Logitech Harmony One UK - Advanced Universal Remote Control

Without a doubt the best universal remote i have come across, easy to use, easy to set up*, and looks the part. The colour screen is clear and the backlit buttons perfect.

I read all of the reviews before i bought this and thought that i would have to spend over an hour setting everything up, but as long as you do your planning right* you will be up and running in no time. (30 mins max)

I found the software easy to use (i'm no pc expert) and the troubleshoot system very good. (remote didnt turn Sky+ on/off at first but easily rectified via following clear & concise instructions)

The remote will not control your Wii or PS3 as it does not use bluetooth** but i found this a bonus, sometimes you need to switch back to watch tv without turning off the game console (especially if the kids are half way thru a level and will lose their progress if the system shuts down (the usual excuse for "five more mins pls dad")). You can still set everything up to switch to the right input etc then just push the wii/PS remote on/off button.

* To set up properly and quickly i would recommend:
Download your favourite channel icons from: []
Make a note of all your favourite channel numbers
Get the exact model numbers of your kit (Most on front or back of systems) but not needed for Wii / PlayStations etc
If using an AV amp make a note of your input settings
Tell the wife/kids etc they cant use tv for 30 mins and leave you alone!

**Logitech now provide an optional PS3 adapter bought separately

One last note, go to the Logitech home page ( ) to check your systems compatability first, this is a great way to make sure that this remote will actually replace all your others. No point in spending any money on something that only does half the job, but i doubt you will be disappointed.

After receiving the remote and inspecting the fabulously styled remote and charging cradle, information is transferred to the remote by connecting a USB cable to a hidden connector on the remote - After a wait for the initial charging period to finish - then it was time to begin programming the remote!

I was replacing 6 remotes (Sky+, 42" Sharp Aquos, Sony Bluray, Sony AV Receiver, Sony SACD & HDMI switch), and attempting to make switching from one activity to another as simple as possible for my whole family.

Setup for the devices was relatively easy, but not as straightforward as the manual would suggest. The programming procedure is by means of a PC based application and an online database of devices and their codes. By selecting type of device, manufacturer, then model you can filter down to the exact model you have, failing that the Harmony 1 will perform as a learning remote, but still requiring the PC based application to manage the learning process and attribute the learnt code to a chosen button.

It all went smoothly, and then it's time to program the Activities, such as 'watch a film' which in my situation involves turning on the TV, turning the volume down (a mute signal means the TV screen displays a 'mute' message!) and selecting the correct input, switching on the amp, and selecting the correct input - a macro. The remote performs flawlessly. If you then select 'listen to music' the remote 'knows' the current state of the devices (whether they're on/off etc) so will change the Amp's input, turn off the TV, and turn on the SACD player - it's seamless!!

Other nice features are being able to have favourite channel icons when watching TV (there is a great website out there which has done all the hard work for you by creating a huge array of icons - this is great for my children who recognise the channel icons (cbbc etc) and with a single press the Sky box is set the channel string (e.g. 602) and it magically turns over!

If the remote gets out of sync with the device (users manually operating devices, or using another remote) then the 'help' button walks you through simple questions such as 'is the TV on' with a 'yes' or 'no' choice, and then manages to fix the problem.

Some reviews mention that the remote does not have the coloured buttons Sky users need, they are correct that there are no coloured physical buttons. When you bring up you Sky 'device' or are performing an activity which uses it, by pressing the 'command' button on the screen brings up 4 large coloured buttons - it works great.

The display is bright and easy to read, has a robust resistive touchscreen with adjustable sensitivity. Battery life is suprisingly good, and the device only needs charging every 3 days.

In total i've spent around 3 hours getting the remote to work 100% correctly, and every now and again it's just a little 'tweak' to improve functionality. I have now put away my other remotes, after the initial period of not having the Harmony working 100% and keeping them as a 'backup' measure.

The next step is to use one half of a Powermid remote extender so I can use the IR harmony one to control RF based products (Domialite home automation)

With the remote at <£80 now on Amazon it's an even better buy!

I've upgraded from a Logitech Harmony 525 to the Harmony One and it's a definite improvement but they've still got a way to go before it's perfect. Like I say I'm not new to these remotes but it still took a while to set up, so I can see how it would be off-putting for a lot of people. That said, now it's up and running, it does precisely what it is supposed to do. The 4 remotes that I wanted to replace are now tucked away in a drawer and look likely to stay there. Compared to the Harmony 525 it has a much better feel, the buttons don't feel cheap as they did on the 525, and there's no longer any lag between pressing a button and something actually happening.

On to the bad stuff...
The software is poor. You can spend time arranging stuff, go into a new tab and then find that all of your previous work was erased because you didn't save it.
Lack of physical red, green, blue and yellow buttons. Yes you can put them onto the screen but it's just not the same (see my next point below). A real backwards step as my old 525 had them.
The touch screen is a nice idea but very imprecise. I frequently end up selecting something other than what I wanted to pick. Poor.

Overall I've given it 3 stars but it's by no means bad and I'm happy with mine, I just feel that Logitech were close to having a superb universal remote with the 525 and the Harmony One still feels like work in progress.