Considering moving from the MX500 to a Harmony One

[deacongreg]

Esoteric DV-60, what a great universal player.

[kennyt]

psw442,

Did you take the leap and buy the Harmony One???

If so, I'm curious what you think about it!

[pws442]

Yes, I did. I am cautiously optimistic that it is going to be a keeper. Had a 12 percent coupon for BB, so it took $30 off the cost. I have been playing with it ever since. Challenging...

Software is deficient in many ways (see my posts at the programming forum at logitech for more info.) Things I haven't made public is that I think it has changed some of my Additional Button mappings now and then, and it occasionally freezes up when learning IR codes; exiting and re-starting solves that issue.

Quite challenging programming a 3-zone receiver (Denon AVR 3080ci) when Harmony only knows about 2 of them. I went back to the basics, an am going to get Zone1 solid before I go in again for the other two zones. I'm still plugging along. I will follow up here by Friday morning.

The good stuff to report: I have activities for the TVs in the three rooms, and single pushes turn on/orr everything, and leave Favorite channels, and/or DVR commands accessible. 4 more activities for XM, Radio, iNet, and Phono also work as advertized.

I have yet to need to go to device-specific commands. Going from one activity to another is convenient. I leave a room active if I turn on another room, and hide the IR beam if I have to go return to an activity I have left.

Thanks for asking... I do love its format and convenience.

[pws442]

Then again, I just might take it back! Yesterday, I had problems getting the monitor to show the XM stations after I used the Presets. Quite a lag, if the monitor changed at all. (The Denon3080ci display was fine). So, I had been away a week, and I connected the remote and did the Update Device function.

Things went south real fast! Now, any activity that uses the Main TV freezes the Harmony One. The broadcasting icon never goes away, and the time freezes. I cannot press any other buttons, the backlighting stays on.... It is quite stuck!

Did all the things I thought I should do: remove the battery, update the firmware, etc. Activities that do not use the main TV (MBR or FAM TV, Phono) are fine.

I have a few days left to return it to BB, and go back to my trusty MX-500. I'll call tech support tonight, but according to the Logitech forums, I am not going to be happy!

[kennyt]

I have found the best Harmony remotes are the simpler ones.

I use the 890 in my reference rig as it allows me to use RF so I don't need line of site. I still have an 880 laying around unused, I have a 659 in the family room for the wife to use for spinervals, and I use the 1000 in the bedroom but find that the 1000 locks up requiring re-boots periodically, and I hate the light the screen gives off.

The One is a smaller version sort of of the 1000 with the screen, Harmony seems to have problems with this aspect of their remotes.

I would go to one of the more stable ones (880 or 670) and see what you think of them, again, try Amazon as they seem to have the best prices for these, and good luck.

[pws442]

The "One" has been so nice to use, but when it does this particular freeze, it does not recover. Period. These activities cannot be utilized.

If the techie tells me to reinstall everything, it will be a short conversation, and a trip back to BB, and the MX500, which was FREE!