Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote

Reviewed by: LloydDobbler

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: - Easy to program via web- Versatile - controls almost everything!- Simple to use- Rechargeable batteries are EXCELLENT

Weaknesses: - Dim backlighting/small button labels- Doesn't connect well with charging cradle- Longevity (or lack thereof)

Overall Evaluation: Okay, so here's the deal - Logitech's Harmony remotes are incredible electronics. They're key examples of usability - programming your remote has never been this easy!However, there are some issues with this particular model. I bought mine more than 2 years ago, and loved it at first...until about a year in, when the problems started.The issues:1) The remote comes with a charging cradle, but for some reason it's always been hard to get the connection to hold. So to avoid picking up the remote and finding it hasn't charged, you need to fiddle with it for ~2 mins when you put it in the cradle to get a good connection and make sure it's charging. This was frustrating, but not a deal-breaker.2) The real deal-breaker: the buttons. Sure, the remote looks sleek & all...but its hard plastic buttons leave a lot to be desired. To start with, their placement makes it difficult to feel your way to a button. Sure, it's backlit - but sometimes you don't want to take your eyes off the TV to hit 'Pause'.Then there's the working issue. A little after a year into my Harmony 880 ownership (right after the warranty was done, thanks to Murphy's Law), the Volume Up button stopped working. It would only work when you pressed it REALLY hard, and then only sporadically. More often than not, it would turn the volume DOWN. Soon thereafter, other buttons stopped working. I looked around online, and found it was a common problem - apparently the connectors to the circuit board don't work too well with the hard plastic buttons. I've done some hacking to fix it, with limited success.In a nutshell, this is a great idea with poor execution. The way the remote is constructed made me wonder about its longevity when I first got it, and sadly, my fears were confirmed. If you're in the market for this sort of thing, I'd recommend going with the Harmony One. It seems to fix the button AND the charging issues. Heck, I even plan to pick one up...once I get over the fact that this remote didn't last as long as I would expect it to, given the price.You can't go wrong with the idea of the Harmony remotes - just be sure to choose one that has usable buttons that feel like they'll last.