Logitech Harmony Remote 880 User Manual

Table of Contents

1. A Note to Reviewers ......................................................................................................................3

2. Industry Overview..........................................................................................................................4

2.1 The Problem: Complexity in the Modern Living Room.....................................4

2.2 The Opportunity........................................................................................................4

2.3 The Solution: Harmony Advanced Universal Remote Controls ......................5

3. The Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote.....................................................................7

3.1 The Harmony 880 Remote: Features and Benefits............................................9

3.2 The Logitech Harmony 880 Remote Layout (PUT NUMBERS ON IMAGE)...10

3.3 Reader Info Box........................................................................................................11

4. Competitive Landscape.............................................................................................................12

5. Harmony 880 Product Specifications and System Requirements...................................13

5.1 Price............................................................................................................................13

5.2 Product Specifications...........................................................................................13

5.3 Warranty....................................................................................................................13

5.4 System Requirements.............................................................................................13

6. Easy Internet Setup with Web Wizard....................................................................................14

7. Using the Logitech Harmony 880 ...........................................................................................15

7.1 The One-Button Activity ........................................................................................16

7.2 Using the Help Button............................................................................................16

7.3 Switching Between Activities...............................................................................16

7.4 Controlling Individual Devices.............................................................................17

8. Optimizing Performance...........................................................................................................17

8.1 Customizing the LCD Screen................................................................................17

8.2 Creating a Custom Button ....................................................................................18

8.3 Teaching the Harmony 880 an Infrared Command........................................18

8.4 Adjusting the Speed Settings...............................................................................19

8.5 Custom Activities.....................................................................................................19

9. Frequently Asked Questions.....................................................................................................21

10. About Logitech Inc...................................................................................................................22

10.1 Logitech Warranty Policies.................................................................................23

10.2 How Your Readers Can Contact Us...................................................................23

1. A Note to Reviewers

This guide provides information to help you craft your independent review of the Logitech
Harmony Remote 880 The communications team at Logitech hopes you’ll find our efforts
helpful; we would appreciate your feedback.

Contact References:

Refer your readers to:

www.logitech.com/harmony

Customer Support:

1-866-826-5722
[e-mail]

Press relations contact (not for publication):

Nathan Papadopulos
Marketing Communications Manager
Logitech Harmony Remotes
Voice: 510.713.4207
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Product Images:

You can download high-resolution product images from the Press Kit CD. Images are also
available online by visiting http://www.logitech.com/pressroom

The Logitech Harmony 880 Remote Reviewer’s Guide
Summer 2005
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2. Industry Overview

2.1 The Problem: Complexity in the Modern Living Room

Undeniably, new technologies such as high-definition television an d digital video recorders
(DVRs), also referred to as personal video recorders (PVRs), enhance how pe ople experience
home entertainment – but they also introduce new complexities to the living room. Today’s
typical entertainment system may feature anywhere from six to ten different electronics
components, each with its own remote control (TV, VCR, DVD player, home-theater receiver,
satellite or cable television decoder, DVR, CD jukebox, game console, etc.). Some systems require
people to press as many as a dozen buttons, in the correct sequence, on a combination of
remote controls, just to watch a movie with surround sound. While entertainment systems have
become a source of pride – even a source of competition among friends – actually using them
can be laborious, if not frustrating. The experience can be especially frustrating for family
members and friends; anyone who didn’t set up the entertainment system may require detailed
instructions to use it.

In addition to the complexity brought on by an excessive number of remote contr ols, people
face the challenge of clutter, with their coffee tables lined with a half-dozen or more remotes.

2.2 The Opportunity

The opportunity to create a single remote to control an entire home entertainment system
became clear several years ago as the modern living room entertainment system started to
become more complicated.

However, early attempts at a universal remote were plagued with compatibility problems and
limited functionality. There simply was no straightforward single remote that could control a
growing list of individual components. Even in the current generation of universal remotes, many
of which are fairly reliable with robust capabilities, there are three fundamental shortcomings:

• Difficult to set up: Remotes require complicated programming, so consumers must
have steep technical knowledge or hire an installer.

• Difficult to use: These remotes require pressing an elaborate sequence of buttons to
simply watch television or a DVD, or listen to music.

• Incomplete control: Many remotes only work on a limited number of popular devices.
On some remotes, information that the remote uses to control components is stored
internally, at the time it was manufactured, and quickly becomes outdated. This
precludes consumers from updating their entertainment system without also buying a
new remote.

The Logitech Harmony 880 Remote Reviewer’s Guide
Summer 2005
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2.3 The Solution: Harmony Advanced Universal Remote Controls

The first Harmony advanced universal remote was brought to market in 2003 – and like its
successors, it aimed to solve the problems with previous remotes with its easy setup and use,
while providing simple and complete control of the most complex and unusual entertainment
systems.

Introducing Smart State Technology

Logitech’s Smart State Technology® powers every Harmony remote control. Smart Sta te
Technology includes Logitech patented technolo gy that allows a remote to understand the
current states and settings of the entertainment components it contr ols. Fo r example, a
Harmony remote understands whether the television’s power is on or off, or which video input it
is currently set to. This capability is the backbone for a Harmony remote’s ability to deliver
complete, simplified control of an entire entertainment system. For a complete description of
how Smart State Technology works, see Logitech’s Smart State Technology Innovation Brief.

Simple One-Touch, Activity-Based Control

People want to experience entertainment on their terms. They watch TV, they listen to music
and they view movies. And when they need to turn up the volume, they don’t really want to
think about whether the volume is controlled through the TV or the receiver, nor do they want
to dig through a pile of remote controls to find the right one.

Harmony remote controls feature buttons that, when pressed, are able to send a sequence of
infrared commands to set up the entire entertainment system for an activity. For example, to
watch high-definition TV on a cable system with a DVR, the TV, high-definition receiver, satellite,
and DVR box may all have to be powered and set to the appropriat e inputs – which could require
pressing 10 or more buttons on several remote controls. With the Harmony remote, one button
– Watch TV – can be programmed to launch all the corre ct components with the correct input
settings in the correct sequence. After starting an activity, the remote kn ows how to control any
of the components used during that activity. If the volume for watching television is controlled
through a stereo receiver rather than the television, the Harmony remote will know to send
infrared commands to the receiver when the Up or Down volume buttons are pressed.

With activity buttons such as Watch TV, Listen to Music, and Play DVD, Harmony remotes are
designed to reflect how people experience entertainment.

Easy Set-up Wizard

New Harmony remote owners initially set up their remote by creating an online login and system
profile. Next, a simple set-up wizard asks basic questions about their entertainment system’s
setup. During the intuitive step-by-step process, consumers enter the model numbers of their
entertainment components and answer questions about how various components are used
during specific entertainment activities, such as “When watching a DVD, which device do you
use to control the volume?” After all of these questions are completed, all of the information the
Harmony remote needs will be downloaded into the remote through a USB cable.

Because there are intricacies with everyone’s setup, Logitech maintains a toll-free tech support
line, available seven days a week, and a quick-response email support system.

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Summer 2005
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Powerful Online Database

One reason the setup is so easy is that Logitech has a comprehensive online database that
features information about tens of thousands of components and the infrared signals required to
control them. When users enter a component model number during setup, the Harmony wizard
matches it with infrared codes about that device already stored in the database. Those codes are
later downloaded into the remote.

The database is unique in that Harmony remote users actually provide most of the information
that exists in the database. During a Harmony remote user’s setup, the database occasionally
does not include information about a particular electronics component. The wizard walks the
user through a process that teaches the Harmony remote about the component. This involves
pointing the component’s original remote co ntrol toward the sensor in the back of the Harmony
remote, and pushing a short sequence of buttons. The Harmony remote captures those
commands, and then uploads them to the user’s online account where they are stored and can
be accessed or updated at any time. This new component information is validated by the
Harmony customer support team to make sure it is accurate, and is then uploaded into the
community database. The next time a Harmony customer enters that c omponent model
number, the device will be found in the database.

This community approach ensures that the database has the most current information on tens of
thousands of brands and models of consumer electronics components, new and old, popular and
obscure. It is never out of date.

The Logitech Harmony 880 Remote Reviewer’s Guide
Summer 2005
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3. The Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote 3. The Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote

The Harmony 880 remote is designed for anyone who is tired of juggling a plethora of remote

The Harmony 880 remote is designed for anyone who is tired of juggling a plethora of remote
controls in the living room, and for those who frustrated by universal remotes that require a

controls in the living room, and for those who frustrated by universal remotes that require a
lengthy sequence of steps and buttons to launch any activity. It’s also designed so that people

lengthy sequence of steps and buttons to launch any activity. It’s also designed so that people
can easily configure and update their remote withou t a technician to program it for them.

can easily configure and update their remote withou t a technician to program it for them.
Because the activity-based buttons are easy for everyone to understand, not just for the master

Because the activity-based buttons are easy for everyone to understand, not just for the master
of the entertainment center, the Harmony remote is simple to use for all family members – even

of the entertainment center, the Harmony remote is simple to use for all family members – even
the babysitter.

the babysitter.

Customizable Color LCD ScreenCustomizable Color LCD Screen

The most visible difference between the Harmony
880 remote and previous Harmony remotes is the
customizable color LCD screen. The screen provides
information that can be instrumental to the user as
he/she controls the entertainment center (see chart
at right). The screen can also be personalized in
several ways:

- Up to eight custom activities or controls can
be defined for each screen

- Background image can be uploaded from
PC

- Images for favorite channels can be
uploaded from PC

- Themes can be chosen that vary
appearance of icons/font

- Users can run slideshows of images
uploaded from PC

The Harmony 880 remote’s LCD displays
the following status information:

A. Date and time
B. Indicator if the USB is attached
C. Indicator when infrared (IR) commands are

being sent to devices

D. Battery indicator (battery’s power)
E. Current screen/Activity label
F. The number of screens available in a menu,

and the screen currently displayed

The Logitech Harmony 880 Remote Reviewer’s Guide
Summer 2005
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