Logitech Harmony 676 Universal Remote Control Reviews

• Excellent universal remote! Great features and nice feel.

  
  By A18GBEVCKUXCJ7 on 2005-03-21
  I bought this remote a few months ago to replace an aging Sony RM-VL900. This remote is absolutely perfect for our family. Here are the three things I was looking for (and found in the Harmony 676)...
  
  1) Activity-based remote - the remote is very easy for the kids to understand because they choose the activity that they want (TV/DVR, Video games, or DVD) and the remote then sets everything up for them to control the devices for that activity. FF and RWD control either the DVD or the DVR depending on what you are doing. All the inputs for the TV and A/V Receiver are automatically set correctly. It makes using a system with multiple components very simple.
  
  2) Hard buttons - I have a Pronto but it sits in the closet. Despite the flexibility that the LCD touchscreen offers, there are two big disadvantages: complicated setup and using the remote by "feel" or "touch." I really like the soft rubber buttons on the Harmony 676. It's very easy to use without looking at the remote because you quickly learn where all the transport buttons are. The rubber has a nice feel and they travel enough that you can tell when you have pressed the button down. As a bonus, you get an LCD screen with extra buttons for those commands that don't fit on a real button.
  
  3) Computer-based setup - I liked the Sony VL-900 because of the nice rubber buttons but I lost my learned commands and settings a couple times because the batteries were removed. After programming it for the third time, I vowed that my next remote would have a computer-based setup so that I could save all the settings and restore them if needed. The Harmony remote uses a web-based utility that allows you to save everything should you need to restore your remote settings. The web-based approach also allows you to benefit from all the other users that have already learned all the commands for your devices.
  
  The Harmony 676 met our needs perfectly and I can't say I've ever enjoyed a remote more than this one (and I've tried plenty). The color faceplates are a nice feature. Ours is currently red because we have red accents in our TV room and my wife loves it. The faceplates are a nice deep color too, not cheap and plasticy like you might expect.
  
  Here are a couple more things to consider as you shop around and compare the other Harmony remotes...
  
  The Harmony 680 is similar but has two major differences. First the buttons are arranged so that the transport buttons are around the cursor. I like having the transport buttons at the top where they are laid out in a logical line. I think it makes using the remote by touch simpler as well. Also, the 680 has hard plastic buttons rather than soft rubber buttons. I prefer the feel of the soft buttons.
  
  Some of the other Harmony remotes have more buttons, but they have strange (to my taste) button shapes and layouts. I don't like how the buttons on the 688 are next to each other. It makes it much harder to use by feel. I have to look at the 688 to make sure I'm pressing the right button.
  
  The 659 has the transport buttons at the very bottom of the remote, which is an awful position if you use a DVR to watch TV. We use the transport buttons all the time to fast-forward through commercials, etc. and the 676 has them in a nice place to use often.
  
  When you program the remote, keep in mind that the activity screens and the device screens are different. I spent some time tweaking the DVD layout and LCD buttons only to find that they didn't show up when I pressed "watch DVD." I needed to go back and make the same changes to the "watch DVD" activity that I had made to the DVD device.
  
  

• Best Harmony Remote yet

  
  By A2MT74VNSWZM90 on 2004-10-21
  This is my third Harmony Remote, and is the best yet. Like all of the previous models, it supports every A/V device I own and the web-based setup has a good balance of ease-of-use and flexibility.
  
  The interchangable face plates are a nice extra, but not a major factor in my selection. The button layout is very good and the LCD screen can be set up to add a couple of buttons needed for specific devices. (I added the "live" button for my Hi-Def DVR as an example).
  
  This is a good value when compared to other "universal remotes" and the Tech Support is amazing. I replaced at least five remotes and support the following components: 50" HDTV, HD DVR, Receiver, DVD player, VCR, 5 disc CD player, and an old dual cassette deck.
  
  

• Incredible remote with a couple of minor "gotchas"

  
  By A9Y5CYXDYA4Z3 on 2005-09-01
  I've had my Harmony for a week, but only operational for about 5 days. I tried to set it up the first night I got it, but ran into problems about halfway through, when it was ready to update the remote with all my newly configured activities and commands. I spent an hour and a half on the phone with Harmony tech support that night without resolving the problem. However, the tech support was wonderful and I wasn't upset or feeling like I had wasted my time when we got off the phone. The tech support rep did everything he could, even staying beyond their quitting time, trying to help me out. In the end, he arranged for a developer or more experienced support analyst to give me a call back at my convenience. So on Saturday morning, another rep called me and knew basically what my problem was -- Norton Internet Security (e.g., Norton Personal Firewall and Antivirus on my PC, running Windows 2000 Pro). The latest Norton updates apparently corrupt the binary file that the setup routine tries to download to update the remote with my specific settings. The support rep gave me two different workarounds to avoid this problem, and now I can change/update my remote settings just fine, but it requires rebooting my PC first and not allowing Norton to run at all. Not ideal, especially because it means having to be connected to the internet temporarily without my firewall or antivirus software protecting my PC, but it looks like Norton is at fault, not Harmony.
  
  So, even though I had some trouble getting it set up, the tech support AND the remote get 5 stars. The remote does way more than I thought it would from the pictures and descriptions that I could find online. The LCD screen has pages of extra "logical" buttons that cover all the functions for each particular device, and even offers some functionality that is not on the devices' actual remotes. For instance, my DVD remote has no "eject" button, but I can do it via the Harmony remote. As another example, the Harmony provides direct-button access to modes on my TV and A/V receiver that I would normally have to press a single button multiple times to access (e.g., the TV/Video input selection on my TV or the DSP surround modes on my A/V receiver). I have not had to "learn" a single button from any of my original remotes -- they're literally all there, and then some! I was concerned about having all my DirecTV DVR/TiVo functionality at my fingertips but it is all there and mapped very intuitively -- the extra functions that aren't covered by the physical buttons are available via the LCD screen and its buttons. Awesome!!
  
  Any buttons that don't happen to be included for your particular device (I haven't found one yet that isn't for mine) can be learned from your device remote and then assigned to a physical or logical (i.e., LCD screen) button. You can even control, to some extent, in what order the logical buttons appear on the LCD, and you get to name the logical buttons yourself!
  
  The remote apparently tracks the states of your devices internally, so it knows from previous operations/activities which of your devices are turned on or off, what settings they're on, etc. So if you're watching TV and want to watch a DVD, press the "Watch DVD" activity button and it knows the TV is on, so it doesn't send a signal for that (which on most TV's or other devices is simply a toggle code that would unintentionally power it off) and instead it only sends the signals for the DVD player and receiver to turn on, as well as any signals to set the appropriate inputs. In fact, on my TV (and most others) the TV/Video button starts from the current input it's on and cycles through a loop of inputs, so the Harmony even figures out how many of those signals it needs to send to get it to the appropriate Component input for watching a DVD!
  
  One gotcha with that is if you turn things on with the remote, and then turn them off (or change modes) by hand on the device itself, I think it will get the remote out of sync because it doesn't know you turned the device off manually. For example, if you began watching a DVD by turning everything on with the Harmony, and then afterwards you turn the DVD player off by hand (or it turns itself off with a power-save feature), then if you press the "Watch TV" activity on the Harmony it would try to turn the A/V receiver and the DVD player off (since they're not needed for TV viewing) but since the DVD player had been turned off manually so it would probably turn it back on. (Note: I still need to test these theories out.)
  
  One other snag is that you can't exactly tell it to NOT turn off devices that aren't used for the next activity. For example, after watching a DVD, I may want to watch TV with my receiver still on to hear it through the speakers. If I hit the regular "Watch TV" activity button, since the receiver is not configured as a necessary component for watching TV, it will turn it off no matter what. BUT, there is a way around this -- you just need to set up another activity button (accessed via the orange "More" button and called, in my example, "Watch TV with Stereo") and make the receiver an included component. That way it would leave the receiver on (and even change the inputs appropriately for TV input). And then, say you no longer want the receiver on for TV, you just press the regular "Watch TV" activity button and it will shut the receiver off since it is not a configured component in that button.
  
  All the Harmony remotes are essentially the same, with mostly the same buttons. This remote (676) has "A" and "B" buttons that the other versions don't have, allowing you a couple of extra physically buttons to assign function to. The 659 remote doesn't have physical buttons for next/prev track/chapter. Other than that, the biggest differentiator is the look and feel -- it's mostly an issue of how the buttons are laid out (and, of course, the 880 has a color screen). The 676 remote works perfectly well for DVR/TiVo systems, as the transport buttons are all logically laid out and easily reachable for DVR activities like advancing, pausing, etc. Slow motion and Live TV buttons appear in the LCD screen.
  
  So even though I've pointed out some "gotchas" (with the intent of helping others figure out how to get around them), this is an incredible remote and there is no other universal remote that can do this much this easily. Kind of like a DVR/TiVo, this is one of those purchases you mull over for a long time, and then when you finally go for it, you wonder why you ever waited so long!
  
  

• Very easy set up for my 8 devices at home

  
  By AWQNKUDLIQXN4 on 2006-09-30
  This was a breeze. It updated its own firmware, and then the cd installed program updated to a newer version. I followed the instructions, and as long as you enter the exact model number as written on the back of the units to be controlled it works great. There is a built in help menu right in the controller itself, for example, it wasn't turning on the TV with the DVD and the A/V receiver. I pressed help and it asked if the TV was on. When I said no, it turned on the TV. From that moment on it never failed to turn on the TV.
  
  I also like the changeable faceplates. I use red for the living room and blue for the bedroom. This allows you to have a couple in the house and easily distinguish them.
  
  Logitech has the best tech support I ever spoke too. Free, and very knowledgeable. The guy spent ten minutes before I bought the remote explaining how with Logitech, 99 percent of the time, learning is not required (although it can do it fine). I just entered the model numbers of the units, and it asked how the wires were situated in the back of the A/V, and WHAM, it figured the rest out and it works great now. I push on button and the vcr is playing. I press another and the DVD is going. I push another and everything turns off. It even tunes the TV to channel 3 or 4 when the vcr mode is selected.
  
  Very easy to setup and use, and the wife loves it!
  
  BY THE WAY: I saw a review written around the same time as mine that you need to power down everything when switching between different activities. This is not true in my case. If I am in TV mode and hit DVD, it simply turns on the DVD and selects the correct video input automatically. If I were to then hit VCR, the DVD will turn off, the VCR turns on, and the TV automatically goes to channel 3 without turning off (what my VCR to TV input is) . If you find yourself having to power down everything between different activities, you most likely have a timing issue with the device delay (time between sending each device the correct command in a multi device sequence) Either goto the help menu right in the control or call logitech TECHNICAL assistance. You can get it right and it will save the life of that expensive TV.
  
  

• Your Last Remote Control

  
  By A3BC48I3AC0PTC on 2004-12-18
  Over the last several years I have purchased four high-end so-called universal remotes. All of them sort of worked but not really. There was always some function that was not supported that I would have to drag out the original remotes. I found one two years ago that I was able to teach how to control the mish-mash of components in my entertainment system. It took weeks to program everything into it and to get every function covered. Then I discovered that it had an huge appetite for batteries (At lease once a month I had to replace the six AA batteries it took to keep it running.) My brother-in-law put me on the track of the Harmony 676 when I was grousing about having to reprogram my remote to control my new TV set. Harmony's web site had all my components listed and it took one setting at the computer to setup the perfect remote control. I've now lived with it for eight months and still love it. It's so easy to use that even I can get our system to do what ever I want it to. (I used to have to ask my husband to set it up to do anything other than watch TV.) Battery life? By the time the low battery display comes up I've forgotten the last time I changed them. The $199 list price is steep but worth every penny for the ease of use and to throw the six remotes it takes to control my entertainment system in a drawer and forget about them.
  
  
• Hang in there...
  By A2WUS7728N2TLG on 2005-12-31
  Like many people, I got this remote on Christmas day and spent the next couple days cussing about how terrible the Logitech/Harmony website was. They got overrun and the system just wasn't working. Apparently lucky, I managed to get a basic initial setup late on xmas night (~2am), but when I went back to do some tweaking, I couldn't maintain a reliable connection. Now, things seem to be very snappy and the site is working fine. I've made about 4 minor tweaks to my setup and they've all compiled/installed very quickly and easily. I agree with everyone else here that the application should be local, not server based, and that the website layout is a little confusing even when it's running correctly, but let me also recommend to everyone to hang in there. Once set up, this remote is positively wonderful. It's worth the initial effort.
  
  I've used many universals over the years, and they've all ended up stuck in a drawer. This one is a keeper though. The button layout is very well done. My criteria for a good remote is being able to operate it w/out looking down, and I had this one memorized after only a couple days. It would be slightly better if the Forward/Reverse buttons had a slight taper to them (to better identify them by feeling), but I might just fix that with some light sandpaper. :) Once getting used to this one, the TIVO remote (my previous favorite) seems very limited and basic.
  
  After my configuration was all set up, I found one item that really bugged me: the volume control of my Yamaha receiver was too course. If you just tapped the button quickly, you got a big change in volume. Searching the site, I found a LOT of very good technical info in the Troubleshooting FAQ (make sure you read it! You'll be surprised how much stuff you can adjust!). It explained exactly how to adjust the time delay of that function and now my volume controls as accurately as the original remote. The FAQ is also a good road map to find an adjustment feature hidden in the confusing website.
  
  Another point is that the signal strength and field of view of this remote is very, very good. I was concerned about some devices missing their signals and causing things to get out of sync with each other, but the signal is so strong I can actually turn it around and point it behind me and still control most of my devices.
  
  The alternate faceplates are painted in attractive colors - they look fancy, not gaudy. I'm sticking with silver for now, but I like the idea of swapping to blue or red to keep things fresh. This feature had no impact on my purchase decision, but it's still a very nice extra.
  
  You really can adjust almost every aspect of this remote to get it all dialed in just how you like it. I hestitated to give it a full 5 stars due to the annoying (and perhaps sometimes overloaded) website, but decided that the remote itself really does deserve it. I HIGHLY recommend it.
  
  Also, a special thanks to Weldon Dodd for his detailed review here. Your comments were very helpful to me for narrowing down which Harmony model I wanted, and a strong influence on my final decision to get this item. Thanks!
  
  
  
• Great idea - not so great execution
  By A188MJM6CMG9W8 on 2005-05-08
  The idea behind this product is excellent - one of those "why hasn't someone done this earlier" ideas.
  
  In practice, though... it's not quite ready.
  
  I purchased this to see if it would be a good option for my not-so-tech-savvy parents. So far, the answer is no.
  
  Some obvious setup questions are not addressed - in my case, a Dish Network DVR appears as a digital set-top, PVR, and satellite receiver... what is the proper selection?
  
  The web-based configuration system is awful.
  
  The Dish DVR has a "DVR" button to display the DVR menu. I stumbled on a screen that allowed me to add "DVR" to the 'A' button. Seemed simple enough but this changed the operation of the remote, entirely. And, of course, I don't know how to get back to that screen.
  
  So I thought I'd change my Dish selection from "set-top" to "satellite" to see if I could clean up operations a bit. I clicked the link to add the box, and the next screen had "Media Center PC" for my "watch TV" selection. I don't have a Media Center PC and never selected that as an option.
  
  I thought about just "starting over" but there's no option to do that (other than to just create a new username, I suppose).
  
  Web-based applications are, more often than not, poor substitutes for a decent client-side application. Aside from not being nearly as easy to use as a real Windows or Mac application, network latencies can be quite frustrating (did it do anything or not?). Web developers often seem to forget that users aren't connected to the company LAN.
  
  In the past, I've been quite pleased with Logitech products. Hopefully, Logitech can clean this up and make an excellent idea into a useful product.
  
  
  
  
  
• Buttons don't work after a year or so
  By A3JGTT7RBQMW1F on 2007-07-23
  I loved this remote until the most used buttons stopped working after about a year and a half. Since it is out of warranty is basically now a paper weight. At first I would have given this unit 5 stars, now I will only give it one star.
  
  
• Logitech Harmony 676 Remote Control Universally Excellent
  By A2XF4549E9OMQB on 2004-12-29
  Wow. This unit is all it says it is and more! Set up was easy and it worked like a champ. Some small questions, but customer service was EXCELLENT! I have TIVO, DVD/CD, HiFi, and a VCR in the family room and they (now) work without a fuss on this one remote. The whole family uses it (without any training). I can't say enough, it's too close to perfection. (By the way, its sister model, the 688, is not a good design for TiVo because the keys are too small and easy to miss-hit. I'm glad I exchanged it for the 676.)
  
  
• Best remote I've used
  By A2LXL7IVOHFKWQ on 2006-09-14
  [ This is almost the same as my 628 review ]
  
  I don't have a lot to add to what other positive reviews have said. These remotes are very flexible and you can tweak them to perfection, or at least as close as your equipment allows. I've got a 676 and a 628 for my house, and bought a 628 for a friend. (I bought the 676 first, but after playing with it and a 628 I think I'd rather have a 628. Less clutter and a better Glow button.)
  
  I give 4 stars instead of 5 because the database isn't perfect; I've had a few keys I've had to relearn, there always seem to be a handful of commands that don't apply to my model, and it's occasionally been missing discrete on/off commands that really exist.
  
  Responses to some negative comments:
  
  "It's hard to set up". Well, yeah, sort of. I think that if you take the default setup for your equipment you'll end up in about the same place as you would with a conventional "universal remote". The difference is that you can then tweak this remote so that it really works right... and when you've got it 95% right, the urge to kill off that last 5% can be tough to resist.
  
  "There aren't enough buttons". This is tricky. I think that the right number of buttons is however many you *need*, and not a single button more. You've got the soft buttons and device mode for features that you only need every week or two, and not giving them a hard button helps to keep the remote uncluttered for the rest of the time. I actually prefer the 628 to the 676 because the extra buttons on the 676 add clutter without adding much value - see details below.
  
  "It's expensive". Yep, but not as expensive as some of the other high-end remotes. The 628 bottomed out at a pretty reasonable price; perhaps the later models will drop similarly when they are discontinued. (Sigh, and the 676 has dropped significantly since I bought mine.)
  
  "I don't want to have to go back to the computer to tweak it". I suppose that this is a matter of taste. Indeed, the tweak/load cycle is pretty slow, and should be faster. However, personally I think that's more than made up for by the fact that you can look at pages of programming information at once. With a typical learning remote you're almost flying blind - if you lose track of what you've set up and what you haven't, good luck finding your place.
  
  "Web page is intolerably slow". Hasn't been a problem for me. Then again, I didn't get one for Christmas.
  
  A few detailed comments about the 676, mostly for comparison with other Harmony models:
  
  - The Glow button is hard to find in the dark. It glows a little, and it's directly under the OK button if you can remember that, but it should be easier to find.
  
  - The four arrow buttons on the 628 may be better than the ring on the 676. At least one person didn't automatically figure out that the ring was the arrow pad.
  
  - It'd be nice if play, stop, and pause were more distinctive.
  
  - I think the buttons added on the 676 (vs the 628) add more clutter than value. They are:
  Media - I don't watch TV. Perhaps Guide can substitute.
  Chapter f/b - map well to channel up/dn
  Sound, Pic - I just don't need to tweak those things very
  often.
  Exit - I mapped "Prev" to DVD "return" on my 628, and was
  mostly happy.
  Menu, Info, Guide - Do you really need all three? I mapped
  the 628's Guide to DVD "menu", and put DVD "display"
  on a soft button.
  A, B - haven't needed 'em. (and how would I remember what they do? Soft buttons have labels...)
  
  Now, admittedly, not watching TV does make my use simpler. I don't need to control a Tivo, so I don't know how easy that would be to set up. Programming a VCR might be a bit tough when you want the number pad to control the cable box. (Device mode is probably the answer.) I don't use Picture-in-Picture.
  
  One caution: All three remotes have locked up during initial (one-time) firmware upgrades. A tech support call on the first one yielded the solution: boot the remote into "safe mode" (really!) by removing its batteries, holding down "Off", and plugging it into USB. The firmware upgrades went fine then.
  
  
  
• Best Remote I have ever owned!
  By A3HHJ308STTT6K on 2006-09-30
  I have owned this remote for over a year now, so I have really put it through the test. During this period, I changed TVs, receivers, and DVD players, and each time the online interface tool was simple and flawless in helping step me through the process. I also changed computers, going from a PC to a Mac, and found the software works equally well on both platforms.
  
  Having read some folk's frustrations with the set-up process, I would have to discount these as severely "technonlogy challenged" individuals...the kinds of people who probably had problems figuring out how to turn their electronics on or off with their old remotes...people like my 75 year old mother-in-law who used to call me long-distance to help her figure out how to turn off her sat box and turn on her VCR.
  
  The only issues I have encountered are that sometimes when you press an activity button, such as to watch TV, my Directv sat receiver might not come on. This is usually the first sign that the batteries need replacing. My second issue is that to go from watching TV to watching a DVD, you basically have to power everything off, then power back up with the watch DVD activity button. Since HD TVs take a while to go through a power down, this is a bit of a hassle. But nothing that one can't live with.
  
  On the extremely positive side, aside from the fact that it controls evey device you have and turns them on in the right order and with the right settings to do any activity you want, I love the fact that it is a) backlit (makes it much easier to see and control features when you are watching a movie and have all the lights out!) and b) battery powered (I want my remote to be remote and not always sitting in a charger!). I also like how it asks you questions to see if everything is working properly. If not, it steps you through the process to get everything in sync. I also like the interchangable face plates, although I admit that I have never changed from our red plate since we got the remote...just nice to have the option.
  
  All-in-all, like most Logitech products I have owned, this is a very well designed product with terrific online support and tools. I cannot imagine a better remote for the money.
  
  
• The buttons won't last
  By A13E9XBNP6YSFM on 2007-04-04
  I've had the remote for at least two years. A year ago I would have given this 5 stars, but not now. The mechanical button design is poor and it won't last long. Several of the most used buttons have stopped functioning. It's out of warranty and it's going in the trash.
  
  
• Buttons Stopped Working
  By A20Y4TI1U7UKCN on 2007-06-30
  This was a great remote for about 12 months. Then the buttons used for the DVR stopped working. It was hard to fast forward and stop a recording and finally became almost impossible. Clearly this remote was not made to last.
  
  
• Simply Amazing
  By A2YR5G5APRNDFD on 2004-12-14
  I was skeptical. I wrote down all the model numbers for my system which was installed when I built my house in 96. I entered them all into the website and in minutes I had a SUPER universal remote. My Tivo is so old I can't find a remote for it and some of the feature buttons were cooked. It's good to have them back again. The built in troubleshooter leaves other remotes in the dust.
  
  
• If you are a geek obsessed with tweaking needless things, move on...
  By A31D6WQ53N5ANR on 2005-09-07
  ...else, this is a FABULOUS remote. I have a home theater I used for TV on cable and satelite with a DVR, DVDs, radio and CDs. I have a Rotel AV receiver that has a ton of inputs and outputs. I have bought and returned about 5 remotes over the past two months, but this one is a keeper.
  
  You see, I am a total geek. I love to waste my life away tweaking dumb little things that are really quite useless, but I find it fun. Well, with this remote I discovered that something that just works is a good thing. Sure, I WISH I could go nuts with this and program various macros (like a macro to switch between DTS and Dolby Pro Logic between DVD and TV...), but I don't NEED to do any of this! It is a sickness people!!! Please realize this when you read reviews where someone has their BVDs all in a bunch over "the inability to program macros for multiple tone settings based on the source component..." If you are one of those geeks, go ahead and get something else, but if you want the best out of the box up and running universal remote that everyone in your family can use without a training session, this is IT!
  
  P.S. Any review who said the set up was lengthy must be a chipmunk or a humming bird. Even though I had to update firmware and the client (don't worry, it does it all for you), I was up and running with all my devices in about 15 minutes. Afterward I had one problem with the wrong TV input (though I had set it correctly), but the Help feature fixed it in about 15 seconds.
  
  So yea, 10 - 15 minutes vs DAYS of programming a Home Theater Master or Sony AV-3000 only to still come up short in simplicity? Your choice, but I did my best to warn you. Trust me, geeks won't like this because it makes needing to be a geek obsolete!
  
  
• A little confusing, but very good
  By ANKN6L5N2H8KX on 2007-05-31
  I'm a computer geek for a living, and I was impressed with the programming interface for this remote. But I did not notice that the silver ring around the round "OK" button was actually a 4-direction switch that is by default assigned the "Direction Up", Direction Down, Direction Right and Direction Left commands used to navigate through menus. Most of the other remotes in this series have more obvious buttons around the OK button labelled with arrows. I spent a lot of time programming other buttons to handle the direction commands. It's great that it's possible to do that, but I wondered whether this model is being phased out because of the strange direction button design. I don't see the model in most stores.
  
  Anyway, I only discovered the use of the silver ring via email contact with the Logitech customer support staff. It took them several days to get back, but it did answer my confusion. It would help if they would add a button diagram somewhere. So now I've been able to program just about everything. I've got a complicated setup, with 5 activities: watch normal (analog) TV, watch the digital set-top box TV, watch Replay DVR, play DVD movies, and listen to CDs. I attached 3 of the activities to 3 of the 4 activity buttons. The 4th activity button is actually not programmable... it displays more activities in the remote's display.
  
  After a lot of fiddling, I've got the thing set up so my wife can figure it out. Most stuff is just one activity button press to turn on and configure everything, and one power button press to turn it all off. It used to require 2 or 3 remotes to to control each activity, in specific order. Some of those remotes were supposedly "universal", but I couldn't get any of them to handle everything. So the Harmony 676 is great. THe only thing it can't control power on is our Motorola set-top digital box (from Time Warner cable), but I decided to just leave that on all the time. I'm now very happy with the remote, and recommend it, with the sole proviso that people uncomfortable with a computer could have a very hard time with it. Of course, they can just get their grandkids to program it for them.
  
  
• An Amazing Product
  By A38ON1MOZNBCGE on 2005-02-28
  Amazing doesn't even cut it. This remote control is in a class by itself. You can customize it as much or as little as you wish, and it just works.
  
  I have an HDTV cable/DVR box that connects to the TV using the component inputs. My DVD player runs through my AV receiver via the s-video inputs/outputs, and my VCR runs through the receiver using the regular analog inputs. With the remote set up, I can:
  
  1. Press "Watch TV" and the remote will turn on the cable box and TV, and turn the TV to the comonent inputs.
  
  2. Press "Watch DVD," and the remote will switch the TV to "Video 1," turn the receiver on and switch its input to DVD. The DVD player will turn on.
  
  3. Select "Watch Video Tape," and the remote will switch the TV to "video 2," switch the receiver to "VCR 1," turn off the DVD player and turn on the VCR. I can control the volume of the TV or the receiver as wanted.
  
  4. Press "TV surround Sound" and the TV gets set as in (1) above, but the receiver turns on and changes its input to TV. Volume is then controlled by the receiver.
  
  5. Press "off," and everything that was on turns off; anything that was off stays off.
  
  There are so many ways to set up this remote to do things as I want it to do, no matter what I want it to do. It really is amazing, and I have only listed some of the "activities" that I have set up.
  
  It sounds complicated, and in some ways it is, to set up. But once set up, anyone and everyone can easily use your TV/home theater in ways you cannot even imagine. As if everything were designed to work together in the first place. In other words, once set up, using it is E-A-S-Y! And isn't that the ultimate goal of a remote control?
  
  Believe me: with this remote, you really can get rid of all your other remotes. In my case I can get rid of the cable/DVR remote, the receiver remote, the DVD player remote, the VCR remote, the TV remote, the cassette deck remote and the Sirius satellite radio remote. Really get rid of them too (well, put in storage) ... EVERY COMMAND from the originals, not just some or most, can be put on the Harmony remote. Amazing.
  
  I have no real complaints, but a suggestion: The web site needed for setting up the remote could be set up a little easier. Not that it is hard to use once you figure it out, but the website itself is a reason for a harder learning curve than is necessary. That being said, I found the site, while occasionally frustrating, very flexible and thorough. Yes, the database isn't as model-specific as I'd like (some listed commands for my TV weren't actually supported by my TV, for example), but once your account is set up and you get the remote basically the way you want, future changes take little time ... just a few minutes. Learning commands from your old remote is amazingly easy, and the website/program lets you know right away if it didn't pick it up correctly. And if you buy a second remote as I plan to do, it will be programmed almost instantly ... unlike other programmable remotes that would take a long time each.
  
  I recommend this remote control highly. I plan to buy the new top model when it is released, and will probably wind up buying one for every TV in the house.
  
  
• Good capabilities but button worn out after 9 months!
  By A2M8G2OV8GOJ7S on 2005-08-28
  Well, for eight months I really loved this remote but after nine months, one of the directions (up) is already worn out. Hopefully, I can find another empty key and program it for "up" but the thing shouldn't be worn out after nine months (not for the money these things cost!).
  
  
• Great until it stops working
  By ATR7GG92TP6UQ on 2006-12-05
  I was pretty pleased with this remote initially. It was easy to load up my various components using the included cable. Press the TV button and the cable box and tv come on. Press the music button and the receiver and cd player turn on and the tv and cable box turn off. Great, right?
  
  Well after a year or two, the buttons that are commonly used don't work properly. The One and Three keys either don't respond or give me several repeats. The Exit key doesn't even work anymore. No response at all. Up and Down channel are also problematic. I've discarded the changeable face plate to make it easier to press the buttons.
  
  You'll have to decide if the cost benefit is right for you, but I have much older remotes that still work, so I was pretty disappointed with this product.
  
  
• overall functionality is a winner but the 4-way switch is a loser
  By A3EERFOF167OOZ on 2007-01-16
  We found the central 4-way direction switch difficult to press accurately. This button surface is a thin circular ring around the "OK" button. You tilt this ring in the direction you want to switch; up, down, left and right. Members of my household were frustrated that the button movement is so sensitive one would often accidently end up pressing a direction you did not want. If you have any trouble with fine hand movement as one relative of ours does, do not get this remote.
  
  I returned this to Amazon within the return period but have yet to receive a refund.
  
  I have since learned that the equivalent button on the Harmony 550 is shaped more like a disc than a ring which enables successful button presses. If the directional button on the 676 is a problem for you, get a 550.
  
  I highly recommend that you try out these remotes in person before ordering since a return of this item to Amazon has been problematic for me.
  
  
• The best universal remote
  By A1HIGMNKBUUF30 on 2007-06-05
  As a Tivo user I knew I wanted the peanut shape and the soft rubber (silicone) buttons. To me this is the best ergonomic remote available. The only downside is that it eats batteries unless you set the backlight to minimum settings. But it's a minor price to pay to have an almost perfect universal remote.
  
  
• The perfect choice for ANY size home theater
  By A2S4DN72TMWC2C on 2005-08-15
  This is my third Harmony remote, and just like its predecessors (all of which are still in use in other rooms and functioning perfectly, by the way) it failed to disappoint. There simply is no better universal remote solution for the money. The power offered by all the Harmony remotes is difficult to match in even a lot of the high-end products that cost thousands of dollars.
  
  Universal Remote? Pronto? Sony? All "feh" compared to the Harmony, in my opinion: I like a lot of hard buttons, rather than a touch screen, and I shouldn't have to spend hours trying to decode arcane setup programs. Harmony's web interface works well, and it's also perfectly cross-platform for us Mac users.
  
  These remotes are simple and effective, and make setup a breeze. As previous reviewers have stated, the wizards can get a little old for power users, or for anyone as they're putting the finishing touches on a configuration. However, I look at it this way: if I put a couple of hours into the initial setup, I'll never have to touch it again unless I replace a component or get something new. I hate redundancy even more than the next guy, but the tradeoff of answering the same question multiple times for incredibly straightforward setup is a no-brainer.
  
  So, in conclusion: if you are looking for a really good universal remote to control your home theater, living room, entertainment center, or anywhere else where you have more than a few components interconnected, you should look no further. In fact, the only reason you shouldn't buy this remote is if you prefer the button layout of any of Harmony's other models (what each was designed for is definitely something to consider before you buy). Harmony remotes ROCK!
  
  
• No more special instructions!
  By A3T5E5G2DJOZKQ on 2005-10-19
  Overall I'm very happy with the remote. I have a fairly complex system, where 2-4 components (depending) have to be adjusted when I switch sources. The baby-sitters can now operate the system with a few simple button presses!
  
  I got the basic functionality programmed fairly quickly, but did have to spend 3 hours or so tweaking the settings. My Kenwood laserdisc player was missing a lot of commands, and the Tivo settings were not that optimized (for example they had not mapped the "+" key to the logical operation of "clear"). One nice example of flexibility was the ability to adjust the repeat rate (by default the remote sent commands too quickly for my preamp volume-up and down, and too slowly for the Tivo commands).
  
  I'd say the website was adequate, but not great. It was geared towards getting beginning users through the initial setup, and was kind of clunky when I needed to tweak specific things. Towards the end I got fairly efficient using it, but despite the fact that I'm a software programmer I would occasionally go down the wrong path because of non-intuitive sub-menu labels.
  
  Ergonomically, I think this is the best of the current Harmony remotes. It is quite good, and in some ways rivals the Tivo remote (my favorite example of good remote design). It does fall down in a few areas, in particular the fast-forward/rewind and pause/play keys are inconveniently located (see the Tivo remote for how to do it right, although to be fair Tivo does not have skip-forward and skip-back buttons).
  
  
• This one does it all. Great feel.
  By A37KRGOWJ8NDUU on 2006-04-22
  I use my Harmony to control my Philips TV, Panasonic DMR-E85 DVR, Sony VCR, Pioneer AV Receiver, and my Pioneer CD changer. I went from 4 remotes to 1. Initial set-up on the Harmony web site was very easy. However, figuring out how to customize the remote and get the TV listings took me a couple of days. The web site is not very intuitive and the documentation is poor. If it wasn't for reading the feedback from other reviewers I wouldn't even have known what the Harmony was capable of doing. In fact, after having the remote for 2 days, I was having serious buyer's remorse. I sent an e-mail to Harmony support seeking assistance. They said they would try to respond within 24 hours. I finally got a response 5 days later. By then, I had already worked it out. After about 3 days of tweaking the remote buttons, I was able to put the other 4 remotes in the drawer. This remote is fantastic but not for the faint of heart. If you have the patience you will love this remote. If not and you're not a techie, look elsewhere. [...]
  
  
• Love This Remote
  By A2G6DO6JB3J9CT on 2006-05-23
  I rarely review anything, but I felt I had to put in a good word about this device.
  
  I bought my first one to replace multiple remotes in our bedroom. The online setup was simple and straight forward and the remote worked perfectly. The big bonus with this remote is the "help" button. The first time I had my wife calling me on my cell phone to help her figure out what was wrong with the TV, I told her to press "help" and follow the instructions. It fixed the TV setup for her and she was sold on the remote!
  
  I have since bought two more for our other setups.
  
  The third one replaced an aging Philips Pronto that had started to act up. This setup was more involved as it has a projector and a screen that need certain functions. It was a problem since I didn't have the original remote for either (kids!). I was having problems getting the setup put together the way I wanted and called tech support. I got through to a person right away (big bonus). The person got into my online setup and fixed my first problem right away, remotely. I had to leave, so I called back later for my second issue. Again, I got right through to a support person. She was not sure how to fix the issue without the original remote and sent me on to a senior tech person, again with no hold time (after years of waiting on hold for tech support, just this fact makes me love this company). The senior tech person ran me through some fixes and worked out a way to use the Pronto to teach the Harmony remote (I had tried this myself, but he got me to use a raw capture instead of normal) and got the remote working perfectly.
  
  Good tech support plus a remote my wife is happy using equals a great purchase times three.
  
  
• Excellent mid-level remote
  By A3IZI6YXGD0CSL on 2006-06-01
  I read some reviews talking about how "confusing" or "illogical" the web/desktop software was when it came to setting up the remote. I strongly disagree -- I found it very easy to use, I didn't even have to read the manual. Plus, they give you a choice of walking through the setup in three modes: novice, moderately competent, or expert, depending on your knowledge of your home theater system. It doesn't get much easier than that!
  
  The quality of the remote is excellent, and the hard buttons are much handier than an LCD touch-screen type of remote. When you're watching a movie and the room is dark, you can just feel your way across the remote, where as with an LCD, you have to light it up and hunt for your button on a screen.
  
  This is NOT a "punch in your codes and you're ready to go" $15 wal-mart remote. In fact, I'd say that if you don't have a home theater system with 3 or more components, you don't even need something as complex as a Harmony. But, with a little time spent in setup (it took me right about an hour), you can control every aspect of your home theater system just as good as any $300 to $400 LCD touch screen remote, or just as good as using the 5 or 6 remotes you have that came with your components!
  
  Highly reccomended to families with children or frequent guests. I can't imagine what else you would need in a remote -- this will do it all for you.
  
  *And if you haven't already read it somewhere: if you buy this remote, don't bother installing the software from the CD! Just go online and download the new version. It will make you do that anyway, and you'll save yourself the time and the aggrivation of having to install/uninstall the old version on your computer.
  
  
• Excellent universal remote, works better than I expected
  By A14WLJRZC3KT1P on 2007-04-01
  The remote is better than I expected and I having played with one for a weekend before this purchase my expectations were high. I was not convinced I would like the "activity" philosophy of Harmony, but after seeing how well guests are able to use the remote controlling 4 to 5 interconnected devices, all I can say is it just plain works. It is very nice to have a main set of buttons that anyone can master after a few minutes of explanation, while at the same time having the capability to have every desired option for the power user available with a few more clicks is just what I wanted.
  
  I will say the setup is not for the faint of heart or the impatient, whoever sets this up and maintains the remote will likely spend a while in the setup on more than a few occasions. The setup application is a web-based application and an online connection is needed. The interface can be confusing until, fortunately if you have the make and model of your A/V devices (very important) the first time setup wizard will get most of the major buttons working. If you are like me setting up the buttons are more important than the LCD listing. After getting the basic buttons working you will likely then try to cram more functions on the remaining buttons and soon run out. Initially this frustrated me as I did not want to change modes to access additional functionality. There are so many buttons available, so you need to find out what works for you. Harmony provides quite a few alternatives for you to choose from. These include LCD listings, an individual device mode, Picture and Sound modes, or combinations of the three. Personally I like the Device mode and put functions that map well to the buttons on the buttons and added ambiguous functionality to the LCD, but this is a subjective choice and everyone will do something different here.
  
  On of the big positive aspects of the setup was that the Harmony site is constantly updating for new devices on the market. I was astounded to find a Monoprice branded switch and a brand new (less than 4 months on the market) AV Receiver available with presets. No trial and error with brand odes. This led to a problem, even selecting the exact make an model of a device not all the functions work correctly. The above mentioned AV Receiver was there and about 65% of its remotes functions were listed but I would say only about 20% worked properly. Initially I was upset but I found the learning function of the Harmony works very well. Not only was I able to teach the labels the correct IR command, but I could add the missing ones I wanted and add new lables or rename old ones. Again patience pays off with the Harmony. It might not all be correct but you are able to correct that which isn't.
  
  Last thing I want to mention is customer support. After a year with the remote happily working, my father sat on it and the battery cover no longer latched properly. This caused the cover to drop out and sometimes the batteries. Not a critical problem but clearly somewhat aggravating. I called the support line and found the first rep clearly wanting to help. After getting the particulars on the remote I was told a cover would be shipped right out. That did not happen, instead a series of email ensued to determine exactly what the problem was. After 3 or 4 replies to replies I was promised they would ship one. Within a week 2 new covers were sent, configured slightly differently. The second one fit perfectly. Both were free and ultimately I was very happy with how the incident worked out.
  
  From my perspective:
  PROS: Once setup even both of my completely non-techie parents were able to easily watch TV and DVDs without having to navigate 4 different remotes to do so. For all but the most rare use of functionality I do not ever have to reach for my other remotes. If I do I almost always note it and add it to my device listing. When I added a new AV Receiver and removing 2 other devices at the same time reconfiguring the remote was cake, all the previous activity buttons still worked without having to setup again. Having my configuration saved outside the remote means that if I have a disaster with the remote or upgrade to a different remote my setup will be transferable.
  
  CONS: Buttons are a bit small for my hands, but still usable. Some of the labels used do not match the default commands being issued, particularly for new or rarer devices. Battery life has been 2 to 3 months for me, but 4 batteries seems to be quite a load. The application interface is pretty cumbersome, but it does work. The application stays resident in the system tray and occasionally consumes heavily on CPU cycles, but it can be easily shutdown and restarted when needed.
  
  Bottom line, even though the price seems a bit high, it is truly a universal remote that allows you to shelf the others with confidence.
  
  
  
• Does a Little Bit of Everything
  By A8F1ANYMX4H3 on 2007-04-30
  This remote is easy to program and easily handles 95% of the everyday functions you'll need. Don't throw out your old remotes however because you'll need to use them from time to time for some of the advanced functions. The layout could be a little better, but after a few days, you'll get used to the positions of the buttons. The one button power function is great, as it will power up all the components for a task, like the cable box and TV or the DVD player, TV and audio receiver. The circular buttons around the "OK" button aren't as precise as I'd like, but that's the compromise for doing so many tasks. I got this for my mom who can't figure out all the remotes and settings she has, so this remote really makes it easy for her.
  
  
• Harmony 676 Remote is a No for PVR users!
  By A2QYV4XKCRWCI2 on 2007-07-23
  If you are a PVR, DVR or TiVo FAN ... this remote is NOT for you!
  This one will not control your Personal Video Recorder!
  You need to spend a little more money for a remote that will also operate your Personal Video Recorder!
  
  
  
• Totally sweet!
  By ACQV949CEYVDS on 2005-01-13
  I didn't believe the claims, but they are true. It hooked up to my iMac and I programmed it for all my devices. For the things it didn't already have on the web site, I "taught" it the infrared commands by holding the remotes close together and following the instructions on the screen. I am using this with Tivo, a DVD/VCR combo unit, a tv, and cable box. The only bummer is my Bose home theater system does not accept infrared commands, so I still need that remote to control the audio. The Harmony remote is perfect. And shockingly, the competent and friendly tech support people are actually available live without having to sit on hold. Can't recommend highly enough.
  
  

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