Logitech discontinues Harmony remotes
 

Oh dear

https://betanews.com/2021/04/10/logi...rmony-remotes/

Re: Logitech discontinues Harmony remotes
 

Bugger, I was looking at getting a Harmony set up when my job situation changed

Re: Logitech discontinues Harmony remotes
 

I have one of the newer Harmony remotes but never used it, but their hub is a godsend when used with Alexa, phones and tablets. Which is the reason it has made the remote totally redundant so no surprise they're now being discontinued.

Re: Logitech discontinues Harmony remotes
 

I've not seen anything to explicitly say that the Harmony Hub isn't also being discontinued - the Logitech announcement implies it's their entire Harmony brand they're closing.

Re: Logitech discontinues Harmony remotes
 

I have a Logitech Harmony remote controlling my TV, Tivo and Apple TV in the living room. I hesitate to call it a "AV setup" because that implies I have a Home Cinema, which I don't.

I think the problem the Harmony has is that most AV devices now days have some sort of option to control them via either an App, or some sort of home assistant (like Alexa or Google Assistant), so now, rather that hunting for a remote, you can either just speak your commands, or use your phone or tablet.

I like the remote because while, most of the time, I do use the app on my phone to control the devices, that's not always convenient.

There are a few reasons for that.

First, I might have friends or family round. Sometimes, watching TV, I like to give them the choice of what to watch. Now, I can give them my phone, but might not want them having access to all my personal data, even though I do trust them.

Second, my LG TV is connected via WiFi (I'll be switching to Ethernet soon, but it's not currently possible due to a lack of sockets near the TV and the fact I don't want to trail cables). The problem is, the TV doesn't always reliably connect to Wifi when it comes off standby mode. The standard LG App doesn't support waking up the TV via the App either. The odd thing here is that the TV *does* respond to WOL packets, and will come out of standby mode for them. A standard remote doesn't require any of that, and just works.

Third, I don't have a speaker such as an Amazon Echo (don't like the reports of them listening in, even though I don't routinely say anything that would be of any interest to outsiders), so I am limited to using my phone or tablet. The problem is, these are not always charged. The logitech remote works for months on two AAAs and if they are low, I can swap them out in seconds.

Re: Logitech discontinues Harmony remotes
 

The actual hub can learn IR setups which is handy if you have remotes that are dying, then just use Alexa, phones or tablets. Mainly to to say things 'Alexa pause TV' etc is really handy. The actual remote though is just too advanced for its own good, I just can't be bothered to learn it, I don't want to go through menus just to change a channel etc. My previous Harmony 515 remote is still going strong, I think they went down hill from then on.

As for access to personal data or Alexa listening in, well that kind of thing doesn't bother me, they ain't going to get anything exciting out of me so I ain't the paranoid type nor have anything to hide so they can fill their boots for all I care.

Re: Logitech discontinues Harmony remotes
 

Well its not quite the end of the world :)
I have managed to get by without 'Harmony' (never even heard of it until now).