Got HarmonySST 659 today!!
PolkThug
Posts: 7,532
Took all of 8 minutes to program every component in my home theater, including macros!!! Truly effin amazing. I probably could have done it faster if I had written down all of my model numbers first. 
The macros are conveniently named "Watch a movie", "Watch TV", "Listen to Music", and they all worked! It turns on the components you need and turns off the components you're not using. The Internet setup makes it so easy.
The remote itself is very solid. My other 5 remotes are going into storage now. Well, I've got some playing to do, so off I go for now.
(The other universal remote I tried was a Phillips touch screen, which I returned)
very happy,
PolkThug
The macros are conveniently named "Watch a movie", "Watch TV", "Listen to Music", and they all worked! It turns on the components you need and turns off the components you're not using. The Internet setup makes it so easy.
The remote itself is very solid. My other 5 remotes are going into storage now. Well, I've got some playing to do, so off I go for now.
(The other universal remote I tried was a Phillips touch screen, which I returned)
very happy,
PolkThug
Post edited by PolkThug on
Comments
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I may just have to snag one of these when I get the new receiver and stuff in...
Glad to hear it worked for you... -
I agree with you! My harmony is the easiest remote to program & use! Currently my 768 & 659 controlls 4 tv, 2 vcr, 2 dvd players, 3 receivers, & has a total of 12 activities each. TV listings on the remote too is a killer feature! I replaced 10 or 11 remotes with one 768 & one 659. Watch dvd activity add a comand to eject
dvd upon power up, than push watch a movie your system powers up & last thing the dvd tray ejects. Drop in you movie & grab a few cold brews! Mine is set up that way just saves me one setp! -
Originally posted by ezc
I agree with you! My harmony is the easiest remote to program & use! Currently my 768 & 659 controlls 4 tv, 2 vcr, 2 dvd players, 3 receivers, & has a total of 12 activities each. TV listings on the remote too is a killer feature! I replaced 10 or 11 remotes with one 768 & one 659. Watch dvd activity add a comand to eject
dvd upon power up, than push watch a movie your system powers up & last thing the dvd tray ejects. Drop in you movie & grab a few cold brews! Mine is set up that way just saves me one setp!
what's the main diff between the 768 and 659??? -
Yeah, its fun to program (on the Net woot!). On my "Listen to CD's" activity, I have it go to Disc 1, then pause a couple seconds, then play the first track. Just started customizing the buttons for the digital display, its really cool you can name them anything you want. I never realized a remote could be so much fun.
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I saw a review of it recently (Electronic House?). It looks pretty sweet. Wish I had one!
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The SST-659 has dedicated buttons to select activities, the SSt-768 has a scroll wheel to select activs. They both work the same way & are programed the same way. The 768 is slightly smaller & you can do more customizations. Also the 768 comes with lifetime free tv listings as to the 659 comes with 2 mo free, (you can buy listings $20 per yr or $40 for life) My preference is the 768 its smaller & the lcd is on the bottem(I prefer it there). I have been using it for about 2 mo now & have no complaints. I like the scroll wheel better too, just scroll to activity & press select! The 659 you press more activities till you get to what you want than select with the buttons on the side of the activity. more info & a review I did here http://www.ezconnection.org/harmonyremote.htm
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Someone help me understand this...
There are buttons on the remote like 'Watch TV' and 'Watch a DVD'. How does the remote set your TV to the right input???
For example, my TV has several video inputs and a different view for each one (Component 1, Component 2, Video 1, Video @, etc). However, to get to a particular 'mode' I have to hti the TV/Video button several times to cycle through each one (I don't have a button for Component 1, Component 2, etc), just the one button to cycle through each of these.
So....how does the remote go automatically to Component 1 when I watch a DVD or Component 2 when I watch TV...or mroe importantly, can it???
Also, I assume that turning a device on is part of each programmed option. So when I 'Watch a DVD', it turns on the receiver, TV and DVD player...well what if I already have one of those turned on, does the remote know that? Since all my deviced have ONE button that turns it off and on, how does the remote manage this...again or does it???
These may be dumb questions, but oh well I need answers.... -
The remote knows what to set the imputs to via the web programing. During the set up/programing you are asked what equipment you have, than you select the brand from a drop down list, next it asks you to type in the exact model #. Next you set up the activities & are asked a bunch of questions like to set up activity watch a movie, harmony asks what do you use to view the movie,( you select from your equipment list), than it asks what input does your display need to be on (ant a, ant b, comp 1 etc the list should match your tvs imput) than it asks how do you control the vol. (again select from your equip. receiver etc) Than it asks what does the receiver need to be set to to watch a dvd (again select the proper input) & so on until you have completed the setup for that activity. Once done you connect your remote via usb & click update, it will load all your info to the remote. Need to make a change or delete an activity or equipment, just go back to your settings & delete or if your adding just add what you need, change setting. You can customize the setup & what to do by sending other commands by adding additional programming commands . I have my watch a movie do a eject command upon power up, Im lazy & it just saves me from pressing the eject button. You set up activities for anything you want done. I have 12 activities set up. watch dvd, watch tv, watch bdrm tv, listen to radio main, listen to cd main, on & on. Very easy to set up & what I have come to enjoy is the tv listings right on the remote. Yup current listings by show names with the 659 & tv channels or show names w/768. Yv listings are updated when you do a update on the web. Hope this helps! I know my explanation is kinda of long but it is very easy to set up the remote.
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Wouldn't work with my projector, Seleco SVP-350, everything else works fine but the buttons are clunky.
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Originally posted by ezc
The remote knows what to set the imputs to via the web programing. During the set up/programing you are asked what equipment you have, than you select the brand from a drop down list, next it asks you to type in the exact model #. Next you set up the activities & are asked a bunch of questions like to set up activity watch a movie, harmony asks what do you use to view the movie,( you select from your equipment list), than it asks what input does your display need to be on (ant a, ant b, comp 1 etc the list should match your tvs imput) than it asks how do you control the vol. (again select from your equip. receiver etc) Than it asks what does the receiver need to be set to to watch a dvd (again select the proper input) & so on until you have completed the setup for that activity. Once done you connect your remote via usb & click update, it will load all your info to the remote. Need to make a change or delete an activity or equipment, just go back to your settings & delete or if your adding just add what you need, change setting. You can customize the setup & what to do by sending other commands by adding additional programming commands . I have my watch a movie do a eject command upon power up, Im lazy & it just saves me from pressing the eject button. You set up activities for anything you want done. I have 12 activities set up. watch dvd, watch tv, watch bdrm tv, listen to radio main, listen to cd main, on & on. Very easy to set up & what I have come to enjoy is the tv listings right on the remote. Yup current listings by show names with the 659 & tv channels or show names w/768. Yv listings are updated when you do a update on the web. Hope this helps! I know my explanation is kinda of long but it is very easy to set up the remote.
I get the basic idea and have gone through the setup on their site...
Maybe I'm thinking into this too much, but hear me out. Typically, when I have a learning remote and it needs to learn a command, it learns it from a button on my manufaturers remote. So the learning remote learns the buttons that are on my original remote, i.e. This button does THIS...
I don't have a button on my original remote that can go directly to Component 1 (or any other source for that matter), i have to keep hitting the TVVideo button until I get there...so how does the Harmony remote know how to go directly to Component 1 (how does it know where it's at)? The manufacturer remote can't even do that...
Same thing with the power button question. I assume that when you program the Watch a DVD button, it does several things (whatever you want) one of which is to turn on the TV... Well, what if I'm already watching TV when I hit that button? When I hit the Watch a DVD button the remote is going to 'simulate' hitting the power button on the TV, but that's actually going to turn the TV off since it's already on, know what I mean???
I wonder if Harmany has an answer for this, think I'll email them as well. -
The harmony data base stores the ir codes for most equipment. Say if your tv is like mine & need to go to component one to watch a dvd by hitting the diaplay button 3 times to do that the remote will send out 3 signals to change it from say ant a to input 1 to component 1. once the remote is set up it remembers what is on & what it is set to & makes the proper changes from there. If im watching tv (watch tv activity) than I want to watch a dvd I hit watch a movie button. The remote turns on my receiver, turnes on my dvd player, dosnt turn on the tv beacuase its already on & it knows that, than switches my input to component 1. Than say I want to listen to the radio via my receiver, I hit listen to radio activity button, the remote switches my tv input back to ant a(I set it up that way) than switches my chanel to 003(again I set it up to go to 3) than turns off the tv, than sends out a commandto turn off the dvd player, and last command is to switch my receiver from dvd to tuner! Its that simple! I find its so easy that it seems harder than it is! Hard to beleive its that easy & works so well! Heres my review of the harmony remotes!
http://www.ezconnection.org/harmonyremote.htm
hope this helps! -
Hi Polkmaniac,Originally posted by Polkmaniac
I don't have a button on my original remote that can go directly to Component 1 (or any other source for that matter), i have to keep hitting the TVVideo button until I get there...so how does the Harmony remote know how to go directly to Component 1 (how does it know where it's at)? The manufacturer remote can't even do that...
Almost all the new TVs have the discrete IR codes for each funtion, i-e your TV most probably have a single IR comand to switch to component 1. They dont put a button corresponing to each comand on the remote to make its design simple, but the equiment can handle much more comands then ones issued by the supplied remote.-izafar
Goldenear Technology Triton 1 - Benchmark AHB2 - Benchmark LA4 - Auralic Vega - Auralic Aries Mini - Marantz TT-15S1 - Clearaudio Nano -
This remote company kicks ****. A firmware upgrade to help improve battery life. Outstanding!
"LOGITECH HARMONY REMOTE BULLETIN
NEW FIRMWARE: Firmware version 2.5 resolves excessive battery drain
The Logitech Harmony Remote Team is pleased to announce the release of Firmware version 2.5 for H659, H688 & H655 (EU version). This latest firmware has been released to resolve the following issue:
Excessive Battery Drain: The unit displays Replace Batteries within 710 days of inserting fresh batteries. -
I Agree!!! This is the best remote I have owned! I had to call cust support once for a command that i couldnt get to work, the tech understood what I wanted to do & he corrected he problem while i was on the phone! I have a 659 & a 768 that we use & its been great! Now my wife can use out theater without having to call & ask me how to turn on the system or set up the system just to watch a movie or listen to music.
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Gotta give Harmony credit. The Delphi MyFi xm2go is a brand new product and the Harmony controls it. I set up a new macro for "XM Radio" in about a minute!
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I'm going to get a harmony this weekend gonna bring back the gift (kameleon) POS......I had to call CS not a toll free # and the D*%k head on the other line hangs up on me after arguing with him...he was telling me I didnt know what I was doing....
