The Harmony Hub—the latest incarnation of Logitech's universal remote base station—comes in three packages, two of them with companion hardware remotes and one for use with free smartphone software. Whichever one you choose, it's the best alternative yet to multiple remote clutter.
Universal remote base stations have been around for several years—in fact, Logitech helped pioneer the category with the Hub's predecessor, the Harmony Link—but I found that product difficult to use. Fortunately, Logitech has done great work on user interface to make controlling the Hub much more intuitive. It's not perfect, but it's the first such system to make me consider ditching my old remotes.
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Like its predecessor, the Hub receives commands sent wirelessly, either via RF signals from a companion hardware remote (the $350 Harmony Ultimate or the $130 Harmony Smart Control), or—if you get the $100 stand-alone Harmony Ultimate Hub (currently available for preorder)—over a Wi-Fi home network from an iOS or Android app.
The Hub then generates the appropriate IR or Bluetooth signals to control hundreds of thousands of home entertainment devices ranging from TVs and audio systems to cable boxes, Blu-ray players, and game consoles. (Logitech says the Harmony Hub can also control Philips Hue home lighting systems, but I wasn't able to test that.)
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