Comments on: Changing My Mind On Harmony Remotes http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/ Wii, iPod, DVD, TV, and So Much More Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:19:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Augie De Blieck Jr. http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121612 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 02:55:48 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121612 Ezekiel - It doesn't really matter. Once you click on an item from the VandS Store, or in any Amazon ad on the site, there's a little chunk added to the URL during your visit to Amazon.com that lets them know you came from my site. Anything you buy during that time will get credited back to me, whether I directly linked to it or not. That said, I get an extra percent, I think, for direct recommendations, so request away! =) Josh - Wow, that is a bad design flaw. The 880, it is! Ezekiel - It doesn’t really matter. Once you click on an item from the VandS Store, or in any Amazon ad on the site, there’s a little chunk added to the URL during your visit to Amazon.com that lets them know you came from my site. Anything you buy during that time will get credited back to me, whether I directly linked to it or not.

That said, I get an extra percent, I think, for direct recommendations, so request away! =)

Josh - Wow, that is a bad design flaw. The 880, it is!

]]> by: Josh Herndon http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121379 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:04:38 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121379 I would highly recommend the 880. I just upgraded from the 676 to the 880 and am very impressed at the build of the remote. The buttons have a nice, satisfying click to them, the construction of the unit itself is nice and the layout works well. The color LCD is also a nice touch. While the price listed above for the Harmony 676 is nice, I did have one complaint about the remote which was the main reason I upgraded. After owning the 676 remote for a few years, some of the more frequently used buttons (30 second skip for TiVo, volume, channel up and down) became very hard to use. You had to basically push them down with all your might in order for them to work. After doing some research, I found that this was a common problem with the 676 models after a few years use. What happens is that oil from your fingers seeps into the rubber used for the buttons and interferes with the contacts. After cracking open the remote (very easy to do) and cleaning it out, the remote works fine again...for a while. It was actually amazing to see how much oil there was on the contacts. After each cleaning, the amount of time I was able to use the remote before needing to clean again became less and less. I eventually got to the point where a couple of buttons wouldn't work anymore, no matter how much cleaning I gave them. So, after much frustration and my wife telling me that we needed to buy the new Harmony, I bought my 880. When the wife tells you to buy something new, you know there is a problem! The advantage to the 880 is that is has hard buttons and contacts are designed differently, so there is less worry about non-responsive buttons. And the remote itself has been highly rated with very few problems. The layout took some time to get used to, as it was different from the 676, but overall I really like it. I would highly recommend the 880. I just upgraded from the 676 to the 880 and am very impressed at the build of the remote. The buttons have a nice, satisfying click to them, the construction of the unit itself is nice and the layout works well. The color LCD is also a nice touch.

While the price listed above for the Harmony 676 is nice, I did have one complaint about the remote which was the main reason I upgraded. After owning the 676 remote for a few years, some of the more frequently used buttons (30 second skip for TiVo, volume, channel up and down) became very hard to use. You had to basically push them down with all your might in order for them to work.

After doing some research, I found that this was a common problem with the 676 models after a few years use. What happens is that oil from your fingers seeps into the rubber used for the buttons and interferes with the contacts. After cracking open the remote (very easy to do) and cleaning it out, the remote works fine again…for a while. It was actually amazing to see how much oil there was on the contacts. After each cleaning, the amount of time I was able to use the remote before needing to clean again became less and less.

I eventually got to the point where a couple of buttons wouldn’t work anymore, no matter how much cleaning I gave them. So, after much frustration and my wife telling me that we needed to buy the new Harmony, I bought my 880. When the wife tells you to buy something new, you know there is a problem! The advantage to the 880 is that is has hard buttons and contacts are designed differently, so there is less worry about non-responsive buttons. And the remote itself has been highly rated with very few problems. The layout took some time to get used to, as it was different from the 676, but overall I really like it.

]]> by: EzekielRawlins http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121378 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:02:25 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121378 Any requests, eh? I think you just opened up the flood gates. Any requests, eh? I think you just opened up the flood gates.

]]> by: Trip Bakun http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121327 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 05:41:19 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121327 Ooops, I see that you already have a Greg Rucka department. Guess I should check the store before typing out my wish list? Ooops, I see that you already have a Greg Rucka department. Guess I should check the store before typing out my wish list?

]]> by: Trip Bakun http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121326 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 05:39:15 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121326 Things on my radar screen for purchase over the course of the next couple of months: Extras The Complete Season 2 DVD New Pornographers - Challengers Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight The Office Season 3 DVD Patriot Acts by Greg Rucka Things on my radar screen for purchase over the course of the next couple of months:

Extras The Complete Season 2 DVD
New Pornographers - Challengers
Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight
The Office Season 3 DVD
Patriot Acts by Greg Rucka

]]> by: GG http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121320 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 03:56:28 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121320 Well, I know that you said that you hate the chiclet-like butons but Amazon has the Harmony 676 on sale for $49.99 (75% off, orig. $199.99): http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B0003QER7S/ref=xs_gb_1_center-2_rw_uk_15575/102-3219185-8593702?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=09PYM857TP285W8R4RV0&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_p=251571601&pf_rd_i=1 Well, I know that you said that you hate the chiclet-like butons but Amazon has the Harmony 676 on sale for $49.99 (75% off, orig. $199.99):

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B0003QER7S/ref=xs_gb_1_center-2_rw_uk_15575/102-3219185-8593702?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=09PYM857TP285W8R4RV0&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_p=251571601&pf_rd_i=1

]]> by: Augie De Blieck Jr. http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121311 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 02:21:27 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121311 Yup, you get a pretty blank check with the store to add as much stuff as you'd like. Any requests? Yup, you get a pretty blank check with the store to add as much stuff as you’d like. Any requests?

]]> by: EzekielRawlins http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121307 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:11:15 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2007/07/23/changing-my-mind-on-harmony-remotes/#comment-121307 Augie, can you add more stuff to your store? Augie, can you add more stuff to your store?

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