Harmony remotes cannot control RF devices. This may seem contrary to what you may have read about some Harmony models including the Harmony and remotes, using RF when used with the RF Wireless Extender.
The Harmony , , and use RF technology, but none of them use RF to directly control the device. They all use a combination of IR and RF. RF allows you to control devices that are hidden inside closed cabinets — so you can get the clean and minimalist look that is so popular with home entertainment setups today.
Not sure if your device is controlled using IR or RF? To determine if your device is controlled using IR or RF:. Although most RF devices cannot be controlled by the Harmony Remote, there are some exceptions. This is an LG remote control and it is IR you can also find out if it is IR if you look next to the eye of the receiver on the device. It should there have IR written!!! Those with more-complicated setups -- and who crave a dedicated touch-screen remote that also has hard buttons -- will be better served with the Ultimate, which can control up to 15 devices.
That said, the Harmony Smart Control package -- which controls up to eight devices -- is certainly the better value, and arguably the pick of the current Harmony litter. Design The Ultimate looks identical to the Touch, except for a small but important design change to the bottom of the remote that improves its ergonomics: a hump that pushes your hand forward, making it easier to access the transport controls at the top of the remote.
If you look at our review for the Touch, you'll notice that CNET editor and video guru David Katzmaier didn't like that the transport controls were at the top of the remote instead of at the bottom like they are with the entry-level Harmony and Logitech's previous RF remote, the Harmony If you're a heavy DVR user, you really want those buttons to be within in easy reach of your thumb, and having the transport controls in the middle to bottom third of the remote is definitely preferable.
I think the hump helps with the ergonomics, but I also didn't mind using the touch screen to control playback with my DVR. The screen recognizes a limited number of gesture controls, and I thought it worked pretty well. To pause and play you simply tap the screen and you can program the swipe gestures to create rewind and fast-forward controls.
I, too, thought the screen could use a little more resolution, but I felt the screen was adequately responsive. I think the addition of RF helps -- IR is inherently sluggish -- so things just felt zippier all around. To some degree, how you feel about the remote will be determined by how you feel about the touch screen, because it does replace a fair number of physical buttons. For instance, you have to change channels by pressing virtual numbers on the touch screen.
I didn't mind that, but if you've grown used to the clicker that comes with your cable or satellite box, it takes some getting used to. On the flip side, one of the big pluses to having the touch screen is that you get easy access to all your favorite channels. The Harmony software makes it simple to select up to 50 of your favorites and quickly add them to the remote as a grid of icons.
Of course, since the screen is pretty small, you're going to end up doing some scrolling to get to all your favorites if you add more than 20 or so. As noted, the touch screen also supports some gesture controls.
During TV watching, you can swipe up to raise the volume and swipe down to lower it. Swiping sideways left or right skips channels forward or back. You can also assign other actions to a particular gesture control or button and add sequences "macros". Some people complained when Logitech left off the ability to add sequences to some of its previous advanced remotes, but that functionality is here if you need it.
Beyond the nitpicking, my broader impression is that it takes some time to get completely familiar with the remote, and there is some satisfaction in tweaking your settings to improve the user experience. Everything worked well, though I sometimes felt I had to go through an extra layer of navigation or a menu to get to the control or function I wanted. It helps to reassign the hard buttons and customize everything to your liking. But just be aware that you may have to give a quick tutorial before other members of your household use the remote for the first time.
It's ultimately pretty user friendly, but I wouldn't say everything is intuitive. That's can be a little confusing at first. The cradle for the Ultimate is the same one that comes with the Touch. You dock the remote vertically inside it, and it's a better design than the horizontal cradle for the old Harmony you laid that remote down. Most people will simply leave the remote in the charger when not in use, so battery life shouldn't be an issue.
You have to select the device in question and resend the command. But you have to figure out the macro or sequence of steps and assign it to a random button. For my family, the most logical option was to program a Watch TV macro onto the power button for the Apple TV or the Google Chromecast—likewise with the Xbox for gaming.
Speaking of macros, the process of creating them, though logistically simple in the app, will be more mentally taxing than some people will tolerate. Finally, the U1 remote can pair with only one Bluetooth device at a time. If all of your devices can be controlled by infrared IR , the One For All URC Smart Control 8 is a simple, affordable remote that has all the important buttons, including activity control to group components together.
With support for eight AV devices, the URC can accommodate a pretty extensive home-theater system. The URC has all the necessary buttons we like to see, and the core functions, like volume, mute, channel, home, menu, back, exit, and navigation, are grouped together near the center.
There are even a few app-shortcut buttons including a dedicated Netflix button that you can program from the device of your choosing. Eight pre-labeled devices are listed at the top, with one device button to scroll through them all a button for each device would be faster.
All of the buttons are smallish and—beyond the navigation wheel in the center—not well distinguished by shape. Add in the lack of backlighting, and we think this one will be a bit more challenging to use in a dark room.
The remote requires four AAA batteries, and they are not included in the package—which is kind of obnoxious. Make sure you add a set to your shopping cart. On the plus side, the URC does have an activity button that can scroll through five activities TV, movie, music, game, and custom. During setup, you can designate which devices should be grouped together for a certain activity, and the URC will automatically assign key buttons like volume, input, home, and navigation to control the correct device.
Plus, a press-and-hold of the red power button serves as an all-off for each activity. With the SofaBaton U1, you have to program all these things yourself, so the URC is actually a little easier to set up in that respect. As we mentioned, the URC can only control IR-based equipment, so it needs to have line-of-sight with all your gear.
Nor does it support Wi-Fi—based smart-home devices, which is not at all surprising for a remote in this price range. Yes, there is a free One For All setup app for iOS and Android, and yes, it pairs with the remote via Bluetooth and lets you add your devices by inputting the manufacturer name and model number or testing different codes.
Thankfully, the printed instructions are thorough. This process is more labor-intensive than what SofaBaton offers through its setup app. It also means you can fix commands instantly, without even having to reach for your phone to launch an app.
Unlike the SofaBaton, which can be set up to control different systems around your home, the URC lets you assign only one TV device, one set-top box, one gaming console, and so forth. This one is really meant to control a single system, which is fair given its low asking price. Finally, the One For All setup app does have one helpful feature: a remote finder.
We tested two popular large-button remotes: the Flipper and the EasyMote. We like that it hides the number pad behind a slide-down panel, to keep the main remote design as simple as possible. But thanks to the mom of a Wirecutter colleague I also was able to get them in the hands of a few residents at a senior living center who were in need of a new remote.
We all preferred the Flipper over the EasyMote. They found it very easy to set up it took about one minute , and they thought the instructions were easy to understand. And it controlled their two devices perfectly. I like that the Flipper gives you three ways to program the remote versus only two for the EasyMote to help ensure compatibility. Sure, you can disable sleep mode on your phone. You might still find these remotes in stock for a while, but no new models are being manufactured.
Though each remote had its flaws, the Harmony line was still a step above the competition in how many features you got for the price and how much easier the remotes were to program for people with complicated home theater systems. We plan to support our Harmony community and new Harmony customers, which includes access to our software and apps to set up and manage your remotes.
We also plan to continue to update the platform and add devices to our Harmony database. Customer and warranty support will continue to be offered. The remote is a sleek, stripped-down design with important buttons like home, microphone, volume, back, menu, and more but no backlighting. Setup is easy, and the system reliably controlled our gear without having any major problems.
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