Mac’s Rants & Raves Episode #103 For years I’ve been searching for the perfect universal remote control, one that was:. Easy to set up and manage.
Recently I discovered a wonderful application called XBMC for Mac OS X. This application is a port of the popular Note this is written for XBMC, but pertains to any application you wish to control with your remote. I put this page together after I had everything working so hopefully it contains every step. Logitech Harmony remotes can be used. See #Harmony; Any Keyboard such as wired, wireless, bluetooth. This includes 'keymotes' such as the Rii or Boxee remote. Web interfaces, including add-on interfaces. Kodi smartphone and tablet remote apps. Other IR remotes can be used with IR receivers such as the Flirc.
Able to control all aspects of all of my audio and video components. Reliable enough that I could throw the device’s original remote in a drawer and never miss it Over the past few years I’ve tried half a dozen iOS universal remotes that combine an app with a hardware dongle for your iDevice, but not one of them came close to meeting my criteria. While some of ‘em were easy enough to set up, none worked with all of the devices connected to my big screen TVs, and none lasted more than a couple of weeks on my coffee table. So I continued to deal with a large pile of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) remotes until I discovered Logitech’s Harmony family of universal remote control devices. I’ve been testing physical remotes and the Harmony iOS app on two home theatre systems for over a year now and I can tell you with complete confidence that the Harmony system hits the trifecta — it’s easy to set up, capable of controlling all of my audio and video components (and 270,000 others), and is far more reliable than any app-and-dongle combo I tried. The bottom line is that Harmony is the first and only system I’ve tested that allowed me to toss my OEM remotes in a drawer and forget them, which means a lot to me.
![Mac Mac](https://9to5mac.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/logitech-harmony-remote.jpg?quality=82&strip=all)
![Free app for mac Free app for mac](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125383633/235076671.jpg)
In my humble opinion, two things make the Harmony products stand out. The first are Activities, which turn on all of the appropriate devices with a single tap, switching each device to the proper input for that activity. For example, my “Watch Cable TV” activity turns on the TV, set-top cable box, and AV receiver, and then sets the TV and AV receiver to the proper inputs for cable TV. Unlike other universal remotes I’ve tested, setting up Activities for your Harmony Remote couldn’t be easier. Just fire up the Harmony app on your iDevice (or Mac or PC) and specify the make and model of the devices in the activity.
Harmony can control over 270,000 devices; in over a year of testing I’ve only found one device (an obscure four-source audio switch that had its own remote) that I couldn’t control via Harmony. The second awesome thing is that you don’t need to stick a dongle into your iDevice to use a Harmony system you’re your iDevice. And while Logitech offers a handful of Harmony remotes with buttons, touchscreens, and more, with prices starting around $30, you don’t even need a physical remote if you have the free Harmony app on an iDevice.
Harmony app screens used by my “Watch Apple TV” activity That’s the beauty of the Harmony system: all you need is a Harmony Home Hub — which sends commands from the Harmony app on your iDevice to your home theatre components, using IR, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth — and an iDevice. The hub sets up in minutes and works way better than any other universal remote I’ve ever tried.
Next: The Harmony Ultimate Home Remote Page 2 - The Harmony Ultimate Home Remote Although the Harmony app for iOS is terrific and full-featured, I prefer the feel of actual buttons for play/pause, fast-forward/rewind, volume, and such.