I’m not sure how much further Logitech can go with their Harmony universal remote line. With the new Logitech Harmony Ultimate out (which is a great Father’s Day gift, by the way), I’m really curious what the next generation Harmony remote would bring. I’m thinking that it will have some sort of mind reading integration or something because the new Logitech Harmony Ultimate is pretty much as full featured as it can go. The Harmony Ultimate remote is truly that…the ultimate remote. It is not only the last remote you will probably need, but also has the ultimate in configuration and control, making it head and shoulders about the competition.
Logitech Harmony Ultimate remote in dock
I seem to have a passion for collecting remote controls…not by choice, mind you. They come with every lazy person’s device that you get: TVs, DVRs, DVD players, receivers, streaming players, gaming systems, etc. And what starts to happen is that you get a pile of remotes. That wouldn’t be that bad if you didn’t have to remember which remote controlled what device. And, as more and more TVs and HiFi receivers have multiple types of connections (HDMI, component, composite, coax, etc.), it is practically impossible to remember which input you need to select to have your TV light up with the proper A/V content that you want. And, to top that off, try explaining to someone how to get everything running properly. I used to print out cheatsheets that I would leave for my family, guests or babysitters that would explain how to do it all, but it always ended up with the same thing, a frustrated phone call.
Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub
A few years ago, I reviewed the Logitech Harmony One, which at that point, I thought would be the remote to end all remotes. This month, thanks to Logitech, I got my hands on the new Harmony Ultimate. This is a universal remote control on steroids and it extends well beyond the remote that comes with it. Let me explain. With the Ultimate, you do get a remote (obviously) but you also get what they call the Harmony Hub. The Hub is what brings the “ultimate” power to your system. The Hub is an RF (Radio Frequency) Receiver. That means that it can receive commands without having line-of-sight and can go through walls. The Hub also has 2 IR (Infra Red) “blasters” that you put in your A/V cabinet. The Remote transmits an RF signal which the Hub then translates into IR commands.
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