Get geeky with your Harmony
In my short time with the Harmony 688, I?ve only scratched the surface of what it can do. Harmony?s web interface allows you to easily customize the button functions of the remote, even assigning names to buttons linked to the LCD screen. Since Harmony remotes have a learning function, you can teach them any commands that may not be listed in the web interface?s database. There?s virtually no limit to what you can teach the remote to do, all courtesy of the easy-to-use interface.

Not EVERYTHING is perfect in paradise…
A glowing review like this might lead you to believe that everything about Harmony remotes is perfect. But in fact there are a few small wrinkles here and there.

While the web interface is very powerful, fast, and generally easy to use, its page layout and navigation is somewhat clunky on occasion. The interface could stand a bit of work in making it more intuitive and easy to use.

While the overall style and ergonomic design of the remote gets high marks, the buttons tend to be a bit on the small side. The Activity buttons, in particular, would benefit from being larger and easier to read. I'd also like to see a slightly larger LCD screen. Commands displayed on the screen are often cut off because of the screen?s small size.

Great for the gear head and the casual user alike!
These minor complaints don?t detract from my very favorable impression of the Harmony SST-688. This device is truly an eye-opener. Harmony remotes move the technology and concept of the remote control forward in a way that we haven?t seen before. It?s unique in its appeal to both "gear heads" and casual users alike. You can set it once and forget it, or you can customize to your heart's content. Best of all, you can adjust your settings to new equipment and new configurations of your equipment without even breaking a sweat.

This jumble of remotes, or a single, harmonious remote? You decide.

But perhaps the biggest upside of the Harmony remote is confidence. Not just confidence that it will turn on my equipment when I press a button, but the confidence of knowing that, no matter what I may buy in the future, I?ll be able to configure my Harmony remote to control new A/V gear with a minimum of time and effort. Unlike many products, there?s no "planned obsolescence" built into a Harmony remote. And these days, when new formats, technology, and equipment are constantly being introduced into the marketplace, that?s a valuable virtue indeed.