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How long will your Logitech Harmony remote keep working?
Logitech's cancellation of the Harmony line means its customers are in a support limbo
A couple of days ago Logitech announced the end of its long-running Harmony universal remote line in a rather un-ceremonial forum post. The writing has been on the wall for a while; the last major Harmony release was almost two years ago, and that was an expensive dud. But it's still a blow to a community of dedicated hi-fi users who've loved these gadgets for almost 20 years.
Even though most TVs in our living rooms are becoming smart ones, we often connect them to third-party devices such as set-top boxes, sound systems, and DVD/Blu-Ray players. Using a separate remote control for each can be a pain, mainly because at least one of them is likely to vanish, but also because it's simply inconvenient to switch between several controllers. With the Harmony Smart Control kit, Logitech offers to group all these remotes into a single one, and even control your devices using your phone or smart speaker. Originally sold at $130, the product is now down to $50, which is quite an attractive discount.The kit includes an all-in-one remote, as well as a hub and an extra IR extender. As it names suggests, the hub is actually the device that relays the IR signals to your devices, but you'll be able to use the included remote, your phone, or even your smart speaker with Alexa or Assistant to control it.
Logitech's Harmony are the best universal remotes out there, even if their user-friendliness is questionable. It's been nearly four years since the Elite was announced, and it shows. User interfaces have evolved and so has the smart home, yet the Elite's remote and app both feel stuck in the past. So it only made sense that Logitech would announce a new remote: enter the Express.
If you weren't aware, Logitech has a line of universal remotes under the 'Harmony' name. In addition to controlling TVs/media centers/game consoles, they can also manage a wide range of smart home devices. It's even slated to get direct integration with Google Assistant, so you should soon be able to ask a Google Home to control devices managed by Harmony (like switching the channel on your TV).
Amazon's new Fire TV Cube, which was announced earlier this month, is now available for purchase and ready for shipping and delivery. The pre-order price of $89.99 is long gone, so you will have to fork out the full 9.99 if you want one. However, the deal on the bundle with the Amazon Cloud Cam is still available so you can save $40 by grabbing both for 9.98. Additionally, if you buy the Cube on or before July 1, you can redeem a Prime Video credit before August 31.The Fire TV Cube is a jack of all trades. It's a Fire TV device, so when you connect it over HDMI to your TV (cable not included, sadly), it acts like a smart box. Streaming services, games, and various other apps are available with support for 4K Ultra HD up to 60fps and HDR. It's also similar but more powerful than an Echo Dot thanks to its eight far-field microphones, 40mm speaker, and built-in Alexa support. And it's finally like a mini Harmony hub with its included IR functionality that lets you control TVs, soundbars, A/V receivers, and cable/satellite boxes. Plus, there's an IR extender in the box to reach hidden electronics and equipment.
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- Logitech has started releasing a fix for the issue. You need to fill out a form to request firmware version 4.15.100 to roll to your hub, then wait a bit until you're approved and can install the update. Artem has tried it out and says it fixes the issue for him, though some users say things are better but not completely right just yet. Logitech is still working on improving the experience.
Logitech's Harmony universal remotes are powerful devices that let you throw away the different remotes you have for your entire entertainment center and replace them with just one. However, if you own Sonos speakers, you may have noticed an issue over the past few weeks: your Harmony remote suddenly seems unable to properly control your speaker.
Your home theater system might be getting mighty complicated these days, but a smart universal remote may be just what you need to get it all under control. It doesn't have to break the bank, either. The Logitech Harmony Smart Control is on sale at Amazon for a mere $58. It comes with a remote control and works with your Android phone.The Logitech Harmony Smart Control (which is not the thing Logitech recently discontinued) usually sells for around $80 on Amazon, which was already down from the original $130 MSRP. It hasn't sold for that price for a long time, though. For $58, you get the Harmony Hub that beams signals to your home theater devices and a universal remote that pairs with it. The Harmony app on your phone also integrates with the Hub so you can control things without hunting down the remote.Amazon Prime members can get free shipping on Harmony Smart Control, but make your decision quickly. The price on this device bounces around a lot. It might be back up to $80 before too long.Source: Amazon
If you are looking to add voice control for your TV and media console to your smart home setup then the Harmony Smart Control with the Harmony Hub is a product that you should definitely check out. With this kit you can control up to eight devices in your media center three different ways – with the remote, through Alexa, or the companion Android app. It also is compatible with some smart home devices like Sonos, Phillips Hue, and Apple TV. That's cool, and what is even cooler is that it's on sale right now for just $69.99, a whopping $60 off.Included in the kit are the following items.
Gadgets, they are everywhere. From your TV to your gaming console, set-top box, sound system, AC units, and more, there are more and more things in our houses that need a remote control. Some of us manage to live with that mess, but others just want one gadget to rule them all... and then some. After all, we also need to control the smart lights, the thermostat, and the smart plugs, don't we? For you and me, there's a new deal up on Best Buy for the Logitech Harmony Ultimate Home.First, let's get something straight: this is a discontinued model. A couple of years ago, it was the top of the line Harmony remote, offering both IR control of up to 15 devices and WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity for your smart gadgets. It can also control devices behind closed cabinets, has a hub to reach more of them remotely, an Android or iOS app that frees you from using the physical remote and lets you set up automations, and Alexa integration. Oh and it works with IFTTT and SmartThings if you want to integrate with Google Home.However, the Ultimate Home was replaced by the Elite, a device with nearly the same specifications, except for two differences as far as I can tell: the button placement is different and seems more comfortable since it has no buttons above the touchscreen, and it can be programmed from the app without the need to plug into a computer, which is the case for the Ultimate Home. The rest of the specs appear to be the same from my research.With that out of the way, let's talk dollars. The Ultimate Home used to cost $349.99 but is now down to $149.95 at Best Buy for one day. The last time we spotted a deal on this model, it was $200. That's a nice discount, but it's even nicer when you consider that it's going for 5 new on Amazon and that its follow-up, the Elite, is still priced at around 3 on Amazon right now. Are the two improvements I mentioned earlier worth more than double the price? That's for you to decide, while also keeping in mind that the Ultimate One, the nearly identical remote that doesn't come with a hub or mobile app or Alexa integration, still costs 3 on Amazon.If you're interested, head over to the source link below and make up your mind fast. As we said, this deal seems to only be valid for a day.Source: Best BuyVia: FatWallet
There are many ways to go about building your own smart home. The easy approach is to buy a hub and look for products that are compatible. Logitech makes one of those hubs.
So you've got a TV, then you add a set top box, maybe a Blu-Ray player, Sonos, and a cable box... and suddenly you've got like 20 remotes floating around. Do they breed or something? You can just put all of them in a drawer and pick up this Logitech Harmony Smart Control remote for $70 today only at Best Buy.
Looking for something to control absolutely everything in your entertainment center, plus your RF-enabled refrigerator? Then unfortunately you're going to have to cough up some dough. But if you hurry and head over to Amazon, you can do it for considerably less: the retailer is selling the Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote for 9.99. That's pretty insane for a remote, even one with customizable controls and a touchscreen, but it's actually $150 off of the retail price.
Some homes are smart, and the Logitech Harmony serves as their brain. It provides a single location to control all the things, assuming of course that the products are supported. The latest update adds quite a few more to the list ranging from door locks to thermostats and a few things in between.
The Logitech Harmony can control basically your entire house if you have the right hardware, and that's more true than ever now that v4.1 is out with support for more devices. There are also a few other tweaks, making for a nice little update.
[Deal Alert] The Android-Compatible Logitech Harmony Home Control Remote Is $113 (25% Off) On Amazon
Update: Want a slightly older model for an even better price? The Harmony Smart Control package is .99, fifty dollars off, and includes most of the same functionality. It's lacking the included buttons on the larger remote for home automation, which won't matter much if you don't have any compatible hardware and/or you intend to use your smartphone anyway. This deal also disappears after today.
The Logitech Harmony Android app has received an update to version 3.3 that enables users to take control of their Sonos wireless HiFi sound systems from the comfort of their Android devices without having to switch back and forth between apps. The software should work from anywhere in the home and gives users control over volume, tracks, and playlists. It will also work with Amazon's spiffy Fire TV.
Logitech is bringing its Harmony remote tech to Android in the form of the Logitech Harmony Link. For those that don't know, Harmony is all about controlling your home theater setup with as little effort as possible - imagine a universal remote mashed up with a computer and you're getting there. A hundred bucks gets you a Wi-Fi equipped IR blaster box and an app. The box receives commands from your phone over the Wi-Fi connection, and can relay that to up to 8 IR devices in your home theater setup. The Wi-Fi connection means you don't need line of sight to control the TV anymore, so if you want to turn off the TV from the bathroom, you can do that.
There has been a lot of confusion regarding this post on NVIDIA's Tegra developer forum that was misconstrued as vaguely implying NVIDIA would stop supporting the "Harmony" generation of Tegra devices going forward (ViewSonic gTablet, Notion Ink Adam, ViewSonic ViewPad 7, Advent Vega, and others) and would instead only stick to the "Ventana" generation. Rather than panicking and freaking out, we pinged our contact at NVIDIA to get a straight answer and held off until we heard the official response.
As we previously reported, Oracle America has filed suit against Google for (primarily) patent infringement. If you're not familiar with the case, I'll quickly summarize.