![]() ![]() What set the Harmony apart, according to early 2000s reviews, is its ease of use, highlighted by the original model’s straightforward design. Both remotes had a touch screen with the ability to rearrange virtual buttons as one sees fit, and, unlike the Harmony, were described by the Washington Post as requiring no out-of-box setup for initial usage. The Harmony wasn’t even the first programmable remote with an activity function: Harman, in cooperation with Microsoft, introduced the Take Control remote in 1998, releasing it under Harman Kardon and JBL brands. Philips, a long-standing party in a home electronics business and a de facto standard setter, introduced its first Pronto remote in 1999. To program an activity, a Harmony owner had to enter their A/V devices into the remote using a computer.Įazy Zapper was not alone in making computerized universal remotes. All Harmony remotes since the original one allowed to select an “activity” (for example, “watch a DVD” or “listen to music”) which allowed sending actions to several devices in succession. ![]() The company was founded in 1999 by Glen Harris and Justin Henry who, according to archived press releases, were frustrated by the number of remotes required to operate a home theater. The first Harmony remote was made in 2001 by Eazy Zapper, a Canadian startup later renamed to Intrigue Technologies. The production model, released in 2001, looks identical. A patent drawing of the first Harmony remote. Logitech did say they are going to provide access to software and services, as well as update the device database, “as long as customers are using it.” But with customers reporting cancelled orders and depleting retailer storages, it’s safe to mark the end of Harmony’s 20-year history-and briefly review it. (The editor’s note had since been updated with Logitech’s statement.) Wirecutter, a recommendation outlet owned by the New York Times, vouched for Harmony remotes in all price ranges-and had to “return to the drawing board and start fresh” once they become aware of signs of discontinuation. That’s what happened with Logitech and Harmony universal remote users last week, as the peripheral company said that it has stopped designing new Harmony remotes and won’t manufacture them in the future.Ī programmable universal remote-the one used to control a tandem of devices at the same time, rather than, say, replace a lost or damaged one-is a product for the specialist market of home theater owners and A/V enthusiasts. Getty Imagesįew things are as disheartening to a community of buyers as an announcement of discontinuation, even more so if the community is passionate and the decision is announced on Friday. Universal remotes like Logitech ones were used to control everything in your media room with a single device. ![]()
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