{"id":18856,"date":"2016-07-05T23:19:58","date_gmt":"2016-07-05T16:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=18856"},"modified":"2016-07-27T12:27:02","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T19:27:02","slug":"harmony-elite-one-remote-one-touch-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/harmony-elite-one-remote-one-touch-entertainment\/","title":{"rendered":"The Harmony Elite – One Remote for One Touch TV Entertainment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Harmony<\/p>\n

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Too many remotes! TV, Cable, Apple TV, DVD, Wii\u2026they all have remotes! Those remotes get stuck in the cushions of the couch, end up underneath the couch, or get laid on the end table and someone covers them up with a magazine. <\/span><\/p>\n

It seems like I am always asking, \u201cWhere\u2019s the remote?\u201d Plus, with all of the different devices attached to the TV, you have to remember which device is connect to which video source. And, the kids NEVER change the video source back once they are done playing on the Wii.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Remotes\"<\/p>\n

When I know where all of our remotes are, here’s how many we have to work with our main TV.  We need just one remote!<\/p>\n

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The Logitech Harmony Elite Remote <\/a>has solved the problem. The Harmony remote is super powerful and intuitive making it awesome for home entertainment and home control.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of only controlling one device at a time, Harmony allows you to group your entertainment devices into activities, using just one remote. You name each activity and program them so that the right devices power on and automatically switch to the right settings. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Harmony Elite Remote gives you just one remote…that works with 270,000+ devices including Apple TV, Roku, TiVo media players, popular gaming consoles, CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc players and also can connect with many smart home lights, locks, thermostats, and sensors.<\/span><\/p>\n

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One Remote Sounds Great, But What About Setup?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Harmony<\/p>\n

When I first took it out of the box, it took a bit of time to get it all set up. (About 45 minutes.) The Harmony Elite remote comes with a Hub that transmits the IR signals to the AV equipment. If it is in an obstructed location, they include 2 IR mini blaster transmitters that you can connect to the hub.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the steps to set up the Harmony Elite remote…<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Once you plug in the hub, it takes about 30 seconds to power up. You also need to plug in the charging station and place the remote in it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n

You need to download the Logitech Harmony app for the App Store<\/a> or Google Play.<\/a> When you launch the app you select the Set Up New Remote button and follow the setup instructions. You can also set it up using a PC\/Mac if that is easier. (I did it via the app.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, you need to connect your hub to your wireless network. The hub will glow green once it is successfully paired and has joined your home network. Then it will scan your WiFi network for devices that can be controlled by Harmony (Roku, Sonos, hue, Smart TVs, etc.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 4:<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can add any additional home entertainment devices that were not found during the WiFi scan. This is the part that took the longest. You need to enter the serial number of the product in order for it to find and recognize the device. <\/span><\/p>\n

I had to move things around and pull things out of the entertainment center in order to find those numbers on the back of the devices. It wasn\u2019t difficult, it just took time. For the most part, I was able to locate most of the devices that I wanted to control.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 5:<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can also connect some of your smarthome devices like lights, locks, thermostats and home control platforms to control off of one Harmony Elite remote. Since we don\u2019t have much of this in our house, I wasn\u2019t able to try out this feature.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 6:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once all of your devices are connected, you will be guided through creating Activities such as Watch TV, Listen to Music, Watch a Movie, etc. All of these activities are then stored, and you only need to push one button to make that activity happen.  Just one remote, that’s it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you have programmed everything via the Harmony App, it will sync with the remote and allow you to use it as a universal remote. You can even get creative and set up activities like \u201cGood Night\u201d<\/strong> that does all the things that you do before you go to bed – turn off all your lights, lower your blinds and thermostat and lock your doors.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you pick the remote up, the screen automatically turns on. You then touch the button that says \u201cActivities\u201d and you can choose what you want to do. Once you pick your activity, the remote will function for that activity. For example, if I want to watch TV, it will turn my TV on, turn on my cable box and switch to the correct video source. <\/span><\/p>\n

If I want to use the Apple TV, it will change to the video source that the Apple TV is connected to and turn on the Apple TV.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Harmony<\/p>\n

Step 7:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I found that some of the functions that are on my cable remote didn\u2019t initially work on the Harmony remote (like Record, and using the DVR.) What is nice about this remote is that you can assign open buttons on the remote to these functions. <\/span><\/p>\n

You need to program it via the Harmony app using the original remote. While you have the app opened, it will guide you through assigning a button to a certain function. You basically need to aim the original remote towards the hub and push the button on the remote that you want to program. While it took a few minutes to figure out, once I did it, it was super easy to program all the rest.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Features<\/strong>:<\/p>\n