Home > Consumer Reviews > Logitech Harmony 1100 Universal Remote

Let's get the fact that the Logitech Harmony 1100 is ultra-expensive out of the way to begin with. IT IS. I'm going to assume if you're reading this review then the price, whilst being a concern to you, isn't off putting and you're looking for some unbiased opinion/information to help you decide whether or not to treat yourself to this incredible device.

Opening the box you are greeted with the sight of the handset itself and its shiny black charging stand.Remove the top tray and underneath you have the instruction manuals, li-ion battery, mains lead, software disc and a USB cable.The handset itself is incredibly thin and light and is coated in a "rubberised" material on the back and is a metallic matt on the front.

Before you can program and use the Harmony 1100 you need to fully charge the battery - I'd recommend doing this overnight as it takes a minimum of five hours. This is also a good time to install the suppled software.
Gather the make and model of every peripheral you want to control and when the handset is charged you can finally begin. To program it you'll need to set up an online account with Logitech,tell them of all the devices you want the 1100 to operate and tell them of your "activities...." Activities are essentially a string of commands you'ld like the Harmony to do in a "one-touch" operation. i.e. Turn on the tv, turn on the Sky box, tune into Sky news..... or, sitch on the amplifier, switch on the cd player, play the cd...... It's upto you what activities you want to program it to do and it can be programmed to operate upto 15 different devices.

When you've finished online the handset is then programmed and the latest firmware installed and you're ready to go. The bottom line is test your activities. If they don't work quite how you expect you will need to go back online and "tweak"" them - the old saying practice makes perfect comes to mind at this stage.....

When you eventually get things exactly how you want you can then customise the display on the awesome display screen of the unit. Change icons, add short cuts, add favorites (channels, functions etc,,). I'm still "dabbling" with mine and suspect I will be doing so for a good few weeks until it is totally customised to my exact liking. There is good guidance,info and tutorials on the Logitech website to assist with any awkward issues you may find arise, but basically anyone with an above avaerage knowledge of how universal remotes work won't have a problem mastering the Harmony 1100.

So; to conclude.....

Would I recommend ?
You bet I would !
This is the Ferrari of universal remotes - a joy to handle, gorgeous to look at and will compliment the highest of high end AV systems. It even operates games consoles....

The only drawback is that you need both hands to hold and operate it - s if this is a problem for you then this isn't the remote for you.

It's obviously future proof with online updates readily downloadable as they are made available, new products being added to the Logitech database as they are launched, etc.

This is a quality, quality piece of AV equipment and will give you as much satisfaction and the same "wow factor" as any plasma screen, blu-ray player, 5.1 surround amplifier sytem will (or has done).

Go for it..... you won't be disappointed.

I had this delivered to work and it quickly attracted a crowd (of men only), all making approving noises. The first question everyone asked was "what is it?" - the answer to which was generally met with responses like "cool". The second question was always "how much?" - when I told them the first word from their lips was always an expletive. Without a doubt this is one gadget where any normal notion of value must be discarded - if you can't do that, walk away now.

So having come to the conclusion that the Logitech Harmony 1100 is both cool and ridiculously expensive, the next question must be does it work. Fortunately the answer is yes.

Prizing the surprisingly compact remote out the box and putting it on the supplied dock, the Logitech Harmony exudes quality. It's anodised alloy on the front, with a rubberised reverse and feels great in your hands. Once charged the set-up process is quite straight forward but did take me longer than the suggested 30 minutes (more like an hour and a bit for me). Those familiar with such devices could perhaps do it quicker.

In brief the set-up process is as follows: Install software (internet connection needed), set up account, attach remote via USB to computer, use software to add devices, set up 'activities', test remote, make changes if necessary. You are guided through each step in relatively plain english, but if you don't know the difference between HDMI and SCART you'll be in trouble, as it rightly assumes you know what's plugged in where.

The 'activities' are key to how this remote works. For example the most obvious 'activity' would be 'Watch TV'. Pressing the relevant icon on the touch screen will do the following: Switch on the Sky+ box, switch on the AV receiver and select the relevant input(s), switch on the TV and set to the correct input source. Once done the remote will ask if all is working as expected, if not it will walk you through suggested fixes. Then if you then decide you want to watch a DVD, press the appropriate icon and Sky+ goes off, the DVD player comes on and the AV Receiver and TV switch to the correct channels. Once you've had enough, press the power off button on the remote and all the devices are switched off.

I honestly thought it would trip up at some point, but so far so good. I also initially thought that some features were missing, but they are all there under the 'devices' sub-menu, which lists all the buttons on your existing remotes.

My only gripe is that it can't switch the PS3 on or navigate it's media bar (as it's bluetooth, not infrared). By using a USB infrared adapter you can control movie playback though.

At the end of the day I've gone from juggling six remote controls to two (the Harmony 1100 and the PS3 handset). Do I recommend the Logitech Harmony 1100 to people with a bunch of devices to control? Oh yes. And I don't normallty write reviews this long, so thanks for reading this far.

My very helpful hi fi shop swapped my old Harmony 1000,which was pants, with the newer 1100 and I paid the differnce,some £145.00.
This remote works much better than the old 1000,well worth the extra investment.
It does what it says on the tin.
My contact from the shop came round and set it all up for me,I watched him,and I reckon I could have done it,only thing I didnt know was what connections I had,like HDMI and Scart etc
A good remote and worth the money as it does what it says.

The Logitech Harmony 1100 is one hell of an expensive "toy" but if you like your gadgets and are happy to pay for quality, you will not be disappointed. I have used devices like this in conference rooms at work, but they are wired and look seriously dated compared to this little beauty.

Out of the box, the remote looks the part and has a good solid and comfortable feel to it. It has a grippy back, which should help prevent accidental drops. Initial setting up is pretty straightforward for the IT literate (and if you buy one of these, the chances are that you will be), it's a question of creating an account online and then attaching it remote via the USB cable and go from there. You then need to locate your AV equipment. It found my Sony DVD & TV, Humax PVR and JVC hi-fi easily though not the bluetooth PS3, which is a big omission as like me, many people, use it as a media centre and blu-ray player now Sony's flagship console has emerged from the kids bedroom. The screen is nice and bright and responsive.

Finding your devices is the first stage and then you can programme it to carry out multi-functions at once e.g. watch DVD which will power on the TV and DVD player or switch everything off at once, great after a long night sofa surfing. This takes a bit longer but is not too hard and the experimenting is quite good fun and worth the investment in time.

Overall, I am very impressed with this bit of kit, its definitely aspirational and expensive and some may be put off by the brand as Logitech to me is normally associated with webcams and mice, but it has both form and function. At the price I would also think carefully before purchasing if you have young children and hard floors as it's well built but as I found out with my sat nav recently, far from unbreakable.

No Canary wharf penthouse should be without one of these. Can't afford the penthouse? Get the remote instead ;o)

I've been using this remote for the last 2 days now and what can I say it is brilliant.

First of all it is a doddle to setup. As it's all done through wizards it updates itself through the internet and lets you setup all your multimedia equipment. Put it this way it will pick up pretty much anything that uses IR technology.

The beauty about this product is all the setup is done on your PC and then programmed to the remote via usb.

It can be configured and setup however you like. I programmed my TV, DVD recorder,SkyHD, Sound system, and cinema system all on this remote. I can push 1 button to turn it all on and off, which is very handy first thing in the mornings and bedtime.

The remote defintely looks very expensive and the response is extremely good. Quite possibly the best remote I've ever used with fast response on SKY HD and and all my other equipment.
The touchscreen is very responsive and the layout is very good.

The one thing I cannot control is my PS3 as that is bluetooth, but it does mention this during the setup process.

I must admit with children around I am apprehensive to use the harmony 1100, after all it is a very expensive remote. It looks beautiful sitting in it's cradle in any living room. I've had visitors ask what it is and when i mention it's a remote, people are amazed and also baffled that a remote can cost so much.

At the end of the day I do see this as a luxury product and only people who have the money will buy this product.

Myself, I have programmed this for use on all my equipment, but as I have young children(even though they are very well behaved).
It will sit in it's cradle for occassional use. Last thing I want is scratches and dents on something that looks like something from Star Trek.

If you have allot of money to spare then I'll doubt you will find a better remote than this anytime soon.