Harmony Remotes

[Hoos]

I'm considering getting a Harmony 890 universal remote, mainly because of the RF capability.

But I'm wondering if anyone here has one and can provide any feedback on what kind of distance it covers.

I share a satellite feed (Dish Network) with the landlord (his box and dish, so no tampering with that). The Dish remote I have works fine between the two houses, with some awkward posing to aim the remote just right.

Any feedback on the RF distance and how well that works?

Plus, getting rid of 5-7 remotes is a bonus. But if the RF is weak in the 890, I can save some bucks (for shaving stuff!) with a cheaper model and just keep using the Dish remote for TV.

(And I like this setup because I pay $25 a month for something like 500 channels, including premium.)

Thanks.

 

[letterk]

I have the 880 and it works well most of the time. Sorry, but no experience with the RF 890 version.

 

[professorchaos]

Whichever one I have (last generation, I believe) works very well. Exceedingly easy to program and learn.

 

[Hoos]

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated. I pulled the trigger on it. Will post my experiences/results/never-before-heard-profanities when I get it.

From some friends and reviews, apparently a little patience is needed in getting everything set up just so. Because the Harmonies can actually do quite a bit.

But one remote (or even two, if I have to keep the Dish remote) vs. 5 or 7 is a win in my book. Added bonus of backlit buttons is nice, too.

 

[zoom]

Yeah, they are great things once you get them programmed right. I use a 550 that I got a few years ago with the large screen/dvd/stereo arrangement. It's neat to press one button and have it start a movie for you with all of the equipment settings you need.

Don't hesitate to contact their staff for help. When the remote is hooked up to your computer there is some way they can get into the remote and reprogram it to fix problems you may have getting it underway. It's really pretty scary and cool. Once it's set, though, you probably won't need to tweek it much.

I can't say how far the remote transmits and how it does through walls, etc, but I've never had a problem from my max of about 30 feet away.

 

[LX_Emergency]

I have one....but the programming application makes windows crash....it was a gift so I don't use it at the moment...but I'd like to again. It was really neat.

 

[SRock]

I have the 520 (and the LOTH thought it was too expensive, LOL). We love it. It was super easy to program and is simple to operate. We like the one touch capability of switching all of our electronics with a single button push via activities such as Watch TV, Watch a DVD, Play XBox 360 etc. I would have loved to have the 890.