CES 2009

(Credit: Logitech)

When Logitech released the Harmony 1000 in 2007, we were disappointed that the tablet-style remote wasn't easily customizable and that the response time of its 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen wasn't quite as zippy as we would've liked. Two years on, it looks like Logitech has finally taken those criticisms to heart. The new Harmony 1100 includes the ability to customize the on-screen buttons, and its new Flash-based OS (and faster processor) should make for a smoother user experience. Those improvements--plus the black color scheme--look to be the only major changes from the 1000, so the new model should have all of the now-standard perks we've come to expect from Logitech's Harmony line (Web-aided programming via Windows and Mac PCs, task-based control, compatibility with tens of thousands of devices). Unfortunately, the Harmony 1100 will retain the original model's sky-high $500 asking price when it debuts in February 2009--and anyone wanting to take advantage of the remote's RF control features will need to invest another $100 or so in a separate RF-to-IR dongle. Meanwhile, those of us waiting for an update of the Logitech Harmony One that offers RF (or maybe even Bluetooth, for those pesky PS3s) are out of luck; the Harmony 1100 is the company's only new remote for now.

Note: This post has been updated to correctly reflect the features of the original Harmony 1000 model.

(Credit: Philips)

The Philips universal remote line has a new top dog. The Prestigo SRT9320 combines a 2.8-inch color touch screen on the top half with hard buttons on the lower portion. The screen handles both channel favorites (replete with familiar icon logos) and customized commands. The SRT9320 can control up to 20 devices, and it's completely programmable as-is--including learning modes and multidevice macros--without the need to connect it to a PC. (A USB port is included only for future software updates--presumably things like additional channel icons.)

While the Prestigo SRT9320 has a premium $249 price tag, it's missing such high-end niceties as RF control and a charging cradle. And while Philips touts the fact that you don't need a PC to program the SRT9320, we've found that to be a big advantage when dealing with sophisticated multidevice macros (something the task-based Logitech Harmony models handle with aplomb). By comparison, the Logitech Harmony One also has a touch-screen/keypad design (and a rechargeable battery), and it can be found for less than $200.

The SRT9320 will be available in the first quarter of 2009. In the meantime, a trio of more affordable Philips Prestigo models are currently available, all of which include a color LCD screen: the SRU8008 (controls 8 devices, priced below $100); the SRU8112 (12 devices, scrollwheel, also sub-$100); and the SRU8015 (15 devices, scrollwheel, wider form factor, under $180).