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Logitech Harmony Smart Control Review

The Logitech Harmony Smart Control "turns your smartphone into a powerful universal remote". That's the motto for this universal remote in Logitech's Harmony line-up. The Logitech Harmony is a series of premium universal remote controls, ranging from stand-alone ones to ones tied into SmartPhones. The biggest draw to the Logitech Harmony is the community support of 225000 electronic devices. Theoretically, you should be able to control any remote-control device from the past, present, and the future. Logitech provides a database search function to see if its community database has your electronic devices. See "Related Links" below to access that database.

But there are many generic universal remote controls out there for far less expensive than the most inexpensive Logitech Harmony. Why would you want a Logitech Harmony remote?

Well, let's take a look at a real life example, mine. I have an Aiwa AV-D30U Home Theater Receiver. I have lost it's remote (RC-7AS09) last year. So for the past year, I've been walking to the receiver to change settings. A generic universal remote can control its basic functions, like volume and power. But what I need in addition to that is to change the equalization--dance, pop, live, rock, etc.--for different medias that I watch. None of the generic universal remote can do that. But the Logitech Harmony devices database indicates that it does support the Aiwa AV-D30U. That raises a few questions about the Logitech Harmony:

Will the Logitech Harmony remote support all of the functions on the original remote?
What if the original remote has buttons that is not on the Logitech Harmony remote?
Can the Logitech Harmony remote buttons be remapped individually?

I don't know the answers to those questions. But now I have a Logitech Harmony Smart Control on hand. And in this review article, we will answer those questions and more.

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Package

The Logitech Harmony Smart Control comes in a sleek black box. The content is sealed by two manufacturer sealing tapes. The box outlines a number of features:

Harmony App gives your smartphone the power of a universal remote.
Control devices behind cabinets or walls with the Harmony Hub
Control up to 8 devices with your smartphone or simple remote.
Display up to 50 favorite channel icons on the Harmony App.
Swipe or tap your thumb to change the channel, fast-forward or volume up.
Customizable inapp gesture control.
Essy setup with your smartphone.
Compatible with over 225,000 devices.
Compatible with IR/Bluetooth game consoles.

These are some neat features. But they don't answer all of my questions directly. We'll have to get inside the box to find out. Although the box is sleek, it's not easy to open.

The box indicates that Logitech Harmony Smart Control will work with your Apple iPhone or your Google Android phone. In this article, we will be using it with several Google Android phones and tablets.

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Content (Unboxing)

The Logitech Harmony Smart Control box actually indicates what's included:

Harmony Hub
Remote control (with battery)
IR mini blaster
USB cable
AC adapter
User documentation

The Logitech Harmony Smart Control is a really mysterious device. Even though it provides a list of included items, it's unclear what many of these items are for. The remote control and AC adapter is obvious, but what is a Harmony Hub?

Much like the Logitech Harmony Smart Control, the instruction sheet is quite cryptic as well. For a device that generate so many practical questions, it only provides four simple instructions:

Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
Search for an install the "Harmony" app.
Launch the app when ready.
Follow the instructions provided by the Harmony app to setup your Harmony remote.

Reading the instruction sheet more carefully...

There's more information and support online for your product. Please visit www.logitech.com/support/harmonysmartcontrol where you can find:

Frequently asked questions
Troubleshooting
Support Community
Online Documentation
Warranty Information
Phone and email support information

It turns out the support page has the user manual and the quick start guide for the Logitech Harmony Smart Control. It also has a wide assortment of information that could help potential buyers make informed purchase decisions. Why didn't the simple instructions say to download these documents there in the first place? p>

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Android Compatibility

The minimum Android version required to run Harmony App is 2.3.3. Originally, I had intended to use my obsolete Android phones as universal remote controls. Unfortunately, those obsolete phones are Android 2.2. Luckily I have several Android 4 devices as well.

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Harmony Hub

The Harmony Hub is a strange little device. It's a mystery what it actually does. The bottom of the device actually shows a WiFi MAC address. The reveals its intention a little. The back side of the device has four connectivity ports:

Pair/Reset Button
microUSB
Audio port labeled as "1".
Audio port labeled as "2".

Logitech just doesn't let up with its riddles. "1" and "2"!? Are you kidding me? It turns out they are ports for the IR transmitters. The Logitech Harmoy instruction indicates that you should plug the IR transmitter into port 1. Apparently, through the Internet gravevine, you can plug a second control transmitter into port 2.

The microUSB port is used with the enclosed AC adapter to power the device. You can also use the enclosed USB cable to connect the Harmony Hub to your computer to configure it via MyHarmony web site. You'll need to download and install the Microsoft Silverlight and the Harmony Browser Plug-In to configure the Harmony Hub with your computer.

The pair/reset button is dual purpose. When you press this button while the device is powered up, it is reset to factory defaults. The light will blink rapidly for a while. When it's done, the device is reset. You can press this button during configuration with your SmartPhone for Bluetooth pairing.

The Harmony Hub is the central facilitator for this universal remote control system. After you configure it, it stays out of the scene--you'll never need to touch it again.

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Harmony App

The Harmony app is pretty easy to find on Google Play. It was the first app that shows up after typing in "Harmony" in the search box. The description for it says that it works with both Harmony Ultimate and Harmony Smart Control. It's 5.07 MB in size.

You can use the Harmony App to configure the Harmony Hub. Once the Harmony Hub is configured, you will use the Harmony App to control your electronics and change Harmony Hub settings.

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Network Setup

I have a custom network, so it is difficult to get the Harmony Hub onto the network. It requires DHCP, which I have disabled on my network. There is no way to set a static IP address on the Harmony Hub. So I have to set up a workaround with the DHCP serving a single fixed IP matched to the MAC address of the Harmony Hub. I also have two wireless access points with two different SSID on the LAN. Harmony Hub would only work with my Android devices when they are on the same access point even though the subnet is the same. I wish Logitech provides a more customizable network configuration interface.

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Remote Control

The Logitech Harmony Smart Control includes a simple universal remote control. Although the simple remote looks unforgettable on the box, it's actually a remarkable device when you hold it in your hand. It's not big and clunky like other generic universal remote controls. It's thin, but has a hefty weight to it. There are quite a number of button on it. And each button provide a clear tactile feedback.

The battery is located at the bottom of the remote. There is a hidden panel that can be removed, which also reveals the serial number and the part number (815-000100). It uses a CR2032 button cell battery.

Unlike other generic universal remote controls on the market, the Logitech Harmony remote control is activity oriented. That means the buttons on the remote works with all of the electronic device that is associated with the activity.

For example, my "Watch TV" activity involves the television and the Verizon FiOS set-top box (STB). After I press the "Watch TV" button on the remote control, the Harmony Hub turns on both devices. Now all of the buttons on the remote control works with the TV and STB.

I have been so used to aiming universal remote controls at the entertainment center. I try the same with the Logitech Harmony remote control. That's when I realize that I do not have to, because the Logitech Harmony remote control talks to the Harmony Hub, not the electronic appliances.

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Secrets Revealed

At the support site, there is a user manual and a quick start guide. Why couldn't the simple instructions say to download these things there in the first place? Why does it make you play a guess game until you have exhausted your options?

From the user manual, I was able to find that I can set-up the Harmony Hub using my computer through the MyHarmony web site. You'll need to download and install the Microsoft Silverlight and the Harmony Browser Plug-In for it to work.

After resetting the Harmony Hub and going through the set-up on my computer via the USB port several times, I kept getting the following error message.

Remote Communication Error

Unable to configure your remote.

[DE1004]

Searching for these error messages on the Harmony troubleshooting knowledge base was useless. All the article claims a network problem. I had set it up and tested it to ensure it's working. I was able to ping the Harmony Hub just fine. But neither my computer nor my SmartPhone could configure it.

Disgusted, I finally threw my hands up in the air in defeat. The Logitech Harmony Smart Control just won't work with my Asus G74SX computer nor my Samsung Google Galaxy Nexus. And I have wasted many hours of my life trying to make it work. The Logitech Harmony Smart Control is going back to the store.

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Conclusion

We were unable to answer any of the questions that we started with. Because we can't get the Harmony Hub to even configure, we had no chance to even try it with the Aiwa AV-D30U that we set out to do. The Logitech Harmony Smart Control is a failed product. If it didn't work with my computer or my Android SmartPhone, we can claim it's a problem of either. But if it doesn't work with both of these devices, then the problem lies squarely with the Logitech Harmony Smart Control.

The Logitech Harmony Smart Control is a convoluted product. It can be much simpler. Here are some suggestions. Forget the Harmony Hub altogether. Provide everything in the simple remote control that it provide. Put the IR onto that remote. Forget about the wireless network. Use Bluetooth to communicate directly with the SmartPhone.

The wireless network does allow the Logitech Harmony Smart Control to work with multiple SmartPhones. If it really wants to use wireless network at least provide a simple network configuration interface to allow users to change static IP addresses, etc.

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