Switch to AT&T Mobile ShareLogitech intros $250 Harmony Touch universal remote (hands-on) Video
Logitech intros $250 Harmony Touch universal remote (hands-on) Video Transcript
-Hi, I'm David Carnoy executive editor for CNET.com and I'm going to give you a quick video tour of the new Logitech Harmony Touch universal remote. This is the company's latest high end mile and it supports a 2.4-inch colored touchscreen and noticeably fewer buttons than other harmony remotes. The $250 clicker features the same web based programming and activity based controls that have made harmony remote so popular, but the focus here is clearly on the touchscreen, which takes up about a third of the length of the remote. The designers have made some interesting choices as far as the look and feel goes. It has a nice textured back. It's not like the backs that have that glossy finish that would attract fingerprints. The remote sits comfortably in your hand. I really like felt that said heavily used playback buttons like play, pause, fast forward, etc. have been moved from their centralized position to the very top of the remote. About that touchscreen, it's got QVGA resolution and looks reasonably sharp though it doesn't have nearly the resolution of some of today's smartphones and tablet screens. The touchscreen can be used just to select activities and devices plus access functions that don't have a dedicated button on the remote. What's also cool is that you could program the screen to respond to customize gestures such as simply swiping up and down the control volume. Clicking the favorite star on the remote brings up your list of favorite channels up 50 can be programmed then and you can add, edit and reorder your favorites right on the remote. The ability to make tweaks to the harmony touch is setup without using computer a feature exclusive to this remote. Well, that may seem like a minor feature making minor changes on current Harmony remotes is tedious process especially with the sluggish my Harmony site. Dedicated harmony fans will also appreciate that. You're my Harmony account can support multi remotes as well as import settings from an existing Harmony remote. The harmony touch also features a built in rechargeable battery that's supposed to give you about a week's worth of power with light to moderate use. With some previous Harmony models, you had to lay the remote down in its cradle to charge it. With this one, you prop it up vertically in its cradle, which is a nice change. High end Harmony fans will also note that the touch lacks RF capability, which means you cannot control devices that live inside the cabinet or a closet. Well, it should work with IR refuted accessories. It doesn't work with existing RF accessories that Logitech sells. So for Logitech, it hasn't said anything about doing a step up RF version of the touch, but it may be worth waiting for such a mile if you're setup warrants it. I'm David Carnoy and that's the first look at the Logitech Harmony touch remote. Thanks for watching.
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Logitech Harmony Touch Review
The good: Sleek universal remote with beautiful-looking design; large color touch screen with custom virtual buttons and numeric keypad; recognizes limited gestures; Web-programmable via Windows or Mac PCs, but can edit commands without having to connect a computer; rechargeable via the included cradle; controls up to 15 devices.
The bad: Much more expensive than the superior Harmony 650; poorly placed "transport" buttons; lacks dedicated forward and reverse skip keys; limited customization options for the touch screen; nonremovable battery; no RF compatibility.
The bottom line: The Harmony Touch can't justify the high price of its touch screen compared with traditional multibutton universal remotes.
Logitech Harmony Touch Specs
Manufacturer: Logitech
Part number: 915-000198
- Product Specifications
Logitech Harmony Touch Prices
Online stores
| Store | Certified rating | Inventory | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  Rate this store See store profile | In stock | $199.99 |
 | Rate this store See store profile | In stock | $199.99 |
| RadioShack.com | Rate this store See store profile | In stock | $249.99 |
| Abt Electronics | Rate this store See store profile | In stock | $249.99 |
| B&H Photo-Video | Rate this store See store profile | In stock | $199.99 |
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