Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Okay, first of all, don't let the box and blurbs fool you: This is not just a hub that relies on you having a smart phone or tablet. Yes, you need one to set up the hub and all your devices, but once you've got them set up you need not ever use your smart phone or tablet to control TV again. In fact, the "Simple" remote they include is far from the bad definition of "simple." It's probably the best-feeling, best balanced, most responsive remote control I've ever owned. It has a great shape, and the back even has a nice grippy feel. The buttons are clicky and solid. The whole remote feels excellent in the hand, and since it's working with the Hub, you don't need line-of-sight for it to work. More on that, later. In truth, I got this by accident. My intention was to get the Harmony Ultimate, but this is what arrived. I was slightly miffed at first, but it has turned out to be a very happy mistake because I absolutely love the Harmony Smart Control. Once you set it up, you control all your devices with the single remote. It effectively transforms all your devices to Bluetooth remote-controlled devices. This is rather awesome for me since a couple devices had really fidgety IR remotes that are no longer an issue. In fact, the only complaint I have about this remote is that it has a tiny negative when used to turn on the Nintendo Wii. If you don't register your Wiimote with the console before the Harmony does its thing, the Harmony registers as controller #1 on the Wii. This is a problem because Nintendo doesn't let controller #2, #3, or #4 have any control over Setup or Menu items, and a lot of games won't let anyone but player #1 have control over starting games, pausing, etc. I'm not sure why the Harmony hub registers as a controller, since the Harmony remote doesn't actually do anything on the Wii (no control over the pointer, anyway) and the only reason you enable the Wii on the Hub is to allow the Hub to turn the Wii on and off. Every device I've tried to control with the Harmony Smart Control has worked perfectly once registered with the app. That includes an HP remote control for Windows Media Center and the Roku 3. Setup is quick and easy using the app. It basically asks for the maker and model number, and does everything from there. Once you have devices set up, you can create activities. For example, with one button press the remote will turn on your Blu-ray Disc player, turn on your receiver, set the receiver to the proper device, turn on your TV, and set your TV to the proper source input. It's really very cool, and makes the whole home entertainment experience a lot less messy and complicated. It blows away the experience with a standard "universal" remote control, too. If you are inclined to use the app to control your devices instead of the awesome Simple Remote, you'll have slightly more options and controls. Of course, the down side is that you're burning battery power on your phone or tablet to control your home entertainment center when the Simple Remote is more than suitable for most tasks, and doesn't take nearly as much power. I actually had to look it up to find out how to replace the battery in the remote (and it's really simple, actually) because the battery is so small (a CR2032 flat battery) and the panel that conceals it is integrated into the remote so well. I'm still really interested in the Harmony Ultimate, but right now I'm loving the Harmony Smart Control. The Hub really ups the ante with remote control tech, and the look/feel of the Simple Remote is fantastic. The only thing I'd ask for in terms of improvement on this remote is backlit buttons, which it unfortunately doesn't have. It's a minor quibble, though, because the remote is laid out smartly enough that you'll use it without looking at it after a very short time. So, minor caveat aside, this is a five-star gadget as far as I'm concerned. It's one of my favorite additions to my entertainment center. I'd go so far as to call a Harmony Remote a must-have device for anyone who has a few different devices to control.