Logitech Harmony Remote 880 - Manual (Page 4)

2. Industry Overview
2.1 The Problem: Complexity in the Modern Living Room
Undeniably, new technologies such as high-definition television and digital video recorders
(DVRs), also referred to as personal video recorders (PVRs), enhance how people experience
home entertainment – but they also introduce new complexities to the living room. Today’s
typical entertainment system may feature anywhere from six to ten different electronics
components, each with its own remote control (TV, VCR, DVD player, home-theater receiver,
satellite or cable television decoder, DVR, CD jukebox, game console, etc.). Some systems require
people to press as many as a dozen buttons, in the correct sequence, on a combination of
remote controls, just to watch a movie with surround sound. While entertainment systems have
become a source of pride – even a source of competition among friends – actually using them
can be laborious, if not frustrating. The experience can be especially frustrating for family
members and friends; anyone who didn’t set up the entertainment system may require detailed
instructions to use it.
In addition to the complexity brought on by an excessive number of remote controls, people
face the challenge of clutter, with their coffee tables lined with a half-dozen or more remotes.
2.2 The Opportunity
The opportunity to create a single remote to control an entire home entertainment system
became clear several years ago as the modern living room entertainment system started to
become more complicated.
However, early attempts at a universal remote were plagued with compatibility problems and
limited functionality. There simply was no straightforward single remote that could control a
growing list of individual components. Even in the current generation of universal remotes, many
of which are fairly reliable with robust capabilities, there are three fundamental shortcomings:
• Difficult to set up: Remotes require complicated programming, so consumers must
have steep technical knowledge or hire an installer.
• Difficult to use: These remotes require pressing an elaborate sequence of buttons to
simply watch television or a DVD, or listen to music.
• Incomplete control: Many remotes only work on a limited number of popular devices.
On some remotes, information that the remote uses to control components is stored
internally, at the time it was manufactured, and quickly becomes outdated. This
precludes consumers from updating their entertainment system without also buying a
new remote.
The Logitech Harmony 880 Remote Reviewer’s Guide
Summer 2005
Page 4