Harmony Remotes - Hardware

[LSH]

So here we are 17 days later and now the other Harmony 1000 failed in exactly the same manner, requiring battery removal and reboot.

Since this remote took way longer to fail, I guess I should call this an improvement, but I have not used the remote all that often and it too shows the same fault. Guess the problem lies in the downloaded comfiguration file(a) from Logitech and is not likely to be a hardware defect based on this latest episode.

I wanted to report this new status and encourage anyone else who has rebooting and battery removal issues to offer comments. Speaking for myself, I find the Logitrch software to be just absolutely loaded with bugs.

Thanks to all for replies and assistance.

Larry

[Gary30]

Some of us (that means, me) have given up hope for a final firmware fix to stop the remote freezing or hanging up or the many, many problems that creep into the remote with every update.

With every firmware fix, a non-corresponding problem arises that requires yet another reboot or update to remote and rf extender. I've given up. When I get a new Intel Mac, I'll dump this forever-buggy setup, but for now, I'm stuck with it because I have only Power PC Mac capabilities and there's nothing else out there.

Gary

[LSH]

I know your situation Gary since I previously had a Phillips Pronto remote which I needed to program with my Powermac G4 and Virual PC would not work properly. The Logitech web-based solution has an appealing design for both Mac and PC users, but there are an incredible number of things which absolutely ***do not work correctly****. I designed and coded commercial software including device drivers for over 10 years so I know properly debugged software, as well as buggy code when I see it. Logitech has a terrific family of remote controls but they just don't sell properly tested software, leaving many customers unhappy. I am especially unhappy when new releases break things which prevously worked, a dead give-away of very poor quality control.

Thanks for your reply Gary,

Larry

Message Edited by LSH on 04-07-2008 07:22 AM

[dbara]

LSH, I have a question. My remote over time will slow down and not turn things on correctly over time if it has not been used. Say a week or so. It does not totallly die but it takes about 20 - 30 seconds to transmit the commands to the devices and it does not do it correctly even when it does transmit.

Is yours like mine or is it really completely dead?

Have you called it in to LOGITECH? I have been reluctant to because once I pull the battery and reboot it will work for another week. Going to be hard to figure out what is causing it.

[LSH]

both of my 1000s has no slowdown issues. My problem is a total loss of programming but not a freeze either. The displays all look fine but no IR is transmitted either by the 1000 or the associated RF extender.

I have contacted Logitech. The old and proven solution is always recommended....... Reboot.

A really pathetic solution which merely delays solving the real problem, which is very poor software and firmware written by amateurs.

[Gary30]

LSH,

Thanks for your reply. I have no coding background, but one isn't needed to know the programming of this remote is severely crippled.

Last week, I received my first-ever email from Logitech--other than the numerous surveys they asked me to complete, which I did repeatedly--that said, yes, another firmware update was available that would "fix the freeze" issue identified by "some users."

I didn't exactly rush to update, but I did by the end of the week.

Now the commands have slowed in their execution and the occasional freezes have not ceased. Ce la vie.

Gary

[LSH]

Gary,

I also got the Logitech email and decided to immediately download the new firmware. The good news for me was that I did not experience the slowdowns you reported. The bad news is that my same old problem is now back, in my 2nd Harmony 1000, and I needed to remove the battery and reboot just like before.

What a total pain in the a** this Harmony 1000 is. My other one works fine, and swapping hardware proves it is a firmware or software bug.

Guess I have to wait for yet another release. In the meantime I keep the plastic battery door slightly open to make is easier for me and my family to reboot this thing. What a pain.......

Larry

BTW...another new bug.... When the reboot occurs my remote now outputs some turn-on power codes before I even touch any buttons all by itself...does it the same after every reboot....

Typical poor quality control....zero steps forward and 1 step backwards....

My previous universal remote for $39 from Radio Shack was far more reliable.......

Message Edited by LSH on 04-23-2008 06:45 PM

Message Edited by LSH on 04-23-2008 06:48 PM

[LSH]

For the record.......my original problem still occurs despite the latest firmware, swapping my 1000 for my other bedroom 1000, swapping extenders, swapping chargers, swapping batteries. This problem is unquestionably a programming defect.

The battery case plastic door is beginning to wear from having to remove and reinstall the battery every time the 1000 craps out. I wish there was a reboot button to avoid the need to remove the battery every few days.

Actually I wish the software would be written by competent people who properly tested their code before issuing yet another version filled with both old and new bugs.

Larry 

[HarryKrishna]

I had updates to the latest software, 7.4.3 awhile back, and also did the supposed firmware fix for the freezing issue when the letter came out, and for a little while everything seemed ok. Now, the past week my 1000 has FROZEN pretty much EVERY DAY NOW!!!!! When I press any activity button, it plays the annoying tingle tingle song, and it has the black square saying it is turning everything on, and it will either just stay at that screen until I remove the battery to reboot it, or on the rare occasion, pressing the bottom "activities" button will make it look lke it is done (or maybe just a coincidence it looks like it is done) because none of the buttons will do anything, nor do I see the tiny "radar" icon showing it sent a signal to my devices. Now just this moment, it not only stayed stuck at that black square, but it did not turn ANYTHING on!!!!!!

I had really liked this Harmony 1000. It is so much easier to program than my Phillips Pronto TSU9000 which cost twice as much. But the Phillips NEVER gave me this many problems! I am so freaking frustrated now, I'd almost be willing to PAY someone to program my Pronto for me, because that is such a pain to do, but once it is programmed, it is a dream to use compared to this garbage!

[LSH]

I owned and programmed two Prontos, and they worked very reliably. You and I and no doubt others are stuck with expensive Harmony 1000s which stop working because some region of memory is being clobbered by poorly designed / poorly written code which Logitech proudly claims is new and improved.

All I know is that my Harmony 1000 is unstable, requires battery removal once a week or more to use it, and now, every single **bleep** time I reboot, sends out codes even though I don't hit a single button, turning on my projector in the wrong power up sequence. At least the last "unimproved" version firmware didn't have that bug.

Doing the upgrade thus made my unit worse. And forces me to ask the question.....: What are those programmers and software designers trying to do, make the unit even more unreliable???????

Larry