Logitech Harmony 300: Universal Remote For Under $50 [Video]

Most universal remotes, Logitech reckons, have a "bad reputation" for being tricky to program; that's something the company hopes to amend with the new Logitech Harmony 300.  Capable of replacing up to four remotes, the real interest is in Logitech's newly redesigned myharmony.com setup site that promises easy configuration for over 225,000 devices covering 5,000 brands.Video demo after the cut

As for the remote itself, it lacks a swanky LCD display or a touchscreen, but you can program macros for controlling multiple devices with a single button press, and it's probably sufficient for most people's A/V setups.  For instance, the "Watch TV" button can be set to automatically power on both the TV and your cable box (or your DVR, or your satellite tuner, etc).

Power is from two AA batteries, and the remote is compatible with both PCs and Macs.  Available to order now, the Logitech Harmony 300 is priced at $49.99.

Press Release:

A Remote for Everyone: Logitech Harmony 300 Remote Unveiled

New Harmony Replaces Four Remotes, Features Improved Web-based Setup

FREMONT, Calif. — March 31, 2010 — Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today announced that it is bringing the benefits of the award-winning line of Harmony® remotes to people who have simpler home-entertainment needs. The new Logitech® Harmony® 300 Remote is simple to set up, replaces up to four other remotes and gives you better control of what's attached to your TV with the touch of one button.

"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," said Ashish Arora, vice president and general manager of Logitech's digital home group. "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."

Logitech's research found that more than one-third of the 75 million U.S. and European households who have tried programming a universal remote had been dissatisfied with the process. But the Logitech Harmony 300 Remote is different. With a refreshed Web-based setup designed exclusively for Logitech's newest remote, all you have to do is connect the remote to your computer, go to www.myharmony.com, tell us what devices you're using and we'll do the rest. In just a few simple steps you can have full control of your home-entertainment system.

Plus, your Harmony 300 remote will never be out of date. Logitech's remotes are powered by an online device library that covers more brands than any other remote, including more than 225,000 devices from more than 5,000 brands — and the list grows every day. Whether you have an aging VCR or a brand new Blu-ray™ player, you can be confident your Harmony remote will control the IR devices you have.

Once you set up your remote, you can get to your entertainment fast with just one button press. The Watch TV button will turn on your TV and cable box in seconds — no additional remotes needed. The buttons are placed for easy reach, sculpted so your fingers can naturally find the right commands and grouped by how you'll use them. For example, the buttons for controlling your DVD player are all grouped together. There's even a set of programmable buttons that you can use to jump right to your favorite channels or use for custom control.

The Harmony 300 joins the ever expanding line of Harmony remotes, an award-winning family that includes the Logitech® Harmony® 700 Remote — which controls up to six devices and is rechargeable — and the flagship Logitech® Harmony® One with its stunning touch-screen display.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Harmony 300 is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in April for a suggested retail price of $49.99 (U.S). The Logitech Harmony 700 Remote and the Logitech Harmony One Remote are available now worldwide for a suggested retail price of $149.99 (U.S.) and $249.99 (U.S.), respectively. Additional information on the entire Harmony remote line is available at www.logitech.com/harmony.