Logitech Harmony Express Review: Alexa Can't Replace Remote Control Buttons Yet
Our Verdict
Alexa and Logitech's newest universal remote should make Tv set watching easier. It doesn't.
For
- Minor
- Piece of cake setup
- Responsive
Against
- Alexa-only
- Makes you lot remember specific phrases
- No dedicated off button
Tom's Guide Verdict
Alexa and Logitech'south newest universal remote should make TV watching easier. It doesn't.
Pros
- +
Minor
- +
Easy setup
- +
Responsive
Cons
- -
Alexa-just
- -
Makes y'all remember specific phrases
- -
No dedicated off push button
"Alexa, time to couch surf." Logitech's newest universal remote, the Harmony Express ($249), puts Alexa front and centre. In an attempt to simplify your entertainment feel, the Harmony Express lets you — or, requires you to — use Amazon's vocalisation assistant to turn on your TV, set-height box and streaming stick. Simply while Alexa has made controlling other smart dwelling devices easier, using the assistant with the Limited made watching Telly anything only. Logitech makes some of the best universal remotes, but unfortunately, the Limited doesn't rise to their level.
Editor's annotation: Logitech is discontinuing the Harmony Limited universal remote. The Harmony Limited volition finish working after September 30. Customers who bought the Harmony Express can exchange it for a Harmony Elite for gratis, or get a full refund with proof of purchase, valid until Dec 31. Hither are the details for those who desire to exchange or refund the Harmony Express.
Logitech Harmony Express: Design
The Harmony Express represents a pretty big change, stylistically and philosophically, from Logitech'southward larger, older universal remotes. Gone are the rows of buttons and bear on screens. Instead, the Limited looks more like something you'd become with a Roku or Fire TV.
At the top of the pill-shaped Limited is a large round button ringed with an LED, which turns blueish when you press the button to summon Alexa. Surrounding this is a circular navigation pad.
Below that area are nine other navigation buttons: Back, Home, Menu, Fast Forward, Play/Break, Reverse, Volume Up, Volume Down and Mute.
As a issue, the Express is a lot smaller and lighter than previous Harmony models. At ii.two ounces, it'due south less than half the weight of the Harmony Elite (5.viii ounces), and it's just 4.iv inches long, versus 6.3 for the Elite. I don't have the smallest hands, but information technology was prissy that I didn't have to suit my grip to reach all of the buttons on the Express, as I do with other remotes.
Like to the Harmony Elite, the Express uses a hub to send commands to your various entertainment devices. Information technology does and so either via the cloud or through the included IR equalizer. This ways that you lot can stash the Express' hub in a cupboard, out of sight.
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Unlike Logitech'south other premium remotes, the Limited does not come up with a charging cradle. Rather, you have to plug this remote in via mini USB to charge information technology up. Still, yous shouldn't have to practice this equally much, co-ordinate to the visitor: once every few weeks, versus every few days as with its other remotes.
Logitech Harmony Express: Setup
Getting a universal remote set up has never been the simplest process. You take to programme the remote with all of your devices and their correct inputs, which tin can be a bit time-consuming. Logitech has smoothed the installation process for the Express equally much as possible, simply you lot will still demand a good 15 to 20 minutes to get everything up and running.
When you launch the Harmony Limited app (for Android and iOS) for the first time, information technology searches your network for all connected devices and has you manually enter nonconnected ones, such as older stereo receivers.
Afterward, you lot simply drag and driblet icons representing your various devices (such as your cablevision box and streaming stick) to corresponding icons for your TV'due south inputs. You then tell the Express which devices yous utilize when launching apps. I set up mine to launch Fire Television receiver when I wanted to watch Netflix, for case, only y'all tin program the remote to launch other specific apps from other specific devices likewise.
If you take a streaming stick, you'll need to perform some more than setup on that cease. For example, I had to install a Harmony Express app on my Fire TV and configure it to have commands from the Harmony remote.
However, unlike its other hub-based remotes, you can't utilize the Express app to command your devices in one case they're set up. While I ever considered this a autumn-back in example my Aristocracy's battery went dead, it was a nice option.
Logitech Harmony Express: Alexa integration and voice control
The Harmony Express represents a different philosophy for Television set watching. It assumes that its users mainly know what they desire to watch or where they want to become before sitting downwards. And then, for example, you can say, "Sentinel Netflix," and the Limited volition plow on your TV, streaming device and soundbar, putting them at the appropriate settings. From in that location, you lot tin apply the Express' navigation pad to get y'all to the bear witness you want.
Once the Express learns your local cable or satellite provider (equally role of the setup process), you lot can also say such commands as "Go to Channel four" or "Go to NBC," and the remote volition switch to those channels. Other commands permit y'all fast-forward and rewind, change the book, and go to your DVR.
And you tin can use the remote for non-TV-watching activities, too. Press the push on the Express, and you can use Alexa as you would any other Repeat device: look upwards the weather condition and news, command smart home devices, and so on.
MORE: Smart TV FAQ - The Pros and Cons of Smart Televisions
After the Express is set up, you can besides use other Alexa devices to control your entertainment center. Y'all could already do this with electric current Harmony remotes, only with the introduction of the Express, the functionality has been greatly expanded. All the same, to enable this, Logitech had to disable all Alexa/Harmony integrations, so current owners volition accept to re-enable the skill in the Alexa app.
Logitech Harmony Express: Performance
The speaker in the Express is small but functional. Alexa's vocalization is loud but tinny; aside from controlling your Television receiver, it's fine if you want to look up the weather, but I wouldn't utilise the digital assistant for much more than than that with the remote. You can adjust the volume of the speaker via the Harmony Express app; before I figured this out, I was using a pillow to muffle Alexa's vocalisation.
Vox commands worked well, and the Limited was responsive, just I had to be very specific when speaking. I couldn't say, "Spotter Television," or "Watch Dish," when I wanted to tune in. Rather, the correct command is "Turn on TV" or "Plough on Dish." If you want to launch an app or melody to a channel, you have to start every control with either "Go to" or "Watch."
Information technology was very frustrating that I had to recall to say the exact phrase. More than once, Alexa responded, "I couldn't discover a skill," or, "I'm sorry," when I said the incorrect thing. Many times, I would say "Dish TV" rather than only "Dish," and get an error response in return. I tin can only imagine what volition happen when my wife or in-laws come over and want to watch TV and I'm not home.
The Harmony Express isn't the offset universal remote to accept congenital-in voice control. The Caavo Control Center also has this characteristic, which not only works quite well simply is far more functional. Not but can you ask for specific apps, channels and streaming devices, but you tin can search beyond platforms for movies and Television shows by genre, histrion and more.
What's more than, you control your Caavo using either Alexa or Google Banana. While the phrasing is clunkier ("Alexa, tell Caavo …"), I like that it's compatible with both administration, rather than just one. The one limitation is that y'all tin't utilise the Caavo remote to ask Alexa anything.
As well, I'm not sure if I want to be forced to use Alexa all the time. For example, if I'grand watching Goggle box in bed with my wife and she falls asleep, I don't want to take a chance waking her upward by saying, "Go to ESPN," or "Lookout man Dish." Oh wait, I meant "Turn on Dish."
Long-pressing the mute push button turns everything off, but I wish there were a dedicated button for this, as you'll detect on pretty much every other remote in beingness.
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Another button on my other Harmony remote that gets a lot of use? The Back button. I use it all the time when I'm alternating between two different shows. The Express doesn't have this push button by default, but using the Express app, you lot can re-configure the buttons on the remote; each tin can be set to perform a specific activity using either a short or a long press.
Saying "Dorsum" rewinds whatever you lot're watching past 10 seconds, while "previous channel" goes to the channel side by side to the 1 you're watching. "Last channel" doesn't work.
Logitech Harmony Express: Verdict
The Logitech Harmony Limited presupposes that you'll want to use Alexa to beginning every Television set-watching session. While Amazon's assistant seems like it's ubiquitous, I don't know if I want to cede that much control to information technology. And the voice commands are only not intuitive enough yet.
If y'all want voice control in a universal remote, I recommend the Caavo Command Center. While you're limited to just four input devices with the Caavo, you're not locked in to using your vocalization. And not only is the Caavo'due south search functionality more robust, but it also works with both Alexa and Google Banana.
The Harmony Express works just as it should. It but doesn't work for me.
Credit: Tom's Guide
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/logitech-harmony-express,review-6376.html
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