out of
5
Ease of use:
3
out of
5
Ergonomics:
3
out of
5
I bought this remote almost 2 years ago. It worked great at first. After about 6 months, it began to work sporadically. Annoying. Maybe it is the battery. I am going to order a new one. But, I think 6 mos. Is not a reasonable time frame for a battery to die. Also, after about 10 months, I dropped the remote one time and the screen cracked. I have had my blackberries for years, dropped them multiple times and the screens have never cracked. For an item as routinely used as a remote, Logitech should spend the resources to make it durable. I think the idea is great, but the functionality is questionable. The only positive thing about this remote is that I am (theoretically) able to control my components and house them in another room. If you purchase this remote, be sure you handle it lightly and never drop it, if that is even possible.
I've used this product: More than a year
2 of 5 found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Harmony® 900
Great Remote - Horrible Software
Date:December 14, 2011
By mkopel
from Berkeley, CA
Overall Rating:
Quality:
3
out of
5
Features:
3
out of
5
Performance:
2
out of
5
Ease of use:
1
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
I think the remote is awesome, but the software used to program it is unusable with Mac OS X 10.7. Logitech expects you to boot in 32bit mode. As if anyone knows how to do this. They spend all this time and effort creating software to program the remote, but don't update it for the new Operating System. DONT BUY IF YOU RUN MAC OS X LION!
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: More than a year
8 of 16 found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Harmony® 900
Improvement over 890. Best model ever.
Date:November 14, 2011
By Lubeman
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
4
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
I've been using Harmony remotes for over seven years. I've had many different models all the way up to the 1000. The 900 has been the easiest to setup, the extender programs wirelessly, no more needing to plug in each extender as well as the remote. The software doesn't freeze with this model, I don't know why, because it is the same version that my 890 runs on.
The ergonmics are great, the screen is crisp and it has all of the flexible programming that Harmony models are known for. It's the best so far.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: More than a year
10 of 10 found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Harmony® 900
IMHO Not worth the money
Date:November 11, 2011
By BryanH
Overall Rating:
Quality:
4
out of
5
Features:
2
out of
5
Performance:
3
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
Thought I was upgrading from a Harmony One. Wanted to get the hard color buttons (red, blue, green, yellow) and thought the RF would be nice to have. Should have read the features more closely rather than assume it was an upgraded H1.
- there is no way to transfer H1 settings to the H900. You need to start over from scratch. This was a royal pain for me as I have multiple learned commands, ported discrete IR codes and customized buttons.
- then I found that for some reason the H900 doesn't support sequences. This was the deal killer for me.
If you don't need sequences and don't mind starting from scratch then... then screen is better than the H1 and the form factor is the same. But for me, it's overpriced.
16 of 17 found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Harmony® 900
Full of glitches/problems
Date:November 7, 2011
By Critical but Fair Consumer
from Chattanooga, TN
Overall Rating:
Quality:
2
out of
5
Features:
3
out of
5
Performance:
2
out of
5
Ease of use:
3
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
My wide and I originally purchased two 890 model RF remotes. One failed within the year warranty so Logitech replaced one with the new 900 model. It has been right at a year again and now the 900 model has developed a mind of its' own. It works when it wants to but not when you want it to. It won't maintain software updates that we were told would fix the problem. Reprogramming the remote does not seem to work either. When the remote did work it was great but spending over $200 a year on an RF remote is ridiculous. I would have thought they would last a lot longer. Stick with an IR remote and find an IR repeater with an "eye" so you can use any $15-20 universal remote when they need replaced.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: More than a year
12 of 12 found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Harmony® 900
Harmony 900 lock up
Date:October 26, 2011
By Heuer
from UK
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
1
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
I already have two Harmony One's which are superb so when I decided to buy a 900 I do so without hesitation. Unfortunately my trust was misplaced as my remote constantly locked up with the dreaded RF icon permanently illuminated. At first I removed the battery but as the problem became more frequent I updated the f/w. This made no difference and the (superb) Logitech helpdesk sent out a replacement. Two months down the line and the replacement remote has started to behave in exactly the same way and is currently sitting on an armchair with 'Watch TV' displayed and the clock spinning - been like that for 12 hours! The ever patient Logitech support desk are about to send me a new 900 but once you are in the middle of a movie and want to hit the pause button - and nothing happens - you begin to lose all faith. I see from various Forum's this problem with the 900 has been around since launch but no one seems to be able to offer a fix. Maybe a reset button would help?
Otherwise a great remote, I don't miss the sequences function, ergonomics are superb, the four colour buttons are essential - if only someone at Logitech would come up with a permanent fix for the lock ups. Until then I suggest you consider the Harmony One rather than this product.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One month to a year
9 of 9 found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Harmony® 900
Not recommended
Date:October 26, 2011
By Yossi
from Israel
Overall Rating:
Quality:
1
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
2
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
I have purchased the RC couple years ago.
It has great functionality, and is very easy to use.
It has great functionality, and is very easy to use.
However, after couple months, docking station stopped charging well.
A year after, Volume down button stopped working, and now RF device is not functioning.
Out of warranty, there is no repair service, at all.
A year after, Volume down button stopped working, and now RF device is not functioning.
Out of warranty, there is no repair service, at all.
I cannot accept throwing away such an expensive hi-end device afer couple years of standard usage.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: More than a year
3 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Harmony® 900
RF doesn't work At all well
Date:October 18, 2011
By Tim
from Brentwood, TN
Overall Rating:
Quality:
2
out of
5
Features:
3
out of
5
Performance:
1
out of
5
Ease of use:
3
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
Don't buy it until they figure out how to make it work next to a wireless router. Your wife will curse you if you do. Have owned 890 and 900 for last 4 years. Both had same problem. RF doesn't work when in AV coat closet media hub. Inconsistent signal when 8-10 feet away "blaster not responding". Also due to inconsistent signal channel 225 can end up channel 2 or 22 or 25 or 52 as it tries to communicate. Customer service and customer forums all confirm the problem. Feel free to read customer user forum to confirm.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: More than a year
4 of 6 found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Harmony® 900
Two years -- no problems
Date:September 17, 2011
By milleron
from Columbus, OH
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
The Harmony 900 is the best remote I've ever owned. Setup was easy and straightforward. The wizards did almost everything.
We've owned this remote for two years, and there's never been a problem with the device, the software, the battery, or the charging station. It works every time in a setup that includes a TV, AV receiver, set-top box/PVR, Xbox, netbook, BR player, and a Phillips Internet music-streaming device. The software even had settings for this little known streaming device.
I deducted one star for ergonomics simply because it's sometimes awkward to see what button one is pushing while at the same time keeping the 900 pointed at the TV. However, I'm not sure that it's humanly possible to engineer an IR controller in which this would not be problematic, so my deduction may not be fair.
I do realize that this little problem could be overcome by using the included RF functionality, but we don't truly need it, so we've never set it up. The transceivers are still in the box.
I continue to update and customize the 900 further as time goes by, and it's been so simple to use that even my wife, who hasn't an iota of "gadget intuition," has no trouble with it.
We've owned this remote for two years, and there's never been a problem with the device, the software, the battery, or the charging station. It works every time in a setup that includes a TV, AV receiver, set-top box/PVR, Xbox, netbook, BR player, and a Phillips Internet music-streaming device. The software even had settings for this little known streaming device.
I deducted one star for ergonomics simply because it's sometimes awkward to see what button one is pushing while at the same time keeping the 900 pointed at the TV. However, I'm not sure that it's humanly possible to engineer an IR controller in which this would not be problematic, so my deduction may not be fair.
I do realize that this little problem could be overcome by using the included RF functionality, but we don't truly need it, so we've never set it up. The transceivers are still in the box.
I continue to update and customize the 900 further as time goes by, and it's been so simple to use that even my wife, who hasn't an iota of "gadget intuition," has no trouble with it.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: More than a year
2 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Harmony® 900
Looks nice, performs poorly
Date:September 11, 2011
By Glorishan
from Minneapolis, MN
Overall Rating:
Quality:
2
out of
5
Features:
3
out of
5
Performance:
1
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
I bought the Harmony 900 as a replacement to my Monster AVL-300. One of the soft keys on my Monster remote is malfunctioning, so I decided after hearing so many positive things about the Harmony brand that it was going to be a suitable replacement. This turned out not to be the case.
Monster licenses the Harmony software, so the setup process was largely the same, and not terribly painful, especially considering my semi-complex setup. There were some hiccups, but that's certainly acceptable considering the large range of products supported by a single remote.
The remote is definitely more attractive than the AVL-300, and is MUCH easier to charge (The AVL-300 has be be perfectly placed on its charging station, or it won't charge. This is easier said than done). The touch screen is nice looking, and for the most part fairly responsive. The red/green/yellow/blue buttons are a nice addition over the AVL-300 as well. The remote also has better support for multi-zone control with receivers that have this capability.
This is, however, where the positives stop. One feature that is questionably left out of the Harmony 900 is the ability to create sequences. I was aware of this when I bought it, and if this were the only problem, I could have lived with it, even though I use sequences extensively with the AVL-300. They do try to justify their reasoning in this thread: http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Harmony-Remotes/quot-Official-quot-petition-for-bringing-sequences-to-the-900/td-p/370061/page/14#M42966
The next problem I ran into was the lack of Z-Wave compatibility. The 900 boasts the ability to control in-home lighting. The Harmony 890 used Z-Wave technology (which is a repeatable signal that does not require line-of-sight), but the 900 dropped that in favor of IR controls. This is a significant downgrade, and renders my current home automation setup useless.
I listed the support for multi-zone control for AV receivers that have this functionality as a positive for the remote. Unfortunately, this benefit is negated completely by the range of the remote to the RF-IR bridge (blaster). My components are all behind the wall on which my TV is mounted. This is the same place where my current Monster RF-IR bridge is located. I have speakers outside on my deck that are controlled by the same AV Receiver that controls everything else. The Monster AVL-300 RF signal has been strong enough to control the receiver and other components from outside with no problems for years. The Harmony 900, however, just gives an error every time I tried to use it from the deck. It did not work a single time during my extensive testing.
Along the same vein, the RF-IR bridge doesn't seem to be reliably responsive even when in close proximity. When watching television (sitting about 15 feet from the RF-IR bridge, separated by 1 wall), not all commands sent from the remote were received by the bridge. Compounding the problem is the fact that the rest of the commands were noticeably lagged. When trying to change to channel 11, it took 6 tries. 3 times I ended up on channel 1 because the commands weren't going through, and 3 other times I ended up on channel 111 or 1111 because I couldn't be sure if the command was lagging, or being lost entirely, so I hit the button again.
The bottom line is that this remote is nearly identical to the Harmony One in terms of look, feel and functionality when you have line of sight to everything you want to control. The Harmony One, however, has the ability to program sequences (up to 5 commands per sequence). The 900 costs a lot more and is supposed to give you "Out of Sight" capabilities, but those are virtually worthless.
I've already setup an RA to send this remote back to Logitech (35 minutes on hold, 2 minutes to set up the return once somebody actually answered), and will be purchasing a new Monster AVL-300, despite the fact that I really wanted a remote that looks and feels better. Function is much more important in the end than form, which is all the 900 offers. I would not recommend the 900 to anybody at this point. If you have line of sight, buy the Harmony One. If you don't, consider the Monster AVL-300.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: Less than a week
23 of 24 found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Harmony® 900
Excellent but pricey remote
Date:August 9, 2011
By JustaSmith
from Seattle, WA
Overall Rating:
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
My new 900 replaced a previous Harmony remote that broke. Have used it now for 8 months without a hitch. Setup simpler since I had written down all the model numbers of my devices, but a bummer that I had to do everything over again, even though I had done it with a previous Logitech remote. Had been using an add-on RF device (uses AAA battery in remote to send signal), but this stopped working as well, so I wanted a RF remote.
This remote works great via RF. Very fast responses to components inside wood cabinet, easy enough for my 5 year-old to use, and motion-activated backlit keys a HUGE plus when the lights are low. All my devices (including HD TiVo, Apple TV, and some high-end British stereo gear like Rega & Naim) are supported.
My only complaints are that buttons on the touch screen aren't as easy to reach with one hand: you have to hold the remote with one hand and touch the screen with the other (such difficulties, I know). Also, the range of the RF is a little limited. I get about 30-40 feet on the same floor, but we have a TV about 30 feet from the RF/IR transmitter but one floor below, and reception is spotty there. Not a deal breaker, but a bummer nonetheless.
The wife and kids especially love the remote, as it makes a complex stereo/TV/streaming video setup simple. Once it's set up, it's a breeze to use.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One month to a year
10 of 10 found this review helpful.
