TechCrunch » harmony 700

Review: Logitech Harmony 700 universal remote

Matt Burns — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:30:23 +0000

The Harmony 700 just works. It doesn’t look as fancy as the 900, but I don’t care. What I care about in a remote is the most functionality for the lowest price. And let me tell you that this remote scores high in that area. I don’t care if I spoil the review, I just have to say that I love this remote.

The Logitech Harmony 700 is the perfect combination of form and function at the right price. It’s super comfy to hold and the buttons are firm. At first glance, the buttons seem a tad small, but I found them to work just fine. I never once wished the buttons were larger.

The screen isn’t the greatest, but it gets the job done because you really don’t use it all that much. The remote’s top buttons are dedicated to activities and if the remote is set up properly, a physical button is probably somewhere on the remote to do whatever you need it to. But just in case there isn’t, you can program anything as a soft button with the LCD screen.

The Harmony 700 is set up just like every other Harmony remote via an Internet-connect computer. A software wizard guides users through all the steps. If you know your model numbers and how everything is connected, the whole process shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.

The remote is powered by two AA batteries that are – get this – recharged via microUSB. I love that! The remote comes with a charger/USB cable, but a standard cell phone charger works too. Or if the remote dies when it’s not convenient to recharge it, just throw in two AA batteries.

Recommendation:

I love this remote. That should be clear. But I don’t think you should buy it right now. No, the year-old Harmony One is $150 brand new online. That’s a better deal. It comes with a charging station, more sex appeal, and a bigger LCD screen. However, if you can’t find a deal on the One or this guy drops in price, I don’t see why you shouldn’t buy it. It’s a great remote.

Pros:

Great ergonomics
Firm buttons
Rechargeable via microUSB
Very easy to program
Great starting MSRP of $150

Cons:

Better options available for $150 at time of writing

Product Page

[PSGallery=ay0qklcce5]

Hands-on with the Logitech Harmony 700

Matt Burns — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:30:23 +0000

I didn’t have high hopes for the Harmony 700 this morning. It looked like a cheap remote. The press shot made it look very utilitarian. But then I got my hands on one and boy was I surprised. This remote is nice. Yeah, it’s not as shiny as the Harmony One or 900, but it’s solid, very comfortable to hold, and recharges via microUSB. Me likey. Expect a full review in a few days but until then, check out the pics after the jump.[PSGallery=ay0qklcce5]

Logitech goes downmarket with the $150 Harmony 700

Matt Burns — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:58:45 +0000

Now that the Harmony 900 has effectively taken the top tier away from the older Harmony One, Logitech needed a suitable remote for the bottom tier. That’s where the $150 Harmony 700 comes in. From the presser, it seems that this new remote might simply be a slightly stripped down Harmony One. The look isn’t that clean, the LCD screen is smaller, and the charging system a little janky with AAs, but it’s still got what makes a Harmony special: dead simple macro setup thanks to great PC software.

The overall look is almost a combination of the One and the old 659. A row of macro buttons curve along the top and the rest of the buttons following the same layout as the One/900. That’s fine, it works. Hopefully the actual LCD screen looks as sharp as it does in the press shot too.

We should get our review sample later today, so check back for a hands-on followed by a full review. I have a feeling though that we’re going to end up recommending the Harmony One, which can be had for the same price online as the 700′s MSRP. That is, of course, Internet retailers don’t heavily discount the 700 too.