Logitech Harmony 550 Remote Control Review
Logitech didn’t make too many changes for the Harmony 550. The Harmony 550 is not exactly an upgrade to 520. Instead, it is a replacement model to phase out the Harmony 520. There are few changes from the Harmony 520 including design and button layouts. The functionality remains almost identical
Features
The features remain almost identical to the 520 except for the number of supported devices. The 550 supports 15 devices whereas 520 was limited to 12. Other than that, 550 retains the LCD and four hard buttons that go with it. The programming and the usage of activity based control or device based control remains the same.
Design
Harmony 550 essentially keeps the overall design of the Harmony 520. It adds six more buttons than the 520 model. The locations of the buttons remain the same for the 550. The numeric buttons, directional pad and the playback buttons remain in the same locations. The LCD is flanked by 2 hard buttons on each side. The buttons themselves are made of softer rubber than the different materials used in the 520. The different button materials used on the 520 was better idea than the rubbers used in the 550. The learning curve was much shorter with different tactile buttons on the 520 compared 550.
Ease of programming
Programmings of Harmony remotes are essentially same across the product line. You connect the remote to PC or Mac via USB and run the program that connects you to online programming. Once you register your remote, web based interface takes you through the set up procedure step by step. You input manufacturer and model number and specify the usage of the device within your home theater set up. You can set up the remote based on activity such as “watching TV” or “playing DVD” these will essentially macro your remote to control various devices to achieve the activity. You can also simply program to control separate devices. It is up to you do decide and that’s the beauty of this flexible set up.
Ease of use
Once you have programmed the remote, the remote is fairly easy to operate. It does take some time familiarize yourself with the remote’s menu and its button locations. But, once you have mastered that aspect, it is as simple as pushing few buttons to operate the remote. If you programmed the remote with activity based control, you simply select the activity to control various devices. If you do run into some problem, you can get help through customer service or help function built into the unit.
The Harmony 550 is not a true upgrade from 520. If you own 520 and are happy with it, you most likely have no reason to purchase this model. It is more of refresh or update to 520. If you are in a market for a great universal remote, you might want to take long look at the 550.
Pros
- Easy programming
- LCD screen
- Price
- Good design
Cons
- No rechargeable battery
- No RF
- No color screen
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Great product
This product really exceeded my expectations and the supplier was a true 5 stars one. Thank you.
Pretty good remote
I just received my remote yesterday. I bought a refurbed one and it arrived looking brand new. The number of devices this thing supports blows my mind. Every single component I own is included and the remote supports every single function. The only thing I couldnt find is on TV mode how do you type a decimal point for tuning in OTA HDTV channels (ex. 25.1 or 25.2). They even had my FTA digital satellite receiver included. I’ve NEVER seen that. All in all I’m extremely satisfied so far. I’ve read some bad things about this remote, such as buttons failing after a few weeks, I’ll keep this updated if this happens.
A very good remote now offered for a low-price
The Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Controls are great remotes to purchase for its price. If you are like me and you have remotes for your receiver, your DVD, your TV, your Blu-ray player, your XBOX 360, it makes your life much easier to own a remote that can save you the stress and time.
The 550 can be purchased now from Amazon at such a low price and it feels good on your hand, buttons are pretty easy to use and it’s not difficult to setup and no more going through AA batteries The only thing is that with these remotes, for how far you want to go with it, it’ll take a few hours. But it’s worth it!
Now, I talk about the 550 ala past tense and that is because being a home theater enthusiast, many friends and associates have tempted me to consider the Harmony One and the Harmony 1000 and being the kind of guy who jumps from technology to technology, I like the fact that it’s touch screen.
But for those who like to keep things simple but still get the affordability and the quality from Harmony remotes, you can’t go wrong with the 550.
Highly recommended!
Total nightmare
After struggling with the setup for most of a day, I finally surrendered to Tech support whose advice was to “play around with the buttons and see what happens.”
Great remote
As far as the layout of the buttons I like this remote far better than all others including the higher end Harmony remotes. It took about an hour to setup all my components on this remote and install software. I would have given it a 5 star rating but after you install the software you have to create an id and password for you to program. I have 2 of these remotes and had to create 2 accounts. You should be able to control multiple remotes under the same ID. I would prefer to install the software, setup the remotes and be done. All in all though it works great.
One of the WORST high end remote controls ever
I have tried so many different remote controls over the years that I have lost count, and memory of most.
I have not forgotten the Logitech Harmony 550 which I just pulled out two days ago to give it another try after re-configuring my home components.
DON’T BUY THIS REMOTE!
It works …. But what you have to do to get it to work the way you want it to is so needlessly time consuming, complicated and very difficult.
The software required is web based and runs like a high encryption web application. It is just a remote but you need a name and password to log in …. Just to make any changes to your remote.
It is just stupid.
The most awful part of the software package is the need to “UPDATE” your changes to the remote (via usb) EVERY 5 MINUTES (LITERALLY) or all the changes you have made are lost.
It takes longer than five minutes to use the software to make the layout you want. Then IF YOU REMEMBER in time to “UPDATE” to the remote, that process takes 3-4 minutes to do.
Adding up the numerous 5 min intervals of workable time to make changes and the time to update to the remote can take hours (I spent close to a whole day and still couldn’t get it the way I wanted).
Finally, the worst part of the Remote itself, is the button layout.
the Channel up and down, and the volume up and down are too small, narrow, flush with the surface and irregular in shape.
the location of the Play, Stop, Fast Forward etc … is not in any way ‘Logical’ and makes it much more of a pain to use those basic features than a cheap universal remote with a user friendly layout.
The ‘screen’ (not touchscreen) is such a hassle to use and the 4 buttons to choose from the digital screen are again too small, narrow and not closely related to the orientation of the changing screen for which they operate.
Finally, there are no ‘Red’ ‘Green’ ‘Yellow’ ‘Blue’ buttons (which most satellite receivers need) nor any good way to customize them into the very limited number of hard buttons on the remote.
It sucks.
Excellent for the price
Easy setup through usb with an extensive list of supported device. Of course you can’t expect this to be as good as the harmony one, 880, etc., but for the price it’s a great buy.
Pros: easy setup, easy to use, backlight, logitech online interface
Cons: frequent battery changes required (buy rechargeable batteries)
Buy a Pocket PC instead!
These Logitech Harmony and similar universal remotes are not a good use of your money: a Pocket PC equipped with one of several software applications can use its built-in infrared port to control your entertainment devices and, if it’s an especially good Pocket PC with a 3.5 or 4-inch display, can do it just as conveniently as the Harmony 1100. A Pocket PC, as a true pocket computer, is a GENERAL PURPOSE device that is able to perform many other useful functions at other times. Why spend money on single purpose devices when a single device can perform several purposes? A used HP hx4700, for instance, can be had for $100-150; even factoring in the cost of the software, that is far less than a Harmony 1100 and much more versatile than a Harmony 550.
Just A Great Product
We used programmable remote control devices from Sony for several years (AX-4000 and its predecessor). While I enjoyed the challenge of programming those remotes – it took a couple of days for each one – my family did not like to use them, and instead often reverted to pulling out the 3-4 remotes that came with the A-V equipment. When my Sony started losing functionality in some of its buttons, we purchased a refurbished Logitech Harmony 550. Sadly, this device took about 20 minutes to program the operations of my Sony HDTV, U-Verse DVR, Onkyo Amplifier/Receiver, and Sony DVD player. Even sadder, every device “programmed” on the 550 (e.g., entering the brand and model of a TV on the Logitech Harmony website completes the programming for that device!) worked correctly, with every button on the Harmony matched exactly to the equipment’s original remote control device’s button. Customization of the Harmony is likewise so easy to accomplish that I now have time to watch my TV instead of programming its remote.
The 550 is so good and easy to use and program that we now have 2 of them (both refurbished, but arrived looking brand new and unused), and are ordering a 3rd one for our remaining TV/Set Top Box/DVD/VCR bundle of equipment.
REMOTE HEAVEN
I just simply enjoy the fact of NOT having 3 remotes lying aroung to watch ONE TV set. This is remote heaven, easy to use and really plug and play. Thank you.
Logitech Remotes are Fantastic
This remote was everything I needed. This is the second Logitech remote I’ve obtained and I am thoroughly pleased with both.
You don’t have to be a computer genius to program these and I haven’t found a component it won’t control.
Best bang for the buck out there.
Cleaned up the clutter
Bought this refurbished…arrived quickly, looks new. Works with all my products, just takes some time to adjust the remote settings to my needs (this is my first universal remote, so I’m learning as I go). Seems to include all the fuctions of products, even worked with a ten year old Pioneer mini-stereo system.
harmony 550 is heaven sent!!
For those of us who have spent time picking and choosing the right components for our home theater system, we know of the horror of endless remotes that begin to stack up. To find a perfect remote to tie them all together can be elusive. If that is your struggle as it was mine then harmony remotes will hit all the right notes for you! The pros- easy to learn interface with a massive and well organized database. It is so good that it already had my samsung 3600 wifi player listed!! That’s what I call “you rock!!” It makes programming fun and interesting and also provides a good deal of relief when you realize the sync transfer is nearly flawless. The remote is laid out very well and the screen, though a little hard to see at times, is for the most part easy to read. I programmed a mini system a blu ray player a cable box a tv and an xbox. All work right as rain!! Best advice I can give you overall, be patient. There is a learning curve, and pick a harmony remote that is right for you. There are tons of harmonies so choose wisely. For me the 550 is perfect. The one would have been overkill. Mine was 64.00 dollars. That’s a steal for a universal remote. Choose what works for you and enjoy! Life is about to get easier!!
Remote not good – Support not good
Just after (of course) warranty ran out, the LCD went blank. After a brief web search I found that this is not uncommon with the 550 remote. After explaining, in writing, the steps I had taken to remedy the problem I received 2 responses. The first was to try the exact same things I said I had already done. The second was a “Sorry, we cannot repair your remote”…
I was give the option of purchasing a new remote, at a discount, from their online store. However, the online prices are 30% higher that any other retailer.
Bravo Logitech, bravo….!
Does its job well
Initially I was wary of the remote trying to keep track of the state of each device. That does come up, occasionally. But the workaround is easy.
My girlfriend had a DVD player with a very annoying remote. We were always hitting the wrong button on it. I purchased a couple of inexpensive universal remotes that each had issues. Eventually I splurged and got her a Harmony 670. That remote showed me that the “Activities” paradigm works. But, I hate the button layout on that remote. Once again, I sometimes hit the wrong button. My girlfriend has gotten used to it.
When I purchased a remote for my mom, I got her the Harmony 550. And when my Tivo remote died, I purchased a 550 for myself.
The button layout of the 550 is much better than the 670. The button grouping/shapes makes it much less likely that I’ll mistake which button I’m on. The numeric buttons are a bit awkward to reach, but I find that I rarely use the numeric buttons, anymore. I usually use the guide.
To work around the device mode issue, I set some of the programmable buttons to the most often out-of-sync situations. For example, my “Watch TV” activity is the upper-left programmable button. While in the Watch TV activity, I programmed that same button to be TV Power Toggle. That way, it doesn’t matter if I turn the TV off with the remote or manually. Hitting that same button results in the TV being turned on in either case.
I put TV Power on a button in all the activities. I also put TV Input in all the activities. Plus, the appropriate device-specific power toggle in each activity. The built-in “Help” button on the remote will walk you through most of those situations. But I find just having the appropriate button programmed in the activity is much more direct. At least for me.
One minor issue is that, while the ordering of Activities can be rearranged, the ordering of Devices cannot. I need to get at the Set-Top device to change channels, occasionally, and it’s on the second page. Not a big deal, just a minor nuisance.
The software for setting up the remote is pretty good, but not great. When entering device model numbers, there’s not enough feedback. It feels like you’re typing in numbers blind. When reordering buttons, it’s very slow and tedious. Navigating around is mostly straightforward, but there are a few spots where it feels like you have to jump through hoops to get to where you can edit buttons.
And, personally, I’d prefer to simply store the remote config info on my own machine, rather than having to log into a remote server.
I’ve also read that they do not have any provision for multiple remotes on the same account. That one must create a separate account for each remote. I haven’t bought remotes for the other two rooms where I watch TV, yet, but I can see that issue coming up.
Pros:
– It mostly Just Works
– It’s trivial to recover from the remote getting out of sync
– Very good button layout
– Enough buttons to cover common device commands
– Buttons generally have a good feel
– Extensive database of devices
– I like replaceable batteries (very good battery life)
– This remote is currently about half the price of the Harmony One, which would be my next choice
Cons:
– Software works, but just a little clunky
– Numeric buttons a little awkward to use
– Another couple of programmable buttons would have been nice
– Devices cannot be re-ordered
Excellent remote – just what we needed!
Ordered this remote based on a recommendation from a friend. Wasn’t sure which model to go with but was ultimately persuaded by the reviews for the 550, along with its reasonable price.
It is a GREAT unit – took us all of 10 minutes to set up and it works perfectly and seamlessly with all of our components – TV, cable box, DVD, receiver. I love how many options it offers for customization and how simple it is to do so. The software interface is very intuitive and we’re really enjoying the process of making this unit suit our own needs.
I highly recommend this to anyone considering purchasing a universal remote.
The Best Addition To My Home Theater Yet!!!!
First off let me say that this is the 3rd universal remote that I have purchased and this one puts all the others to shame.
I have yet to find a single Con with this remote so lets get to the Pros.
1. Setup was so simple. Its all over the PC and only takes about 5-10min
2. This remote controls ALL of the functions on my components, not just power, channel and volume.
3. After setup there were a few glitches with a few of the activities, BUT the remote assistant detected them AND fixed them with a click of the “help” button.
4. The Build Quality is very nice and the remote is easy to hold and easy to use.
5. When friends come over they no longer have to ask how to play the 360 or DVD. They just have to hit ONE button.
I have not been this pleased with a purchase in a long, long time. If you are looking for a mid range universal remote the Harmony 550 will not let you down. I recommend this remote to any and everyone!
My Setup includes:
Samsung LCD TV
Onkyo Receiver
Samsung Blu Ray Player
Ipod Dock
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
Media PC
Love this remote!
If you have a lot of components (TV, Receiver, Xbox, DVD etc) then this remote is perfect! I can turn on all the components I need and change them to the correct settings by pushing just 1 button. My wife loves it too, as it makes things so simple and replaces every other remote. A lot of cheap “Universal” remotes can not replace some of the features of the original remote, but the harmony can do them all. Highly recommended!!
It was perfect for my needs (price/practicality)
After i’ve finally pieced together one at a time my home theater system i just realized i have tons of remote to juggle with. The TV remote, the AVR, the HDVR and the PS3. That’s when i realized i needed a universal remote. Enter the Logitech harmony remotes. I picked the 550 because it was in the middle of the range of what Logitech was offering feature and price wise. I’m always after the best price for feature and ofcourse within my budget. I just needed a simple one remote solution to control my components (52 A550 Samsung, PS3, Onkyo S7100, Comcast PVR and laptop PC). I didn’t prefer the peanut shaped models and the 550 looked nicer for my taste.
Setting up the 550 was easy except on the first day when the harmony software couldn’t connect to the server which was frustrating because i never got to use it the night i opened the package. I was able to add my devices easily and create and customize the Activities. After i had done the set-up i was now able to control my HT components with one remote and the PS3 using IR4PS3 (very cool!!). Overall the remote is nice and sleek, it is very nice to hold and the grip shapes at the back are very comfortable. The buttons were a bit hard to press compared to my onkyo and samsung remotes but got the feel of it after awhile. It was hard at first to look through the LCD screen and see the texts and again it just required me to get to used to it. I liked that i can customize the buttons and the sound and picture buttons below are nice touches too. Overall i’m very happy and for around $70 it fits about right with my budget.
Buy this remote
This remote can do everything I’ve been able to imagine wanting it to do. Initial setup was really easy. Where it really shines is when you get to the point where you want to customize it so that it’s exactly right for *your* setup – not for some standard showroom setup, or what some engineer somewhere thinks is the right one – but YOURS. It’s infinitely customizable using the supplied software (you customize it at your computer, not by fiddling around with the remotes it’s replacing). You can have any set of commands, in any order, on the “soft buttons” screens, or assigned to normal buttons, and those can be different for every activity. And when you hit a snag, say where the Logitech software just doesn’t quite understand that new Marantz receiver’s 7.1 discrete input command, or your new TV’s tuner input selection command, file a bug report. Someone from Logitech will call you in a day or two and step you through the problem, updating their database, updating your remote, until the problem is fixed. (I just went through this, and was so impressed by the level of service that I just have to write this review.) And I’d bet that most folks won’t even need that extra service – I just happen to have a bunch of gear, both old and new, and I thought up a ton of functions I wanted the remote to be able to do. It does all of them now. Exactly like I want it to.
I’d say this thing has the best bang-for-buck ratio of just about any piece of gear in my house. Buy it, you won’t be disappointed.
Love it!!!
I am probably more excited about this remote than I am about anything else in my home theater system! Okay, so that might be a bit of an exaggeration (the 52″ Sony is pretty nice), but I am pleased beyond expectation with what this device can do.
Pros:
- Wizard walks you through the initial setup quickly and easily. Took me 45 minutes from opening the plastic packing container to having a fully-functional one-remote solution. Hardest part was getting the remote out of its packing.
- On-line database means your remote will not become obsolete the minute you buy a new component. And if you find a component not in their database (good luck!), it can learn from that component’s remote.
- Logitech’s activity based approach means you only have to hit one button and you switch from watching TV to watching DVD’s to listening to CD’s. The remote turns everything on and off and switches all the inputs.
- Product feels and looks good. Not cheap. After two months of use it shows no signs of wear or deterioration.
- Although the initial wizard-driven setup will satisfy 90% of users, for gadget freaks like myself, you can customize to your hearts delight. You might find something you can’t do, but you’ll have to work hard to find it.
- And it feels good in your hand, not cheap. I’ve used it for 2 months now and it shows no sign of wear or deterioration.
Cons:
- The monochrome LCD screen is just okay.
- The buttons around the LCD are a bit small. Since these are frequently used, they could be a little beefier.
- No RF
The pros are all great, and the cons are to be expected at this price point. I did a lot of research on this, and I’m very happy with my choice. Highly recommended.
Beware of very small buttons
This is my second Logitech remote. The first one finally wore out and I wanted to save a little money and so chose the Harmony 550. While this remote has the same wonderful programming features of the more expensive units it was for me difficult to use and finally relegated to the end table drawer. If you are used to manipulating your remote by feel then this not the remote for you. The flush buttons are impossible to press without looking and then they are very small.
Exactly what I need
This is exactly the remote I need. Because it’s designed around activities, rather than just device control, I can streamline any procedure. I can power, adjust, and operate the devices needed in any particular situation. And if the activity I create doesn’t work just right, the programming software allows me to modify it, or create another more specific activity, until I’m satisfied. No more confusion!
By the way, to the reviewer who complained that the backlight was always on and drained the battery: This remote has a motion sensor that kicks in after two hours of non-use. So if you come home and reach for it, and the backlight is on, It probably hasn’t actually been on all day; it only turned on as you approached it!
Amazingly Simple
This is the first truly universal remote I’ve owned and I am not disappointed at all with it. Before getting this remote, I was juggling 3 to 4 different remotes. I have a Comcast hd dvr hooked up to an Onkyo AV receiver and a Sony TV. The comcast remote was good enough when watching tv. It has the ability to turn on all of the components and adjust the volume. But I was never able to get it to fully control the Receiver and tv. In order to change inputs you really had to use the remote for the receiver.
The Harmony 550, to put it simply, has changed my life, at least when it comes to tv. All it takes is the push of a button and it will turn on all of your devices and set them to the correct input. You can even take it a step further and have it change to a specific channel when it turns on. If after watching tv you decide you want to watch a movie or play a video game, all it takes is another push of a button. The remote will turn on the device you need, and turn off any devices you no longer need.
Setup is very straight forward and easy to use. Plug it into your computer and follow the instructions on how to add your devices. If at first the remote doesn’t have a button or function that the original remote had, you can have the 550 learn it and set it to a button.
My only quarrel with this remote is not a problem with the Harmony 550 itself, but all universal remotes. It doesn’t have bluetooth control. I own a PS3 and a Wii, both of which use bluetooth to turn on. It’s not a huge problem since when playing games you have to use the controller anyways, but when I want to watch a dvd or blu-ray, it would be nice to be able to just use a universal remote.
Great product
I love this thing. I use it for two rooms to control everything. Any changes in your equipment are easily handled by the software. It’s so nice to never have to learn the layout of keys on different remotes again as you just get used to where they are on this one and that’s it.
Don’t pay more than $50 for it though as they frequently are on sale and clearance both on Amazon and many other online retailers and physical stores.