Digital Trends

Harmony SST-659 September 21st, 2004 | by Dennis Barker

Aftermarket universal remotes have been around for quite awhile.  We've all bought them in hopes of reducing the remote clutter on our coffee tables.  Let's face it, universal remotes have tried for years to accomplish this feat, but there have been problems along the way.  Either they are too difficult to program or very expensive.  Some are just forgetful.  You can spend $14.99 or several thousand dollars (and a custom installer to program it), and still not get it right.  It seems that there's no middle ground. 

Priced at $199, the Harmony SST-659 remote may finally be that middle ground we have all been looking for. We no longer have to feel like a knight-errant of old seeking the Holy Grail — the perfect universal remote from a company that is new to the consumer electronics business also.  Harmony got its start developing technologies and software for sophisticated medical electronics devices like MRI's.  So, they have a somewhat different take or mindset on how to design and use a universal remote.  According to Brian McLeod, CEO of Harmony Remote, “Touch screens and complex programming environments may have their place but the true goal of remote control design is to remove the barrier that exists between the average family and their entertainment.  Smart State Technology (SST) makes that possible.”

Image courtesy of Logitech