Logitech Harmony 525 Advanced Universal Remote Control - Electronics / Photography (Logitech)

Technical DataDisplay (Projector) / TypeLCD displayTechnical DataDimensions & Weight / Weightkg0.6Technical DataHeader / Product LineLogitech HarmonyTechnical DataHeader / Model525 Advanced Universal RemoteTechnical DataHeader / ManufacturerLogitechTechnical DataHeader / Packaged Quantity1Technical DataRemote Control / TypeUniversal remote controlTechnical DataRemote Control / Supported DevicesVCRTechnical DataRemote Control / TechnologyInfraredTechnical DataRemote Control / Supported Device Qty12

Customer Reviews of Logitech Harmony 525 Advanced Universal Remote Control

S. Mills
London, England
2nd January 2009

Harmony 525 Remote
Excellent product. Takes a little getting used to as does anything different from the norm. Very easy to set up took about 30-40 minutes. You do need to know how you TV system works. ie what is plugged in to what and via the correct inputs etc. I love the one button "turn everything on" function.
I would recommend this. The only reason its not 5 stars is i havent really given it a really good test yet. The real test will be if the Mrs can work it out!!

Nihcaj
Coventry, UK
26th October 2008

Potential Buyers Beware!
Good concept, unfortunately it does not work.
Until the device was connected and I started programming it, only then did I fully get an idea of the concept, and it took very little longer to find out how flawed the application of that concept was.

Before buying, I did my homework online first to check EVERY item I wanted to use it with was in the Logitech database, and was very impressed as every one was. On receiving it & connecting to the software the items are indeed in the database, unfortunately NONE of the settings it can use are! Almost every item requires FULL learning from the original remote (BIG problem if you don't have it!). This process consists of sitting for hours pressing buttons repeatedly, and a lot of talking to a helpline which appears to be in the West Indies. My heart goes out to those staff, as it has to be the worst call-centre job anywhere. Only after getting the software did I learn of a forum, which basically consists of THOUSANDS of web pages of people with problems, and a level of frustration I have seen nowhere else on the Internet. I wish I had seen it before - here is the URL:http://forums.logitech.com/logitech/board?board.id=programming

I eventually learned the truth, the "codes" they offer are only as good as the person who first "learned" the device from the original remote, as that it what gets downloaded to your handset. It takes some time too, however, if that code is wrong, or the model number is wrong, yours will be too, and a lot of guessing has to ensue, with hours of trial and error at the helpline, and much more button pressing. It seems these "customised" control codes are doled out to devices that are vaguely the right brand, so your codes for a device eg. a Panasonic TX-28DTM1 TV will be some that worked with some OTHER Panasonic TV model, NOT necessarily YOURS! You will now have extra controls which do not exist on your set, and others that do not work on yours at all, if it controls anything! The number of button presses to get to a function can be bordering on ridiculous, perhaps as many as six presses to access a function!

One particular common function with almost all universal remotes that is completely NOT available on this is the facility to allow TV volume and muting to be used even when other devices are selected - that option is just not possible, at least not without extensive effort. The "macros" used to control multiple options such as "Play Video" - which turns TV on, turns DVD and sets volume level in one step is just insane and getting this beginning to work is is the sort of stress and bother I can well do without.

The build is OK, although buttons are a bit fiddly, I suppose you will get used to it, however the multiple button presses needed in some cases will never seem convenient, and I would suggest getting up and using the buttons on the device, or going to get the original remote will be quicker and far easier in many cases.

For me, only one device worked fully (a Vivanco Scart switch box), despite all items being very "ordinary" everyday equipment (mainly Panasonic & Humax), and while the helpline seems willing to spend all the time necessary trying random "codes" I gave up, in a very stressed condition. I am a very "techie" person, love "tinkering" and am usually willing to spend a lot of effort getting something right. I think this is the first time I have ever given up on anything, and because of this I actually feel stressed and abused by the whole exercise.

I have owned many other universal remote controls over the years, the best was a Philips learning remote that was a little slow to set up, but DID eventually control everything, including using macros; but even a £5 Lidl branded remote fared FAR better, straight out of the box!

I would rate this item as ZERO stars if the option was available, I can state that I have never had a more maddening & useless device in my hands and while those reviews exist which extol it's benefits, I can only recommend it to torture someone. I am so incensed by the nerve of Logitech to sell such rubbish, I can swear that I will NEVER buy Logitech products again, as irrational as that sounds, the risk seems too great!

Marc Wallace
Coventry, West Midlands
25th October 2008

Excellent - Quite Easy to use
Bought this for £30 from amazon.

I got ordered this on Wednesday and got it on Friday, great. Started setting it up at 830 Saturday morning, finished by 9am! Oh, and a nice touch is there were batteries already in the remote and four spares!

Now have my xbox360, amp, skyhd box and HD TV working via one remote, how cool is that ?

I can see where some reviewers think it is a bit fiddly but hey, it's going to be, there are that many button combinations it just takes time.

I easily set up the 'Watch TV' activity, so the amp came on, the tv and sky came on, but its the little things like mapping the up button on the remove to the Sky HD up button for looping through the tv guide. All I had to do was adjust the buttons and hey presto, I am now controlling everything through one remote.

Made my girlfriend very happy, don't hesitate to buy. Oh you must have an internet connection to do this.

Heather

22nd October 2008

Works well
This remote is great value for money and does the job well. It is simple to set up and works with all my devices. It took me about 15 mins using the software to set it up and I didn't have any problems at all.

My first 525 had a backlight problem which was solved once I got a replacement.

If you are looking for an all in one remote that is cheap but works well, this is the one for you.

Mr. Greg J. Dugmore

19th October 2008

Good but poor longevity
I was frustrated by remotes to control my TV, DVD player, AMP and Sky box so I went for this entry level remote. I was impressed and after the pain of programming the remote proved to be invaluable.

However, after 18 months a couple of the buttons have stopped working including that which selects devices, as such it is now unusable. Have I been unlucky, perhaps but I'm not sure as most Harmoy remotes use the same design if I will buy another.