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Logitech Harmony 555 Universal Remote Control | 
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| Brand: Logitech
Category: CE
Buy New: £45.00
New (7) from £45.00
Rating:  70 reviews
Sales Rank: 663
Media: Electronics
Fragile: No
Batteries: 4
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4
MPN: 966208-0914
Model: 966208-0914
EAN: 5099206989337
ASIN: B000FTOOKS
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | System: Win2000/XP | | • | Sprache: ML | | • | Bussytem: USB | | • | Garantie: 24 |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Get the Harmony 555 universal remote control from Logitech and control everything! The Harmony 555 makes you the orchestra conductor of your multimedia installation. The SmartState technology enables you to control all your audio video gadgets with supreme ease. All that you need to do is press the button for a required activity, for example, "watch television" or "listen to music" and the Harmony 555 universal remote control automatically configures the multimedia system. Furthermore, its interactive LCD screen and back lit buttons ensures that you find it easily even in low light. The Help function largely facilitates the usage of your material. For maximum compatibility with all kinds of multimedia, Logitech's online data base has more than 3,000 manufacturers and 100,000 equipments covering all domains.Compatible system: Windows 98SE, 2000, Me, XPMac OS X 10.2 or later version Included accessories:USB cable4 AAA batteries
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| Customer Reviews: Read 65 more reviews...
 You have to get one for this price. November 11, 2008
I purchased one of these from Amazon a little over a month ago now and to be honest, I'm gutted I left it this long!. This is a great piece of kit and I use it to control my XBOX 360, SKY + Box and Sony TV and have not run into any problems with it. You do need a PC to set the thing up although this really isnt rocket science to do but, once its up and running, you'll wonder why you didnt buy it sooner. I looked at this thing about 6 months ago and it was 89. Its now down to around the 50 mark so if you have loads of remote controls for your TV / DVD / HI-FI etc, you really cant go wrong with this little darling.
 Logitech Harmony 555 November 10, 2008
After reading the reviews I decided to buy this.
The first 3 hours were pure nightmare - the "easy setup" is anything but, though it had most of my remotes in the database it did not seem to map the buttons across in the most friendly way, had added many buttons that were not on the original remotes and had some important buttons missing.
Once you realise that you are going to have to basically do 75% of the work and spend time on setting it up correctly it is a nice remote and works pretty well. The setup software is not that user friendly and you waste a lot of time going round trying to find the settings you want to change.
So though I like it in the end, I do not think I would have bought it knowing how much effort I would have to put in to make it useable.
Excellent device provided you really need it November 2, 2008
There are three reasons for buying a universal remote, to replace a lost unit, to reduce the number of remotes or finally to simplify using a system with multiple remotes. If you are looking to replace a lost unit, this item has a vast library or codes but is probably far more complex than is needed.
As a multiremote replacement this handset is extremely good, the database of codes is enormous and the basic setup of devices is extremely simple, install the software, list your devices and update the remote. Job done. My experience of this procedure was extremely good with six out of seven devices set up to a perfectly usable standard first time, the seventh needed to be 'taught' one command, a two minute job. As a standard multi device remote the Harmony 555 is one of the more usable that I have tried, with a good selection of physical buttons and the soft button screen that gives 4 options per screen (I've yet to hit the limit of screens for one device). The 555 even has options for my TV that weren't on the original remote (such as direct access to external inputs and screen ratios rather than the originals toggle through button). But this is still not the 555's reason d'etre.
The best reason to buy this remote over simpler, cheaper, alternatives is the 'Activity' function. This is the perfect device if you, like me, have a partner who complains that they can't use your home theatre system. Even complicated home theatre seperates systems are dealt with, for example my system has all sound output through an AV receiver which also switches video inputs for satelite, HDD recorder and Region 1 DVD player, my blu-ray audio signal is fed into the AV Receiver while video is fed straight to the TV by HDMI while my PS2 is connected directly to the TV's inputs and the sound passed back to the amplifier from the television's optical out. My wife has great trouble remebering which combination of AV and TV settings is required for each. The 555 has no such problems allowing the correct TV and AV inputs to be selected and all the required componants switched on with a single 'Activity' selection, at the same time the remote activates a custom set of buttons for this activity. For example my 'Watch Sky' activity turns on the TV, Amp and Sky box, selects the appropriate TV and amp inputs and sets up the remote so that volume commands go to the amp, channel commands, guide and colour buttons to the Sky box and soft buttons are avaliable for the TV screen ratio. The unit will also switch off componants not in use, such as when switching off the STB when going from Sky to DVD, potentially saving power and keeps track of what is switched on to shut down everything at a single button press on power down.
To be fair setting up the Activities, and if you choose to do so, customising the device settings does take some time, but it is an unfortunate fact of life that when something appears simple it is usually the result of good preparation and this is no exception, but once done the time saving and convenience is enormous. The software is quite intuative and user friendly, but you need to be logical and understand your AV system quite well to do this not to mention willing to devote the time to do it properly (including updating the remote, probably several times, which involves turning everything off) but once done you will have all the features of the original remote (in my case actually more features) conveniently to hand and a series of shortcuts that make the commonly used features simplicity to use on even the most complicated home theatre setup. Also once done your settings are held by Logitech and so can be accessed anywhere and if required loaded onto another unit, apparently these settings can even be loaded to other compatable units in the Harmony range, effectively future proofing the settings. Adding additional devices to the unit and to pre set up activities is also very easy.
Physically the remote looks and feels superb with the top surface finished in slick black, silver and chrome and a very tactile matt black rubberised underside, the backlit LCD screen looks slightly dated and is less readable than I would have liked but is usable, the orange backlight does the job, but like another reviewer I think blue would have been more attractive. The unit feels well made, it fits well in the hand and the buttons are nicely responsive although the unit does seem to flex slightly infront of the battery compartment when buttons at the front are pressed. Time will tell if this is a problem.
In conclusion, this is a fantastic device, I have owned universal remotes before, the 555 replicates the original functions of the remotes far better and more flexibly than any previous one I have tried. More importantly for this device the Activities function works far better than any macro function I have used, if you understand the AV setup you will appreciate the time saving, if you don't you will love the one touch features and having the correct buttons avaliable for WHAT you are doing rather than worrying about which componants are used.
In the past I have always kept the original remotes to hand when using a universal remote as it has never covered all circumstances, for the first time I am happy to shove all the originals in a drawer and I'll rely on the 555.
 Almost perfect October 28, 2008
What a fabulous bit of kit. I'd previously bought universal remotes from Sony and Cambridge Audio (having a fair amount of Sony and Cambridge Audio equipment) and been very disappointed. The units were ugly and difficult enough to use that they were consigned to a drawer within days. The Logitech unit is a handsome bit of kit. I came across it as I have a Logitech Squeezebox Duet and was browsing the web looking for add-ons. The excellent technical and aesthetic design of the Squeezebox is equally evident in this unit - it's very cool. As others have said though, you need to be technically adept to set this unit up. The web based software that comes with the remote is well designed, easy to use and it really does have remote commands for just about every piece of hardware you can think of. Even the remote control dimmer switches in my living room were on their database. I didn't see any point spending more than this on higher range models and I'm glad I didn't. This unit does everything you want it to. My wife had complained that there was a complex process to go through just to watch our TV (switch on TV, switch on HDMI switch and select channel, switch on BT Vision Box, change input on TV). Now all she has to do is press the "Activities" button and select "Watch TV". It just works. Excellent.
Support line swung it for me October 23, 2008
As everyone else has said, this remote needs programming and is based upon activities. However, some of the activities setup by the wizard can be flawed. For example I wanted to switch my TV on, and set my Vista media centre to live TV. The remote would try to switch the media centre on and off as required which is a major problem if you want the media centre on to record TV programs. The logitech support line (use the number from the website, not their documentation) was helpful, free, and sorted the problem in minutes, telling me how to override the poweron/off for the media centre. Well impressed!
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