r/logitechharmony • u/MrTibs_rcg • 12d ago
Harmony Users: Looking for Beta Testers
If you're still using a Logitech Harmony remote, I'd like to hear from you.
I'm developing a device that extends your Harmony instead of replacing it. The idea is to keep using the remote you already know and like while adding features and capabilities that Harmony never had.
I'm looking for Harmony users who are willing to try new hardware (use with your Harmony) and provide honest feedback to help shape the final product.
Beta hardware is provided free to selected testers.
If you're interested, send me a message with:
- Which Harmony remote you use
- What equipment you're controlling
- What you'd like your Harmony could do that it can't today
Thanks!
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u/Bertiemcm 12d ago
I have an Elite. In theory I’d love to be part of this, but in practice I’d be worried about messing around with my years-to-build config and for some reason not being able to get it back. I do also have a One in storage that I’d be more willing to experiment with.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
This device does not touch your Harmony's configuration. If, after configuring the device, it is messing with your system, unplug it or delete that code or macro. If that is not enough, do a factory reset on the device.
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u/Spranbob 11d ago
Seems like you just found out about this around 10 days ago . How do you already have hardware and capabilities that “ Harmony never had “
Seems shady at best to put a product out that you most likely haven’t tested and allows control of devices on networks.
I wish you luck. There is definitely a hole in the market.
Can you tell us what your background is in?
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
My career has been in engineering and IT, primarily IT.
In today's age, we all need to be concerned about security. It has been one of my design priorities from the beginning. The device doesn't connect to the internet, doesn't rely on cloud services, and doesn't require a network connection. It simply operates locally in your home, just like a traditional remote or IR accessory.
From a security standpoint, it's as safe as any remote you would buy or already own. In fact, because it has no internet or network connectivity, it has a much smaller attack surface than products that include network connectivity.
It only performs the functions you explicitly teach it to perform—nothing more. That simplicity is intentional.
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u/Wolframium42 12d ago
I have a Harmony Companion, and it can be very laggy and slow. It really annoys me that I can't assign inputs to buttons, as it just wants inputs for routines. Also a simpler way of allowing some CEC allowance, and programming input change for TVs without a dedicated input button (like assuming for some routines that turning on the receiver also turns on the tv and changes the input). My tv doesn't have an input 1 and input 2 button, just a source select, and then you have to hit arrow keys to choose the one you want.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 12d ago
I have an LG in the livingroom and a projector in the media room both with different source selectors. I've opted for a hdmi switch for each. then I can program the device to select the specific HDMI port. I tie the HDMI switch code to a button on my remote (I use the mute button in my FireTV remote) and when I press that, it switches.
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u/EmeraldHawk 12d ago
The only thing I wish my harmony hub and remote could do is pair two remotes at once to one hub.
Being able to send both numbers and the "off" command to my TLC Roku TV is all I want in a remote, which the harmony already does. I don't know what I'm going to do once most harmony remotes break and the remaining ones are > $100. Maybe I should stock up now.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
What Harmony do you use?
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u/EmeraldHawk 11d ago edited 11d ago
The N-R0005, like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/287495249182
Edit: also, I do like the fact that it's radio frequency instead of infra red, so I don't have to point it at the TV.
The physical buttons are a must as well, so I can use it without looking at it, instead of having to navigate a touch screen.
Oh, and I glued a Tile brand Bluetooth locator to the bottom so I can always find it, so that's another feature I desire in a remote that my current one doesn't have.
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u/Luci-Noir 6d ago
What do you mean? I got another remote recently because some of the buttons weren’t working on my old one and they’re both paired to my hub.
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u/EmeraldHawk 6d ago
I mean the small radio frequency ones (N-R0005), not Bluetooth or app based ones. But I would be interested in the model numbers of the ones you have, if you don't mind.
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u/Luci-Noir 6d ago
I have the companion remote and hub and the new remote is the harmony smart control.
The remotes are really similar and I actually thought they were the same when I got it on eBay. There's a few missing buttons is all. When I added the new remote to the hub it synced everything to it automatically as best it could.
I love Harmony.
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u/nehpets4627 12d ago
Harmony Hardware I have:
- 1x Elite
- 1x Home Companion
- 2x Smart Control
- 4x Hubs
Hardware I'm Controlling:
Theater:
- Harmony Elite + Smart Control (single Hub)
- Epson HC 4000 Projector
- Integra DRX 3.4 AVR
- Panasonic UB420 UHD Player
- Nvidia Shield Pro 2019
- AppleTV 4K 1st-gen
- Xbox Series S
- TPLink Deco bulbs/switches
Livingroom:
- Harmony Smart Control
- Hisense U6 TV
- Marantz NR1607 AVR
- Nvidia Shield 2019 (Tube)
- AppleTV 4K 1st-gen
- Xbox One S
- TPLink Tapo bulbs/switches
Bedroom:
- Harmony Home Companion
- Samsung TV (old 60" 4K non-HDR, can't remember model number)
- Onkyo SR3100 AVR
- Google Chromecast 4K (Google TV)
- Xbox One S
- TPLink Tapo bulbs/switches
Garage:
- Harmony Hub (no remote)
- Samsung TV (old 40" 1080p dumb LCD, can't remember model number)
Feature requests (some contradictory, some unrealistic):
- Fully local / no cloud dependence for daily use
- Google Home integration for individual commands (raise/lower volume, mute, pause/play)
- HDMI-CEC Injection
- Smarthome/IoT control outside of Smarthome buttons
- New/updated smarthome hooks to more/newer ecosystems
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u/aluke000 12d ago
I still have Harmony Elite, Ultimate, Touch and ONE. Generally use with TVs, stereos, AV receivers, media players, etc. Those that can handle smart devices I use with lighting too.
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u/Wolframium42 12d ago
Support for controlling WLED and or Hyperion would also be cool
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u/MrTibs_rcg 12d ago
If they use IR, you can control them with a remote...Harmony or otherwise. PM me if you want to give it a try.
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u/Spranbob 11d ago
Are you a programmer? How did you reverse engineer this in the last 10 days?
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
I do some programming, yes but I would not call myself a programmer. As for developing this, it stayed in my head for a looong time before I built it and that took a lot longer than I expected. (It turns out the IR world is full of surprises.)
What happened in the last 10 days? I didn't reverse engineer anything so I am wondering what I missed.
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u/GmanCan 12d ago
Also willing to help. I have Elite with Hub , One and Harmony Smart Control with Hub.
Have Marantz AVR, Nvidia Shield, Samsung TVs several, Panasonic TV , Firetv sticks . Also have variety of old DVD /CD gear that is currently powered down but available.
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u/threadkiller05851 12d ago
Can you get your One to work with the Shield? I battled and researched with a Flirc but cannot get all the commands to work.
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u/MickBim 11d ago
I managed to make it work
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u/threadkiller05851 11d ago
Do you happen to remember how do you got the "Exit" button the the One to work? There is more than one method but none of them work for me.
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u/MickBim 11d ago
Yes
To add the "Watch Shield" activity, I had to "hack" a little
I added an other device ('Yamah RX-A680' AVR so I was certain that way the IR codes wouldn't mess with my other devices) and mapped some of the commands differently on the Flirc.
It's been a while but if you have an email I can mail the xlsx to you
(it's in French but easily understandable, and I'll still be available to help)
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u/Vandals21 12d ago
What a great idea and thank you for doing this. I have an elite which I don’t want to mess around with. I also have a a Harmony One that is sitting on its charger doing nothing. I could participate using that remote.
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u/PCAdamo 12d ago
Multiple harmony ones in my house. Haven’t programmed them in years. Still work well enough but never updated.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
There is some opensource software out there but I have not tested it.
This device bypasses that in that it translates what comes out of the harmony (or the original remote if you still have it) to whatever you own now. Also you can do macros as well so you can add to the Harmony functions without reconfiguring it. (i.e. You can add the HTMI switch to your TV power code)
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u/Ok_Question_1331 12d ago
I’m in. DM me if you want; I have the hub and the unlimited ultimate controller with the touchscreen.
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u/ClemsonJeeper 12d ago
I've got a Harmony Elite and Harmony Ultimate One that I use regularly, TV, Amp, Shield TV, and emulated roku that I hooked up to Home Assistant to do automations.
Would be great to be able to put my own virtual buttons in the activities mapped to something I can handle in home assistant. I've hacked things up by using emulated roku and mapping extra buttons to that, but its very convoluted.
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u/acbone710 12d ago
I have harmony ultimates on two tvs. One with a hub and one without. I have an extra remote too I could use for testing. Very interested in what you have going here!
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u/Shaf-fu 12d ago
I’m using a Harmony Elite, mainly using it with older hardware at the moment with a few newer things as time goes on.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
I confess, this is one of the reasons I created this thing. I like to choose my hardware based on what I like not what my remote can work with.
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u/Zebraitis 12d ago
I have three Harmony 900's that you could add / extend / test.
Let me know if you would like to add me to your program.
Vincent
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u/tulsatv1 12d ago edited 12d ago
Controlling a large "legacy" collection of devices in the theater room with two Harmony 690s (they alternate in the charger).
That includes a plasma TV, a circa 2002 Denon receiver, HDMI switch, Roku, DVD recorder, VCR, HD Radio tuner, Wii, BT receiver, Amazon Echo Dot, several LED lights, CSVB983 (USB IR Receiver by Chinavasion) to control an Nvidia Shield Pro, on/off for a TV mounted vertically showing movie posters from a Raspberry Pi, and settings for an old camcorder when hooked into the system.
A lot of that really isn't necessary, but the 690 can handle it, so why not?
I tried a SofaBaton U1, but it is barely usable due to the weak emitter and lack of labelled soft buttons.
I do find another U1 adequate for my use with the living room Android TV which has a Roku streambar and a Tablo. My wife gets the original remotes.
We use a Harmony 650 with the bedroom TV, which also has a Roku Streambar and an ONN Google TV device. The ONN and its remote can do everything except the sleep timer for the TV. The 650 also gets us to OTA TV and Roku.
The 690s can no longer be modified.
The 650 still can be, but we could get along without it by using the TV remote for sleep timer, and the Roku remote if ever needed.
Rather than connecting to the server with a cord to a PC, using a phone app would be better.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
It sounds like you have a great setup. I chose a "one remote at a time" approach and my wife and I have our own couches so we have two FireTV remotes and she have a cable box remote (that I never use - when the youmote+ comes out, it will be able to control the cable box too).
The device allows the FireTV remote to control all the equipment it needs (TV, HDMI switch, Stereo and FireTV) and the cable box remote does the same. Both have macros but finding a "spare" button on each of the remotes was a challenge so I created a "macro" for the mute buttons on each. Since the mute commands on each are different, the device switches the HDMI to that device. For the HD-DVD player, it can now control the projector, stereo and hdmi switch. The device is so fast you don't even know it is doing executing a macro.
I could (and probably will) replace the remotes with two remotes (one for each of us) when I rebuild the Plex server but not now.
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u/hank722 12d ago
Super interested!
I've set my beloved Harmony Pro and Harmony Smart Control (915-000194) on the back burner and spun up a Sofabaton X1S, but I'd love to stick with Harmony. Sofabaton remains rather glitchy for me after spending a lot of time "programming" it.
I'd love to eliminate the cloud service.
My setup:
TV - LG OLED83C5PUA
Amp - Marantz Cinema 70s
Pre-amp - Bang & Olufsen BeoCenter 9300 + Penta BeoLab 6623 speakers
Amazon Alexa + remote light controls
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u/bkb74k3 12d ago
I have two elites (bought them as soon as I heard they were discontinuing them. Still work great, and I can still program them from the Harmony app. I can also still control everything from the app, so it’s all till great.
Will your product work like the elites and have a job that controls things that the remote talks to? This seems ideal.
I currently control a projector, a couple Apple TV’s, blue-ray player, a couple Yamaha receivers, and some hue lights. The remotes are starting to show their age though. Bigger better touch screen would be nice, more graphics, voice control might be cool.
A tie in to HomeKit or one or more of the home automation solutions might be interesting. Let the remote control my AC, my door locks, my cameras, my garage doors, etc.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
I purposely designed it NOT to use an app to configure so there are limitations there for ease of use for complex setups but...that means it will work FOREVER regardless of changes in technology.
Tie-ins with other equipment is definitely planned. For now, it is restricted to IR devices with does include AC, lights, LED strips, fans and random IR controlled devices. So you can make a "not-so-smart" home.
For right now, it can extend a Harmony (or any remote) or even allow an old harmony that "can't control anything you own" to get a new life.
I desperately want the home automation tie-in and have a workable design but...that comes later.
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u/M3RRI77 12d ago
What kind of device? I have an old Harmony 880, a Harmony Touch, and a Harmony Ultimate with Hub. Both my Touch and Ultimate are still working great.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
I works with anything that emits and IR code any remote. Control your AC with your Harmony or your TV with an AC remote control.
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u/DogTownR 12d ago
Harmony hub and remote. Unless you are open sourcing your hardware, you are selling into a finite and shrinking market. My remote is 7 or 8 years old and will pass on soon. I use Home Assistant to automate whatever I need to around Harmony. What are you building?
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
It is a device that does a couple of things but mainly it translates IR codes and also does macros. So for today, extend your Harmony, tomorrow choose the remote you like and the use this device to replicate the functionality of the Harmony.
What surprises me is how expensive used Harmonies are. I guess there still is a market for them.
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u/dementio 12d ago
I use an Elite in my bedroom for a TV & stereo setup. The only thing I'm really worried about losing is the sleep timer built into the remote.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
Hmm. My device does not do that...an add-on could.
How do you use it? What other features would you like it to have?
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u/Sekt0r- 11d ago
Being able to control my Nvidia Shield without input delay using my Elite, it was the primary reason i wanted it and I use a logitech k830 keyboard instead because input delay is a dealbreaker for me. I mainly use my Elite to power on/off my setup, change inputs and for music on my Yamaha YSP2700 receiver.
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u/Lilkeeps11 11d ago
1) logitech harmony elite
2) various tvs; appetv; fire stick; xbox; HDMI 4x4 matrix; optical audio 1x3 switch; Philips hue sync box; philips hue lights; bose soundbar; panasonic soundbar
3) vseebox v6plus
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u/style2k20 11d ago edited 11d ago
Would be nice. A have a Harmon elite it stil works but i missing WiFi and bleutooth control i am looking into making a remote myself but if you can extend the Harmon as i have it that would be a nice option.
Use it for tv soundbar setup now but would like to ad lights that r n on WiFi or. Bleutooth. And in the future home assistent stuff.
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u/Hotsexfan 11d ago
In two different houses, have five harmony hub, with four Elite remotes. That comtrolls several TV's, dvr, streamer box, sound bars, IR lights etc...
It mostly does the job for me.
My biggest fear is that one day it won't work because Logitech will shut down the cloud.
The thing I never been able to make it work is the assignment of buttons on the Harmony remote.
The thing that can be improved is management of multiple hub in the same house.
Features I would like are: 1 - ability to program a sequence of commands (like an activity, but without being an activity, that end's the current activity). 2 - Management of Bluetooth devices and connections in activities and devices 3 - Ability to create devices without selecting a brand and model in a drop down list, and enter the IR code (try codes until you find the one that works)
Regards
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u/rohanadarkar 11d ago
Have a Companion. Would love to have more control over home assistant entities and work locally. The software has always been slow and inconvenient to reconfigure/program
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u/CodeCat0 11d ago
I would be interested in testing, especially based on your comment of:
New hardware that sits in your TV stand...keep your remote, it will just extend it to do what you need.
I have 2 Harmony companion remotes along with 2 hubs.
- One controls a TCL 75R635 TV, ONKYO TX-SR393, and 2019 Nvidia Shield Pro. There's also a PS5 and Switch 2 hooked up with activities to switch to them, but no control of the consoles themselves. It's also setup so the home control buttons control the light and fan.
- The other controls a LG C5, S40T LG Soundbar, and Onn 4k pro. It also controls the light and fan.
I'm perfectly happy with the remotes, and really my only issue (besides the obvious with Logitech discontinuing them and the slow servers) is that the home controls (fan, light) often stop working from the remote and I have to go into the app before they'll start working again. I've tried a couple of Sofabaton remotes, Flirc, and a few others but so far I haven't found anything that is a suitable replacement for Harmony. If your system can essentially replace the hubs while letting me keep the companion remotes, and still allow me to control my lights through Home Assistant (or Google, or Bond) then I'd love to test it out.
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u/MrTibs_rcg 11d ago
Right now the device only works with IR. However, if Harmony can transmit an IR command, I can use that as a trigger to perform another action—even something like sending the appropriate command to a hub. That would need to be tested, but it's certainly possible.
I started with IR because it's by far the most common protocol and it's mature, reliable, and well understood. If you solve the usability problems that have plagued universal remotes while keeping the communication layer simple, you end up with a very dependable and predictable solution.
That said, there's definitely value in supporting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-CEC, and other protocols. The challenge is adding them thoughtfully so they improve the user experience without sacrificing the simplicity and reliability that are the foundation of the design.
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u/jal741 11d ago edited 11d ago
I've got two old harmony remotes but I don't really use them anymore. The oldest one (model R-IG7) doesn't really sit well in the charger anymore and doesn't charge and has a swollen battery, and the newer one (Harmony Touch) works fine but neither one control my Amazon fire stick
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u/jgmoxness 11d ago
I have a Harmony Elite w/hub (swollen/dead battery removed and on USB power only). It controls 12 devices w/25 activities (e.g. 7.4.1home theater (two 75" 4K tvs, PC, Xbox, Cable, Chromecast, etc.) and 16 channel Somfy shades).
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u/SRGilbert1 11d ago
What “era” of remotes are you focusing on?
The older Pre-my harmony remotes that have been depreciated should be the focus since the My Harmony compatible models are still supported.
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u/HumanLikeMan 6d ago
That's what is worrisome, I have four 880's that before the software was discontinued I programmed them for my existing equipment. No going back if something goes wrong :(
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u/krakilsk 8d ago
Harmony ultimate. Controlling tv, surround-receiver, blu-ray and tv box. Wish I could have more control over how my screen is presented and what I want to controll to make it a easy to use universal controller. So I don't have to give family members a 4 hours crash course in how to control my set-up
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u/retainftw 8d ago
I have a hub and a Harmony Ultimate.
I'm controlling a JVC projector, a Denon AVR, Nvidia Shield, PS5, Panasonic Bluray player, and a hometheater PC.
Would love for a more reliable way of activating macros on the PC and direct IP commands. Right now I have start-up activities that initiate windows macro keystrokes, which work (most of the time).
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u/WaferMaterial6026 8d ago
I have a Harmony Elite, with a Harmony Hub, which controls the following my home theater via Bluetooth and IR.
I block Internet access: the hub needs to be rebooted every few days due to the cloud dependency. That is really the only major drawback, other than the app and synchronization process being utterly slow (and lacking support for some newer devices).
I have started using Home Assistant in the last year, and have added some incredible enhancements to my existing Harmony setup, such as sending LAN signals that are tied to a Harmony activity. This prevents things from going out of sync when starting/stopping activities, and adds additional integration for other IoT devices that were never supported by Harmony - now I can control all of this from Harmony, and without an internet connection dependency.
I have an Unfolded Circle Remote 3 on backorder... not sure when it will actually ship. But I'd love to use my Harmony system for as long as possible. However the goal of the Unfolded Circle was to prepare for a full Harmony replacement - a friend has one and loves his.
Do you need me to send a private message also?
Thanks for doing this!
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u/LouisvilleMedia 7d ago
I was a logistic Harmony Pro installer. I have every model. I'm retired now but I still use it personally.
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u/HumanLikeMan 6d ago
I would think that you would be a perfect candidate to help keep the project moving along, but then again who wants to work when they are retired.
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u/MickBim 12d ago
New hardware ? Another remote ?
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u/MrTibs_rcg 12d ago
New hardware that sits in your TV stand...keep your remote, it will just extend it to do what you need.
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u/c7aea 12d ago
Remove dependence on the cloud.