Logitech Harmony 1100 hands-on: Kill a remote, save the planet

If you've got a shedfull of home-cinema equipment, there's a very real chance that you've nearly tripped and broken your neck on a remote control. That's certainly the case over here at Crave's outer-London snow lair, where there's 2.5 remote controls per resident. Take it from us, if you've spent thousands on your entertainment centre, it's well worth spending a little more cash on a good-quality universal remote to quickly and easily switch between devices -- and not risk your neck every time you go to the fridge for a beer.

Luckily, Logitech is in a position to reduce clutter with its new Harmony remote. Similar in style to the brilliant Harmony 1000, the Harmony 1100 offers many of the same features, but with a funky new look. Obviously, the large colour screen is the most impressive part of the 1100. It makes you think you're participating in the future.

We're also rather taken by the environmental aspect of the controller too. Because one 1100 can replace up to 15 remote controls, that's a bundle of disposable batteries you're going to eliminate. That simply must be a benefit to the environment -- landfills full of AAs aren't going to make Mother Nature a happy anthropomorphic matriarch.

Setup is done through a piece of PC software that asks you questions about all the equipment you'd like to control. This process is tedious, mainly because the software doesn't make any educated guesses when you're typing in the name of your equipment. Ideally, we'd like a list to pop up as you're typing the name that then allows you to quickly select your hardware. Instead, you have to type in the exact model number, with no additional help or suggestions.

On the plus side, the database is massive, with thousands of controllable devices. For example, our Popcorn Hour A-110 is hardly the most common device in the world, but the online database still lists it. That meant we didn't have to manually program the remote with the original IR controller -- having to point one controller at another while pressing a multitude of buttons isn't our idea of fun.

If you're a home-cinema nut, with plenty of time to spend getting the Harmony 1100 up and running, you'll really enjoy the fruits of your labour. If you can't be bothered with the configuration, we'd suggest it's not the device for you. Perhaps Logitech should offer an in-home installation for the really committed couch potato.

Our only major gripe is the price, which at around £350 is going to dissuade most people from taking the plunge. Of course, the customer support is very good, and it's unlikely you'll ever find a device that you can't control with the 1100. Click through our gallery for more pics of the 1100 in use.