The package comes with a standard USB cable which plugs in to the front of the control (via a removable rubber plug). A driver disk is supplied that contains all the necessary software, for both Windows and OS X (although this is several versions behind the Windows copy, and is not a Universal Binary). When everything is ready you run the software which prompts you to create a Harmony account, and from there you work through a series of pages, adding devices and activities to your online account. When a satisfactory state has been reached you then sync everything to the remote control.
The Logitech Harmony 555 is a great universal remote control. Basing the control around activities rather than devices is much more human friendly, and opens up a complicated set of equipment to the non-technologically minded. While the bundled software is comprehensive, it can be intimidating and slow to use, but the time spent configuring a system is returned in the lack of hassle using it.
logitech harmony 550 remote software 19
As soon as I logged into the software with my original remote's online login I noticed a button that said "Upgrade Remote." Sweet. It gave me the choice to keep this login and move my old settings to the new remote, minus some custom buttons I had done, OR start from scratch with a new login. I upgraded and the remote just worked. Everything as I had it, with brighter screen and upgraded graphics.
The software that you use to configure the device from your desktop is Activity-based, which makes non-technical spouses happy. You click "Watch TV" and "Play Xbox" and the remote figures it out. Here's the most important thing to grok about this remote. It does NOT use macros or record series of button presses. It's a smart state machine and knows what state each device is in and what codes to change states. This basic fact makes this remote SO much easier than the dance of IR codes I've programmed in the past. 2ff7e9595c
Comments