In Use (continued):
Once all of the activities are created you can go try them out and if something isn't quite right, or if you want to customize things even more, you can return to the software to do so. The screen shown in the below left image will not only let you tweak existing activities, but you can change the devices involved, add new activities, rearrange the order which the activities are displayed on the remote's screen, and so on.
To customize the Harmony 1000 even more, you can change the background image shown on the screen (above right image). You can select from a variety of stock graphics or download an image of your own.
With all of the setup completed, let's take a look at the Harmony 1000 in action.
The below left image shows the Harmony 1000's "Activities" screen, which doubles as the home screen that is displayed when the device is turned on. The screen is sharp, easy to read, and easy to navigate. The below right image shows another screen which provides access to direct control of your individual components, access to settings for the remote (back light brightness/duration and volume of clicks that confirm selections), and allows adjustment of RF communications to one or more Wireless Extender.
The image below was taken in low light conditions to show off the brightness of the screen, as well as the cool blue back lighting of the buttons found to the right of the screen. Operation in either a well lit room or a dimly lit home theater environment are both simple, and there is never the inconvenience of a traditional remote control that might leave you fumbling for the correct button in the dark.
The Harmony 1000 also provides on screen help which can be quite useful as you are getting accustomed to its use. The image above shows a screen in a series that explains the use of "Activities". Also visible in this image is the blue LED on the base that was mentioned earlier.
The main complaint about using the Harmony 1000 for every day TV channel surfing is that the touch screen just can't get all the buttons on screen at once. For my particular model, the typical buttons that would all fit on the face of the stock remote are split over 12 screens, which means you must scroll in order to access everything. Least convenient is the fact that the number pad is divided into two screens alone. So, if you want to enter channel 715 for example... You access the TV control screen, immediately scroll down to get to 7, scroll back up to get to 1, and then scroll back down to get to 5. And be quick about it, as the TV will time out if you don't enter all numbers in a fairly short amount of time!
