Logitech's Harmony 300 Remote Assumes Control

The dream of having total control over home electronics at one's fingertips has been getting closer to reality. New infrared and wireless connectivity technologies have enabled a better intercommunication between devices. When it comes to remote controls, however, there are still some issues that have slowed down the adoption of universal remotes. Now, with the introduction of its Harmony 300, Logitech aims to bring down the final versatility barriers and, in the process, help users do away with any other wireless control gadget collection they may have gathered over the years.

The idea of a universal remote control is definitely not a new one, but such products, despite their uses, have been faced with issues of difficult programmability. Because such products can be hard to set up, end-users often decide it is less tedious to swap remotes repeatedly.

The new Harmony 300, however, uses a web-based setup and benefits from a growing online device library, which automatically updates the device for compatibility with over 225,000 others from more than 5,000 brands. End-users will simply have to plug the remote into their PC in order to perform this setup, after which the Harmony 300 will be able to interface with up to four electronics at a time.

“Most universal remotes have a bad reputation for being hard to program and, as a result, you still use more than one remote to control the devices you own,” Ashish Arora, vice president and general manager of Logitech’s digital home group, said. “With the Harmony 300, we wanted to deliver the Harmony remote promise of one remote to control your entertainment system to everyone. No more excuses – it’s time to get rid of the stack of remotes on your coffee table and simplify your home entertainment experience.”

The remote control has a price tag of roughly $50 and is expected to start selling in Europe and the US in April.