Latest activity-based color LCD model adds RF capabilities to the Harmony One design.
Logitech has just announced the latest addition to their remote control family, the
Harmony 900. Essentially a Harmony One with added RF capabilities, Logitech has completely redesigned their RF system to use new “mini blasters” that don’t need to be taped to equipment front panels. The button layout has also seen some tweaking, with four new “color” buttons (red, green, yellow, blue) being added to the mix.
The Harmony 900 will retail for $399.99, which includes the main IR blaster, two mini blasters and a recharging station. It can already be pre-ordered at Amazon.
Today’s press release is included below.
Good-Bye Clutter: Logitech Harmony 900 Remote Controls Home-Entertainment Devices, Even When They’re Out of Sight
Remote Features New Wireless RF Control, Full-Color Touch Screen: Replaces Up to 15 Remotes
FREMONT, Calif. — Aug. 11, 2009 — Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today introduced the Logitech Harmony® 900 remote. With its redesigned RF technology, full-color touch screen and intuitive button layout, the rechargeable Logitech Harmony 900 remote makes it easy to enjoy and control your TV, movies, games and music – even when your components are neatly hidden behind cabinet doors.
“Like all Harmony remotes, the Harmony 900 simplifies home entertainment, which is particularly relevant with more and more people staying home to watch movies on their big-screen TVs, enjoying surround sound and hi-def video from the comfort of the couch,” said Ashish Arora, vice president and general manager of Logitech’s Harmony business unit. “Unfortunately, more remotes and more wires tend to be byproducts of increasingly sophisticated home-entertainment systems. With the Harmony 900 remote’s RF technology and ability to control up to 15 devices, you can say good-bye to the clutter while gaining better control of your devices.”
Simple-to-Install RF System
The Harmony 900 remote's completely redesigned RF system makes it easy to control (up to 100 feet away) a cabinet full of devices without the hassles often associated with RF setups. Just place the included IR blaster and one or two of the mini blasters on the cabinet shelves near the devices you want to control. (Unlike other RF remotes, there's no need to tape emitters to each of your devices.) Then use the Harmony 900 remote's color touch screen to choose the devices you want to control with RF. Once setup is complete, you're free to close the doors on entertainment-system clutter and point your remote anywhere you want.
Easy to Hold, Easy to Use
Based on the award-winning design of the Logitech Harmony® One remote, the Logitech Harmony 900 remote’s intuitive button layout is divided into four distinct zones (numbers; traditional DVD controls; D-pad with volume and channel up/down; and on-screen menu buttons), making it easy to find the right one quickly. Only the 44 most-essential buttons appear on the Harmony 900 remote, and each of those buttons is individually sculpted, providing useful tactile cues so you can operate the remote by touch, rather than having to rely on sight.
One Touch to Your Entertainment
As with all Logitech Harmony remotes, the newest addition to the lineup can have you watching your favorite movie or show with one press of a button. With the Harmony 900 remote, there’s no need for complicated lists and long explanations about how to use your home-entertainment system; it simplifies your entertainment with one-touch activity-based control. The whole family, your friends, and even the babysitter can simply select what they want to do by choosing the appropriate on-screen icon – such as “Watch TV” – and the Harmony 900 remote does the rest. The remote will turn on the TV, the cable box, the A/V receiver and any other necessary devices.
Guided Online Setup
Logitech’s online setup makes getting the Harmony 900 remote up and running as easy as possible. The intuitive setup wizard guides you, prompting you to enter the make and model numbers of your components. The Harmony software then programs the remote with the appropriate IR codes from Logitech’s database of more than 225,000 devices from more than 5,000 manufacturers. And with more device codes added every day, you can be confident that devices you buy tomorrow will be covered too.
Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Harmony 900 remote is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe in September for a suggested retail price of $399.99 (U.S.). The remote ships with a recharging cradle, rechargeable battery, power supply, IR blaster and two mini blasters. Logitech plans to make an additional blaster and mini blaster bundle available online in some regions.
For more on the Harmony, visit our Harmony Forum.
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Comment by 
In “Their” defense there is nothing on the packaging that’s says this function is available, then again there is nothing that says it not, this is because I as well as many of U expected the function to be there in the 1st place. I may buy a new remote and it may cost $400 but it won’t be a Logitech if they won’t stand up and make right what is clearly a wrong.
Normally I would recommend that if you feel as I do that this function should be there you should send them an email requesting politely that a firmware upgrade B made adding a sleep mode function to all their existing remotes that have internal timers (they all do). Include in the text that they clearly already have the programming code (from the HARMONY 900) and modifying it for the existing remotes would be very easy. Like I said NORMALLY that is what I would recommend except I can’t find anywhere what the customer support email address is. I even tried Googling to find it but no such luck I did find a toll free number for sales it is 800-231-7717 call them and again respectfully request the firmware change. If enough people call their toll free number (Call often) they may get the hint. I’m sure they will delete this message soon so please take action now.