Hello Remote Central users,

My name is Glen Harris, and I am the Chief Executive Officer of Easy Zapper Inc. We are based in Toronto, Canada, and we have created the world's best universal remote control. We would like to give you the chance to be a part of our Beta Test Program before our November retail launch.

The Harmony is the worlds first 'Internet Powered Remote Control'. This allows you to use your web browser to customize your Harmony online at www.HarmonyRemote.com. Configuration information is transferred to your Harmony through your computer's USB connection (Windows 98SE, ME, XP, 2000 currently supported with more to come).

The Harmony is a very simple-to-use remote control, with only a few buttons and a graphical LCD screen. It has hard buttons for commonly used functionality (Power On, Volume Up, Channel Down, etc), and uses an intuitive scroll switch (similar to that on the RIM BlackBerry) for access to advanced functionality (visit [Link: HarmonyRemote.com] to see a picture).

The Harmony is unique because it includes Smart State Technology (TM). This technology allows you to control your entertainment system as a *true* system without having to program macros. When you select an Activity such as 'Watch a DVD', the Harmony knows to turn on your television, receiver and DVD, set the correct inputs, and then press play. The Harmony is able to offer this advanced functionality even if your devices do not support discrete infrared codes!

With the Harmony, now anyone can easily use even the most complex home entertainment system.

For special applications, you can even use XML to gain access to the low-level platform. This makes it ideal for custom installations, or just to get that specialized behaviour you wish your current remote control had.

We will be launching the Harmony on November 1 in Canada at a retail price of CAD $299 (approx USD $200). We are offering the Harmony to Beta testers at CAD $150 (approx USD $100). In return, we expect to receive your feedback on the product, and suggestions as to how we can make it even better. We are looking for Beta testers who are technically proficient, and who are interested in playing with a truly advanced remote control (i.e. your typical Remote Central reader). We only have a limited number of places available in the Beta Test Program, so if you are interested please apply quickly.

To find out more about the Harmony, please go to www.HarmonyRemote.com. If you wish to become a Beta tester, click on the 'Buy' button to obtain one at the Beta Test Program price.

Thanks for reading this,

Glen Harris
Chief Executive Officer
Easy Zapper Inc.
[email protected]

Wow. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one of these babies! If half of what the company claims is true, this will be the Golden Answer to the WAF problem.

And mine, too, 'cause I'm tired of macros that require "discrete" codes that I don't have. This "SmartState" technology, if it's for real, doesn't care if your set has discretes... it "remembers" what state it's in. And what device it's connected to.

Keep your fingers crossed... ... Mike

While I am very interested in this remote, I can't see paying to beta test it. To be honest, the fact that you are using a dyanmic dns service for your web site concerns me a little. I'm not knocking the little guys, more power to you. However, $100 would buy me three rs-1994's which are gauranteed to work and yours may or may not work at all for me. I am really not trying to be negative, I just have a couple of concerns.

I am extrememly excited to see a commercial venture tackling an end user remote with a PC interface (and USB too!). I think that the web updateable part is very nice since it should always contain the most up to date list of components, but it should not be the only way to update the remote. There should be some client side piece that I can use should your site be unavailable for whatever reason. (ie. if your venture isn't successful, if my ISP goes out if business or has equipment failure, some idiotic virus/worm has the backbones slowed to a crawl, etc.)

If there is an oportunity to beta test that doesn't require an upfront cost, I would jump at the chance to help. Otherwise, I think I will wait and see what Daniel has to say about it. (I am assuming you are sending him one gratis, right?)

Either way, I honestly wish you luck with this,
descentr

P.S. I am intersted in the SmartState feature. If it works by remembering what codes it has sent, then what happens when your wife hits a button and then inadvertantly blocks part of the transmission? (this happens all the time at my house...)


This message was edited by descentr on 09/19/01 17:05.17.

I would have to agree with descentr. The prospect is very intriguing, especially the whole discrete code workaround..but $150 for a beta test....I bought Windows 95...

I truly hope that your business works, and if so, a lower end, less expensive model emerges.

regards

Prybar

P.S. - how bout doin like philips audio? have a random draw for 5 or 10 free testers...just an idea

This message was edited by prybar on 09/19/01 19:53.59.

descentr and prybar -

Your points are well taken, but for $100 (US), it looks like it's worth checking out (but then I'm a remote junkie). ;-)

We'll see how it works out.

What worries me the most is the number of buttons. How do you change from TV to video?. can you make change channels directly, or will you be stuck pressing chan.+ many times? What they wrote here got me very interested, but looking at the remote got me a bit worried. I also like the idea of internet programmability, but what would happen if 1) they update their product line, 2) they change company name, 3) they don't make it (i.e. is the remote useless without that specific web site)

Basically I find the info on their web site incomplete, and it leaves too many questions unanswered. It might be a great remote or a piece of useless junk, and there is no way to find out which one.

I went back to the site.
I guess I either missed or forgot that it can learn IR.

But I have two more questions
What is ZAP? (I know what they say, but how does it work)
and does the TV listing mean you have to download from the net on a daily basis?

Anthony,
It appears that you select "activities" rather than "devices", and you use the little scroll wheel thingy to select which one.
This could work quite well, but the lack of number keys could be a problem. Maybe you have to set up "Watch channel 7" and "watch channel 9" etc. as activities (can you ???).
Possibly they do require you to regularly log in, and download TV listings, so it knows what shows are on in your area right now (assume built in clock), and displays "watch Jeapordy/Auto Racing/Friends as shown on the web page. I could see that being a real pain for us non US users.

I agree, if they make software available to let the user do their own customisation WITHOUT HAVING TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE, this could be a great tool/toy.

Ric

It appears that you log on to download every two weeks. There are quick commands to take you to your channels; the LCD displays TV Guide-type listings; you don't even have to know the channels. You can use the scroll-wheel on the side to scan your shows, or you can jump through the channels. I agree, though: direct access to channels would seem like a must. However, this is some thinking that is definitely from the other side of the brain, so I'm hoping they know something we don't yet... ... Mike

The true stress-test for this puppy will be ReplayTV, if it can handle that it can handle anything.

Rob.

Just thought I would let all of you know my experiences as one of the first beta testers for this unit. I am not an audiophile but do like technology and am quite impressed with this device.

Configuring
Upon receiving it, I was able to config it relatively easily in under half an hour. Not too bad for the first go around. It has become dramatically easier since then. To the point of the relative layperson being able to do so out of the box quickly I'm told. A little bit of tweaking was needed to set up button delay times but that was not a big deal and from what I understand, this has been improved as well. Setting up the channels is easy as well. I live in Toronto and you simply select the cable company and level of package you have during the initial setup step-through.

Ease of use
Using the scroll wheel on the side to select desired operation (i.e. Watch DVD, Watch TV. Etc.) , once you have selected your choice, you simply click the wheel and all of your components are systematically switched on to the appropriate settings (i.e. TV on, TV input set to S-Video, Receiver ON, Receiver set to DVD, DVD on, etc). Now our baby sitters can watch DVD’s without the 15 minute tutorial on how to run my system, at the end of which, the usually decide to just watch TV. Occasionally, a command may be missed (something blocking a IR receiver like a person or foot) and the SmartState system gets out of sync. Not a big deal as you hit the HELP button and it steps you through a series of questions and corrects the problem.
I don’t click through channels anymore, much to the delight of my wife. THIS IS FANTASTIC. I simply look at the display screen on the device to view the current programs on by name (i.e. Seinfeld, Friends, NFL football ,etc) and click the wheel to select desired program. You can directly access specific channels if you want but I haven’t yet in a month and a half of using the Harmony. If there is nothing on the listings, I shut off the T.V. and don’t waste time.
The remote looks very simple as compared with ohter remotes on the market but that is its appeal to me. I can do everything that I need with out having to squint at minute buttons on my behemoth of a universal remote I had before.

Updating
To update the TV listings and any changes you might want to make. (display names, start channel for TV, etc) I simply plug it into the USB cable and I am automatically taken to the website to sign in to update the device. This process takes about 5 minutes at the most. The progress bar would freeze during the process when I first got the product but with new rev of the software, that have has been fixed.

Overall
A very intuitive product that does what it says it will do. It has certainly simplified my viewing and listening experiences.

brownman,
Thanks for the review. The help screens for when things get out of whack is a nice idea. That was one of the things I was curious about. So, do you get a lifetime subscription to guide data when you purchase the remote or is that something that will be an extra charge?

Also, as was asked above, how do you quickly jump to a certain channel?

descentr

descentr:
from what he said and the web site, I would guess you scroll on the LCD and pick the show you want.

browman: can this be configuered for any where? does it have satellite? does it have every NA cable company? does it do local stations (i.e. no cable or satellite)

Brownman's experience sounds very solid. I have had a little more trouble configuring the Harmony, probably because of the wide variety of Devices I have, and some variations in commands that not a lot of devices have: for example, my Onkyo receiver has discrete On/Off codes, but my RCA TV has BOTH discrete and On/Off toggles for Power. However, with a quick and direct response from the company, I was able to easily change the XML code used for this to consolidate my situation. And this is something that will be available eventually, they say, as a standard part of the online Wizards.

Also according to the company, in two weeks the TV Guide download lsitings will be available for all of North America. That's pretty amazing.

Now let me get back to watching and testing.... ... Mike

descentr,
Right now you have to update the unit every 4 day for new listing info. This will be extended to 2 weeks worth of data shortly from what I gather. This data is included with your purchase of the Harmony and isn't charged for. As for the future, you would have to phone the company but I haven't heard that they plan to charge extra for this.
As for toggling between channels, I just locate the the shows on the unit's display screen and click back and forth between them. I suggested that it would be valuable to have a Quickview button and I think they are looking at adding one, but nothing definite yet. If you want to view Channel 47 you can access it directly by selecting it from the "Advanced.." menu. I haven't used this method yet, but it is there if you want to use it. Using the TV guide menu or the Channel menu you can select either the specific show (Everyone Love Raymond) or the specific channel (ie. CNN, TNN, etc) respectively.

Hope this helps......brownman