What Hi-Fi? Verdict
A versatile, effective, intuitive universal remote, but it all comes at a price
Pros
- +
Easy to use
- +
regular updates
- +
activities work well
- +
charger
Cons
- -
No big gain over its predecessor
- -
price hike
- -
can't transfer settings from another Harmony device
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We've been big fans of Logitech's Harmony universal remote controls for some time now.
The Harmony One won an Award last year, while the Harmony 1000, this rectangular-shaped tablet control's predecessor, bagged a five-star recommendation back in October 2007.
The Harmony 1100 continues the fine work of the 1000: don't be dissuaded otherwise by the four-star verdict.
But, to cut to the chase, we don't think it does enough, or offers enough of an improvement, to justify the hefty price increase. And that's before we mention that the Harmony 1000 is now available for plenty less than its £280 pricetag.
It's a lightweight, slim device – almost too unassuming considering the price – with the key focus being the programming of ‘activities' accessed on the 3.5in touchscreen.
One-touch control
Connect the remote to your PC or Mac, program in both the kit that you want it to control and the settings you require for each scenario – watching TV, watching films etc – and you can then control your system with single-button presses.
Both the programming of the remote and the end usage seem faster than before, and a few tweaks to the button layout and feel of the unit are welcome, but there's not enough extra here to get too excited about.
And we have one other gripe. If you already have an older Harmony remote and want to transfer your existing settings to the 1100, you can't. You have to set up a new account and program the device from scratch. Which is a pain.
Still, if you have the money, this is a fine product, but when it comes to performance-per-pound it's good rather than great
