Living Digital Life In Harmony

As late as 2002, complex home theater setups were entirely the problems of a Home Theater Guru, who had thousands of dollars invested in components. At the same time, the average person owning a stereo, television, and VCR, was not too interested in purchasing a remote which controlled everything. Why? It just wasn't necessary, and since there were few options from a handful of manufacturers, consumers could not justify the price of such a product.

{mosgoogle}As home electronics became less expensive, such as the $100 DVD player, widescreen televisions with professional features becoming available for under $1000, and DVDs themselves available for under $10, the Home Theater Craze began. Consumers, once used to the stereo sound coming out of a cheap receiver they held on to from decades prior, began to get involved with the idea of...THE HOME THEATER. The mere mention of it in conversation, brought attention and debate. With the crisp audio and crystal-clear video quality of the DVD, consumers wanted their component equipment to be of better quality as well. They wanted the full experience. They wanted a theater in their homes, with the same sounds and visual quality they experienced in the commercial theaters. The typical consumer was now on the search for something which could control all of their new toys. One such toy is a remote to control everything.

Logitech's latest remote offering, the Harmony 880, is taking the pole position of the company's selection of remotes. The 880 has been totally redesigned, revealing a completely new design both internally, and externally.

Taking the 880 out of its packaging, I could immediately see improvements. I am excited to say, no more battery worries and running out of batteries is a nightmare of the past. The Harmony 880 now has its own rechargeable Li-Ion battery and charging station. The buttons have been rearranged, simplifying the remote process even more. The buttons themselves have been redesigned to "integrate" into the shell of the remote. The overall size and shape of the Harmony 880 has remained the same as previous models. Sometimes you just can't change a proven successful style.

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Harmony 880 Features

Taking a first look at the Harmony 880 you'll notice several ergonomic, aesthetic, and functional changes. These changes have been carefully thought out for maximum efficiency during your home theater interaction.

Simplified Layout

As I took the Harmony 880 out of the packaging, I said to myself, "Hey, where did all the buttons go?" The buttons normally spread out underneath the monochrome LCD displays of Logitech's other remotes, are now integrated into the brushed-chrome oval strip which outlines the 880's color LCD display and chrome Directional Pad. The layout sort of reminds me of the Star Trek logo.

Reduction Of Activity Buttons

{mosgoogle}Only one activity button (labeled "Activities") is now necessary. This button brings you to a specific activity you want to use on the larger LCD display itself. Having one Activities button is MUCH more efficient, and reduces menu navigation time. On previous Harmony remotes, specific activities were bound to specific buttons. On the 880, the activities appear on the LCD display's on-screen buttons, enabling many more activities to be programmed and viewed. I was used to the previous layout, but I must say, after only a few days of using the new layout on the 880, I don't wanna go back.

8 On-Screen Buttons

The number of on-screen buttons has increased from 6 to 8. This is a welcome from me personally. The most important reason is I like to see as many component actions on one screen as possible. With 8 on-screen buttons, I can have 8 favorite or frequently-used buttons which I normally use on my component.

"Previous" and "Next" Buttons

{mosgoogle}One of the minor issues with the Harmony 676 (and other models) was it had a "Next" button, but no "Previous" button. On the 880, the issue has been solved. You can now go forward and back till your thumbs and fingers get tired or go numb (not recommended).

Redesigned Directional Pad

While the D-Pads on Logitech's other remote models were efficient, there was still a little room for improvement. The new D-Pad on the 880 has a larger diameter, and is concaved so you can "feel" the direction you want to press. What makes it easier to use, is the addition of 4 backlit arrows (N, E, S, W), so navigation in the dark is effortless. Previous versions of Logitech's remotes do not have the backlit D-Pad, and only the center button is lighted.

Motion-Activated

One of the exciting new features of the Harmony 880, is having it turn on automatically by the motion-activation sensor built-in to the remote. I've been using the Harmony 676 since the April review, and I found that when turning off the lights, and watching a movie, I had to fumble around for the glow button. No more! The 880 will always have its buttons clearly backlit and glowing in the dark--all you need to do is pick the remote up. If the remote is lying on the table, simply pressing any button can wake it up along with the rich blue backlight glow.

The other Logitech remotes do have the option for any button to initiate illumination, but one of the features like this you have weigh, is that it will consume more battery life. With the 880, being motion-activated is a (battery)life-saver. Add the recharging capability and this is perfect remote harmony. And don't worry if you find yourself picking up the remote and setting it down several times, just because it looks cool when it automatically turns on.

Using The Harmony 880 Remote

Additions To The Menu

If you own a previous Harmony remote, you will see a few new options. Custom Images and Favorite Channels have been added. If you are new to the Harmony Member's Website, and have not owned a Harmony remote before, simply create a username and password, and you will see the same menu options. Setup takes only about 20 minutes. This average time could be more or less depending on your system. What's nice is that once you have your information stored on ANY Harmony remote via the online website, you can transfer all your commands. I owned a Harmony 676 previously, and all of the transfer of commands took only a few minutes.

Custom Images (Main Menu)

When you press the Custom Images button, you have 3 new selections on the Harmony Member's Website:

Set A Background

Adding a background to the 880's features is really a cool new feature. What I'd like to see, is the option to upload more images, and the user could select between which one they want to use at that particular time. In fact, maybe even a different image for each day of the week might be interesting. I'm assuming this could be done via firmware updates since the remote is almost entirely software driven.

Set Up A Slide Show

The slide show was really fun to experiment with. Simply upload 1-8 images and you have your own little table top slideshow.

Select A Theme

Favorite Channels

When you press the Favorite Channels button, you see the following display:

There are only 16 "Favorite Channels". I wouldn't mind having more, like say, 32 favorite channels. One of the reasons why, is the number of channels available on your average satellite or cable system, will more than likely number in the hundreds.

The Back Of The Harmony 880

{mosgoogle}Here you can see the transmitter & USB connector, 3 contacts which are the charging connection to the Base Station, and the molded grips for the fingers. You can also see just how nice the finish is on the remote. Very smooth and easy on the eyes.

The 3 Contacts

I would like to expand on the three contacts, design, and their placement. This might be considered nit-picking to an innocuous degree, however, I should briefly discuss what some of you may already be thinking.

Dust, food crumbs, lint, and just about every other form of foreign matter will soon find haven in those three little contact recesses. The contacts are actually set back inside, so they don't actually touch anything if you were to put the remote down on a flat surface. However, my concern is what will eventually accumulate inside the areas over time.

Some sort of accessory like a rubber cover for the entire three contacts would be nice as it would also serve as the contact point when lying the remote on a hard surface. However, we soon discover recharging the remote requires the rubber ring to be removed. Another design could be making a sliding cover. These are merely suggestions, and may not even apply to your situation. Therefore, I recommend cleaning the remote on a regular basis (as described below), which will probably bypass any need for my nit-picking mentionings.

The Battery Cover

Ok, this is important. The battery cover does not just slide off. If you try to slide the cover off, you will not succeed. Gently but firmly, press down with your thumb on the indented area of the battery cover (you may hear a slight "snap" which is releasing the battery cover from the remote itself), then slide the battery cover out from its position. The reason I mention this, is because if you own previous Harmony remotes, you might damage the 880's cover. Previously reviewing the Harmony 676, the battery cover just slid out. No effort at all. This has changed, but once you get used to the new method, you won't have any problems.

Illuminating Blue Backlight

{mosgoogle}The glow pattern on the 880 was so much fun to look at myself, I decided to take a picture of it in action and show you as well. Don't you just love this glow? It's actually better than the other Harmony remotes. The only way I can describe it, is that it doesn't have an "All over the place" glow, but has more of a specific glow for each button.

Background Images

Another exciting feature of the 880. You can upload an image (160KB maximum) and have it displayed on your remote's background. In case you haven't noticed, the background image you see to your left is of my cat. Logitech only permits images of cats to be uploaded. Dogs are not allowed. Alright, not really.

Slide Show

When your remote is on it's recharging base, the Slide Show option allows up to 8 images to be sequenced in time intervals of your choosing (1-10 seconds). This is a way to show off your photography, without parading around your photoalbum and looking like an Attention Meister. While sitting on your table top or anywhere that might catch a curious eye, the Slide Show is one of the Logitech features which makes owning a remote enjoyable. Logitech says the images uploaded should be 128 (W) x 160 (H) pixels, and 24-bit color depth at most. If the images are smaller, just like the background image, your image will be re-sized to fit this proportion. So, my advice, is to make sure your image is this exact same size or your image will be re-sized, which will look a little blurry and distorted.

A helpful tip if you don't want a slide show to appear at all. Create a black image (128 x 160), and then upload it into the first two spaces. Then, when your remote is charging, you will see nothing but a black screen. In some cases this might be necessary because the remote puts out a rather bright display. It will certainly illuminate any place you put it.

{mosgoogle}Preventative Maintenance

Be sure to clean the remote's contacts about twice a month with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol. It's simple, and these items should already be in your bathroom. As for the remote entirely, you should be wiping it with a damp (not wet) cloth or just a dry cloth about every two weeks as well. Believe me, your remote will stay in great condition for a very long time. If you don't regularly clean your remote, anything and everything will accumulate in every little crevasse imaginable.

The 880's Transmitter & USB Connection

Taking a closer look at the 880's transmitter, we can see it is the very reliable type which is found in the Harmony 676 and other models. Two transmitters make for a stronger and more accurate signal. On the 676, the range was more than 25ft, and on the 880, it's the same.

The 880's IR Port

The 880 has a much different IR port than the other Logitech models. The IR port is wider and larger. This is an improvement over previous Logitech remotes and you have wider IR coverage of your other remote communicating with the 880.

Observations

Logitech says you cannot turn the Slide Show off (when the remote is on the charging base station), however, I discovered if you press the Glow button, it will revert to your uploaded background image, then fade to black. Actually, this is a nice feature if you don't want to have the bright display glowing during the night. It's also an alternative to uploading black images I discussed earlier.

{mosgoogle}The Li-Ion battery cover of the remote could become a real bugger to remove for battery installation. Here's a tip. Be sure to press with your thumb, on the grooved area where the battery cover is. By pressing down with your thumb, the cover slides easily out of its position.

I really would like to see a larger color LCD display on future models of the 880 line or another model altogether. Call me picky, but I like having a lot of room to input my device names and settings as I want them to be displayed.

Another suggestion I have is being able to store more than just 16 favorite channels with custom images/icons. With today's satellite and cable channels, I can think of 16 channels which are just my favorite news and documentary stations. This doesn't even include my favorite movie channels, sports channels, cartoon channels, etc. I would suggest around 40 favorite channels, or at least double the current favorite channels. Since this is being marketed as a "family friendly" remote, we probably should see a few more favorites than just 16 channels because each family member will have their own favorites.

One of the many improvements I noticed, and would like to elaborate on, was the transmission delays of the commands. I currently own a Philips DVP642 DVD player. A person must press the stop button and hold it in order to eject the DVD. With the 676, there was a slight delay of this command, and it took a few times to eject the DVD. With the Harmony 880 it performed like I had the original Philips remote in my hands. Kudos to Logitech. This is an indication to me the remote is much more compatible with remotes on the market.

I'd like to mention the styling of the remote. When you first glance at the Harmony 880, you only see the bottom 1/3 of it, displaying the basic numeric and play buttons. The rest are integrated into the design. You soon realize there are several more buttons along the chrome-brushed strip complementing the entire upper 2/3 of the remote. Very nicely done, and takes away any kind of "cluttered" look.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a simple remote with advanced and custom features at a price you can afford, the Harmony 880 should be on your tabletop or in your hands. If you have a family, this remote will be an invaluable tool in operating your home theater system. No more difficult explaining. If they want to start the movie while you're in the kitchen getting a sandwich, your family presses the "Watch DVD" icon, and it's all taken care of.

When you first pick up the remote, it might seem "slippery" at first, when compared to other Harmony remotes. However, this "slippery" feel will begin to go away in about a week. The very fine finish of the remote is more than likely the reason, which has been buffed to a very slick surface. Over time, your hands wear-in the remote's grip, customizing the feel to your own liking.

Logitech has created a remote that will grow with you over time, and with the added benefits of a Li-Ion recharging base, say goodbye to batteries. This reason alone will save you enough money annually for several DVD movies.

The Harmony 880 is a welcomed addition to the Harmony remote line. If you are a previous Harmony owner, either give your current remote to your son or daughter to use in their own rooms. Why? Because I guarantee, once you spot take the 880 home and try it out, you'll be a Harmony 880 fan.

Where To Buy It