BluWave Infrared Remote Review

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(More customer reviews)After having used a Harmony 676 to control all my devices, I was not happy when I needed to use the PS3 controller to control Blu Ray movie watching.

This remote's dongle does the job in letting my Harmony 676 control the PS3. There was one problem that almost led me to return the remote however, and I wanted to mention the solution here.

Problem (for Harmony remotes):
On the PS3 XMB (Cross Media Bar), the directional buttons would move the selection several spots for each key press. I read several posts and tried teaching & re-teaching the Harmony. I tried teaching using the "Raw" IR learning but that would slow down the response from the PS3 to each key press.

Solution:
Within the Harmony program, go to Devices->PS3 and select "troubleshoot" under device options.
Select "Show me more problems" (last choice).
Then select the choice "PS3 doesn't appear to receive every command correctly," and the select "The device responds too much to some commands (for example, volume up increases the volume too quickly)."
In the screen with the radio buttons, select '0'.
Save & update the remote and everything the directional buttons will work perfectly.

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Product Description:
Easily control the next generation of home entertainment with the Blue-Wave Remote from Nyko. The Blu Wave allows you to easily control the playback of Blu-Ray movies, DVDs and CDs on the PlayStation 3 console. Utilizing infrared technology, the Blue Wave can navigate system and movie menus, skip chapters or tracks, pause and play a movie or music and replicate other PlayStation 3 controller functionality from up to 25 feet away. The compact USB IR receiver plugs into any open USB port for easy set up requiring no complicate software, pairing or programming. The Blue Wave is powered by 2 AA batteries (included).

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Logitech Harmony Xbox 360 Remote Review

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(More customer reviews)Pros: Easy to use, easy to program, supports Xbox 360 out-of-the-box

Cons: Some of the usual Harmony buttons are missing, small number pad takes some getting used to, Expensive

This is not my first Harmony remote.Even though I don't yet have a 360 (I know I'll be getting one sooner or later), I decided to go ahead and upgrade so that I could pass my older Harmony 688 on to a relative who really could use it.As soon as I heard about this remote, I knew I had to have one.As someone who is excited about the Media Center Extender abilities of the new Xbox 360 (because I've been looking for a way to hear my multiple gigabytes of mp3's and wma's through my home theater's sound system), I was thrilled to find out that I'd be able to use a Harmony remote to control the 360.

I really need say only one thing about this remote (or any other Harmony remote, for that matter), and that is that once you've used this device for a week or two, you'll wonder how you ever got along without one.Sure, I've got small gripes about the Harmony 360.Because of the added Xbox 360 compatibility, some of the buttons usually present on other Harmony remotes (such as Sound, Picture, Page Up/Down, and dedicated Activity buttons) have been replaced by the YXAB buttons necessary to emulate the Xbox 360 controller's inputs.Additionally, the number pad feels as if it's been squished into the bottom of the remote; the number buttons are extremely small and very tightly packed together, and I've already inadvertently switched to the wrong channel several times.And then there's the price: $130 initially seems a bit high for a remote.However, I firmly believe--and I don't say this lightly--that this remote is worth every penny of its price tag (even without the $30 rebate for 360 owners).Ultimately, these gripes are very minor drawbacks to one of the best universal remote controllers ever.

The biggest draw of the Harmony remote--and what sets it apart from the other 99% of universal remotes available today--is its simplicity.Whereas other universal remotes have a dizzying array of buttons and modes for individually controlling every component of a home theater system, the Harmony keeps things simple by operating a home theater the way it should be operated: by understanding and executing the activities that the user wishes to experience.When I want to watch DirecTV, for example, I simply press the large Activities button at the top of the Harmony remote, which then displays all of the available activities on the backlit, easy-to-read screen.I then press the button next to the option for "Watch DirecTV," at which time the remote turns on my television and switches to the Video 1 input, turns on my home theater system and switches it to the Video 1 input, and then turns on my DirecTV reciever.

What's even better is that the remote's "Smart State Technology" is cognizant of the power status (on/off) and current input setting (video 1/2/3/etc) of all of my devices, so that I always get to do what I want when I press that Activity button.And even when something isn't quite right (such as having the sound system set to the wrong input, resulting in no audio--which occasionally happens), the remote's Help button guides the user through a step-by-step troubleshooting procedure that even the most technologically impaired can use, by asking questions such as "Is the stereo receiver on?" or "Is the stereo receiver set to the Video 1 input?"As soon as you press the "no" button, the remote then changes the input of the stereo receiver and asks, "Did that fix the problem?"Because of this activity-based functionality and intuitive help system, my wife can operate our fairly complex home theater system like a pro, even though she doesn't have the first clue as to how each component is connected to all of the others.For those of you who have friends and family who are "technologically challenged" (and you know that we all do), this is the perfect gift.

The remote's setup couldn't be any easier, either.Programming the remote is accomplished using Logitech's web-based software and a mini-USB cable (included in the box).You simply input the brand and model number of each of the components you desire to control with the Harmony, and the software automatically configures all of the buttons and settings, in addition to suggesting which "Activities" (such as Watch TV, Play Xbox, Watch a DVD, Listen to CDs, Play Radio, etc) it can setup for you on the remote.After initial setup, the software allows you to add and remove devices, activities, and even individual button functions, so if one feature is working exactly as you'd planned you can manually "teach" the Harmony a specific command from that device's own remote and program it to a specific button.I, for instance, wanted my Harmony's "back" button to jump to the previous channel on my DirecTV receiver, so adding the new command was as simple as pointing my DirecTV remote at my Harmony, telling the web-based software to learn a new command, and then pressing the "back" button on my original DirecTV remote.Voila!

THe design, styling, and fit-and-finish of the Harmony 360 remote are top-notch.Even though I prefer the TiVo-esque design and button layout of my old Harmony 688, the 360 remote is nice; and it's definitely sleeker and sexier-looking than the 688 (or just about any other Harmony remote, for that matter).It also has a nice, solid, and substantial feel to it; it doesn't feel as if it's simply made of flimsy, brittle plastics.Bottom line: if you're home theater setup includes more than just a television and an Xbox 360, then go buy this remote now.If you don't have an Xbox 360 but your home theater has more than one or two components, then go buy this or any other Harmony remote now.Truly, the greatest products and technologies are those that are so successful that we can't imagine how we ever got along without them (the Web, anyone?), and this remote definitely falls into this category.

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Product Description:
MODEL- 966200 VENDOR- LOGITECH INC.

FEATURES- Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360- Silver
All the right one-touch activity buttons for your Xbox--and your
entire home entertainment system!
The Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360 makes gaming
easy. Simply choose "Play Xbox 360" and the Harmony will
automatically power on your TV, Xbox 360 and stereo receiver, then
set all the inputs, and even press "Play"!Logitechs patented
Smart State Technology gives you one-touch control over your
console.
And like all Logitech Harmony remotes, the Harmony 360 helps make
home entertainment accessible to the entire family. An intuitive
setup wizard will walk you through the steps to configure the
remote for your audio/video system. An online database containing
the remote codes for more than 2,500 manufacturers and 80,000
devices ensures that your Harmony Advanced Universal Remote will be
compatible with your favorite components.
Includes Harmony Remote, USB cable, Installation CD, Installation
guide, (4) AAA batteries.
* Use the special Xbox buttons. The Harmony 360 includes convenient Y, X,
A, and B buttons and media center controls for your Xbox gaming.
* Control your devices: past, present and future!The Harmony 360 gives
you full control of up to 12 devices. The Logitech database contains over
2,500 manufacturers and over 80,000 IR devices -- everything from HDTVs
to PVRs, DVD players to VCRs, and game consoles to lighting controls! The
database is updated daily, so it is guaranteed to work with all models
and manufacturers.
* Set it up in a snap!The Harmony Set-up Wizard does the programming, so
you do not have to. Just connect your remote to your computer and answer
a few quest

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PS3 Blu-Link Universal Remote Control Review

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(More customer reviews)Before I get into my thoughts on the Blu-Link remote, I'll start by saying that I've purchased and returned two Logitech Harmony universal remotes.The Harmony Xbox 360 remote and the almighty Harmony One to be precise.These are the only products I've ever returned on Amazon.com.They were nice enough remotes to look at, and the computerized setup was convenient.I just couldn't get past the delay in button presses.No matter how you set the inter-device or inter-key delay for the remote, there is a noticeable delay between pressing a button and seeing the result.(For example: Holding down the volume button for an A/V receiver for a few seconds would result in about 3-4 extra commands after you let go of the button. Annoying)I am far from the only user to be bothered by this, as a quick Google search can yield innumerable results on the topic.

The Blu-Link remote doesn't have a computerized setup, a display, or a charging station.I give it 5 stars nonetheless.It does what it's supposed to do, and does it at a reasonable price.Using the supplied codes, I had my PS3, Samsung TV, Onkyo A/V receiver, and DirecTV HD-DVR up and running MOST of the way within a couple of minutes.I then spent 5, count 'em, 5 minutes using the remote's "learning" feature to fill in the remaining functionality.Notably, I ran into the same problem that another reviewer had with my A/V receiver, in that it would power it on, but not off.Teaching the Blu-Link the Onkyo remote's power code directly alleviated this problem.Various other commands were learned from my old Onkyo remote, but the DVR and TV were good to go using only the supplied codes.The volume master feature works as it should, sending all volume commands to the AUX input, the Onkyo receiver.The manual also explains how to set up a master volume device, but to also be able to control the TV's volume when you're on the TV input.(I mention this after seeing another reviewer's frustration with trying to do that)

Now, for the reason I was so excited about this remote in the first place:The ability to control the PS3.I can tell you that it works flawlessly.Power on, power off, video/music playback, menu navigation, just about everything you can do with the PS3 controller can be done with the Blu-Link remote.To power on, you simply hit the PS3 input selector.To power off, you hold the "Home" button, just like you would on a PS3 controller, and select "Power off device".Simple!The only ommission I've seen is the lack of "L" and "R" buttons.The only use I would have for them is webpage back/forward keys, (which is still easily done by hitting "triangle" and selecting it from the menu) but since I don't do much web browsing on the PS3 it's not a big deal.

The finish of the remote is very attractive, and I find the button layout to be very comfortable.Be aware that the buttons are quite small, namely the number keys and transport buttons. (FF, RW, etc.)Those with large hands may have problems.

I spent less than 10 minutes setting up this remote to control all of my components, and have been loving it in the time since.Yes, I have to manually adjust inputs when watching a movie instead of hitting a singular "Activity" key, but I also don't have to deal with the delays present in Logitech remotes.The PS3 control is fantastic, and you can get the Blu-Link remote for $10 less than the price of the Logitech PS3 adapter alone!

If you're unhappy with Harmony remotes, and you're a PS3 owner, this is a no-brainer.Buy it now!

Click Here to see more reviews about: PS3 Blu-Link Universal Remote Control

Product Description:
The first remote control to use both Bluetooth to control the PS3 and Infrared to control the other devices in your entertainment center. Built-In Bluetooth radio for controlling Sony PlayStation3. Built-In IR for controlling numerous models of TVs, VCRs, DVDs, DVRs, surround sound systems, cable, satellite and set top boxes. Replace up to six different remote controls. Pre-programmed to support numerous models of TVs, VCRs, DVDs, DVRs, surround sound systems, cable, satellite and set top boxes. Learn codes from other remote controls

Get 38% OFF

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