Written by AVRev.com Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Harmony has been known for creating some of the best consumer-affordable and usable universal programmable remotes. The Harmony 880 was a milestone, but nothing in comparison to their panel-like remote, the Harmony 1000. Now, Harmony brings us the Harmony 900, which promises to do everything but clean the dishes.
The Harmony 900 is the first of the Harmony remotes to come with a set of RF/IR sensors. Previously the sensors were additional components, increasing the cost of a programmable system. While RF control of components is nothing new, the Harmony 900 brings an interesting twist to the table.
The remote comes with what are called mini-blasters. The purpose of this sleek little component is to convert the RF signal into IR signals that can be interpreted by your components. Previously, emitters needed to be stuck on face of your IR components, usually with tape or glue to hold them in place. Now, just one mini-blaster is capable of controlling several IR components while keeping your equipment hidden from view.
In terms of the remote itself, it comes with a high-res touchscreen, although not as big as one might like. It also includes the one-touch macro buttons as usual. I for one can't wait to get my hands on one of these puppies. Unfortunately, as with all Harmony products they are not extremely affordable in this economy. Currently the price is set at $399.