Logitech - Harmony 665 10-Device Universal Remote - Black

This review is for someone like me who has never used a fancy-pants programmable remote like this Harmony 665. Until now, the only "universal" remote I've used is whatever my TV provider gave to control their set-top box along with basic TV functions like on/off and volume. I had no idea what I was missing. The Harmony 665 is a very capable device, but there is a learning curve if you’ve never used one of these. Frankly, most of this learning curve comes from trying to navigate Logitech's MyHarmony support site and their desktop software (needed to program the remote). It would have been nice if their support site had a search function like on their user forum. The summary is here followed by a more detailed review: Pros • Ability to program multiple steps into a single button • Large database of controllable devices • Remote glows in the dark, with the exception of a few critical buttons • Easy-to-open packaging Cons • Though not difficult, cumbersome to set up, especially for a first-time user • The “Exit” key functionality is not intuitive • Allowed me to map Sony Playstation 3 controls, even though PS3 is not supported and doesn’t work • Logitech’s MyHarmony support site needs improvement. Though the Harmony 665 can handle a lot, my setup is pretty basic: Comcast Xfinity box, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio soundbar, and Sony Playstation 3. First Impression The packaging is easy to open – no need for a chainsaw to rip it apart. This package has perforations on the back, making the remote simple to pull out (see photo). The device is lightweight, albeit a little slippery. Getting Ready I dutifully read the sparse instructions in the package. I could hardly believe the warning to set aside 45 minutes for setup, but it turned out to be a good estimate. I had to download software from their site to my Mac. Logitech’s software site also referenced an iOS app. I wasted time looking at the iOS app only to discover it does not apply to this remote. Once installed, the desktop software required me to create an account so that settings can be saved and reloaded if needed. I used my password manager to generate a strong long password, but the software would not let me copy/paste the password. I ended up annoyingly retyping it. Oddly but thankfully, it has no issue with copying/pasting passwords for subsequent logins. Adding Devices At this point, I gathered the model numbers for my devices. It took me a while to find the manuals since I could not easily move my equipment to see what was on the back. The Harmony software accepted the model numbers for my Sony PS3, Comcast box, Vizio soundbar and even the Samsung TV which had a Costco specific model number. Once entered, the Harmony software recognized the Vizio as an "amp" instead of a soundbar – clearly written by an engineer instead of a product manager. Note: the software allowed me to add the Sony PS3 though I later discovered the Harmony 665 cannot actually control it. Also note, the Logitech web page to check supported devices is buried and difficult to find within the MyHarmony site. I cannot reference it here as Best Buy does not allow URLs in reviews. Programming Harmony can be used to control each device individually (as if using multiple remotes). But Logitech encourages you to program activities like "watch TV," or "listen to music." Each activity then issues all necessary commands for that activity. There are several shortcut buttons that can be mapped to these activities. For example, I programmed the "listen to music" activity button to turn on my soundbar and switch it to bluetooth so I can play music from my iPhone. Similarly, the “watch movie" button turns on the TV and brings up the Samsung Smart Hub so I can select a TV app like Netflix or YouTube. It works well and is what separates Harmony from simple universal remotes. Exactly how much you can program varies depending on Harmony's features and the device controllability. For example, even though using “watch movie" brings up the Samsung Smart Hub, my Samsung TV will not let it select a specific app like Netflix – that I do manually. Another useful feature is Harmony’s keys are automatically reprogrammed to work with the chosen activity. That means when in “watch movie” activity, the play/pause/rewind keys act like my TV remote and let me control what I’m watching on Netflix, YouTube etc… But in “watch TV” activity, those same keys control my Comcast DVR. Before Harmony, I was constantly switching remotes. Actual Usage I love using the activity keys. It’s a much better experience than constantly switching Harmony to function like a specific device remote. But, there’s a hurdle in the “exit” key functionality. If I’m "watching TV" and then switch my activity to “watch movie” on Netflix, I can exit the Netflix app via the “exit” key on Harmony as expected. Even though I’ve exited the Netflix app, the remote stays mapped in “watch movie” activity, and the keys are still programmed for the Samsung TV remote. That means the guide button will not bring up the Comcast guide, nor will it now control the Comcast DVR. Intuitively, I expected that by exiting Netflix, Harmony would reconfigure itself as the Comcast remote. Instead, I have to press the “watch TV” activity button or manually set it to act like the Comcast remote. This issue comes up quite a bit on the Logitech community forum, and while some folks discovered a way to program a better exit, it did not work for me. If all else fails, you don’t have to use activities; Harmony can easily be configured to work like each device’s native remote via the handy 4-button center display. Finally, I was very pleased that the remote glows orange in the dark, though inexplicably not for the power or activity shortcut keys. That’s a very strange design decision given how much Logitech wants us to use activities. Overall, the remote is 4 stars and the Logitech software/website are 3 to 3.5 stars. The product is very nice but the experience needs some tweaking. Regardless, now that I have it set up, it’s a keeper.

I had the opportunity to review the Harmony 665 Controller and overall I was impressed with the customization and the extra care they took in button quality. The controller could appear overwhelming for those who are use to simple controllers however I can assure anyone who is on the fence that the learning curve is very small. The package includes 2 AA batteries, a short USB Cable, instruction booklet and easy to open from the back packaging (which made it very easy to take out the controller instead of fighting the plastic). GOOD: Well made controller with good feel buttons and click when pressing Buttons glow in dark for easy to see/read Packaging and batteries easy to remove/add if needed LCD is easy to read and customize the menu to your liking Programming Commands/Functions very easy to customize. Harmony 665 can "learn" from other controllers Software very easy to use with helpful walk-through CONS: Software does not come packaged, have to download Button glow paint can wear over time Change Input does not work on some older TV Models be sure to check internet of your TV model with this controller REVIEW: Controller Itself - The button arrangement is well thought out and the click you feel when you press in a button helps you now it was fully pressed. The buttons have a rubber feel however I am concern if the picture will rub off over time. The buttons pictures glow in the dark so it is easy to see what you are pressing, however I would have preferred to lighting buttons as the glow paint can wear over time. The controller feels good to hold as the placement of the batteries gives you a good grip and evenly distributes the weight. The controller is divided into 3 sections with the most used programmable buttons/LCD window top, basic navigation/volume controls in middle and video/interactive playback on the bottom. The LCD screen is easy to read and turns on/off based on motion of the controller which is nice to not waste battery. It takes 2 AA batteries that go underneath and there is a nice addition of a strap to help when needing to remove the batteries. The controller also has an IVR on the bottom to "learn" from other controllers if the software does not recognize the device you are registering to the controller. Software: The controller comes with instructions to go online and download their software to program the controller. This may be an issue for those who are on data caps or limited to internet access. This software is needed to have a functioning controller and will not work with the tv without a first time setup. The software is about 35MB in size, easy to install on my Win10 machine and does require registration. The software is easy to use and allows for deep customization for more advance users. You can setup up to 10 devices to control or interact with each other. The software is also a one stop shop if you have multiple Logi Controllers as it will store all information under your registered account. You can even go as far as set up the millisecond delays for each command for older TV's that takes time to warm up. However the software at times does have issues discovering that the Harmony 655 controller is plugged in and it requires to unplug/replug for the software to see it. I have also discovered the "input" command to change which input to go to when programming does not work on some older TV's. Unfortunately this is a risk as there is no way to tell until after performing all the setup/configuration then testing it on your TV. Programming Devices: The programming is really easy to use/setup. With just one click of a button it can turn on all your devices (TV , Stereo Receiver, PS3) and set your inputs to have it all set to just insert a movie. Once you use one of the program buttons the LCD screen turns into an option window you can navigate for any additional commands you may need. You can even customize the command list to display the most commonly used ones first. Overall I would recommend this product for anyone who wishes to cut down on the amount of controllers they use and want an easily programmable controller.

The Logitech Harmony 665 remote solves quite a few problems. First, it enables you to use a single remote to control up to ten devices. Now most cable remotes can handle basic functions for four devices (cable box, TV, DVD and audio) but when it comes to more advanced functions you usually find yourself reaching for the original device remote. With the Harmony all functions are available on the remote and an bright LCD screen guides you. Next it gives you access to any device which is missing a remote. I had a very old Technics stereo (the remote was lost years ago), but the Harmony now controls it with ease! Setting up the Harmony is really easy. Just collect your device names and model numbers then go to a dedicated website, download software and then connect the Harmony to your computer with an included cable. All commands for each device (up to 10) will be downloaded directly to your Harmony remote. When you pick up the Harmony the LCD screen lights up so you never need to turn on a lamp in a darkened media room to study the tiny buttons on the typical remote. The Harmony provides everything you could want in a universal remote. It has a vast array of supported devices, very slick styling, LCD screen with adapts to your specific devices and it fits nicely in your hand. It is light (about 6 onces) and takes longer-lasting AA batteries (rather than the short-lived AAA batteries used by some remotes.) The picture I have included shows the Logitech next to just four of the eight remotes I have programmed into it. I am delighted that I have finally joined those who are devoted Harmony users!

PROS - 10 device support - lots of buttons to minimize paging through activity screens CONS - not fully compatible with other model's programming - degraded screen compared to some similar prior models - sharp edges on bottom molding makes it uncomfortable to hold - small blue text on black case is very hard to read - Logitech product support is inconsistent I purchased this remote to replace a Harmony 650. I was assured by the Best Buy salesman that my 650 programming would transfer to the 665 (a Best Buy exclusive supporting 10 instead of 8 devices), but when attempting to do so, only some of each button's activity pages would transfer. After failing twice to get a decent copy, I contacted Logitech support and was told that the 665 will only copy device information, and not button pages (this was only partially correct, as at least a subset of buttons did transfer for each activity). This is not only unfortunate, but puzzling. I originally had a Harmony 700 and loved it. When I had worn the buttons so badly that the backlight was showing through parts that it wasn't supposed to, I replaced it with (now two) Harmony 650s. I never had a problem copying 700 programming into the 650 (or vice versa when I was trying to do some debugging). So I would warn others wanting to buy this remote to replace existing non-665 versions that unless you are willing to do a substantial amount of reprogramming, DO NOT buy this remote as a replacement device. If one is looking to buy this remote as a new device, I would offer some additional cautions. First, to differentiate it from the Harmony 650, Best Buy chose to go back to the Harmony 700 color schemes. This was the only thing I didn't like about the 700, as the small blue button text on the black remote makes that text nearly impossible to read. Like the 650, the 655 uses the same degraded screen compared to the 700 (I assume because it is cheaper). I don't know if the 655 also suffers from the 650's slower processor (another thing downgraded from the 700) as I didn't have a chance to test that. And I wore out two 650s in less time than I did my original 700, so given things like the degraded screen are the same in the 665, I suspect the 665's quality is also generally lacking compared to previous devices. The lower case molding also has sharp edges compared to the 650. While this won't cut a person, it does make it less comfortable to hold. And while Logitech's customer support in some ways is quite good (it was relatively easy to get a live body on the phone to ask about the programming incompatibility), my experience in the past is that they are not always knowledgeable, and when I have tried to work through extended problems with their email support, their response was at best poor (in one case, their software had an incompatibility with computers having DISH Anywhere software on them, and after having me eliminate this software and actually rebuild my system to no avail, they finally figured out it was a bug in their software yet failed to let me know several weeks later when they put their corrected application onto their website). So in summary, the Harmony remote series are in principal very convenient devices with few good competitors, but their quality has degraded with each new model, performance has worsened, incompatibility between devices (and software incompatibility with certain computer configurations) is frustrating, and their product support is not very good when dealing with difficult problems.

Setting up. After installing the software it would not see the remote, after trying different USB ports I tried running the software with "run as administrator". That fixed it. No where in the little book that comes with it does it say to run as administrator, but on Windows 10 you have to. Ran complete setup with all 5 of my devices. TV, ROKU, AV Receiver, Blu-Ray player, Windows Media Center computer. As a stand alone remote you can pick the device and it works just like the original remote. Programming. The real issues start when you program "Activities". Although this is straight forward, and the software asks the right questions, it fails to take into account that there are other functions you need to be able to do once in that mode. The saving grace on this issue is you can reprogram almost any button to do almost any function, on any device, while in any activity. However you must program that behavior, for that button, in each activity you set up. Setting up a button once for "Watch TV" will not be correct for "Listen to Music". The little book says to set aside 45 minutes for setup. This might true if you only need the most basic functions. I needed the "Info" button to give me speaker options for my AV Receiver, not give me info on what song is playing. If you select to control the AV Receiver while in the "Watch a Movie" mode, the remote will then only control the AV receiver. To get the remote back in the activity mode, just press the activity button again, no need to point it at the TV, you're just resetting the buttons. That will bring the remote back in line with the activity. The software says that when you press an activity button, keep the remote pointed at the system until everything is on and correct. The remote seems to run a command string, sitting it down right after pressing an activity button will not get the complete set of commands sent to the equipment. Final setup. I would suggest you sit with your remotes and go through each thing you do. Write them down to understand what additional buttons you use on what remote, while doing each thing you do. Then after programming an activity, you can go back and edit the buttons to do the things you want to do. This part must be done for each activity. The learning curve on setup is steep. Once you have an understanding on how to edit buttons and what you need buttons to do it will be much easier. The software says to setup your remote using a laptop, while sitting in front of your TV. They really do mean this, you will setup the remote and then test. Then run setup again to fix issues and retest. You will do this over and over until you get the results you want. I now understand why high end stereo shops charge big money to set up a custom remote. Final notes. The help button on the remote really does help. It will attempt to fix issues automatically, and so far it has done this each time something didn't work right. But this is limited to the basic functions, like turning things on or off. There is a warning in the book that using your original remote will cause the Harmony remote to lose sync with your device. This is a fact, if you change anything using a different remote, while using the harmony remote it will get lost. It knows what it was doing, and what was the last command it sent. Changing a device will screw up the sync and the remote will not function as you want. Final thoughts. I have been able to go from a table with 5 remotes, trying to remember what remote I need to do what function. Down to 1 remote that just works. In my view this is no small task. Although setup is not as easy as I would like it to be, I have no idea how they would go about making it easier without making it harder to do the first setup. The number of questions you would have to answer would make this a 2 hour process. Sure this would give you a remote that works great the first time, but I don't know many people that would actually set aside 2 hours to set up a remote. It's not that hard once you get past the learning curve. If you're not tech savvy at all, this will probably be over your head, unless all you need is the basic functions, then you'll be fine. If you are tech savvy this remote will be gold in your hands.

Ok.. I am a long time Logitech Harmony remote control user.. Going back to around the launch of the Xbox 360. I had tons of remote controls in my living room. TV, BluRay/DVD Player, surround sound amplifier, and even more. It was literally a mess of controls in my living room. Enter the Logitech Harmony series of remotes. The one I had years ago worked great, and with this new Logitech 655, I can dool all I did before, in a revised physical design, a nicer more premium physical feel, and yet not break the bank as with the higher end logitech harmony remotes. This remote controls up to 10 separate devices, even really, REALLY old and obscure manufacturers. I had a really old pioneer surround receiver that had was in the setup program’s database of devices. The list of devices is exhaustive. Setup is done from either a PC or Mac, and to be honest, is a bit of work to get going the first time. You basically define which devices you own, TV, Consoles, Amps, Media Streamers, etc.. Then you define “activities”, such as “Watch TV”, “Play Xbox One”, “Watch a Movie” etc. The setup asks for each activity which TV input should be used for that activity, should the Amp be on? What setting should the amp be on? How about, your media streamer? Should that be on, etc.. You can define the order of the devices turning on too. You can even customize it more if you would like, rename the activity, etc. You save all this information on your Harmony online account, you will need to register one, and then it will save back to your remote control. When you are all done, you unplug it from your computer and try it out. The great thing is, once you go thru this process one time, and say you lose or break your remote, you get either a replacement, or a newer remote, it can even be a different model, and, BAM, Bob’s yer uncle, you can transfer your old remote’s programming to your new/replacement remote. BRILLIANT. You can even define multiple remotes for different rooms too. The remote itself glows in the dark when you reach for it, and are using it, though not all the keys light up. Most of them do. You can even control each device to actually emulate all of the original remote’s setup. Basically if there are keys that it does not have physically, let’s say for a setup menu on your tv for example, that button will appear on your LCD screen as a “button”. For me, I basically always just use the activities. Ahh.. and my favorite.. If you have a device that did not turn on because you were pointed a little off when you lanuched the activity? You click the “HELP” button, and the remote basically will try to turn on, or off, all devices, or whatever your last “activity” was set to perform. Still doesn’t work? It will then ask for each stage of that activity if that device is on, set to the correct input, etc. There are some downsides.. This will take you around 30-45 minutes to setup the first time, and I had some issues getting Windows 10 to see the device as connected to my PC, but managed to get thru it in about 30. Also, I wish the remote was not so slippery. This thing falls out of my hands alot. And here is my single biggest gripe with basically all of the harmony remotes that have followed this general design, though hopefully not with this one. Eventually, the buttons will be pushed so often that they will need to be pushed down very hard. I have gone thru several harmony remotes like this. What is happening is that the circuit board inside the remove is slowly getting bent down, and losing connection with certain buttons. In the past it has taken about 2 years to get to this point on other remotes, so I was ok with it, given how fantastic the performance of the line of remotes has been in the past. Overall, for the price, the remote is fantastic. Highly recommended.

A couple of the buttons on my TV remote we’re starting to go bad, so I looked for a universal remote and settled on this one. The instructions tell you to set aside 45 minutes for the set up. It actually took me much longer, which I’ll get to in a minute. The reason for the length of time is that I think there is a mini computer inside the remote and it has to learn your devices. I needed to replace the remote for an older Samsung TV (approximately 2007), an older Samsung Blu-ray player, and a recently purchased Roku Express. I was having trouble figuring out the codes to use for my TV, so I wound up calling their customer service. The agent took me through a lot of steps trying to get everything to work properly, but he didn’t give up. I think again, that the problem was having an 11-year-old TV and Blu-ray player. But in the end, he did help me get everything working properly. The reason this acts as a universal remote, is that in addition to the buttons on the front, it has a little screen which can be divided into four quadrants, each with its corresponding button. For instance, when I am in Roku mode, the screen has four quadrants with the upper left being Home. I press the button next to that and it takes me to the Roku Home screen. So can accomplish a lot by bringing up various messages and displays on this little screen. Now for some of it negative points. The functionality has decreased and it is no longer replicating what my three separate remotes were able to do. However, I am able to press a Help button and the screen will ask me questions and my responses allow it to reset the remote so that it then works properly. But it’s a pain that it seems to be doing that regularly now. I’m going to have to call customer service again. The other gripe I have is with the ergonomics of the design. It nicely fits your hand but all of the numerical buttons are at the very bottom which makes them almost impossible to press with your thumb while holding the remote. So you need to either set it down or use two hands. Also none of them are lit up so you need to turn on a lamp if it’s at night, although the screen does light up. Finally, in addition to the normal four-way button arrows, there is a second set of arrows which are up-and-down only. I have no idea what they are for, but they screw things up when I accidentally press one of them instead of the arrow I want from the four way set. Overall, I think it is quite a handy little device, with good customer service.

This has been my first experience with any sort of "universal remote" and I can say with certainty that despite my initial reservations, I can now say with certainty I am very impressed and glad to have this product. Initially, I was a little worried about the complexity of setting something like this up and whether or not it would be worth the hassle of figuring out how to use it. The setup guide that comes with the remote specifies that you should "set aside at least 45 minutes to set up your Harmony remote". After reading this, I put off setting this up until I felt like I had a good chunk of time available to set this up without any distractions for fear of it being difficult and/or stressful. After finally taking the time to set it up, I discovered that I had been worried for no reason and that it was much easier to do than originally expected. The setup process involves obtaining the manufacturer and model numbers for all of the devices you intend on controlling with the remote. I found this to be the most time-consuming part of the whole setup process which is obviously not that big of a deal since all you really need to do is find where it is written on each of your devices (usually on the back or underside). This might be a hassle for some people depending on where your equipment is located and how short your cables are (if you don't have enough slack to be able to pull the device out and look at the back or underside, this might be a bit more challenging) but none of that is the fault of the manufacturer of this remote and it is an expected step when dealing with this type of product so it really shouldn't have any effect on the rating of this particular product. You just need to know that this is an unavoidable step since you need this information to program the remote and you should plan accordingly. Once you have all of the information for your various devices (including how they are connected to each other and which inputs are being used), the rest of the setup is pretty straight-forward and easy because of the step-by-step instructions that are available. All that is left is you need to go to the website provided in the next step of the setup guide and download the MyHarmony desktop software that matches the product. Once the software has been installed, you then open the program and connect the remote to your computer using the included USB cable. The software then walks you through setting up an account and then setting up your devices. The step-by-step instructions were very easy to follow and understand and my remote was up and running in no time. One of the only slight drawbacks I have noticed when it comes to this product is its use with my Xbox One. It took me a little while to figure out which buttons on the remote corresponded with the buttons normally found on my Xbox One controller (for example, the middle Xbox button normally found on the center of the Xbox One controller is listed on the 3rd page of buttons on the screen) but once I figured these things out, I found it actually works rather well and it is nice having a remote like this when watching movies or doing things other than playing games (which I would definitely NOT recommend you try and do with this remote but that should be obvious). Overall this is a great product that far surpassed my expectations in terms of how easy it was to setup and use.