Logitech Harmony Universal Remote for Xbox 360

This is a kick ass remote, and I am enjoying it quite a bit. Of course, there are many things that I really enjoy about it, but there are a few things I am not crazy about. I will point out all the key points here. One thing I do really like, is the fact that Logitech keeps their online database updated constantly. This means, that if you buy a brand new TV now, or six months from now, Logitech will have the appropriate setup to download into the remote. This is one of my favorite parts about the remote. When you buy a product that states ‘future proof’, that’s a good thing.

Another thing I love are the looks. It’s straight out a great looking remote that just happens to have tons of functionality. My family, who are not tech savvy and hardly realize I spend all day working on a tech site, agreed that the remote looked ‘very cool’. Logitech did a great job of designing it, that’s for sure. It looks great beside your Xbox 360.

The LCD is another good feature.. but it’s actually pretty necessary. It’s well back light though and ultra clear. Navigating through it’s menus is very easy and I didn’t encounter any problems. If you happen to have multiple menus for one of your devices, it can get tedious scrolling through them to find a function you need, but that hasn’t really been that much of a problem. If it is for you though, you are able to go into the software and remove the functions you don’t want. You can even rename or rearrange anything in there, to help make it your own.

As for the things I don’t like… the primary is the software. The software is somewhat clunky, and navigation to find exactly what you need can be confusing at first. After my first setup, I realized I wanted to change up a few things, and really had no immediate clue where I was supposed to go at first. Another issue is that one screen allows you to rename and change functions around for a specific device, but it does not easily allow you to delete or re-arrange the functions. If you wish to re-arrange anything, you will have to manually set each function. This may actually be the best choice anyway, so that you don’t have a bucket load of functions in there that you will never use.

While the software is really my primary issue, there are a few things about the actual remote I am not too impressed with. The first thing is the fact that the numpad down at the bottom uses very small buttons. The only reason I have a problem with this is because it will make it difficult if you want to change to a certain channel without having to look at the remote, which is usually what I do in the dark. If you push the Glow button though, it will light up those buttons very clearly, so it’s not that huge of a problem. It would have been worse if they were not even backlit.

Again with the buttons though… some are hard to push. There were a few instances when I have had to push the button more than once in order to get it to react. Not only that, but for some reason, all of the silver buttons ‘click’ rather noticeably every time you push them. I found it annoying after a while of channel surfing and volume control. Lastly.. I am not impressed with the layout of the buttons. I would have rather seen the numpad in the middle of the remote and have the DVD control buttons down near the bottom. This could be personal preference, but it would make more sense to me.