Logitech Reveals Harmony 1100 RF Remote

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Looking for a universal remote that compliments your amazing home theater setup that you brag to all of your friends about? Well, you don’t have bragging rights until you get the new Harmony 1100 remote.

Looking for a universal remote that compliments your amazing home theater setup that you brag to all of your friends about? Well, you don’t have bragging rights until you get the new Harmony 1100 remote.

The Logitech Harmony 1100 is the successor to the Harmony 1000, now offering a new sleek, black anodized aluminum casing and ability to customize the 3.5-inch touch-screen display with your own buttons and menus for certain conditions.

One of the biggest features added in the Harmony 1100 over the 1000 is the support for RF (Radio Frequency) based control instead of just standard IR (Infra-Red) based control. Like the previous 1000 model, and like other Harmony remotes, the Harmony 1100 continues to sync with your computer via USB utilizing the Harmony remote software, which gives users access to an extremely large database to aid in the configuration stages. Even the most oddball devices are in their database. I once purchased a couple of obscure oscillating pole-fans for the summer which came with remote controls, they too were in the Harmony remote database - needless to say I spent a lot of the summer using my thumb around the house.

The RF capability is a nice addition to the remote, and you can even purchase an RF extender separately from Logitech to boost the range. Some home automation systems come with RF based controls, so if you have such a system, the Harmony 1100 can be configured to turn on/off your lights, turn up/down the heat or air conditioning, etc – possibilities are pretty vast here. The RF capability may also attract the modding community - if it turns out to be possible, there could be custom firmware popping up within a year, although this is just a guess at this point.

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Logitech plans to start shipping the device this February and its website currently has the MSRP listed at $499.00 – a little steep, but for someone who would enjoy it, price is not a factor. The Harmony 1100 should also be present at CES where we hope to get some hands-on time with it.

More from CES 2009

Original source.

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9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • josh jones
    mis-information..
    logitech's harmony 890 and 1000 used a RF technology called, "Z-Wave" to control devices with out line of sight.
    Reply
  • Yes that is true, but the 890 cannot use RF to control a home theater component such as a DirecTV HR20.
    Reply
  • neiroatopelcc
    Is there an option to automaticly 'hide' all newcommer posts? oh well.
    Sounds like a cool device, but price is very very much a factor.
    I'd love to give my mom one of those (wheelchair user), so she didn't need a remote for the wallplugs, one for the various tv and other things (that never quite worked as advertised), and all those other remotes she has. But at that price, it's just too expensive for replacing a bunch of remotes that are already multifunction ones.
    Reply
  • Railgun1369
    The next best option is the Harmony One. Granted it's not going to control anything RF, but in most cases, how many have a need for that kind of control? It's just as customizable as the 1100, touch screen, and looks just as slick. I've never been a fan of PDA style remotes anyway. I'm all about one handed operation, plus it's a lot faster to get to where you need to go. And yes, I have a One and of the several Harmony remotes I've had, hands down it's the best.
    Reply
  • xsamitt
    Well it's a mixed bag really..........First the remote when first out made us lazy......Now even a regular remote isn't good enough.Where does it end.You know what....When they come out with a remote that connects to the forehead and doesn't need me to press buttons,then I'm in.Hey ...If I'm gonna be lazy ...I want to be ultra lazy ...In Style of course.
    Reply
  • neiroatopelcc
    xsamittWell it's a mixed bag really..........First the remote when first out made us lazy......Now even a regular remote isn't good enough.Where does it end.You know what....When they come out with a remote that connects to the forehead and doesn't need me to press buttons,then I'm in.Hey ...If I'm gonna be lazy ...I want to be ultra lazy ...In Style of course.
    I get your point, but there are many reasons for remotes - not only being lazy. Anyway, being lazy isn't a bad thing. If people weren't inclined to seek the easiest way to get a job done (and shifting channel on your tv is a job in this regard), we'd still be in the middle ages or so. Industrialization depends on people being lazy to invent something that enables them to actually be lazy. Compare it with batch scripts in old operating systems - they weren't nessecary for anything to work, but they made life just a tad easier. Remotes do a similar job. And a modern wscript is the equivalent of multifunction remote. And by now it's become something you need, not just something you want.
    Reply
  • xsamitt
    Neiroatopelcc........And I also agree with what you say as well.I do see your point too.I use remotes every day.It's just the price that left put me off.Not that I can't buy one....or 10 of them today for that matter.Of course it's not going to be a mass product at that price point,rather one that is available to the masses.As we speak I have a new T.V with guess what A remote included...And I admit I looking forward to using it everyday..LOL.

    All good my friend.
    Reply
  • neiroatopelcc
    I'm not even using my tv, so I wouldn't need the remote to be honest. But for my parents it'd be great really. If they'd have one of those each, they wouldn't need to worry about where they put which one last time they used it. But as you say, the price is too high for it to truely be an interesting product.
    Reply
  • clist
    While the 890 cannot *directly* control devices via RF, the RF receiver is an IR repeater. You put the IR transmitter things in the same cabinet with your components and the RF gets converted to IR that goes to the components. It's a cool system for multi-room AV or when you want to have your AV gear out of site. It also allows you to change things while looking at the remote and pointing it at the ceiling instead of having to point it at the TV.

    The downside to 890 is the absolutely horrible cradle that you have to put it in to charge it - since it doesn't make good contact and ends up blinking and beeping over and over.

    I really wish they'd made the One with RF since I think they finally "got it right" with that model. I may still get one and use an IR extender/repeater with it.

    I too think PDA style remotes are a joke. I want to be able to feel the buttons and hold the thing in one hand while I use the other to hold my margarita. Perhaps they'll release an RF version of the One this year...

    Cheers,
    CList
    Reply