Harmony 880 or Harmony One?

[JimboG]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I've enjoyed the heck out of my Tivo Series 3. I have come to enjoy the Glo Remote as an integral part of the overall excellent Tivo experience. However, I would like to replace the half dozen remote controls currently taking up space on my coffee table with just one high quality universal remote control.

The current consensus seems to be the Harmony makes the best universal remotes with hard buttons. I would like a programmable remote with the Tivo's intuitive layout and ideally the same peanut shape and well designed weight and balance.

Right now all of my devices use an IR interface. I may buy a PS3 with its benighted Bluetooth interface before the year is out, but I can always get an IR to Bluetooth USB dongle if that is the case. Which Harmony remote would be the best choice for routine Tivo use and to control a wide variety of components, the 880 or the One??

By way of full disclosure, I need to control the following components:
Outlaw 950 preamp
Tivo Series 3
XBox 360 Elite
Oppo 980H
Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player
Sony PS3 or 550 Blu-Ray player later this year
Toshiba 57HX83 HDTV
Pioneer 6020 plasma later this year

[velum]

I have both and have put my 880 in storage due to how good the Harmony One is.
I am controlling an XBox 360 Elite, PS3 with IR to Bluetooth dongle, TivoHD, Pioneer Receiver, Samsung LCD, PC, MonoPrice HDMI switcher, and a fan with my One. I love it. The controls on the One are much better positioned than the 880. The touch screen works fine and battery life is not that bad, maybe 3 to 4 days depending on how much it is used.

[RoyK]

I have nothing but good to say about my Harmony one!

[mr.unnatural]

I have a Harmony 880 and have enjoyed it immensely. My one major complaint is that the buttons are too close together. I haven't had a chance to try a Harmony One but it appears to be a better layout than the 880. On the plus side, the 880 is usually on sale somewhere and can be bought for far less than the Harmony One. Either model will certainly control your Home Theater system with ease.

FYI - Amazon has the 880 for only $85 with free shipping after a $50 MIR. Check out the listings on slickdeals.net for July 16th for the link to the Amazon sale plus the rebate form.

Most universal remotes will go through batteries much quicker than your garden variety remotes, especially if they have a backlit display or LCD screen. I always keep a set of rechargable batteries handy so I can swap them out when the battery low indicator comes on.

[tommy275]

the One seems to be designed for TiVo users. I have nothing bad to say about it. In fact, it's probably the best piece of equipment I've ever bought.

I've never used the 880, but the One's buttons are raised and it's very easy to use when you're not looking at the remote (except for the touch screen, which is rarely used anyway).

[Follow Who?]

I have both as well. Had the 880 for a year or so, then got the One. Both are great, but the button layout on the One is much better. The LCD screen looks about %1000 better as well. Get the One.

[mrro82]

I love my Harmony One. I went from 5 remotes down to one. Easy to setup and change things too. Only thing I can't figure ou thow to change is the volume comtrol. I push the volume up or down and it changes the level by 3. Instead on one button push to one level it does it by 3's. Kind of annoying.

[JimboG]

Sounds like people are pretty happy with both, but The One gets the recommendation.

Thank you all very much for your feedback and advice!

[dwit]

To me, obviously if price is no consideration, one would opt for the One. If price is a big factor, then the 880 is the choice. 880 was as low as $80 last week. Maybe still is. The lowest I recall the One at was maybe $180. Not that I price it that often, because even the 880 costs too much for my budget and needs.

My old 659 does everything I need and more for now: 4 Tivos, dvdr/vcr, receiver, TV, xm radio.

[BrianAZ]

I love my 880. The only thing I don't care for is the clickity-click sound the buttons make when you use them. I wish it had soft buttons. I've not seen the One in person, are they soft or still the same as the other Harmony remotes?

[drew00001]

I have a Harmony 880. It is a great remote, but many people complain of two common problems as (1) has to sit on recharger base just right or it does not recharge, (2) buttons difficult to find in dark. Also, the color screen is a bit off - the tech seems outdated. I previously had a Harmony 659 with black & white scrren, which was easier to read than the 880's color screen.

I saw a few others dislike the hard buttons on the 880. I could not dissagree more. I like the hard buttons, primarly because they are still working well after 1.5 years of heavy use. The soft buttons on the Harmony 659 (mentioned above) were totally cheap and totally useless in less than 1 year. I bought the 880 only because Harmony's software worked very well.

On a side note, the 659 was a good remote. The buttons were easier to find in the dark than the 880, but the soft buttons made it disposable. I only mention such because the remote is only $60 on ebay, and the price may make you check it out before spending more on an Harmony one or 880. Personally, if others can vouch for the Harmony One's buttons, I would go with such.

[DancnDude]

I love my Harmony One. I went from 5 remotes down to one. Easy to setup and change things too. Only thing I can't figure ou thow to change is the volume comtrol. I push the volume up or down and it changes the level by 3. Instead on one button push to one level it does it by 3's. Kind of annoying.

Play around with the IR repeat settings or timings in the settings for your Harmony's TV or A/V receiver (whichever one you are getting the triple-button press). Likely you can change the repeat from something like the default of 3 to 2 or 1. It's probably sending the signal 3 times to make sure your device catches it, but your device is catching them too fast. That should all be adjustable.

[AbMagFab]

If you want a real remote, go for the Universal Remote MX line. The 850 or 980 (if you want color) are great options, and far superior in just about every way to the Harmony remotes. (That's why custom installers pretty much solely use the MX remotes).

But the Harmony remotes are great consumer remotes, for what they do.

[tommy275]

If you want a real remote, go for the Universal Remote MX line. The 850 or 980 (if you want color) are great options, and far superior in just about every way to the Harmony remotes. (That's why custom installers pretty much solely use the MX remotes).

But the Harmony remotes are great consumer remotes, for what they do.

custom installers soley use the MX remotes because they can provide a constant revenue stream due to programming, not to mention the initial sale and setup.

i'm not sure in what ways the 850 or 980 are far superior to the Harmony One, but I'd be interested in hearing about them.

[AbMagFab]

custom installers soley use the MX remotes because they can provide a constant revenue stream due to programming, not to mention the initial sale and setup.

i'm not sure in what ways the 850 or 980 are far superior to the Harmony One, but I'd be interested in hearing about them.

No, custom installers use them because they are significantly more flexible in terms of programming. Which is the main reason they are better - you can do whatever you want, in any way that you want, with the MX remotes. And you don't need a custom installer to program them, you can easily do it yourself (if you are moderately computer literate).

But that's also the main reason Joe Consumer wants the Harmony remotes - you just plug it into a website and it configures things for the most common way people want them.

Probably an 80/20 thing. But for any hard-core HT folks (in the 20%), the Harmony is just too inflexible to ever be used except maybe in a bedroom or kids room. And even in those cases, it's easier to just go with the MX-800 so you can use the same control files.

(I have 5 MX remotes in my house, from the 700 to the 980, and tried 2 Harmony's; I eventually sold the Harmony's to a friend of mine because I couldn't stand how limiting they are, for my purposes, compared to the MX's.)

[J4yDubs]

Probably an 80/20 thing. But for any hard-core HT folks (in the 20%), the Harmony is just too inflexible to ever be used except maybe in a bedroom or kids room. And even in those cases, it's easier to just go with the MX-800 so you can use the same control files.

Can you explain how the Harmony is "too inflexable"? What is it you're trying to do that it can't do? I have 3 Harmony's and one of those is used in my Home Theater room. Seems to do everything I need it to do there. I have no experience with the MX, so maybe I don't know what I'm missing.

John

[chanster]

Harmony is not inflexible...to claim that hardcore HT people can't get any use out of them is just plain wrong.

[dig_duggler]

Loved my 880. Love my One much much more. If cost isn't an issue, it is a no brainer.

[bubba1972]

Definitely the Harmony One. The price is about $180 now. Print out Buy.coms price and Best Buy will match it if you want it from a B&M store.

[tommy275]

Harmony is not inflexible...to claim that hardcore HT people can't get any use out of them is just plain wrong.

agreed. it's also a bit offensive, given my choice of remote, my knowledge of computers, and my HT.

the poster has offered not even one example of how the 880 is "far superior in just about every way".

[bmgoodman]

Harmony is not inflexible...to claim that hardcore HT people can't get any use out of them is just plain wrong.

I *love* my Harmony One, but the limit of 5 steps per "macro" is ridiculous! :eek:

[dallastx]

I bought a One yesterday and I was impressed. I had it usable for my needs in about an hour. I bought a Univeral Remote MX-850 a few years and I spent most a a day getting it usable. Before that I had a Philips Pronto.

I was impressed that the One database included the Atlona HD5470 component swticher.

I've been a TiVo user for 10 years and think that the TiVo remote is still the best design around. The TiVo remote can be used in the dark because the buttons have different shapes so that you can operate it by feel. The One seems pretty good. I think that I'll be able to put my TiVo remote away.

[dig_duggler]

I've been a TiVo user for 10 years and think that the TiVo remote is still the best design around. The TiVo remote can be used in the dark because the buttons have different shapes so that you can operate it by feel. The One seems pretty good. I think that I'll be able to put my TiVo remote away.

I agree. Even with my One, I occasionally whip out the Tivo glo remote. The comfort level can't be beat.

[Evilmonkee]

I have a Harmony 880 and like it a lot. There are pros and cons for me though. I find the ergonomics to be a bit off for my hand. The design is sleek, but perhaps a bit too sleek as it can be hard to find buttons blindly. I'm getting better at it but sometimes mistakes are still made. The biggest one for me is hitting the Guide button instead of the Skip Forward button when using TiVo, even though it has that little bump on it.

The layout of the One looks pretty nice. I have a question for any One owners. Is the touch screen only used for choosing Activities? Or does it have all the programming features as the 880 like custom buttons for each activity, etc. I really like having those extra buttons and being able to customize each of my activity screens. I couldn't tell from the website exactly what functionality the One had in this regard compared to the 880.

[EVizzle]

880 was a solid remote, excellent interface and easy to set up. As for negatives, it sits strangely in its charging boat and sometimes does not charge. The buttons are strangely placed, and especially for tivo users, the fast forward and jump buttons are too close together.

As for the One, it fixes the ergonomics, charging, button setup and gives you a better screen. I have the 880 and will replace it with the Two (or whatever is next) and will bypass it because I bought the 880 a month or so before the One came out and replacing a fully functional and great functioning remote seems silly to me.

Get the ONE!!!

[Evilmonkee]

Well I decided to go for it and get the Harmony One today. Spent about 30-40 minutes setting up the customized buttons for each activity the way I had them on my 880. The software did a very nice job of migrating the bulk of the settings to the new remote. Speaking of which, it would be nice, being that the programming software is mostly web-based, if they used some cooler coding to help rearrange the position of buttons. Right now you have to click those up/down arrows which is a bit tedious. Would be cool if it worked more like Netflix where you can just drag/drop where you want things to go. If you have ever used Netflix' Queue, you know what I mean. But that's just a small niggle and I digress.

It seems, now that I have the One in my hands, that it is the answer to my remote dreams. I thought the 880 was cool, but the One just blows it away. All my little gripes about the 880 have seemed to be addressed. The button layout is fantastic and intuitive. There's absolutely no mistaking what button I'm feeling for. The touch-screen is much better than I could have imagined. The only compromise from the 880 is the loss of two soft button spots and the ability to only see 3 Activities per page. Big frigging whoop! The responsiveness of the screen is perfect(plus it is adjustable) and the feedback sound is a nice touch. I have not lost anything by switching to the One(which I feared) but have gained so much more. The cradle is so much more solid than the 880's and the ability to dim or turn off the cradle light is very welcome.

The only negative I believe one could say about the Harmony One is that it doesn't support RF and/or Bluetooth. Well, I can understand that but I don't really have a need for either. Bluetooth would be nice as I have a PS3, but for now I have gotten around that with the little Nyco Blue wave PS2 remote w/USB dongle. Does everything but power on/off the PS3. I know there are other more expensive devices that will allow you to do that also, but I don't really need it. I'm almost always putting a game or movie in the PS3 when I'm going to use it anyway. Of course, the remote works flawlessly with my Xbox 360 which I also use as a Media Center Extender.

I highly recommend the Harmony One, way above the 880. It's worth it.

[lrhorer]

The touch screen works fine and battery life is not that bad, maybe 3 to 4 days depending on how much it is used.
Three or four DAYS!!!?? Ooof! I had considered getting one of these, but if it only lasts 3 or 4 days on a set of batteries, then forget it! I'm annoyed having to change my TiVo Remote's batteries every 8 months or so.

[velum]

Three or four DAYS!!!?? Ooof! I had considered getting one of these, but if it only lasts 3 or 4 days on a set of batteries, then forget it! I'm annoyed having to change my TiVo Remote's batteries every 8 months or so.

The One has a rechargeable battery. You just set it on it's base station and it is charged in a few hours.

[raugust]

Not a problem - the Harmony one uses a rechargeable li-ion battery...

[lrhorer]

So I gathered, but it's still far too little. I also don't want to have to wait 4 hours when the batteries die. I know I an keep spares, but I've tried the rechargeable battery shuffle before, and it's just not worth it, to me.

[phox_mulder]

I have both and have put my 880 in storage due to how good the Harmony One is.
The touch screen works fine and battery life is not that bad, maybe 3 to 4 days depending on how much it is used.

How long did the 880 battery last?

Mine lasts a week and a half, maybe a little more.
I only do about 2 hours of weekday watching, maybe 3 on my days off.

I'd want the same out of the Harmony One if I were to get one.


phox

[dwit]

So I gathered, but it's still far too little. I also don't want to have to wait 4 hours when the batteries die. I know I an keep spares, but I've tried the rechargeable battery shuffle before, and it's just not worth it, to me.

I don't have one, but I gather one doesn't keep the remote off of the charging dock until the battery totally discharges. It's just a matter of docking the remote at least every other night or so.

No shuffling batteries, just placing the remote in a dock when it's not in use.

[DancnDude]

Yeah, I have to put my remote on the dock maybe once a week. I just tend to use the remote and when the battery indicator on the touch screen gets nearer to the bottom, then I'll put it on the dock after I finish watching TV that night. That way, the next day it's all ready to go for another week. I actually think the battery is pretty good in this remote.

[Evilmonkee]

So I gathered, but it's still far too little. I also don't want to have to wait 4 hours when the batteries die. I know I an keep spares, but I've tried the rechargeable battery shuffle before, and it's just not worth it, to me.

So basically you are saying that you are willing to go out and buy spare rechargeable batteries for your remote rather than simply remembering to place it back on its charger one night ever several days to a week? Please stop...go back and look at what you wrote and try to see the failure in logic. ;)

I can't really weigh in on how long the battery lasted with my 880. I always had the remote on the charger every night. There were times when I thought that the remote was charging but because of the crappy design of the 880's cradle, it wasn't making contact. With my first cradle it finally wouldn't charge at all anymore. Of course, customer support was great and sent out a new cradle asap, no questions asked. I was worried that the battery might go dead while waiting for the new charger to arrive. Think it took a good week or so from the time I noticed the charger wasn't working anymore and when I got the new one, and the battery lasted fine.

Seriously it is a non-issue.

[Worf]

Wow. I am considering replacing my (indispensable) Harmony 360 remote with a Harmony One, mostly because I am getting annoyed at having to replace batteries every 6 months or so. (It always starts with the inability to properly turn on components... and devices without unique codes mean they get to cycle several times while the remote tries to turn it on without rebooting itself).

I just can't figure out what the difference between the Harmony 880, Harmony One, and Harmony 1000 were. The comparison site showed minor differences (nothing that's a dealbreaker) and they're all better than my current Harmony.

I guess I should go get a One when I get the chance...

[Evilmonkee]

^I would forget about the 1000 completely. It's only real advantage over the other two is its RF compatibility. But since you are already getting by with the 360, that doesn't seem to be a consideration. Personally, I hate the ergonomic design of those big square remotes.

Speaking of ergonomics, that was one of the main deciding factors in upgrading to the One from the 880. I just like the button layout so much more. The touch-screen is just icing. Having a reliable charging cradle like the One has is also a very real consideration over the 880, which is known to have a flawed cradle design.

Feature-wise, there really isn't that much difference between the 880 and the One, but the price difference is definitely worth it for the reasons mentioned above.

[Worf]

Now, the only thing I wish my Harmony could control is the PS3... really annoying they didn't put consumer IR on it. And those remotes for the PS2 don't power up the PS3, which is slightly annoying

[feerlessleadr]

anyone else have a problem where when you press a button on the one (like skipping forward or back), there is almost a 1 second delay before the tivo accepts the command?

I had this problem with my 880 but was able to correct it by decreasing the time between command and having the remote only send the command once (as opposed to the default 3)

i just hit upgrade remote so it is using the same settings but is giving me that delay.

maybe i will scrap everything and start fresh

[mr.unnatural]

If you want a real remote, go for the Universal Remote MX line. The 850 or 980 (if you want color) are great options, and far superior in just about every way to the Harmony remotes. (That's why custom installers pretty much solely use the MX remotes).

But the Harmony remotes are great consumer remotes, for what they do.
Before I switched to the 880 I was using an MX-700. I actually had the 880 for almost a year before I programmed it because I was leary about giving up the MX-700. After trying the 880 for a while I retired the MX-700. The 880 weighs a fraction of the MX-700 and has rechargeable batteries. The MX-700 is considerably heavier and goes through a set of batteries in about one month. The 880 is configured more like a large Tivo peanut and is more ergonomic than the MX-700, making it far more comfortable to hold and operate. The one thing that really annoyed me about the MX-700 was that I had to press a separate button in order for the backlit LCD screen to come on. The Harmony lights up as soon as you pick it up.

I like the Home Theater Master series of remotes but to simply dismiss the Harmony line in a blanket statement is a bit ludicrous. First of all, it depends entirely on what you intent to use the remote for. The vast majority of consumers aren't going to own a $100,000 Home Theater setup that requires exotic controls to operate them so the slight edge in features offered by the HTM remotes is lost on the rest of the consumer market. The Harmony is completely user friendly and easy to use by everyone (it's the first universal remote my wife has ever been able to figure out). The HTM remotes are great but definitely more geared to the technically inclined. Both remotes will control your home theater system competently.

I didn't like the 880 initially, mainly because I was used to controlling each device individually and not as part of an activity. That does take a bit of getting used to but once you do I think you'll find the Harmony remotes to be quite nice. I actually had less problem programming the MX-700 remote but I had to wade through a huge manual before i could begin the process. It is well written and fairly easy to follow. I found the Harmony's instructions a bit confusing at times but once I understood the concept it became fairly simple. Both remotes interface with a PC and use special software for setup, the only difference being that the Harmony has you connect to a website for the setup and the HTM software runs directly on the PC. Both remotes require a USB interface cable to connect to the PC.

In the end, it all depends on personal preference. Try as many different remotes as you can and make an informed choice. You may find that you like something completely different from either model.

[gear]

Wow. I am considering replacing my (indispensable) Harmony 360 remote with a Harmony One, mostly because I am getting annoyed at having to replace batteries every 6 months or so. (It always starts with the inability to properly turn on components... and devices without unique codes mean they get to cycle several times while the remote tries to turn it on without rebooting itself).

I just can't figure out what the difference between the Harmony 880, Harmony One, and Harmony 1000 were. The comparison site showed minor differences (nothing that's a dealbreaker) and they're all better than my current Harmony.

I guess I should go get a One when I get the chance...
I've heard the 1000 makes a noise when recharging.

[bcsmith25]

Can anyone comment on the strength of One compared to MX-700? I have an MX-700 and new Tivo HD units. I find I have to be a lot more exacting with my aim for the Tivo HDs compared to my previous DirecTivos.

[AbMagFab]

Before I switched to the 880 I was using an MX-700. I actually had the 880 for almost a year before I programmed it because I was leary about giving up the MX-700. After trying the 880 for a while I retired the MX-700. The 880 weighs a fraction of the MX-700 and has rechargeable batteries. The MX-700 is considerably heavier and goes through a set of batteries in about one month. The 880 is configured more like a large Tivo peanut and is more ergonomic than the MX-700, making it far more comfortable to hold and operate. The one thing that really annoyed me about the MX-700 was that I had to press a separate button in order for the backlit LCD screen to come on. The Harmony lights up as soon as you pick it up.

I like the Home Theater Master series of remotes but to simply dismiss the Harmony line in a blanket statement is a bit ludicrous. First of all, it depends entirely on what you intent to use the remote for. The vast majority of consumers aren't going to own a $100,000 Home Theater setup that requires exotic controls to operate them so the slight edge in features offered by the HTM remotes is lost on the rest of the consumer market. The Harmony is completely user friendly and easy to use by everyone (it's the first universal remote my wife has ever been able to figure out). The HTM remotes are great but definitely more geared to the technically inclined. Both remotes will control your home theater system competently.

I didn't like the 880 initially, mainly because I was used to controlling each device individually and not as part of an activity. That does take a bit of getting used to but once you do I think you'll find the Harmony remotes to be quite nice. I actually had less problem programming the MX-700 remote but I had to wade through a huge manual before i could begin the process. It is well written and fairly easy to follow. I found the Harmony's instructions a bit confusing at times but once I understood the concept it became fairly simple. Both remotes interface with a PC and use special software for setup, the only difference being that the Harmony has you connect to a website for the setup and the HTM software runs directly on the PC. Both remotes require a USB interface cable to connect to the PC.

In the end, it all depends on personal preference. Try as many different remotes as you can and make an informed choice. You may find that you like something completely different from either model.

Well, first you have to compare apples-to-apples if you want to bring up those kinds of features. The MX-980 is more comparable for the color, the motion sensitivity, and the rechargable batteries. The nice thing is many people don't want all that nonsense in their remote, so there are other options.

And in terms of feel and usability, the MX remotes are extremely high on that scale. They are different, yes, but they are extremely usable. The peanut-type remotes target a different user base, and are also nice and usable (however Tivo got it very right, where Harmony went too far with too many buttons too closely spaced).

The MX-700 is the bottom of the line, but stiill a nice remote (I had a couple that I've rotated out as I upgrade the media rooms with 850's and 980's).

But the bottom line is even what you basically say, and that's the MX-line of programmable remotes are much more programmable, and the Harmony is much more of a consumer remote.

If you don't want to have complete flexibility in programming your remote, the Harmony is probably fine. If you want to do absolutely anything, the MX-line is what you want. And this is the primary reason custom installers always use the MX remotes. They really aren't any more complicated to use, but they are infinitely flexible and programmable, where the Harmony simply isn't (but it's not bad, don't get me wrong).

[jeffk]

Dude, your comparing the harmony one to a mx980? First of all the mx980 looks extremely bulky, but moreover, its a $600 remote. Where as the Harmony One is less then a third of the cost, talk about comparing apples to oranges.

[AbMagFab]

Dude, your comparing the harmony one to a mx980? First of all the mx980 looks extremely bulky, but moreover, its a $600 remote. Where as the Harmony One is less then a third of the cost, talk about comparing apples to oranges.

The MX-980 is no bigger, about the size of the Tivo peanut, but shaped differently.

And it's not $600, unless you pay retail (which no one does). It's closer to $300.

My point wasn't about price - if that's a driving factor for someone, then the MX line probably isn't for you. Again, the MX line is a professional series of remotes, with professional capabilities. The Harmony line is a great line of remotes targeted at consumers, with features and pricing targeted to that same group.

And, as always, you really do get what you pay for.