Gadgets: Logitech Hamony 1100i – Universal Remote Control – Review – 77

I should start this review with a disclosure: I am a big fan of Logitech’s recent products, having previously reviewed the Squeezebox 3 and two prior Harmony remotes. So I was naturally excited when asked to review the newest Harmony remote, the 1100i.

Unlike most other remotes in the Harmony range the 1100i deviates from the standard candy-bar shape, instead employing a tablet design that requires two hands to use. This change in form factor enables a far larger touchscreen to be used, 3.5 inches, in fact.

However, this is somewhat offset by the reduction in hard buttons. The 1100i only has eight including the Power and Activities buttons; all other controls are performed using the touchscreen.

Setting up the 1100i is the same as all other Harmony remotes: load the supplied CD onto your PC or Mac and then enter the details of all your components and how they are used in various activities, such as watching a movie, listening to the radio and so forth.

After completing this setup the information is downloaded to the remote via USB and you’re ready to go.
 Activities are the core concept for the Harmony remotes and selecting an activity such as ‘Listen to CD’ instructs the remote to turn on all required components and set the correct channel, inputs and the rest. There are a few quirks. By default, the remote was configured to turn off my MySky decoder whenever I turned off the TV. However, this was easily fixed. The software allows a lot of tweaking and once the remote is configured exactly to your tastes – which is part of the power of this unit – it’s fantastic.

Using the remote is a bit more involved than other remotes, as with two hands and the touchscreen there’s more conscious action than just flicking buttons. As the screen is such a major part of the 1100i’s design, it’s reassuring that it works so well. On-screen buttons are well laid out and are sized just right 
for fingers.

The only major problem I had was controlling the one device I use a lot, my PS3. The PS3 uses Bluetooth for its remote control, which very few universal remotes support, and it means I am still stuck with two remotes.

The 1100i is quite expensive, but overall I really like the Harmony remotes and the 1100i is no exception. If you have a decent home theatre system that doesn’t include a PS3, it’s pretty much perfect. It looks the part, too.

TIM ANDERSON

Tech Specs

Harmony 1100i
Universal Remote Control
$999

Display: 3.5-inch colour touchscreen
Connectivity: USB to PC for setup
Battery: In-built Lithium-ion

Other features:

• Docking station

• Guided online setup

• RF capable (with extender)

• Motion activation

Pros

• Literally hundreds of thousands of products supported

• Replaces all those annoying remotes on the coffee table

• Big touchscreen is easy to use

Cons

• Doesn’t work with the PS3

• Lack of dedicated hard buttons

• Expensive

Verdict

• A nice addition to any complex home theatre, just make sure you don’t need it to turn on your PS3

Contact

www.logitech.co.nz

This Review is from Tone Issue #77.