Logitech Harmony 300 Remote Control (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

This is simply a very, very good, if not perfect universal remote control. Instead of trying out countless arcane codes, that may or may not match your device or the functions of your original remote, you set up the 300i by: (1) creating an account at MyHarmony.com; (2) entering your device types and model numbers; and (3) "synching" the remote with the Logitech/Harmony database of more than 5000 devices. If you're unfortunate enough to own a device that is not in the MyHarmony database (as was my case), all is not lost. This remote is stunningly easy to "teach." Instead of mashing countless combinations of buttons (with questionable results), you simply connect the remote with the USB cord, login to your account, select the option to "teach" a button, select the button you want to teach, and press the button/function on the original remote that served that funtion. The on-screen software will inform you when the "lesson" has been successfully programmed, and you can move on to the next button/function. When you are finished, you simply "synch" your remote, and the learned functions will be downloaded and installed into your 300i remote. The best part is that the learned funtions will be stored in your MyHarmony account in case you ever need to fix the function or want to move that function to a different button. I cannot overstate how much more preferable this process is to the alternative presented by other "universal" remotes I have tried.Limited Cons: (1) There is no printed manual included with the unit or downloadable from the Logitech site; (2) The software cannot be separately downloaded, but can only be run from your MyHarmony account; (3) If you have more than one 300i (as I do), you cannot program multiple 300i remotes from the same account, but must create a separate account with a separate e-mail address for each 300i. I would guess that the third limitation probably applies if you have multiple Logitech/Harmony remotes, even if they are different models.Conclusions: In my opinion, the magnitude of the Logitech/Harmony database and the ease of programming the remote in the unlikely event your device is not within the database vastly outweigh the "Cons" noted above. I also believe the positives also justify the $30.00 price, even though there are other remotes that promote themselves as "universal" for approximately half that cost. After all, how much is your time worth?From my experience, if you are cheap (like me) and have a system that is relatively new and consists of popular brand named devices, you might consider the URC A6 (@ $15.00 on Amazon). I tried the URC A6 and found it to be a very nice universal remote that will control up to six devices. Unfortunately, however, I could not successfully program it to execute some important functions for my TV (an iSymphony LED19iH50), so I was compelled to move on to the Logitech-Harmony 300i. I would also suggest that you do yourself a favor and avoid the Sony RMVLZ620 like the plague. Its preprogrammed database is quite limited, and from my experience it is simply impossible to "teach."If you have more than four devices to control (the 300i will only do four), I have no suggestions. Logitech/Harmony makes many, much pricier remotes which control more devices and have all kinds of bells and whistles; however, I have absolutely no experience with them. I can only say that I have had nothing but good experiences with the other Logitech devices I own.Good Luck.

I've been debating between 4 and 5 stars for this product. The final outcome here is great, I am 100% happy. But the road to that outcome was not the least "harmonious" and might have been impossible for one less persistent or less versed in computers.I unpacked the remote, put the batteries in, and connected it to one of my computers, an older, cheap HP desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium. All seemed to progress fine -- the plug-and-play device was recognized and the messages were "successful", but then nothing happened. the instructions implied a menu would pop up, but there was nothing of the kind. Nothing visible installed. Task Manager was quiescent.Looked up Logitech webpage devoted to this remote, clicked "Support" and followed all the instructions, from the insulting "make sure your USB cable is plugged in" to the useful "disable your firewall and Antivirus program." Nothing helped, including rebooting the PC, switching USB ports, etc.Went to a different PC, 2 year-old Dell laptop with Windows 7. Same experience, same remedial actions, same null outcome.Finally, found an indication on some support link to register at "myharmony.com" where it wanted me to establish an account etc. Did all that but was told this application would not work on my IE version, that I needed Firefox or IE8. Turns out that was not the case at all. What it did not like was my 64-bit OS and corresponding 64-bit IE.When I finally found all that out and figured out how to run the 32-bit version of IE on my computer (you have to launch it manually from the "Program Files (x86)" folder where the 32-bit version is automatically installed; the default 64-bit version is in the "Program Files" folder) and was able to establish an account with myharmony, suddenly everything worked. I never went back to try if it would have worked had I had a 32-bit IE up in the first place. But since the first computer's OS is 32-bit, and so is its IE, I doubt it.So -- the solution is -- if your Harmony 300 does not boot up at install, go straight to myharmony.com and endure the pain of establishing your 333rd useless account. Keep fighting, the outcome is worth it.Postscript: I found another piece of paper sent with the remote where -- not very obvious -- it points to myharmony.com. Had I seen that, I would have saved a lot of time.Once installed, the remote was a joy to program. First I told it the model number of everyone of my 4 devices -- a new Insignia TV, a 5 year-old Insignia DVD player, an older Roku movie streamer, and a 5-year old Motrola cable receiver rented from Comcast. The programming is done while the remote is connected via the same USB cable supplied with it. Everyone of my devices was in its database and every one of them worked flawlessly, including functions like Menu, channel guide, last channel, etc. Going back to the programming console on my PC, I could configure favorite channels, special functions like aspect ratios and zoom. Even better, the remote builds in delays between keys and when switching from one device to another, presumably to avoid confusion or "not being heard". Since my devices seemed to work well, I was able to shorten these delays considerably and make for a very responsive-feeling remote.For years, my family has been calling me to "turn on the TV for us" while fumbling through a plate full of remotes, begging me to resuscitate the old world when you could just press the "on" button and everything worked. They will now have to deal with just this one sleek device with -- yes! -- a clearly labeled "Watch TV" button in prominent position. If they ever want more, that same myharmony site features an appealing, purposely simplistic video with instructions that can take you to the next step (e.g., how to watch a movie on the DVD player). This is separate from a different video that shows the "experts" how to set up and modify the remote setup. Thank you, Logitech, for helping remove this pesky source of domestic tension when dad/hubby has to play teacher of entertainment technology to family.So, again, if you consider yourself adventurous and persistent, buy this remote. Chances are, your setup will be easier than mine. If not, go straight to myharmony.com. (why did they not put this in the instructions that come with the remote...). The outcome is worth it!

Wer mit einem PC umgehen kann, kann diese Fernsteuerung per USB an den PC anschließen und ihr per Harmony-App die zu steuernden Geräte benennen. Alle relevanten Codes - auch von Uraltgeräten - werden den Tasten richtig und automatisch zugeordnet. Dann legt man noch fest, was passieren soll, wenn man TV-sehen will, z.B. welche Geräte dazu eingeschaltet werden sollen und welches Gerät die Lautstärkeregelung übernehmen soll. Und dann funktioniert das alles schon. Sehr schön gemacht und einfach: eine Volksfernbedienung eben. Wer mehr als 4 Geräte steuern will braucht die Harmony 350, wer selber verschiedene Szenarien programmieren will, kann sich die höherwertigen Harmonys besorgen.