Logitech Harmony Ultimate One IR Remote with Customizable Touch Screen Control (915-000224)

Logitech Harmony Ultimate One IR Remote with Customizable Touch Screen Control (915-000224)..

Grab Now Logitech Harmony Ultimate One IR Remote with Customizable Touch Screen Control (915-000224) By Logitech

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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
My Sixth Harmony remote model and the first one I returned.
By R. Garth
I have owned Harmony remotes since long before Logitech bought out the company.
I have lived with the knowledge that each remote would only last about 3 years before some form of button failure would develop, but it was worth it because no other remote on the market had the ergonomics and feature base and ease of setup of a Harmony remote.

My fifth and best remote was a 900 and it was a fantastic remote until the volume and channel buttons started to fail at the young age of only 2 1/2 years.

So I went out and bought a Harony Ultimate One at Best Buy and man oh man did I regret that! First of all has Harmony completely forgotten why remotes like the 1000 where failures and remotes like the 900 and the orginal Harmony One where great success stories? Yes Harmony it was the BUTTONS and the right mixture of LCD that made the remote a must have. With the Ultimate you have too much LCD and not enough hard buttons. With LCD buttons you have to constantly look down at the remote when trying to do anything! With Physical buttons you can feel your way around the remote. Anyone who uses a remote for 2-3 weeks will become very use to finding most of the needed buttons without ever looking down once at the remote. With Touch screen buttons you can use it for years and you will still need to look down to see if your finger is over the right spot.

Now while I am not happy towards the lessening of physical buttons and the leaning towards touch screen, I knew what I was getting into so I was willing to live with that until hopefully Harmony realized the mistake and made a more button packed remote like the 880, 900. But then acame the problems, it was like the remote had a built in Gremlin that just messed with it every so often. I dealt with lockups galore, problems with the LCD light staying on and killing the batteries and then prgogramming issues that I never had with any harmony remote before. In the end I packed up this puppy and sent her back.

The real shame of all of this is that Harmony put the words "Ultimate" on this remote when in fact they have had so many better models over the years. Lesson for Harmony is go back to basics and give the customers what they want, not what is cheapest to build. This remote finaly crossed the line and got into the realm of low quality with too much glitz and sparkle and not enough of what once made Harmony remotes great.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Good Solid Unit! (but I still love my original Harmony One!)
By Marty Gillis
I have used nothing but Harmony brand remotes for the past 8 years. I currently own and use a pair of Harmony One's as my 'go to ' remotes. They are VERY durable if properly cared for with one of my two 'One's” lasting more than 6 years old now and subjected to DAILY heavy use! Needless to say I am a Harmony fan and was eager to try this new Harmony Ultimate One out and see how it stacks up against my beloved original Harmony One.

Before reading more you may wish to read this disclaimer:

“These remotes are NOT for the technically challenged OR the chronically impatient! The website/software that allows you to custom program your Harmony Ultimate remote features unlimited combinations that you can use for both your devices and your “Activities” (macros), but also features one of the WORST software interfaces currently in use. It took me a good few months to find my way around the software enough to get fast with it. At this point it is all 2nd nature to me but honestly if you are not willing to spend the time and trouble on Harmony programming, you most likely should look elsewhere. On the other hand if you are willing to learn and spend a bit of trial and error time, you will be greatly rewarded with a remote that controls all your devices exactly the way YOU want it to.”

Ok, end of disclaimer....... Now back to my review.........

This particular Harmony is the IR model and will not shoot commands through solid objects, etc. This is for 'Line of Sight” control.
*** You can upgrade this remote by buying the Smart Control unit which will add RF capability to this , and more.

The until itself is very well made. It is smaller and lighter than my original Harmony One. Like the original 'One', it is rechargeable and includes a recharging base. You can control All your devices (up to 15) and create custom “Activities” to turn any number of devices on/off and change them to the appropriate inputs in one button push. All the functions work as advertised, although the gesture control will take a bit of getting used to. I am sure it will be a very fast way to do certain things, once I get the knack. Smart Phone users should have no trouble at all using the touch screen and the associated gesture controls.

Honestly, for what it is, the new Harmony Ultimate One remote works exceedingly well. I have a complex system consisting of up to 9 devices and have encountered ZERO programming/operational glitches. What I mean to say is that IT WORKS!

I honestly only have one major complaint/problem with this remote.....

While I like this new Harmony Ultimate One, in my opinion it is far from BEING ultimate. I still consider the original Harmony One (discontinued model) to be the best product they have ever turned out. Here is the main reason:

Basically the Harmony line of remotes underwent a drastic layout change just a few years back. The greatly loved classic configuration of the button/touchscreen layout was scrapped and replaced with new models that moved the touchscreen to the center of the remote and the most used transport buttons to the top. This just a plain bad idea when it comes to ease of use. It is just too easy to activate the touch screen on the way up to your transport controls and when you DO wish to use the touchscreen, functions that USED to be controlled by dedicated buttons are now requiring a glance or two to operate. I am spoiled and used to using my Harmony One by touch alone, but that doesn't cut it with touchscreens.. Also, having to reach to the very top for transport functions is uncomfortable at best and at times requites two hands instead of one. (at least for me it does)

<<<>>>> Oh well, I am sure Logitech has heard this from MANY people already, but my feeling is IF they could give back the classic button layout while still shrinking the product, they would have a real winner.

IF you have never used an original Harmony One or are NEW to Harmony remotes, then this new Harmony One Ultimate should both please you and serve all your remote needs with ease. BUT if you are like me and are still clinging to the older version, you are bound to miss the classic button layout with the touch screen at the top. It really IS the best layout and for many, many reasons. Be that as it may, THIS is the new top of the line for Harmony remotes and while I don't find the layout easier to use, it IS well made and all the functions remain, just implemented differently and found in different places on the physical remote itself.

AS you have probably surmised, I am a real Harmony Fan. The day I put away all my remotes for good was one to remember. I even use my Harmony to turn on/off and adjust my AC and room lighting. The Logitech database is vast and you will most likely find ALL your devices on it.

If you want to control ALL your devices with one remote and be able to make totally customizable control layouts and multi-device macros, then this Harmony One Ultimate will bend to your will. You just need a bit of patience and determination, plus a touch of imagination to turn this remote into YOUR Ultimate remote.

Again, I don't care for the new design, but this device is top of the line with great construction, good looks, and the ability to perform each and every function on every electronic device you currently use for stereo/home theater.

As such, it IS recommended by ME, Marty G !

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Great idea; poor engineering
By Steve B
Like most people I hate having seven remotes to control my system so combining them into one unit is a great idea. I appreciate the opportunity to review the Ultimate One and compare it to my two-year-old One with the failing buttons. Although the Ultimate One is pretty smart and quite functional in many ways, Logitech misses the mark for me on several important points.

Software: Try finding Roku for the Harmony. There are several classifications to look under but none of them make sense for Roku. It's listed under "DVD." Go figure. Try Apple TV. Good luck with that one. Brand new hardware (Ultimate One) with the same old crappy software. If they spent a couple of days with a new software team leader in charge, maybe they'd come up with a better system, but this one has irritated me since I bought the old One more than two years ago.

Hardware: Improved the shape and size over the old One so that now it stands up in the charging stand, taking up much less room on the table where it sits. Also added a textured back to make it easier to grip. They got rid of the superfluous buttons that cluttered up the old One, but also removed some pretty useful ones. These buttons are now accessed through layers of a touch screen. Sometimes this works out well, and sometimes not. Really depends on your equipment and the type of controlling you need to do. For me, I still keep the original remotes close enough that I can use them to do the more intricate things I don't want to bother setting up and troubleshooting on the Harmony. Yes, troubleshoot. Not everything works right the first time.

Some inconveniences: Ever hand your remote to someone so they can control things? Well, be careful with the Ultimate. About 1/4 times one of us will accidentally activate something on the touchscreen during transfer from one hand to the other, and we're being careful. Also, for some reason they put the playback buttons (play, FF, REW, etc) above the touchscreen. Try using those without activating something on the touchscreen!

Set up: Since I already had a Harmony One that was fine-tuned to my system (which took months to finesse!!!), set up was just a matter of transferring the information from the One to the Ultimate. Easy-cheesy. I don't look forward to learning how to set up the Ultimate for a new piece of equipment after seeing that the software is still the same: lame. For now, the Ultimate controls most things fine with no fuss on my part.

If you want to get rid of all of your remotes the Ultimate One could be your solution. For me it wasn't. If you want the convenience of controlling most of the common functions of a lot of equipment and don't mind the limitations, then this expensive remote could be a great addition to your collection. We now have nine remotes instead of the seven that came with the equipment. The old One is still on the charger for my wife's use (she doesn't care for the lack of buttons on the Ultimate). The Ultimate is for me, most of the time. The individual equipment remotes are stashed close-by in case I need to access something I can't find on the Ultimate.

If Logitech would update their software to the 21st century (they still have Laserdisc but don't have a proper category for ROKU) and put the touch screen at the top with all of the buttons grouped together, I'd love the Ultimate One. If they don't make changes to the software I won't buy a new One when this One wears out.

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Belkin WeMo Switch, Control Your Electronics From Anywhere with the Home Automation App for Smartphones and Tablets, Wi-Fi Enabled

Belkin WeMo Switch, Control Your Electronics From Anywhere with the Home Automation App for Smartphones and Tablets, Wi-Fi Enabled..

GET Belkin WeMo Switch, Control Your Electronics From Anywhere with the Home Automation App for Smartphones and Tablets, Wi-Fi Enabled By WeMo

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359 of 386 people found the following review helpful.
Firmware and App needs a lot of work.
By Gaucho
Installed the Wemo Light Switch easily enough. As other reviewers have stated, a neutral wire is required. Also, the size of the front of the switch is the same as your regular Leviton switches, so if you are replacing one of those your face plates (including a double face plate for 2 different switches which is what I have), it will fit. The rear of the switch, is definitely bigger than the rear of a normal light switch so it does make a tight fit inside the wall box. Overall, I think it is a decent device but Belkin has some updating to do, per the rest of my review.

Pluses:
* Design looks good
* When light switch is on, there is small power light to show it is "on"
* Once it is connected to your network, the remote access via the App is a nice feature

Cons:
* When connecting to your wi-fi router, you cannot have any special characters (like: !?*&) or any spaces, in your typically already set up router password; Example: your password cannot be "john doe" and instead has to be "johndoe" without a space. If you have these, it will not connect to your router!!! Belkin needs a firmware / App update to fix this ASAP.
* When you are loading a rule to your Wemo Switch, let the App completely finish before doing anything. This means waiting...don't try and rush anything because you can bork your device. My first Wemo light switch died because of this (after just 1 day of use!), as I tried to change its name from "Wemo Light Switch" to something like "Porch Light" and it did not load right, and killed the switch where I could not access it at all from the App (after 4 + hours of troubleshooting, resetting, restarting, re-installing the App, etc.); ultimately I had to just replace it with a new Wemo light switch that is working for now.
* Timer based rules do not always work; Example - I tried to create a rule where the switch turns on at 8:30 p.m. and turns off at 2:30 a.m. Saved the rule and the rule loaded to the device. After saving, etc., the rule mistakenly says to turn off at 2:30 p.m. = it got the a.m. and p.m. reversed for the turn off setting. Tried this several times and it would not save correctly, no matter what. Instead I am just using the "sunset" to "sunrise" settings which did save correctly. Again, a future firmware update should fix this.
* On Android, the WeMo App is slow, very slow (even if on a strong wi-fi or on a strong LTE signal which I have). The Android WeMo "Beta" App has the same exact functionality, but it is a little bit faster. So if you are on Android, use the "Beta" App.
* Belkin needs to allow a computer browser interface, not just by an IOS or Android App. I am comparing this to my Nest thermostat, which does have a computer browser interface plus an App, and is generally a much more polished device.

Conclusion - for now it's just a decent device. Even though it is not the first in the Wemo line, I would consider it a first generation device. I would rate it 2.5 stars for now, and if my second switch does not fail then maybe 3.5 stars. If Belkin improves firmware and the App, then it has the potential to be a 4+ star device but it is not there yet.

See, [...] for a Wemo community forum where you can see a wide variety of issues for troubleshooting this and other Wemo devices.

277 of 299 people found the following review helpful.
Worked well for ~2 months
By Erick
I bought 4 of these light switches about a month after they were released. I had been adding motion detector lights, dusk-to-dawn lights, etc., to both improve energy efficiency and safety in my house. My purchase was designed to move further toward both of these issues, along with a new Kwikset lock and some security cameras.

Installation was relatively simple, even for someone who is not an electrician. As long as you have the proper wires and follow instructions, as other reviewers have mentioned, installation should not be too difficult (check before ordering though). Connecting to the WiFi was also not difficult for me. I have a Linksys router in the basement with a Linksys range extender upstairs and WeMo did not have any problems connecting when I followed instructions. The initial firmware update took quite a long time and the initial iPhone app version that I downloaded was *very* slow to detect the switches each time I loaded the app, but they seem to have fixed the latter issue.

Once it was all setup, I LOVED it. I used IFTTT to automatically make sure lights were turned off at night and on in the morning, among other things. I really like the look of them and changed out many of my fan switches and other switches to the decorator-style to make it look even nicer. Really, really like the look of them, although I could see it not fitting as well in certain instances (I am definitely not an interior decorator). I do wish that these would work with 3-way lights (where you have two light switches that control the same light) or as dimmers, but unfortunately they don't.

Here's the problem: two days ago, the power to the router went out for about 30 seconds, then turned back on. The internet and WiFi loaded fine and all of my devices worked fine - except two of the 4 light switches could no longer connect to WiFi! They would both just blink orange non-stop. I tried all of their support instructions on their website, which was minimal, and included resetting and restarting the device. Of course, now one of the switches started blinking green and I could no longer even turn the lights on manually. So I caved and called their support number (difficult to find, but calling the corporate headquarters 800-number routed me to support).

Here is where it got really frustrating because, among other things, the person on the line spoke very poor English. It took about 35 minutes to get through the initial questions around model number, what lights were blinking, when I purchased the product, etc. In between each question, she would tell me to "hold on a second" and mute her line, before often (at least 10 times, no exaggeration) returning and asking me a question I had already answered. Multiple times, she forgot to mute her line and I heard her joking with her friends. But, OK, I only hold Belkin partially accountable for that. After over an hour, and having me try everything I already tried, she finally said she would send me a new one. For now, I have two switches that cannot connect to WiFi and one that cannot even turn the lights on.

It is simply not worth all of this hassle just to be able to remotely turn some lights on and off. To make it worse: they only provide (poor) customer service for free for 90 days! After that, you have to pay to talk to someone. Luckily (unluckily?), mine broke after 60 days so I could get someone on the phone.

I really wanted to like the product, and I would have if there was some quality control or better customer support, but unfortunately for me it didn't work out.

195 of 213 people found the following review helpful.
A great starter pack- a demo of how it's useful for me.
By RST
I am a little bit obsessed with the WeMo world. I have a ton of them in my house, on most lights, and a few of the motion sensors. I could go through the technical specs of the device, but others have done that. I'd rather give you an example of why it is useful to me, and how I use it. I have my kit and other WeMo switches set to:

Turn one living room light on from "dusk" (definable in the iPhone/Android app) until 10:30 p.m.
From 10:30 to 11, a different light stays on
From 11 through "sunrise" if I walk out of the bedroom door, and the motion sensor senses me, it turns on two lights in the living room
If motion is detected from 10:30 p.m. through Sunrise at my front door, it turns on "ALL OF THE LIGHTS!"

I also use one of these in the winter to turn on my Christmas lights (they plug in indoors), my Christmas tree at night, and other Christmas lights on by motion if I'm around.

The kit is incredibly flexible, and once you get one set up and on your wifi, it can be controlled while you are AWAY FROM HOME! The best part.

You can drive up to your house and turn the lights on before you go inside!

That all being said, I did have a couple of them be a little difficult to get on the wifi the first time. As soon as you connect them, they want to update their firmware/software. Once that's done, they work great. Be patient if you have a little difficulty on the first go, it will work and then be 100% reliable after that.

I hope this has helped you understand how and why to use the device and how it might help you.

UPDATE:

There is now a newer or different model of the wemo outlet control that can also track energy consumption. It is smaller overall, and has a touch sensor for the wifi. If you think you might be interested in that, you can find it here: Belkin WeMo Insight Switch, Control Your Electronics and Monitor Energy Usage From Anywhere with the Home Automation App for Smartphones and Tablets, Wi-Fi Enabled

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Boss Audio R1100M Mosfet Monoblock Power Amplifier with Remote Subwoofer Level Control

Boss Audio R1100M Mosfet Monoblock Power Amplifier with Remote Subwoofer Level Control..

Grab Now Boss Audio R1100M Mosfet Monoblock Power Amplifier with Remote Subwoofer Level Control By BOSS

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228 of 256 people found the following review helpful.
Optimistic power claims
By Nicholas J. Rose
I'm an electronics engineer so I care about specifications. This amplifier is a low cost item which offers reasonable value, but I wish they would be more honest with their claims.

My measurements show 21.5V rms continuous into 4 ohms at the onset of clipping with a 14.12V supply. This is 115W rms.
With no load it gives 23.9V with 14.12V supply. This corresponds to 142W rms peak.

So, essentially it is a 100-150W amp (4 ohms), or at best 200-300W (probably less) into 2 ohms. The claims of 250W into 4 ohms or 1100W into 2 ohms are at best ridiculously optimistic.

I would suggest that it is worth paying a bit more to get something better.

143 of 167 people found the following review helpful.
The Real Deal
By Ron M
Sorry folks...

But there are a couple of myths, being two pieces of (...dare I say it?) outright misinformation that have become attached to this compact masterpiece, ...even though I'm sure both of them were offered with the best of intentions.

As for me, I thought I'd wait until I'd driven it hard and bounced it around the Aussie Outback for a couple of months before any attempt at reviewing it.

A little background: I'm an Audio Director/Sound Supervisor in my fifth decade of ongoing work in this field, most of it live (or "as live") and on location.

My Boss Audio R1100M is used to drive either full-spectrum sub plus line array or horn plus ported-woofer long range speakers (a choice dependent on the vagaries of weather and/or crowd numbers) at impedances from four to sixteen ohms, ...the only constant factor being the need to rely exclusively on DC vehicle power.

The verdict: ...five stars. No doubt whatsoever.

The Boss Audio R1100M delivers far more than something that's roughly the price of a case of beer should ever be able to do.

(What a crying shame that its excellent internal fan-cooling arrangements don't actually extend to chilling beer. Now that WOULD be a world-beater...)

To those well-intentioned myths:

First, "The Remote Subwoofer Level Control doesn't work."

Not when the amp's switched to "Full Range" it doesn't.

When it's in "Full Range", it isn't expecting to be driving just a subwoofer, is it? Switched to "Low Pass" (i.e. subwoofer) mode, the remote control works a treat.

Second, "It's under-powered."

Hang on a cotton-picking second, did you honestly expect to have mountain-moving power for the price of a case of cold ones?

Now look at it's main fuse. It's 30 amps. That's your lot, any more and it all goes dark and quiet until you replace the fuse.

Time for some basic arithmetic, 12 x 30 = 360. That's 360 watts of total power going in.

Wait a second, my alternator kicks out a gargantuan 14.4 volts! Whoopee! Hurrah! Huzzah! Hallelujah! I've now got an earth-shattering 432 watts at my command!

...Uuh, ...um, ...well, ...er, ...I WOULD have if everything inside the immaculately designed Boss-Box yielded 100% efficiency.

Sadly, 100% efficiency from ANY power system is the stuff of Nobel Prizes and/or science fiction.

(Trust me when I say that you won't ever again need to consult anyone's review of anything after YOU'VE developed a power system that's 100% efficient.)

Meanwhile, back in the "Real World", guess what?

With power being wasted to generate heat, run cooling fans and the losses inherent in each and every electronic step taken, the BEST amplifiers are around 25% efficient.

25% of 432 watts?

That would be 108, just a tad LESS than I (and others) have observed to be the continuous power actually (and reliably) delivered from this tiny Boss-Box into 4 ohms.

The controls all do exactly what they're meant to do. The sound is clean, gutsy and free of artefacts, so, by way of a conclusion, here's the outcome of some OTHER basic arithmetic I did prior to buying it...

I can't buy an aluminium housing of comparable ruggedness for the price of this entire amplifier.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
This little amp packs a big punch!
By Tumor Boy
I use it to power two 10 inch kicker subwoofers and it has no problem doing so. It sounds better than my old pioneer amp! Its smaller than most amps I've seen and BOSS glows blues when it turns on which is just a cool bonus. It only has one channel so if you are going to hook two subs up to it you have to bridge them but that lowers your Ohms and sounds better anyway in my opinion. It is a great amp and you can't beat the price, highly recommended!!!

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AmazonBasics Wireless Remote Control for Canon T4i, T3i, T2i, T1i, XT, Xti, 5D Mark II, 7D, 70D

AmazonBasics Wireless Remote Control for Canon T4i, T3i, T2i, T1i, XT, Xti, 5D Mark II, 7D, 70D..

Special Price AmazonBasics Wireless Remote Control for Canon T4i, T3i, T2i, T1i, XT, Xti, 5D Mark II, 7D, 70D By AmazonBasics

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194 of 201 people found the following review helpful.
Great Product.
By Mr. Terry Miller
I just wanted to verify the despite being half the price of the Nikon badged item this is in my estimation a better product. The reasons for that evaluation are twofold. First, it comes with a better carrying case, a soft drawstring bag as opposed to Nikon's stiff plastic which uses velcro to secure it. Second, it is more powerful than Nikon's product. It has more range. My Nikon D90 only has an infrared receiver on the front left of the camera. None in the back. However indoors, this remote is powerful enough to trigger the camera with the remote behind the camera, using bounced signal off the ceiling or walls. I think this is a "best buy". I might add that I also own the Nikon product, also purchased from Amazon.

95 of 104 people found the following review helpful.
Simple product, works with most Nikon DSLR, Great for self/group portrait and long time exposure
By Sidarta Tanu
AmazonBasics Wireless Remote Control for Nikon works with most Nikon DSLR (including D3000, D40, D40x, D50, D5000, D60, D70, D7000, D70s, D80, D90) and Nikon P7000 camera. This is a simple product. One button to trigger the camera shutter. To use this remote, first remove the clear plastic battery insulator sheet (just need to do this one/first time), and it's ready to go. This remote can be used with the delayed remote mode or quick response remote mode. It can also be used for the long time exposure by setting the camera to M mode (manual mode) and when the remote is pressed 2 seconds in delayed remote mode, the shutter will remain open until the remote control is pressed again/the second time.

Three additional things (general condition to note when using this remote):
1. Sometime the camera will automatically cancel delayed remote or quick respose remote mode after idling for a while so you might need to set it again and this is normal (you can set how long you want the setting to stay before it revert to the normal mode)
2. When using built-in flash, the shutter remote will only trigger the shutter only after the flash is completely charged (with external flash it will not wait the flash to charged up fully so sometime photos can be underexposed if the external flash doesn't go)
3. The camera will autofocus (if it is set to autofocus mode) prior to taking the photo after you press the remote button so you don't need to autofocus beforehand

This is a comparable replacement for the Nikon ML-L3 remote control (i.e. both products are good, and work as it is intended). It is great for self/group portrait (using tripod) and long time exposure (reduce shake vs pressing the camera shutter button directly)

Sidarta Tanu

181 of 208 people found the following review helpful.
Really easy to use and reliable
By Rebecca N
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RGHZBANLUFDD5 This is really easy to use right out of the package. You just have to figure out how to set your camera to receive a wireless remote command.

Here's a video of me doing that for my D90. It's blurry, but it gets the point across, I believe. Good luck.

Bottom line, I'm very very happy to have this remote. It allows me to take pictures with friends without trying to hold the camera at arms length. I absolutely think everyone buying a nikon DSLR should get this along with it. It seems like a no-brainer must have accessory.

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