Logitech Harmony 720 review: Logitech Harmony 720

Editor's Note (February 19, 2009): The rating on this product has been changed due to competitive changes in the marketplace. Readers interested in this product should compare it to the more recent Logitech Harmony One.

The Logitech Harmony 880 was the first Harmony remote to feature a color screen and a built-in rechargeable battery along with a docking station. Overall, we liked the design of that model, as well as its nearly identical RF-capable (radio frequency) sibling, the Harmony 890. But as soon as Logitech came out with its thinner, sleeker 2006 line of monochrome Harmony models--the 520, the 550, and the Advanced Remote Control for Xbox 360, we knew it was only a matter of time before the company found a way to throw a color screen and a rechargeable battery into the new, slim chassis. And now it has.

Priced at $200 (list), the Logitech Harmony 720, like the less-expensive Harmony 520, is currently sold at discount stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco. Measuring 8.1 inches long by 2.1 inches wide and less than an inch thick, the 6-ounce 720 is a little more than an inch longer than the Harmony 520, 550, and Xbox 360 remotes. As noted, the biggest difference between this model and those is the color screen and the rechargeable lithium ion battery.

The LCD is larger than that on many of Harmony's monochrome models. The increased screen real estate offers room for a total of six contextual icons (vs. four on the aforementioned models), corresponding to adjacent hard buttons. This LCD is also slightly sharper and brighter than the Harmony 880's and 890's, but those models accommodate eight contextual icons on their screens.

The 128x160 color LCD screen is still fairly low-resolution, but it's certainly a step up from a monochrome screen: The activity-based icons are now a little cleaner-looking and easier to read in color than in grayscale.

For the 880 and 890, Logitech went with all hard-plastic buttons--generally a good thing, though buttons such as the video-transport keys (record, play, rewind, fast-forward, pause, and stop) and the 12-digit keypad were still spaced very close to each other, so it was hard to operate those remotes by feel alone. In this design, the number of hard buttons has been reduced, but the overall button layout is again pretty well thought out, and we appreciated that all the buttons are either backlit or glow in the dark.

If you look at the 720 next to the 550, you'll notice that Logitech has moved the main video transport buttons lower down on the remote, which puts them within closer reach of your thumb. The only drawback is that those buttons, as well as those that make up the numeric keypad at the bottom of the remote, are small. We're also a little disappointed that, even though the 720 is longer, it doesn't have the 550's extra row of four buttons--directly below the numeric keypad--that can be mapped to corresponding functions (sound, picture) or specialized keys that relate to your cable or satellite box. (DVRs often require confirmation keystrokes for playback and recording.) And finally, there have been some reports that text labels printed on the case under the transport control buttons have worn off after a couple of weeks of use. (We didn't experience this problem in our three-day trial, but we can see how the paint could rub off. On other models, such as the 550, the labels for the transport buttons are under a sheet of clear plastic).

Like the 880 and 890, the Logitech Harmony 720 includes a docking station for juicing up the included rechargeable lithium-ion battery; you simply place the remote in its cradle. Not only is it nice to have a recharging option to save dough on batteries, but if you're good about leaving the remote in its cradle, you'll always know where it is when you need it. If we had one complaint, it's that we wish the remote would lock into its cradle a little more securely. As it stands, the remote looks really nice sitting in the cradle--the dock and remote mesh well together and keep a low profile, but if you jostle the dock (beware of the curious child), the remote ends up dislodging from its charging connectors a little too easily and thus fails to recharge. Hopefully, Logitech can someday move to a magnetic-style charger or add some mechanism that gives you the option of clamping the remote to the dock.

As with all of Logitech's new remotes, this model features a motion sensor, so that when you pick up the remote, it automatically turns on. You can also easily add your own digital images as backgrounds and screensavers--there's a slide-show feature--though we found that we had to crop our images into vertical shots or they'd appear hideously stretched on the screen. And it really isn't a good idea to have a picture as a background because it makes the icons difficult to read; you're better off sticking with the default blue background.

In terms of programming the remote, the 720 works in the same way that other Harmony remotes do. As we noted in our earlier reviews, programming a universal remote can be a frustrating and time-consuming process, involving punching a series of multidigit codes for each component in your A/V system. By contrast, Harmony remotes are programmed by connecting them to your Internet-connected Windows PC or Mac with the supplied USB cable, installing the model-specific version of Harmony software, and answering a fairly simple online questionnaire on the company's Web site. You simply choose your home-theater components from a list; explain how they're connected; and define their roles in activity-based functions, such as Watch TV, Watch DVD, and Listen to Music. For each function, you specify which devices and inputs the remote must enable. You can also choose which keypad functions will punch through to which specific devices--always having the channel buttons control the cable box or the volume controls dedicated to the TV, for instance. After you've completed the questionnaire, the software uploads all the relevant control codes to the 720.

As user-friendly as the remote generally is, some users may encounter a few snags when initially setting up their remotes. Luckily, the Logitech customer service is generally very good when you run into problems, but eventually the company should make some improvements to its software system. One of the problems is you can either use the company's desktop software--it's compatible with Macs and Windows-based PCs--or work through a Web-based interface; different remotes are compatible with different software versions. From time to time, Logitech offers firmware upgrades for specific remotes, as well as upgrades to the Harmony desktop software. That's all well and good, but there's currently no way to manage multiple Harmony remotes on the same account; you're required to create separate user accounts, with separate names and passwords, for each of them. You should be able to manage them all under one master account.

As we said in our earlier reviews of Harmony remotes, if you have a complicated system, you can expect to spend some time fine-tuning the remote to get it to work just right. A certain amount of trial and error is involved. You must verify that the commands work with your equipment as intended, then modify them as necessary. The Web site provides advanced, macro-style options for delay times, multistep commands, and other functions. Also, the remote's Help key aids in troubleshooting by asking natural-language questions on the LCD. For instance, the screen might read, "Is the digital set-top box on?" And Logitech's customer support--both via e-mail and telephone--is, for the most part, very helpful.

As for performance, the IR (infrared) is strong; you don't actually have to point the remote directly at your equipment to get it to respond. But unlike RF, IR can't penetrate walls, doors, and other obstructions, so if you have equipment hidden in cabinets or closets, your best choice--until Logitech comes out with an RF version of the 720--is the Harmony 890, which carries a much heftier price tag.

Battery life is decent enough--Logitech says you should be able to go a week or more without recharging, but obviously, if you leave the unit in its cradle, the battery will remain fully juiced. It's also worth noting that the battery is replaceable, so when it eventually wears out--and it will--you'll be able swap a new one in.

It's worth noting that the 720 is available in Europe as the Logitech Harmony 785--that model is essentially identical except for four extra Teletext buttons that are used for European interactive TV functions that aren't standard on this side of the Atlantic. Furthermore, if you like the 720 but want a slightly different design and a larger color screen, check out the Harman Kardon TC30, which is really just a Logitech Harmony sold under the HK name. The TC30's design resembles a stretched-out version of the Harmony 550, but like the 720, it offers a color screen and a rechargeable battery/cradle. Most notably, it's widely available for well below its $300 list price.

Nitpicks aside, the 720's sleeker design and slighter better color screen left us preferring it to the older Harmony 880, and the $200 list price seems right in line with what you're getting, if not something of a bargain. There's always room for improvement, and we're sure Logitech is already plotting new design tweaks to upcoming models, but the 720 certainly is a fine remote that's another step forward for the Harmony brand.

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