Whats this remote like in a dark environment does the LCD display enough light to see it clearly and what about the backlit buttons are they as good as the 880 or better ??? Are all the buttons that soft feel unlike the 880 where you had to press quite firm???

Also, how strong is the signal? I have always found the 885 somewhat lacking in this respect and needed direct line of sight to be sure it worked. Never had this problem with cheapo remotes.

Ditto...my 880, despite setting all the key press delays to their minimum, has a terrible delay on my DirecTV HR10-250 as compared to the included peanut remote. Unfortunately, the 880 is only used now to turn everything on and off. The peanut remote has been resurrected for regular TV use. Hope the "ONE" is better is this regard. Will upgrade to HR20/21 receivers soon, so I don't know if my problem will go away anyway one i change receiver type.

And please tell me those nice looking buttons aren't "clicky".

Someone said the buttons on the Harmony One reminded them of the MX500/850. That would be great if true, but I think we need more reports on that.


Have you heard if or when we might see the option to upload our own button images for different functions?

Not entirely true; TiVo remotes have some colored buttons.

...and where's the "device" button?

What about the device button page(s). How many buttons and labeling restrictions, ability to assign custom button shapes or colors?

Can any owner please post a photo of a typical device. Thanks.

I think you know what I mean.

Most remotes probably have colored buttons. Take the Dish Network remote. The rewind button is red, the replay button is green, the 30s skip button is yellow, the fast forward button is light blue. The transport buttons are dark blue. The power button is light red.

But those colors have nothing to do with the functions. The colors are not used to perform other functions. They are just there to make them easy to differentiate for the customer.

It is really the same thing with TiVo. TiVo uses yellow for the pause button, red for the record button, green for the thumbs+ button, and red for the thumbs- button. The colors just exist to make the functions stand out for the customer and on the help screens.

In the UK, I understand that colored buttons are used for completely unrelated tasks. A green button might switch video angles on one program, cast a certain vote in another, and select a menu in the IPG.

For those who really want colored buttons, those are now possible on the Harmony One LCD. LCD buttons are no longer simply text, as with past Harmony remotes. Users can now choose from various button graphics, and I would assume that red, green, blue, and yellow buttons are among those choices.

Looks like it has hard plastic buttons which is a letdown for me. I always prefer soft buttons, ala the 550.

The devices button is now on the bottom of the LCD with the main activity screen.

Here's a shot of a "Play Game" activity. Note the buttons on the LCD. You are no longer limited to text.


Click image for source.

If you want round colored buttons, just stick those on the LCD. :)

I just returned from the CES and played with the Harmony One. I have an 880 and prefer the look and feel of the new One. No it doesn't have color buttons, but the remote buttons are layed out much better. The LCD screen is a huge improvement.

I asked a rep about Bluetooth and he said that other than Sony, there really isn't any else using it for remote functionality. Seems like a lot of $$$ added just to please Sony.

He also said that the remote will retail for $249, the same as the 880. They should be on shelves by the end of February. This remote won an award at the CES, I forget what the award was for exactly.

Phillips also won an award for a new Pronto that looks very similar to the new Harmony. The Pronto does have the color buttons. It will also retail for $249 but I forget the model number. Anyone know?

I'd like to see a comparison of these two remotes.

I don't see any mention of any new functionality. I looks to me like baisically an 800 will a touch screen and a new button layout.

Can it do "real" macros for example (not just a seq of 5 command with no pause)?

In other words, is there any reason for me to replace my 880 with this new remote other than it looks better?

All Harmony remotes use the same software, so any improvements there should apply to all models.

If you are satisfied with the ergonomics of the 880, then I see no reason to upgrade.

Personally, I can't stand the button layout or feel on the 880. When I say feel, I'm not just talking about the balance. I'm talking about the buttons -- the size, the spacing, the pressure and feedback when pressed, the ability to locate them by feel without looking down, etc.

To me, ergonomics is the most important 'feature' of a remote. Improved ergonomics is the primary reason why I buy new remotes.

I agree. I'm happy with the functionality of the 880, but the ergonomics is lacking. The One solves this as far as I'm concerned. I'll probably spring for it. I played with it for about 30 minutes at the CES and to me, it is a worthwhile upgrade.