Harmony 880/890 (other?) Request For Help!

**Otto** · **07-29-06, 04:27 PM**

Hi there,

For those of you using the Harmony series (I'm using the 890, but I'm pretty sure the 880 is identical in this regard), I urge you to call customer support and seriously request that they allow the user to set the order of the custom buttons in the LCD screen. It's ridiculous that they have created their program so that it chooses the order that the buttons will be in.

Their number is 1-866-291-1505 (M-F 9am to 10pm EST, S-S 10am to 5:30pm). I called them yesterday and spoke to both first level and second level support. They acknowledged that this is a deficiency in their program and that they have had calls on it before. They were nice, but they would not let me talk to engineering and they would not let me have the source code so that I could fix it myself.

So, give 'em a call. This is just poor design, and if enough of us call, they'll eventually fix it.

**AverageJoe** · **07-29-06, 08:25 PM**

Wow, I'm with you.

I've had the 880 for a while, but was waiting for the new HT room before completing the setup. I finished it today after reading your post, and I have to agree it would be sooo much better if the button order could be changed - particularly for the receiver. I have to scroll to page 5 (of 14 pages) to select the DVD input.

I'm still pretty impressed with the remote, but this one change would make it almost perfect.

I'll call on Monday. Hope it helps.

**MrPorterhouse** · **07-29-06, 11:19 PM**

I hear ya, but honestly, I don't use the screens that much, if at all. When I do, its not a bother because I only need to get in to do some irregular thing when I do. I just hope that in future models that the customization of the button order will go even further.

**elmac** · **10-31-06, 08:48 PM**

Quote:

Otto wrote:

Hi there,

For those of you using the Harmony series (I'm using the 890, but I'm pretty sure the 880 is identical in this regard), I urge you to call customer support and seriously request that they allow the user to set the order of the custom buttons in the LCD screen. It's ridiculous that they have created their program so that it chooses the order that the buttons will be in.

Their number is 1-866-291-1505 (M-F 9am to 10pm EST, S-S 10am to 5:30pm). I called them yesterday and spoke to both first level and second level support. They acknowledged that this is a deficiency in their program and that they have had calls on it before. They were nice, but they would not let me talk to engineering and they would not let me have the source code so that I could fix it myself.

So, give 'em a call. This is just poor design, and if enough of us call, they'll eventually fix it.

This is one of the reasons y I went with MX from Universal Remotes

**Otto** · **11-01-06, 07:58 AM**

Quote:

elmac wrote:

This is one of the reasons y I went with MX from Universal Remotes

I didn't really consider them, for whatever reasons. I was hooked on the 890 when I purchased. Fortunately, this is the only real complaint I have about the thing!

**elmac** · **11-03-06, 01:14 AM**

Quote:

Otto wrote:

I didn't really consider them, for whatever reasons. I was hooked on the 890 when I purchased. Fortunately, this is the only real complaint I have about the thing!

Otto,
don't get me wrong they are great remotes, I just don't like when someone tells me what to and how to do it.
Other than that they are great

**Otto** · **11-03-06, 10:53 AM**

Hey,

No problem, I get ya! I was just peeved with them because after all the flexibility they do give with those remotes, they left that most intuitive thing out. Kinda dopey.

Have a good one.

**Darren** · **12-06-06, 12:13 PM**

Just got an 880 and I agree with you, it's really stupid that you can't order those commands. The remote is amazing otherwise.

I wonder if this is the remedy? Another thread says these changes were pushed back until late Dec... keep your fingers crossed.
http://forums.logitech.com/logitech/...message.id=373

**Otto** · **12-06-06, 01:45 PM**

Wow! Looks like potentially good news! Thanks for the link. I'll keep an eye out for that change next time I program my 890, which should be shortly.

**Darren** · **12-07-06, 08:54 AM**

I have a question. Controlling my TiVo with the TiVo remote is instantaneous. I press the number keys for instance, and I can instantly press the next number. With the Harmony it has a LONG delay between key presses. I set the delay to 0 in the software but it has no effect.

Is there a way to eliminate that delay? It makes the remote all but uselss for the TiVo as I like to scan things quickly.

**Otto** · **12-07-06, 09:48 AM**

Hi Darren,

So both inter-key and inter-device delay are set to 0 ( or at least a small number? ). I don't think inter-device delay will have anything to do with it.

Also, did you "learn" the commands from your original remote, or did you use the commands that they supplied during the setup? I find that the command I learned from my Outlaw 990's remote tends to change volume by about 3 dB at a time, rather than 1 dB. The codes that I received from their website during setup for the Outlaw change the volume just fine. That may be a possiblity for funky behavior in the Harmony.

If all seems correct, and you're still having that problem, I'd give them a call (the number is on this page!). They were very good when I called them to get something straightened out. Don't forget to ask them about when the soft-button organization is coming out!

**Darren** · **12-07-06, 09:50 AM**

It was all programmed through the software. I found a thread on their forum and many others are complaining about it too. It appears there is a setting to repeat a command 3 times by default. They say changing that to 0 will improve the performance but not make it perfect. It's another one on the wish list by most.

**Robert_Gibran** · **12-07-06, 11:22 AM**

I certianly understand the desire to have complete flexibility as related to reordering the device commands, however...since ANY of those device commands can be moved to the activity screen, negating the need to use the device menu and related screens at all, it seems to me this would be and is the ultimate reordering, unless I'm missing something.

RG

**Otto** · **12-07-06, 11:55 AM**

You are right in that we can put anything we want on the activity screens. However, once they are on those activity screens, they are organized by device, and then alphabetically under device (or something like that). Yes, I'm talking in the activity screen, they are ordered by device, even though device isn't necessarily obvious.

Let's say I have two activities: 1) "listen to CDs" 2) "listen to Sirius".

In the "CD" activity, I use a Denon DVD player and an Outlaw pre/pro. In the Sirius activity, I use the Sirius receiver and the Outlaw. Since I use a two-zone system with the Outlaw, I would like to always have my "Room 2 Vol Up" and "Room 2 Vol Down" in the top left corner of the soft button display. In the CD case, controls for the DVD player will be ordered first in that screen, even though I told it to put the Outlaw stuff first ("Denon" comes before "Outlaw". Now the Outlaw controls are not in the top left of the screen because the Denon stuff is ordered first.

In the Sirius case, it will put the Outlaw stuff first ("Outlaw" comes before "Sirius") - this is where I want it. Great, but now it's different that the "CD" activity. Add in different activities and devices, and the layout of the soft buttons begins to look random. Depending on activity, I'm never really sure where "Room 2 Vol Up/Down" are going to end up, and I may actually even have to "scroll" to other pages to find them.

I believe there are some tricks that we can use to make this "better". It may be possible to reorganize the alphabetical-ness of the functions under each device. That is, once they reorder it "their way," you can go in and change the order of the commands under the device. But I think the device has to stay in alphabetical. I think it's also possible to "learn" all the commands for all devices under each device. That is, I could "learn" my Outlaw stuff and then assign it to each other device. Each "device" is then authorized to control any other device, and there's no need for ordering by device. You are then open to order under each device any way you want. Unfortunately, those to workarounds are too lame and time consuming for me to try.

As a programmer, I know they can fix this. And from the recent gossip, it appears that they are working on it. The thing that surprises me the most is that they actually designed it that way in the first place. I also hope they change their interface so that it's more intuitive as to how you set up the "pages." Currently, they are just in a straight list. Entry #1 is top left, Entry #2 is top right, Entry #3 is second-from-top left, and so on. It should be "page based" so that it will look just like the remote will when you are done.

Hope all that makes sense...

**Robert_Gibran** · **12-07-06, 04:50 PM**

I knew I must be missing something! Re-reading your initial post I see you were clearly refering to ordering the activity screen. It seemed a few others in the thread misunderstood as well, or I got more confused reading their posts...anyway, thought you were refering to the Device screens.

You apparently have had yours longer than I. I'm so happy to finally have ONE remote that will do it all I've yet to start complaining about THE WAY it does it! Geez we're a fickle bunch...LOL.

Great response...it all made sense.

RG

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