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
Display: 3.5-inch colour touchscreen
Connectivity: USB to PC for setup
Battery: In-built Lithium-ion
This Review is from Tone Issue #77.
There are a few changes to this issue of Tone. We’ve said farewell to our fine cover girl in favour of some lads in white (it’s not a statement of preference, but the World Cup only comes around once every four years). In order to stimulate maximum creativity, our designer hasn’t slept since the last issue went to print, resulting in some crazy new fonts and unbelievably sleek breakout boxes possessing a level of sophistication not previously imagined. Like Saruman forging his army of fighting Uruk-Hai, we’ve dug new writers from the earth’s very gut, who now swarm across the world’s gadgets, crafting their infernal reviews. Though we’ve changed a little on the outside, we’re still the Tone you know and love on the inside. As always, we’re committed to providing the latest technology news and the best, unbiased, independent reviews of hot new products – and that’s never going to change. Enjoy.
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