Harmony 520 for TiVo.

[DCIFRTHS]

Logitech only lists Wal Mart, CDW and Target (out of stock) as online retailers for the 520 remote. Has this been the "policy" all along, or is this remote being discontinued?

Thanks

[davezatz]

Nope, the remote isn't being discontinued... in fact, it's pretty new. Originally it was just at Walmart, now they've expanded somewhat. I think they're targeting the low-end. (The Harmony 520 is also the same as the new Xbox Harmony model with the addition of the 360 function buttons and color scheme.)

I happen to have the remote... works well like all other Harmony remotes, though has a sleeker and less cluttered look. The button response and LCD aren't as crisp as I'd like but maybe that's offset by the look and the neat tilt/backlight feature. :)

I want to find some sort of remote-controlled device to push the power button on my 1st generation Xbox... then I could use the Harmony to flip me to Input 3 on the TV and turn the Xbox on. ;) Too bad my wireless controller doesn't let me turn it on somehow.

[DCIFRTHS]

Nope, the remote isn't being discontinued... in fact, it's pretty new. Originally it was just at Walmart, now they've expanded somewhat. I think they're targeting the low-end. (The Harmony 520 is also the same as the new Xbox Harmony model with the addition of the 360 function buttons and color scheme.)

I happen to have the remote... works well like all other Harmony remotes, though has a sleeker and less cluttered look. The button response and LCD aren't as crisp as I'd like but maybe that's offset by the look and the neat tilt/backlight feature. :)

I want to find some sort of remote-controlled device to push the power button on my 1st generation Xbox... then I could use the Harmony to flip me to Input 3 on the TV and turn the Xbox on. ;) Too bad my wireless controller doesn't let me turn it on somehow.

I read your review when you first got the remote, so I know it's a fairly recent introduction. I just thought that I had seen it for sale on BestBuy.com Obviously, I am confused :confused:

I like the looks of the 520, and the layout seems cool. I have two 676 remotes, and I like the Harmony products. There are no Wal Marts where I am (yet), so I ordered it online.

One more question: What are the two buttons directly above the "joystick"? One looks like it's marked "Mute", and I can't make out the other one?

Thanks!

[Jotas]

I tried the 520 Xbox edition and was not impressed. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't. The other drawback was the fact that I could not adjust the response time on the HR10 with this remote's setup program.

I guess I'm spoiled with my 880. Hopefully the price will continue to drop so I can get another 880 without hearing the wife complain.

[DCIFRTHS]

I tried the 520 Xbox edition and was not impressed. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't. The other drawback was the fact that I could not adjust the response time on the HR10 with this remote's setup program.

I guess I'm spoiled with my 880. Hopefully the price will continue to drop so I can get another 880 without hearing the wife complain.

Response time for the delay between commands? I can aslo do that on my 676s, and I figured it was a standard feature of the Harmony remotes. The defaults are way too slow for me. I may have to return it....

[davezatz]

One more question: What are the two buttons directly above the "joystick"? One looks like it's marked "Mute", and I can't make out the other one?

The left button is "Mute" and the right button is "Prev" - above it is "Menu" which I use as the TiVo button.

It's definitely not a perfect remote, but I think it's above average. I also used to own the 676 (and 659) - I think I slightly prefer the 676 for the firmer button response but I prefer the 520 for the look and appreciate the backlight with tilt sensor. The 659 wasn't great because the play, pause, ff buttons were on the very bottom.

You can specify the milliseconds for inter-key delays on the 520 as with other Harmony remotes. The new remotes use an updated stand-alone software application, so maybe Jotas didn't see the option.

Also tech support will make whatever changes you want... for example I didn't like the way the remote changed inputs on my HDTV. (It would basically hit the 'input' button and then hit the up arrow or down arrow repeatadly until it go to the correct input - this could lead to errors and was definitely too slow. So I reported the label for each input corresponding number which selects it... then explained which I needed for which activities. Within 48 hours I had they made those changes for me. With my 676 the delays were off and it wasn't sending the IR signal long enough for my projector - they also made those changes.)

[Jotas]

Response time for the delay between commands? I can aslo do that on my 676s, and I figured it was a standard feature of the Harmony remotes. The defaults are way too slow for me. I may have to return it....

I am not sure about the standard 520 found at Walmart, but the Xbox edition of the 520 did not seem to have that feature in the on-line configuration settings. Funny though, since the Xbox edtion cost $30 more than the standard 520 at Walmart which goes for $99. I guess the additional $30 gets you the Xbox color buttons.

[Jotas]

Nope, the remote isn't being discontinued... in fact, it's pretty new. Originally it was just at Walmart, now they've expanded somewhat. I think they're targeting the low-end. (The Harmony 520 is also the same as the new Xbox Harmony model with the addition of the 360 function buttons and color scheme.)

I happen to have the remote... works well like all other Harmony remotes, though has a sleeker and less cluttered look. The button response and LCD aren't as crisp as I'd like but maybe that's offset by the look and the neat tilt/backlight feature. :)

I want to find some sort of remote-controlled device to push the power button on my 1st generation Xbox... then I could use the Harmony to flip me to Input 3 on the TV and turn the Xbox on. ;) Too bad my wireless controller doesn't let me turn it on somehow.

I just tried adding the gen 1 Xbox to the list of devices on my 880 and received this message when attempting to set it up:

For the Harmony remote to control your Microsoft Xbox you will need to purchase a separate IR sensor package.

So it appears that even with the 880 you need to invest in a Windows Media Extender for Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/xboxmediacenterextender.htm) in order to get some some functionality from the remote to the Xbox.

[DCIFRTHS]

The left button is "Mute" and the right button is "Prev" - above it is "Menu" which I use as the TiVo button. ...


"Prev" :confused: What is Harmony aiming for with that label? Preview? If so, what type of devive would that be used one?

EDIT: Oops. Probably previous as in "previous channel" :o

[cbordman]

does the 520 take real batteries? I hate rechargeable devices.

[davezatz]

It takes 4 AAAs... and something I've never seen before - the remote comes with two sets (8 total) of Duracel batteries!

[mportuesi]

I'm interested in the Xbox edition of the Harmony, because it looks really cool and it has those happy colored buttons.

I don't own an Xbox of any sort, nor do I plan to.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't get the Xbox edition? I notice it has xbox-specific features, but can I simply program them away and use it as a generic universal remote? What do the colored buttons replace from the regular 520, or are the buttons the same (other than cosmetic differences) between the two?

Thanks.

[davezatz]

Is there any reason why I shouldn't get the Xbox edition? I notice it has xbox-specific features, but can I simply program them away and use it as a generic universal remote? What do the colored buttons replace from the regular 520, or are the buttons the same (other than cosmetic differences) between the two?

Hmmm... maybe Logitech should start paying me. ;)

Those Xbox-specific buttons are in addition to the 520 buttons. You can see the Mute and Prev buttons are moved below the Nav area but above the numbers and flared out to the sides... which makes room for the row of multi-colored buttons.

The screen and backlighting on the 360 version look more legible (though I haven't seen it in person...) and the color scheme is nice.

You can use it as general universal remote, no problem. The 520 retails for $99, while the 360 retails for $129. So that could be your reason to choose one over the other. Though, they did have a $30 mail-in rebate for the Xbox model - perhaps it's still available.

[mportuesi]

Hmmm... maybe Logitech should start paying me. ;)

Perhaps they should. You seem to have more information on these remotes than their website does! I'm irked they don't have a product comparison matrix so you can see the difference between their models.

You can use it as general universal remote, no problem.

Good news. Thank you.

Though, they did have a $30 mail-in rebate for the Xbox model - perhaps it's still available.

I saw this on the Logitech website. The way I read it, you need to buy it along with an Xbox 360 to qualify for the $30 mail-in rebate. Great news if you are getting an Xbox, but not for me.

[davezatz]

I'm irked they don't have a product comparison matrix so you can see the difference between their models.

They have this one, but it hasn't been updated to show the 520 and 360 models...
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/comparison/US/EN,crid=2080,sh=1,chart=0,contentid=8789

The remotes are all pretty similar in functionality, except for the 880 which added color screen, pictures, and a charging dock. There is a new model on the way which will include RF and seperate zones/themes for different rooms (or something like that)... but those are $400 which seems crazy for a remote. :)

Harmony 890:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/detailsharmony/US/EN,CRID=2084,CONTENTID=10930

[cbordman]

sears has it for $75. Looks pretty nice for that price. Maybe they removed the batteries...

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=ELEC&pid=05750015000&subcat=TV+Accessories

[mportuesi]

At $75, this seems like a steal. I was really leaning towards the 360 version because of the extra colored buttons, but $75 seems too good to pass up. Both remotes look really nice.

For those who have the 520....does it have enough hard buttons to drive all the TiVo features properly? The other acid test is the DVD player, which has lots of specialized buttons for things.

[davezatz]

FYI mine controls:
TiVo (non-DVD model) for SD viewing
LG combo box for DVDs and HD tuning
HDTV

The only button I feel like I miss regularly is a TV Input one... just because I haven't gotten around to adding my Xbox activity which uses Component 2. Once I add that, I should be able to flip between any of the activities without wasting time hunting for the soft button or TV remote.

By default, I don't think that main TiVo button was mapped to a hard button - so I mapped it to "Menu." I also sped up the response when pressing buttons since there was too much lag for me. The Live TV and Thumbs UP/Down are soft buttons which is fine. If this unit was on an SD set and we watched it more, I might consider mapping Live TV to a hard button. Guide and Info are mapped properly as is the joystick and VCR controls.

By the way Harmony will controls things other than AV... before we moved, I also had it (676) controlling my Lutron track lighting (turn off/on as part of my Watch DVD profile), Roku Soundbridge, and some iPod speaker/dock thingy. The dock/speakers and Soundbridge went the way of ebay though when I got onboard with XM. Hmmm... maybe I'll make an XM profile and bring the remote into my car with me. ;)

Like I said it's not perfect (some of these buttons are a little soft and require some pressure) and the LCD isn't the greatest, but the power and customizability for $75 seems like a good deal.

[SC0TLANDF0REVER]

sears has it for $75. Looks pretty nice for that price. Maybe they removed the batteries...

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=ELEC&pid=05750015000&subcat=TV+Accessories

Thanks for the heads up on this great price!

I could grab the batteries out of my other unused remotes to make up for the $25.00 savings. :p

Edit:
Though to be fair, I just noticed the price is after rebate through Sears directly.

[mportuesi]

Though to be fair, I just noticed the price is after rebate through Sears directly.


I just ordered the 520 from Sears. I was billed $74.99 plus $6.38 sales tax and $5.95 shipping, for a total of $87.32.

I printed out the rebate form. The rebate form is for the cost of shipping. It looks like the rebate is their way of offering free shipping on "all mailable items purchased on Sears.com".

Thanks especially to davezatz for the info and cbordman for the Sears deal!

[DCIFRTHS]

I just ordered the 520 from Sears. I was billed $74.99 plus $6.38 sales tax and $5.95 shipping, for a total of $87.32.

I printed out the rebate form. The rebate form is for the cost of shipping. It looks like the rebate is their way of offering free shipping on "all mailable items purchased on Sears.com".

Thanks especially to davezatz for the info and cbordman for the Sears deal!

Of course I read the Sears information after ordering from Wal Mart.... :(

[cbordman]

they also have the 880 for about $187.

[mportuesi]

One more question, which I guess I should have asked before I pulled the trigger -

How strong is the IR emitter on the 520?

A friend of mine who just got a Harmony 880 remarked that it had a very strong IR emitter, so that he doesn't have to be exactly line-of-sight to his components for it to work.

I have a DVD player and a digital television receiver, both of which are very finicky with their remotes and require the remote to be pointed right at them in order for them to work. I'm concerned if the 520 has the same issues, it could make the activity/macro features pretty unpleasant to use.

[cbordman]

i picked up the 520 at sears this morning. The IR seems to be really strong. I just went behind the couch, and held the remote BEHIND the couch, and it still changes channels on my DVR.

The software on the CD is slow and buggy. Use the web interface. It seems to be more powerful, provides more options, and is quicker.

One thing that i didn't understand at the beginning, there is DEVICE mode and there is ACTIVITY mode. If you change a button in the device mode for your TV, it does not change the button if you use the ACTIVITY, Watch TV.

And i can't figure out how to do this: When i am in PVR device mode, i want the volume keys to change the volume on my TV. Seems like a basic function, but i can only assign PVR commands to the hard buttons.

[markz]

sears has it for $75. Looks pretty nice for that price. Maybe they removed the batteries...

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=ELEC&pid=05750015000&subcat=TV+Accessories

I may have to pick one of these up after reading this thread.

And with my company's corporate discount through CDW, I can get it shipped for $63.72!

One question...can I control 2 DTiVos in the same room with the 520?

Another question...can the 520 control the TV volume while everything else is controlling the TiVo functions?

[mattman]

I may have to pick one of these up after reading this thread.

And with my company's corporate discount through CDW, I can get it shipped for $63.72!

One question...can I control 2 DTiVos in the same room with the 520?

Another question...can the 520 control the TV volume while everything else is controlling the TiVo functions?

I have the 520 and I love it. As for your questions, I don't know if it can control two different Tivo's in the same room, but it will control TV volume and everything else tivo.

Matt

[SullyND]

I HATE Harmony's Website. I got a 680 for Christmas. Tried setting it up last night and the website it was trying to connect to was no longer valid. I went to Harmony Remote.com and set up my account through there... I understand that this time of year their website probably gets an exponentially higher amount of traffic, but I've been trying to set up my remote for 24 hours now with no success, I get a too much traffic notice, document contains no data... It varies, some times it will get to the point of being queued but sit there for two hours an nothing...

I just keep getting:

Experiencing High Traffic
Thank you for visiting the Logitech Harmony Member website, we are presently experiencing high volumes. Please try again later.

Copyright - 2005 Logitech Harmony Remote.

Setting up a remote like this should be easier than this.

[Jasoco]

Here's a couple questions about the Harmony's...

First, how easy is it to get used to the button layout? I can't imagine it being easy to get used to the Play button's location after using the nicely centered yellow play button on the TiVo remote.

Second, can it take rechargeable AAA's?

I wish Logitech would do the same thing for TiVo that they did for the Xbox and create a special Harmony that was designed after the peanut's layout.

[Danhilderman]

I just bought the 659 remote yesterday (I had no idea i was even going to get one, just saw them on the shelves).

It is INCREDIBLE!

Seriously, i press watch tv and it knows which of my 11 devices to turn on and their correct inputs. Saves me like 5 minutes everytime i turn on something.

Personally, i see no reason to pay more for the 676. It has a slightly different button layout, faceplates, different button feel and not much else. The 880 seems cool but i cant justify the extra money for a nice graphical display.

I would pick up a harmony remote immediately if you have A/V Receiver or stereo system.

And it can not be easier to use. I knew quite a bit about my theater setup already, but even my sister (doesnt know what HD is, video inputs are) can set up and operate it perfectly.

Thanks to Logitech for a great device and web database.

[markz]

I just bought the 659 remote yesterday (I had no idea i was even going to get one, just saw them on the shelves).

It is INCREDIBLE!

Seriously, i press watch tv and it knows which of my 11 devices to turn on and their correct inputs. Saves me like 5 minutes everytime i turn on something.

Personally, i see no reason to pay more for the 676. It has a slightly different button layout, faceplates, different button feel and not much else. The 880 seems cool but i cant justify the extra money for a nice graphical display.

I would pick up a harmony remote immediately if you have A/V Receiver or stereo system.

And it can not be easier to use. I knew quite a bit about my theater setup already, but even my sister (doesnt know what HD is, video inputs are) can set up and operate it perfectly.

Thanks to Logitech for a great device and web database.

Did you have any problem getting on the website to program it? I have seen quite a few people mention the website was too busy.

Do you happen to have two TiVos in the same room? I do and am hoping that my remote will control them both separately when it arrives.

I just ordered the 520 today. Got it for $63 shipped!

How long did it take you to get it all setup for all your devices?

I have two DirecTiVos, 1 TV, 1 DVD player, 1 DVD Recorder, and the AV Tuner to get it working with.

[Danhilderman]

As long as you use IE to access the website is works perfectly for me. Cant use firefox though.

Also, if the website doesnt auto pop up, just open IE and go the the logitech harmony website. Then create an account or log in and you good to go.

It took me around 2-3 hours, but i had lots of fun checking the features out during that time. It can be done on a smaller setup in maybe 30 minutes.

I only have 1 tivo (set it up yesterday as well).

The remote works fine with my HDTV, DVD, CD, A/V Receiver, XBox 360 (cant get it to turn on though. It only changes to the correct inputs. THis is fine since the controller does it anyway) Xbox 1, VCR, Tivo, Set top box, and my home network.

[timckelley]

Question: which forum here should I consult if I have general questons about remote controls? Or is there an offsite forum that deals alot with them (especially the ones compatiable with TiVo)?

[davezatz]

AVSForum pretty much covers all things home theater and AV. Remote Central has a bunch of forum stuff as well. Many of us here have some insight into various remotes, and as long as something is marginally TiVo related (as in you'll use the remote with TiVo) the Coffee House is as good a place as any. (I'm not a moderator, I just type a lot. ;) )

[markz]

Question: which forum here should I consult if I have general questons about remote controls? Or is there an offsite forum that deals alot with them (especially the ones compatiable with TiVo)?

There seems to be a lot of info at Remote Central (http://www.remotecentral.com/).

You might try that!

[mportuesi]

My 520 remote just arrived today....only two weeks after I ordered it from Sears. Don't know if it was the holiday or what, but they sure were slow.

Anyway, I have it set up to control my home theater system via Logitech's website. I used a Mac Mini with Mac OS 10.4.3 and Safari to do the update without too many troubles. However, I had to manually start their connectivity app once during the setup procedure. And with only a few tweaks to the Logitech defaults (like assigning the TiVo clear command to the * button on the 520, and re-ordering the soft keys for TiVo) it seems to be working great.

The buttons feel a liittle mushy, but I can get over that considering what the remote can do.

Anyway, can someone who's done the experimenting tell me what settings I should use for Inter-key Delay and Inter-Device Delay for the TiVo? The 520 seems to lag just a little bit compared to the stock peanut remote. (It's most noticeable in the menus, and when using 30-second skip).

I have a Series 2 standalone, 240080 model.

Thanks.

[timckelley]

Thank you for the multiple good responses. :)

[davezatz]

The buttons feel a liittle mushy, but I can get over that considering what the remote can do.
Yah, I agree... the other Harmony remotes have better keys. BUT the 520 is the sexiest and cheapest, so I dig it. :)

Anyway, can someone who's done the experimenting tell me what settings I should use for Inter-key Delay and Inter-Device Delay for the TiVo? The 520 seems to lag just a little bit compared to the stock peanut remote. (It's most noticeable in the menus, and when using 30-second skip).
Mine are still a little slow, but it looks like the settings are:
TiVo inter-key delay: 100ms

Someone posted above the web pages don't work with Firefox. I've been able to use FF, even though puts up a warning. My 520 also shipped with a stand-alone app (though web-based) which takes your personal browser out of the equation. It's good enough.

[mportuesi]

Someone posted above the web pages don't work with Firefox. I've been able to use FF, even though puts up a warning. My 520 also shipped with a stand-alone app (though web-based) which takes your personal browser out of the equation. It's good enough.

As far as I can tell, the Mac doesn't have a standalone app, or at least I didn't dig enough into the install CD to find it.

I got by using Safari on the Mac. To be safe, I changed my default browser back to Safari (I normally use Firefox), just in case they were expecting Safari as the default browser. I also turned off my ad-stripping proxy. I had heard lots of tales about how unreliable the Harmony setup software is, so I didn't want to give it reasons to fail.

[markz]

Okay, I just got my 520 tonight. So far so good!

I have figured out how to change the order of the activities. However, how do I changed the order of the devices, so that the ones I frequently use show up first?

[mportuesi]

BTW, I found this message by a knowledgable soul over at remotecentral.com, so I'm reproducing it here.

davezatz, you might check out the section on "repeats". I haven't tried it yet, but it looks like another tweak to make the 520 snappier with TiVo.



The delays are designed to make sure that every device recieves every command that the Haromony sends.

Note, times are measured in milliseconds (as mentioned), so 1000 ms = 1 sec = 1 s.

Inter-key Delay:
The delay between any two successive commands. If you tweak the repeats (discussed later), many devices will work perfectly with a 0ms Inter-Key delay. 100 ms (0.1 s) is the best starting point for the vast majority of devices, though a very few need something longer.

Power Delay:
Most devices have a period after they recieve a power on command where they're busy starting up and won't accept any other IR commands. This tells the remote how long this period lasts so that it can wait until its over before it sends any more commands to that device.

Input Delay:
When you change inputs on many devices, the device also becomes very busy acuqiring and syncing with the new signal. As a result there is also a period (generally shorter than the Power-on delay as a Power-on necessarily includes a signal-acquisition period) when the device won't accept any IR commands. The Input Delay is the length of this period so that the Harmony can wait until the device is done changing inputs before it sends any additional commands.

Inter-Device delay:
OK, so an IR signal goes out. There are 4 or 5 or more electric eyes in front of you ready to recieve it. It reaches all of them, and each device tries to decode the signal. The problem is that if the device isn't familiar with the signal coming in, it has a very hard time knowing when that signal is over and the next one (wich may be for it) has started. As a result, most devices look for a period of "dead air" after each signal to make sure that its over. The Inter-device delay tells the Harmony how much dead air each device needs before being ready to accept a command. In multiple remote land, this is more than covered by the time it takes you to pick up the next remote, but its an important thing for the Harmony to know. For most devices 100 or 200 ms is adequate.

Repeats:
The vast majority of IR standards repeat the signal a few times to assure correct transmission. Most standards call for the signal to be transmitted 3 times (original + 2 repeats). For most devices, the Harmony defaults to transmit each command 4 times (original + 3 repeats). To change this, go under troubleshooting for the device and select "Not all commands recieved correctly" and then either too many or not all commands.

How to set and tweak the input and power-on delays:

The most reliable way to do this is to use a stopwatch. I usually remind people that there is a stopwatch in most cell phones so you don't try to go digging one out of a drawer somewhere. Press the power or next input key on the original remote (for the power - ovbiously we're talking about from the power-off state) and then wait until the device is up and running again. You can also try sending additional commands until it starts recieving. Stop the stopwatch. Add 1/2-1 second to your time and then you have it. Just enter it in milliseconds. (7.5 seconds = 7500 milliseconds). You can also try the one-one-thousand-two-one-thousand technique - but obviously its not as accurate.

Adjusting the inter-key delay: Start at 100 ms. If the remote works and is fast enough for you, you're done. If it doesn't work reliably, try increasing the inter-key delay up to 200 ms and then 1000. If the key isn't recieved reliably at 1000 ms (1 second per key), go under troubleshooting and play around with the number of repeats. (There could be some stranger problems too.)

If the remote is sluggish at this inter-key delay, drop it to 0 ms and tweak the repeats until it feels right. Like I said, 2 repeats is usually optimal for most devices.

[davezatz]

However, how do I changed the order of the devices, so that the ones I frequently use show up first?

No idea! I almost exclusively use 'Activities' and create soft-buttons for any common (or even uncommon) device functions I might need. For me, that's the power of the Harmony - whatever Activity I'm in will have the functions I need.

Didn't know the Mac version lacks a stand-alone app. It's basically a front-end to what feels like IE... though more stuff seems to happen locally as well. My experience with both the app (web or stand-alone) and remotes has always been it's not perfect, but it's damn good... and tantalizing close to extraordinary.

[davezatz]

davezatz, you might check out the section on "repeats". I haven't tried it yet, but it looks like another tweak to make the 520 snappier with TiVo.

Interesting... I've only used that when correcting the volume control on my TV. A quick up or down click and the volume would go up 2-3 ticks. Now we're back to the proper 1 :)

[Dan203]

I just ordered the 520 today. Got it for $63 shipped!

Where did you get it so cheap?

Dan

[mportuesi]

I have figured out how to change the order of the activities. However, how do I changed the order of the devices, so that the ones I frequently use show up first?

I'm looking at the Harmony website right now, and you're right -- they provide a way to re-order activities, but not devices.

I suspect that's intentional. You're supposed to spend the vast amount of your time with the remote in activity mode, not device mode. Kind of analogous to TiVo, where you are expected to watch from "Now Playing" and avoid Live TV entirely.

[Dan203]

they provide a way to re-order activities, but not devices.

Where is that option? We have a Harmony 688 where all the Activities are out of wack, but I couldn't find any way to reorder them other then deleteing them all and re-entering them in the order I want.

Dan

[markz]

Where did you get it so cheap?

Dan

I got it through CDW. I get a corporate discount there. Plus, if their profit margin is higher than the shipping cost, I also get free shipping. I don't know if I would have gotten free shipping if I ordered JUST the 520, but I was also ordering a 512mb transflash card for my GPS, so that might have bumped up the profit margin.

CDW's regular price is $76.87 on the Harmony 520, so that's still better than most places I have seen.

I ordered it yesterday and received it today!

[mportuesi]

Where is that option? We have a Harmony 688 where all the Activities are out of wack, but I couldn't find any way to reorder them other then deleteing them all and re-entering them in the order I want.
Dan

On the Harmony Home Page where it lists your activities, "Re-order activities" is a little, tiny, easy-to-miss hyperlink right above the list.

I will try to insert a screenshot here:

http://www.jotabout.com/portuesi/video/activities_reorder.png

[Dan203]

Wow I swear that option wasn't there a couple weeks ago when I was looking for it. I'm going to have to hook the Harmony up to the PC tonight and see if it's there for me now.

Dan

[Dan203]

I got it through CDW. I get a corporate discount there. Plus, if their profit margin is higher than the shipping cost, I also get free shipping. I don't know if I would have gotten free shipping if I ordered JUST the 520, but I was also ordering a 512mb transflash card for my GPS, so that might have bumped up the profit margin.

CDW's regular price is $76.87 on the Harmony 520, so that's still better than most places I have seen.

I ordered it yesterday and received it today!

Hmm... I may have to get one of these for my Sister and BIL. I just bought them a new home theater system that added yet another remote to their system. A Harmony would make everything a lot easier for them.

Dan

[mportuesi]

While updating my 520, I plugged in the USB cable, and along with the "USB CONNECTED" message, a line of pixels in the middle of the screen went dead.

The remote still works, but I haven't been able to revive the row of dead pixels. It cuts off the top of a row of text in the display.

Now it looks like I will have to try to return the remote to Logitech for warranty replacement. And after waiting two weeks to get the darned thing.

[DCIFRTHS]

Just a quick update on my 520....I had to return it. While I thought it was an awesome remote, it fell short in one area I just couldn't live with. It felt cheap. When I pressed a button, or just had a good grip on it, it flexed. And creaked.

This was a very different experience from my other Harmony remotes. If it felt sturdier, I would have kept it in a heart-beat.

[markz]

So far I have had nothing but good experience from the 520. I have not been able to compare it to any other Harmony remotes though.

Pluse the ease of use for my wife will be a big plus.

One time I called home to tell her my flight arrived safely when I was on a business trip, and her repy was "That's great...now how in the hell do I watch a DVD?"

When I got home from that trip, I had to type up some cheat sheets for every scenario she might encounter.

[Dan203]

On the Harmony Home Page where it lists your activities, "Re-order activities" is a little, tiny, easy-to-miss hyperlink right above the list.

I will try to insert a screenshot here:

http://www.jotabout.com/portuesi/video/activities_reorder.png

That's not there for my my 680. :( I have "Add Activity", "Remove Activity" and "Cutomize Activity Buttons".

Dan

[mportuesi]

That's not there for my my 680. :( I have "Add Activity", "Remove Activity" and "Cutomize Activity Buttons".


Bummer! Who would have expected the web interface to be different between models? Ordinarily they would want them to be the same, since it's less work for the Logitech engineers to maintain one interface rather than several.

[DCIFRTHS]

That's not there for my my 680. :( I have "Add Activity", "Remove Activity" and "Cutomize Activity Buttons".

Dan

I will have to check to see if it's available for my 676s. That is a cool feature.

[davezatz]

Sorting activities is probably more of a neccessity on the 520 (and 360) over the 6xx series since there are no hard buttons for TV, DVD, etc.

I called in a few weeks back when I had a prob, and the guy I spoke with said newer software is available for the 520 remotes and would eventually be available for use on the others. According to the dude - one way to try it, if you have a PC, is to install the 520 desktop app (if you can find it for download?) and try using it. I haven't messed with this, so I can't confirm but if someone is motivated please give it a shot and report back! :)

[joeblough]

I have two DirecTiVos, 1 TV, 1 DVD player, 1 DVD Recorder, and the AV Tuner to get it working with.

i just set up my 2nd tivo (1 dsr6000 + 1 hr10-250). i have a harmony 688. i dont remember ever seeing anything on the harmony website to use an alternate command set for a tivo, so if you get there before i do pray tell how you did it :)

thanks

[markz]

i just set up my 2nd tivo (1 dsr6000 + 1 hr10-250). i have a harmony 688. i dont remember ever seeing anything on the harmony website to use an alternate command set for a tivo, so if you get there before i do pray tell how you did it :)

thanks

I was able to set it up for two TiVos, but it doesn't control the second one. I think I need to have it learn the functions from the original remote.

I'd try emailing tech support, but they seem very slow to respond. I just got an answer this week from an email I sent them a couple weeks ago.

[joeblough]

I was able to set it up for two TiVos, but it doesn't control the second one. I think I need to have it learn the functions from the original remote.

I'd try emailing tech support, but they seem very slow to respond. I just got an answer this week from an email I sent them a couple weeks ago.

what remote IDs are the tivos set to? usually you want to set them both to something other than "0", right? which means that harmony managed to cough up at least one profile that's non-zero.

harmony has this nice feature where they try to determine the device you are trying to control by sampling just a few commands from the remote. so maybe it would work if you program your two tivo remotes to "1" and "2" and then have the harmony web program look in its database for each one. problem is i cant remember how to ask it to do this.

[Dan203]

I have my harmony controlling 5 TiVos all in the same room. All I had to do was set a Penut to the remote code I wanted to learn then use the quick learn feature where it asks you to learn a few buttons. After that everything worked exactly as it should.

Dan

[markz]

what remote IDs are the tivos set to? usually you want to set them both to something other than "0", right? which means that harmony managed to cough up at least one profile that's non-zero.

harmony has this nice feature where they try to determine the device you are trying to control by sampling just a few commands from the remote. so maybe it would work if you program your two tivo remotes to "1" and "2" and then have the harmony web program look in its database for each one. problem is i cant remember how to ask it to do this.

I probably have them on 0 & 1. I will look into it further tonight. Maybe I can do what you suggest.

Thanks for the info.

[markz]

I have my harmony controlling 5 TiVos all in the same room. All I had to do was set a Penut to the remote code I wanted to learn then use the quick learn feature where it asks you to learn a few buttons. After that everything worked exactly as it should.

Dan

Is that what Joe was talking about?

[timckelley]

I probably have them on 0 & 1. I will look into it further tonight. Maybe I can do what you suggest.

Thanks for the info.

Yes, if you have two TiVos in the same room, I wouldn't think you'd want either of them to have a 0 remote address.

[tgibbs]

I was able to set it up for two TiVos, but it doesn't control the second one. I think I need to have it learn the functions from the original remote.

I'd try emailing tech support, but they seem very slow to respond. I just got an answer this week from an email I sent them a couple weeks ago.

I believe the feature you are looking for is under "More Options" for the device in question on your home page. It is called something like "Confirm infrared commands." It asks for you to hit 3 buttons on the original remote and identifies the infrared language from that. It will set it up for the appropriate TiVo device number.

[markz]

I believe the feature you are looking for is under "More Options" for the device in question on your home page. It is called something like "Confirm infrared commands." It asks for you to hit 3 buttons on the original remote and identifies the infrared language from that. It will set it up for the appropriate TiVo device number.

Alrighty! I got it all set up now! Thanks guys!

I had to teach it the 30SecSkip button even though the other TiVo already had that as an option.

[joeblough]

Alrighty! I got it all set up now! Thanks guys!

I had to teach it the 30SecSkip button even though the other TiVo already had that as an option.

dang. i just went through this but in the end the harmony was still on '0' when in the 'watch the dsr6000' activity. adding the hd10-250 worked right; it correctly got code '1'. maybe i have to delete the dsr6000 and start over...?

i just tried to do what tgibbs describes, and... oof! harmony website down for maintenance. oh well, time for bed.

update: i got it working, but for some reason when the dsr6000 was set to '2' and the hd10-250 was set to '1', the '2' remote was also controlling the hd10-250. so i changed the dsr6000 to '3' and re-taught the harmony and now its all working great. my stupid hd10-250 has the pink cast problem on the hdmi, but i was able to put liveTV, exit, pause, up up up up into the activity to reset the hdmi interface.

[scythematters]

Sorry to jump in in the middle of this, but here we go. I recently upgraded to Verizon FiOs and now want to use a cable box with my TiVo. The Verizon guy told me I'd need to use the IR sensors that were included with my TiVo to connect them and be able to use the TiVo remote, but I no longer have them. I'm willing to pay for new sensors, but I was thinking about getting one of the Harmony remotes instead and killing a few birds with one stone as I've been eying these remotes anyway. But my question is, will I still need to buy the new IR sensors even if I do go with the Harmony remote? To be honest I'm not entirely sure how the IR sensors work. I'm not the most tech-savvy person in the world. Help? Advice?

[Edmund]

Sorry to jump in in the middle of this, but here we go. I recently upgraded to Verizon FiOs and now want to use a cable box with my TiVo. The Verizon guy told me I'd need to use the IR sensors that were included with my TiVo to connect them and be able to use the TiVo remote, but I no longer have them. I'm willing to pay for new sensors, but I was thinking about getting one of the Harmony remotes instead and killing a few birds with one stone as I've been eying these remotes anyway. But my question is, will I still need to buy the new IR sensors even if I do go with the Harmony remote? To be honest I'm not entirely sure how the IR sensors work. I'm not the most tech-savvy person in the world. Help? Advice?

Yes, the IR cables are for the tivo to communicate with the cable box, to change the channels.

[mick66]

will I still need to buy the new IR sensors even if I do go with the Harmony remote? To be honest I'm not entirely sure how the IR sensors work. I'm not the most tech-savvy person in the world. Help? Advice?

1st, they are IR emitters/senders not sensors. They do no sensing and no receiving, their sole purpose is to send an IR signal.

2nd, yes, you'll need the IR emitter cable.