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Sofa Surfers Dream Toys
How many remotes have you got floating around the coffee table? Now add in the ones that have disappeared down the back of the sofa. Does it feel like things are getting a little out of hand in remote-land? Finally, technology companies are delivering a selection of universal remotes that take the fuss out of managing your entertainment. But with such power comes much responsibility. Jayme Wallace takes a sofa-surf with two leading offerings. Logitech Harmony One (RRP $413) When the first TV remote control, called "Lazy Bones," was developed by Zenith in the 1950's, the Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote would have been classed as alien technology. And after tinkering with this stylish, user friendly, yet heavily customizable device, I don't think I’ll use more than one remote ever again. Where can I start? As soon as the Harmony One comes out of the packaging it stands out. Ergonomically designed, it moulds to your hand ready for hours of channel surfing, volume changing or whatever else you may choose to do. The bright LCD touch-screen is a great addition, combining the modern aspects of the newer Harmony 1000 without discarding the more 'classic' familiar button feel. You'll never find yourself searching for new batteries either, as the Harmony One comes with a charging cradle for its rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. I noticed that the cradle has an adjustable lamp too, for all those nocturnal viewers out there (when the best TV is on!). Logitech spent six months researching which keys to put on the remote and where to place them. It was worth the effort as after a short while, I was able to control basic functions without even looking at the remote. Installation was a breeze. The only issue I can see is that you need a computer with an internet connection to setup. Sadly, if you happened to be stranded with your home entertainment system on an island and a package containing the Harmony One floated along, you would probably have more fun with the packaging. On the upside, computer compatibility allows upgradeability, meaning years down the track after new technology is made, Logitech will continue to provide the Harmony One with definitions to control these new-comers. The option of configuring up to 15 devices using an extensive online database made things really easy. I simply installed the software provided, plugged in the USB connector and punched in the model number of my device and we were away. After the initial configuration, I then chose to delve further into the software to see what it was really capable of. This is where the activities function shone. Most universal remotes have trouble handling multiple devices with a single button. Not this one. Turn on the TV and DVD player, change inputs, switch through aspect ratios, enable subtitles and surround sound all consecutively with one touch of the touchpad. The 'learning' function has not been forgotten even though I didn’t have to use it often. The help function also impressed me. It asked me questions about what was wrong, and offered up ways to fix the problem. Simply answer a few questions and I was done reconfiguring. Reason to buy? I think so. Logitech has taken every aspect of 'remote logistics' into consideration and created a masterpiece with the Harmony One. I've never seen something that leaves its competitors and counterparts so far behind. It’s so user friendly that even the most electronically challenged will have no trouble getting it going. Philips Prestigo (RRP $329) Sporting a crystal clear 2” TFT screen, Philips have provided functionality and looks straight out of the packaging. With an extensive preloaded infrared database and learning capabilities, I could connect and control up to 15 devices and even add in any additional functions I wanted along the way. The entire unit is backlit, very brightly I might add, so you will never have to fumble around trying to find a button in the dark. During configuration for my devices, everything was going swimmingly until I reached my Xbox. The definitions were there, but not all buttons were responding, which meant I had to manually teach the remote some of the function keys. After this everything continued to run smoothly although I was a bit mystified as to why the ‘OK’ button located directly in the centre of the unit was not used for selection. Instead a button located underneath the directional pad was the selection button. Initially this was quite confusing but a visual alert on the display directed me to the correct button. Other handy tips also helped along the way, making the remote very useful for the not so ‘tech-savvy’. My main quarrel with it is the lack of ‘macro’ functionality. It is possible to run a series of commands for different devices, say if you wanted to turn on the television, switch to AV, turn on the amplifier and adjust the volume with one button, but this tends to backfire as I couldn’t revert back to the previous device as easily as I expected. Looking at the Philips Prestigo SRU 8015 overall, it’s a good looking (if a tad long), sturdy, easy to configure remote that saves time and effort for a wide variety of electronics. So if you’re looking for a way to ‘consolidate your remotes’ without the need for complex button activity, this isn’t a bad option at all. 
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