Digital Trends

Logitech Harmony 720

September 28th, 2006 | by Brandon King

Overview

Harmony was the first on the remote control scene to offer activity-based buttons rather than requiring the convoluted, finger cramping spasms needed to turn on most modern home theater equipment. Power on TV, switch to input 2, power on receiver, switch input, power on cable box, switch remote mode to cable box, and God forbid you had separate amps or wanted to watch a DVD because you would be nursing thumb blisters for the rest of the evening! Sure some remotes offere macros, a set of defined actions tied to an ominously labeled button named M1, but what if you wanted to watch TV and then a DVD without powering down all your components? And what if your manufacturer codes were supplied in the tiny secret code booklet, which would inevitably get lost as soon as put it away after the first use?

The Harmony philosophy was simple. If your one remote had a little bit of memory, it could remember what it did, what actions were needed to switch your setup between different states, and best of all translate user intent from thumb mashing acrobatics into simple commands. It worked beautifully. Sure, you could still control each component to your heart’s content, but if you just wanted to watch TV, you hit the Watch TV button. The components turn on, then switch their inputs, the lights dim, curtains close, popcorn popper starts up, etc. As long as you controlled it with an IR remote, you could tie it into your activity settings.

The devices made by Harmony gathered an almost fanatical fan base among home theater enthusiasts, offering advanced features for a good price and in a format that the whole family could understand. But the remote control is a single, small component and the opportunity to gain the resources of one of the biggest PC peripheral manufacturers was too enticing. In 2004 Intrigue Technologies, the maker of the Harmony remote line, was purchased for $29 million. Most of the first Logitech branded remotes were simply re-branded Harmony remotes with updated styling. The Logitech Harmony 720 represents the first major redesign since the acquisition, and we have to say they hit the mark in nearly every respect.

Features and Design

The Harmony 720 comes with a charging cradle, USB cord, software, and instruction manual. The remote itself sports a crisp, clear LCD screen surrounded by six silver hard buttons and two soft navigation buttons. Above the screen are the Power, Activities, Devices, and Help buttons. Below the screen are info and navigation buttons, followed by a shiny silver directional pad. A silver U-shaped bezel contains the Volume and Channel buttons. The bottom third of the remote contains the DVD/VCR controls (also called video transport controls) and number buttons. The top surface contains the USB port covered by a rubber flap and the IR transmitter. The bottom edge houses the IR receiver used for learning new codes from old remotes. The charging cradle has a softly glowing blue Logitech emblem, and placing the remote into the cradle can launch a slide show on the remote’s screen. Useless, but a nice touch.

Logitech Harmony 720 w/charging base

Logitech obviously paid close attention to design on the Harmony 720. The remote is slim, but has good weight, feels well built and sturdy, and has a nice balance to it. Tactile feedback on some of the buttons isn’t the best we’ve seen, but overall we were pleased. The removable battery pack and ergonomic design balance the remote comfortably in your hand. All the reflective silver buttons are blue backlit, and placed logically. The Activities button is adorned with an especially bright circle of blue.

Image Courtesy of Logitech