Home > Consumer Reviews > Logitech Harmony 785 Universal Remote Control

Took the plunge to try and sort our my remote mess in the living room. Been looking around at a few products which will do the trick and decided to go for the Harmony 785 (Has got a colour screen and rechargable battery & docking station). Set up was not as bad as I expected. You have to know what make/model your TV, DVD etc are and once you have enetered those it downloads the Infra Red codes to the 785. The activities are the best (upto 6 personalised) e.g If I want ot watch a DVD it will switch on the TV, DVD AMP etc in the correct order and inputs so it all works. If I then want to watch Sky it will switch off the DVD and switch on the Sky box and set the correct inputs. 0800 number support as well, just in case.

Having got a large number of devices that need remotes around the house I initially bought an "all in one" remote from Kameleon. This remote is so much nicer in terms of looks and functionality. It does require a spare hour or two to initially program it but I think its worth it. the "Activities" button allows you to store macros so when you press the "play xbox" the tv will switch on, switch to your aux input, switch on the xbox and then you can add additional functions if you like (I like a brighter picture when playing games so I have stored a picture setting that gets switched at the press of the button as well) When it comes to switching off one button switches everything off- TV, xbox etc.

Its a nice user interface, well laid out but it is pricey. I was willing to pay for that convenience to reduce all of those remotes gathering dust around the place!

Set up is via a PC connected to the internet and a USB cable that connects from your PC to the remote. The database logitech have on devices is huge so you are likely to find the ones you are looking for. It can also "learn" another remote so if your code is not found in the database you can line the two remotes up and learn from your original.

There is a lot of customisation available to ensure your remote is set up the way that you want it- you can change names of devices, names of keys, change the order etc.

Very comprehensive product that I am very pleased with.

Bought the 555 Model a week ago very impressed. Did not have any problems loading software found it very straight forward I would say I have average technical knowledge. Only downsides were LCD screen allows 4 function options at a time and function options assigned to the LCD screen were not logically laid out but this was easy to remedy if a little time consuming. I decided to get another remote for downstairs and move the 555 upstairs. Decided on the 785. Very pleased with both, would recommend the 785 because of charging dock and larger LCD screen allowing 6 options at a time. Minor niggles on 785 are flimsy USB cover and no option to vary back lighting. Even taking into account these niggles easy 5 Star rating for both. I

After a charge up used the database to load up the settings, The easiest and quickest way is to use a laptop next to all your stuff. The settings from the database for my Toshiba TV were not spot on, as the database forced the TV onto an analouge channel every time it started up. A twiddle with the software fixed it. Once it has been used with all your kit it works almost seamlessly, only getting lost off if the original remotes are used, or you have skylink it can get out of sync. As long as all the devices are in the same state as the remote left them it works fine. You can also set up activities to turn on diffrent stuff i.e TV & Sky as one activity & another that also does the amp. You can rename the standard names to more meaningful ones to you. I have it working with Toshibia WLT68, Sky HD, Sony AV Amp & Sony Blu-Ray, BT Vision, all off the database. Excellent remote.

I have had a couple of Harmony remotes before a 655 and one of the more expensive 885s. Some buttons on the 885 gave up the Ghost rather disapointingly esp. as the older 655 is still working fine. The 885 had always been a disapointment to be honest, charging contacts did not always contact without a bit of fiddling and the buttons seemed designed with more thought given to style than function. Wife always hated it.

Anyway needed a replacement and despite the problems with the 885 I would still not get any other kind of universal remote. NB I have had quite a few including Philips and a Pronto. Obvious choice in the current Harmony line up would have been the Harmony One but harmony have choosen not to include the four colour buttons on the One (because it is aimed at the US market presumably) and I use them a lot with my Topfield PVR.

So went for the slightly cheaper 785. Liked it immediately. Buttons while small are logically positioned and are mostly proper projecting buttons unlike the flush 'keys' on the 855. Charger worked perfectly. Obviously I am familiar with setting up harmonys but even so it seemed much easier than the last time I did it. This may have more to do with the development of the Harmony database of codes than the particular remote. e.g. harmony seem to have at last worked out the codes for old Panasonic TV. These remotes always had problems with panasonics power and input selection codes. Getting them to work at all was a black art. All that seems to have been sorted.
It seemed a bit confused about the codes on my (very rare) Musical Fidelity Amp so had to spend five minutes leaning them from the original remote but apart from that no problems at all. The extra set of up /down buttons where particularly useful

Best of all my wife loved it at first sight probably because it looks and feels more like a normal remote than the 855. So long as it lasts a bit longer than the 855 I will be very happy. Would recommend to anyone who wants a universal and is half competant with a computer or knows someone who is.