Unlike the Harmony Ultimate, which we’ve been using for the past year or so, the Elite has a far more thoughtful button layout. These included things like turning the TV on and off, changing to a specific channel, or watching a Netflix show on our Roku.įor those without a smart assistant, no need to worry, the remote’s physical design is close to perfect. After adding the Harmony skill in the Alexa app, we were able to use voice commands to execute most of the activities we had already set up on the remote. One of our favorite smart pairings was with the Amazon Echo. Like some of Logitech’s other Hub-based Harmony remotes, the Elite offers broad compatibility with a number of smart home products. But there are cheaper options if all you want to do is control your TV, Blu-ray player, and a cable box with one remote. Will the remote work great for people without these things? Absolutely. To get the most out of the Elite, you really should have (or plan on having) a thriving entertainment system-we’re talking at least six or more devices-and some complementary smart home gadgets to boot, something like a Hue or LIFX lighting system, an Echo or Google Home speaker, and maybe a Wi-Fi thermostat. So if you’re wondering who might have to have the company’s latest flagship Elite model, the simple answer is: not very many people. Logitech has dominated the universal remote market for years now, offering an evolving lineup of remotes for every price point and need. Most of the setup can be done through the app, which is a lot quicker than the process with older Harmony remotes. You won’t need direct line of sight with the remote for it to work. For instance, in addition to turning on our Sony TV and Blu-ray player, our “Watch a Movie” activity also dims our living room Hue lights.Īnother perk? Because the Hub includes two separate wired IR blasters that you can position in front of your TV or anywhere else around your home entertainment system, you’re free to tuck the actual Hub away anywhere you want. After adding individual devices, the next step is to set up activities that coordinate the activation of those devices-stuff like “Watch Netflix,” “Watch DirecTV,” or “Listen to Living Room Sonos.” Those can be combined with other smart home commands. The Elite recognizes a ridiculous 270,000 devices, and with support for smart home brands like Hunter Douglas, SmartThings, Lutron, Rheem, EcoBee, Insteon, LIFX, Hue, Nest, and many others, we didn’t run into any compatibility issues. There’s some requisite authorization and signing in required when you connect smart home devices like an August smart lock or a Nest thermostat, but overall the process is incredibly easy and a lot faster than doing it on your laptop or desktop. You can either choose to have the app scan your network for connected devices or select between entertainment, home control, or computer categories to manually add them one by one. The app helps you connect the Hub to your Wi-Fi network, after which you can start adding all the gadgets you want to control. The Hub serves as a kind of relay center for the remote, transferring your commands (via IR, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi) to your smart home gadgets and other devices that make up your entertainment system. While you can still opt for this setup method with the Elite (it has a micro-USB port like previous Harmony remotes), Logitech has significantly streamlined the process by letting you do everything on your phone.Īfter plugging the included Hub into an outlet and installing the Harmony app on your Android device or iPhone, you’re first asked to set up an account. Even making a small change to the controls could be time-consuming. Setting up a Logitech Harmony remote previously required plugging it into your computer, running the company’s MyHarmony desktop app, manually adding the individual devices you wanted to control within the app, and then syncing those devices back to the remote. With support for most smart home platforms and the ability to control up to 15 devices, the Harmony Elite gives you dominion over both your home entertainment system and your smart home gadgets. Learn more › The Logitech Harmony Elite remote control’s $300 price tag reflects its serious smarts. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
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