Gadget show tonight

[jpgreenwood]

After the gadget show tonight , I have rediscovered my urge to buy an all in one remote. The new philips one seemed to look nicest and was the easiest to use but it struggled to operate the show's Humax pvr. This is my biggest worry as I have a Digifusion fvrt145 which will probably not be in the manuals list of codes.
Can anyone confirm a remote which is compatible with digifusion?

 

[davepuma]

Despite the findings of the review, I would stick with Harmony. I considered the newer Prontos but after using the 525 and tweaking it how I wanted it, I am more than happy with the Harmony range and have just invested in a One. The 525 will go in the bedroom. I didn't quite understand the scores as he said the Harmony was the only one to achieve what they wanted but took too long to do it. I would have thought that a gadget show presenter would be a little more tech savvy and get over any hurdles but on the whole I thought it was a pretty fair review, albeit a bit simplistic but that's the norm on the show. Any remote takes time to setup, you can get them going pretty quickly but it's the tweaks that take time but it's well worth sticking with it. With the older Pronto 940 I had, although I loved it, it was a hobby programming it and you really did have to invest a lot more time. The good thing about the Harmony range is all the codes are stored on the Harmony database and are constantly updated. I thought I would have to manually add my new PS3 IR2BT but alas, as soon as I added it to the Harmony, there was in the database I've probably spent about an hour on my new One this evening (during the Gadget show funnily enough) and now have it pretty much sorted.

 

[Kryptix]

That review was AWFUL.

The Harmony One would win easily if reviewed by someone who has a slight bit of AV knowledge.

Most people on here will know their TV model name. It's not as if an old granny is gunna be buying a Harmony. The reason the Harmony software couldn't find the TV was because he entered the wrong model name.

Typical Gadget Show really. Reviewing technology for families with no knowledge about the subject what-so-ever.

My mate phoned me up after watching the show, and said "I saw your remote on TV. It's **** -- I thought you said it was good...!"

The Harmony One was my first remote, and I had it mastered in an hour. I know the software back-to-front now, and I haven't used it for very long at all.

 

[logiciel]

I thought I would have to manually add my new PS3 IR2BT but alas, as soon as I added it to the Harmony, there was in the database.

It was probably because you added it that it appeared soon afterwards!
Most of the codes come from users, then Logi add them to the base.

 

[Pincho Paxton]

That review was AWFUL.

The Harmony One would win easily if reviewed by someone who has a slight bit of AV knowledge.

Most people on here will know their TV model name. It's not as if an old granny is gunna be buying a Harmony. The reason the Harmony software couldn't find the TV was because he entered the wrong model name.

Typical Gadget Show really. Reviewing technology for families with no knowledge about the subject what-so-ever.

My mate phoned me up after watching the show, and said "I saw your remote on TV. It's **** -- I thought you said it was good...!"

The Harmony One was my first remote, and I had it mastered in an hour. I know the software back-to-front now, and I haven't used it for very long at all.

I thought the review was fair, as it was based on an average person trying to use the remote. They are a pain to use. I blame the setup software. The timings are often wrong by default. Logitech should store timings in their Database along with the rest of the details. Maybe they should take the average settings of all users of each device. For example my Bravia Tv takes 11 seconds to turn itself on, and that should be the default. Being as the setup software is linked to the Logitech site, surely it is easy to keep everyones profiles, and use them for instant setup of devices.

 

[Goooner]

I agree, they aren't that easy to setup. I had a nightmare with my 555, due to the peculiarities of my Panny TV, it was completely doing my head in for the best part of a week until tech support fixed it for me.

The Panny TV I've got (and I'm sure other Panny models will be the same) requires the standby button to be held down for several seconds to turn the TV on, tech support had to add a duration command into my setup to overcome this. When asking here and on the Logi forums, I was told about the command, so it's obviously a common thing, so why isn't it included in the database for whenever someone adds that TV to their setup? Why should you have to go to tech support?

Having said that, tech support were absolutely brilliant, sorting everything out really quickly and all works perfectly now.

I wouldn't be without it and it's simple enough for my wife to be able to use it, which was the main object of the excercise in the first place

 

[vex]

Set up a H1000, H895 both with RF and a 555 yesterday for a client.

Programming is not that difficult if you don't use any knowledge you may have from programming other types of remote.

V.

 

[Rob20]

I have a Harmony 885 remote and, (IMO), once it's set up it's fantastic. Getting to that point can be a nightmare for the uninitiated consumer, (i.e. people like me). I had a problem with my tv as you have to press a single button to cycle through the tv inputs. I could never get the activities to work as the number of cycles would vary depending on what input you were on. Never managed to work it out. When I bought an amp with HDMI/component switching and single output to tv, I was finally able to use it properly. If you can get someone else to set it up for you then 5/5. Having to set it up yourself is far too time consuming and defeats the alot of the point. Plus you need a pc/mac etc...

For some people having the extra remotes is less of a headache than setting up a Harmony remote.

 

[Goooner]

For some people having the extra remotes is less of a headache than setting up a Harmony remote.

I was so close to giving up and eBaying mine and going back to my half dozen remotes, if tech support hadn't been so quick and helpful I would have done

 

[Autopilot]

Have to agree about the Gadget show, yet another example of why you cant trust their crazy reviews - complete trash. Any harmony would be better than that Philips and it does not not take that much longer to program. Any extra time is worth it though.

 

[neilball]

I agree, they aren't that easy to setup. I had a nightmare with my 555, due to the peculiarities of my Panny TV, it was completely doing my head in for the best part of a week until tech support fixed it for me.

The Panny TV I've got (and I'm sure other Panny models will be the same) requires the standby button to be held down for several seconds to turn the TV on, tech support had to add a duration command into my setup to overcome this. When asking here and on the Logi forums, I was told about the command, so it's obviously a common thing, so why isn't it included in the database for whenever someone adds that TV to their setup? Why should you have to go to tech support?

Having said that, tech support were absolutely brilliant, sorting everything out really quickly and all works perfectly now.

I wouldn't be without it and it's simple enough for my wife to be able to use it, which was the main object of the excercise in the first place

I treat these issues as the TV manufacturers rather than the fault of the universal remote companies. The long hold needed to switch on the TV is an unnecessary and uncommon complication as is not having discrete commands to switch inputs or power on & power off (also a pet hate of mine in relation to Panasonic). Lots of other manufacturers include these functions as they are aware that there are advanced users and a custom installation market who need these codes to make operation of the AV kit reliable with complex universal remote set ups.

Hats off to Logitech for providing a support system capable of helping end users fix these difficulties rather than leaving them on their own.

 

[Goooner]

You're right there, there's no sensible reason that Panasonic couldn't have (working) discrete codes and also a sensible system for switching between inputs, rather than the same buttons doing different things, depending on which order you press them.

Top quality support from Logitech though (if only all tech support could be as good ) any profit they must have mad on my 555 must have been used up on their 2 hour phone call from Canada to sort my problems out

Still, I suppose good service like that is rewarded in the long run, by word of mouth recommendations and repeat business from satisfied customers, I know I certainly wouldn't hesitate to buy their kit again.

 

[jpgreenwood]

So, now you tech heads have discussed the faults of the gadget show and your own experiences with the harmony, can someone please tell me if any of these remotes will operate the functions af a digifusion pvr, LG tv and a virgin box?
Sorry to be rude but for the "uninitiated" type out here sometimes the info on here can go too deep and technical.

 

[hornydragon]

For example my Bravia Tv takes 11 seconds to turn itself on, and that should be the default.

Its not harmony's fault Sony build steam powered LCD's or that manufacturers do as they please with menus and codesets I missed the show, did they have to learn all of the commands into the phillips (asume it was a 9200, or was it a 9800i?)

 

[monksy74]

You're right there, there's no sensible reason that Panasonic couldn't have (working) discrete codes and also a sensible system for switching between inputs, rather than the same buttons doing different things, depending on which order you press them.
.

I presume you're talking about a Panasonic PX60 or earlier. They have got better.

The PX70 and PZ70 have working discrete on & off codes. The inputs are done by a list you can cycle through (which you can hide unused inputs from).
One annoying thing is that there are discrete commands for some of the inputs, but not all. There must be discretes for all the inputs but no-one has found the correct codes yet and Panasonic won't give them out. Either that or they cocked up the discretes and don't want to admit it.

 

[Pincho Paxton]

Its not harmony's fault Sony build steam powered LCD's or that manufacturers do as they please with menus and codesets I missed the show, did they have to learn all of the commands into the phillips (asume it was a 9200, or was it a 9800i?)

It is Logitech's fault to emulate a TV that takes 11 seconds to turn on, and give it a default of 5 seconds (or whatever it was). Their whole purpose is to do what Sony do, and it's not Sony's purpose to emulate a Harmony remote.

 

[hornydragon]

It is Logitech's fault to emulate a TV that takes 11 seconds to turn on, and give it a default of 5 seconds (or whatever it was). Their whole purpose is to do what Sony do, and it's not Sony's purpose to emulate a Harmony remote.

and they can you just change the delay setting.....

 

[Pincho Paxton]

and they can you just change the delay setting.....

I don't think that..

THEY = YOU

 

[baccattack]

I missed the show, did they have to learn all of the commands into the phillips (asume it was a 9200, or was it a 9800i?)

It was the SRU8015/10 and to be fair of the three they tested it did look to be by far the easiest to setup. The other remote in the test was the One for All URC 7780, test details here