Logitech Harmony Smart Keyboard combines Harmony remote with QWERTY keyboard

Shawn Knight

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Set-top boxes and game consoles geared toward watching television have come a long way in terms of form and function. But when it comes time to search for a show or enter a password with a remote control, all of that technological progress feels negated.

Logitech’s upcoming Harmony Smart Keyboard aims to solve that problem by combining a QWERTY keyboard with the company’s proven universal remote control line. The board, coated in a rubber anti-slip material, features a touchpad that supports Windows 8 gestures as well as Harmony-specific gestures.

It can be paired with up to eight devices at a time from a library of more than 225,000 home entertainment devices from more than 5,000 brands. All of the major players are included – Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, Roku – so compatibility shouldn’t be an issue.

The Smart Keyboard ships with the Harmony Hub which acts as a middleman, translating the signals from the keyboard into commands that home entertainment equipment understand. Setup takes place through a smartphone app instead of on the web as required by previous Harmony remotes.

One would obviously need to weigh the pros and the cons when considering the board. On the positive side, entering text with a keyboard is worlds faster than doing so with a traditional remote control. On the flip side, however, is the fact that you’re replacing a small and easy-to-handle remote with a full-size keyboard.

The Logitech Harmony Smart Keyboard will be available in the US and Germany starting this month for $149.99.

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I see where they're going with this I own 2x Logitech Harmony 600, 1x Logitech Harmony 650 and 1x Logitech Harmony 700. Along with 2x Logitech Wave Pro Wireless Laser Keyboards and 1x Top end keyboard they have with LCD panel. Still with all of this gear from them has been issues with the mice failing. This all-in-one setup I have to wonder how they're going to solve some issues. Would be nice if you could still use the current harmony's with this device. They only supporting Android and Apple smartphones and tablets. No chance for Microsoft and it's Clones Tablets.

Right now I use USB IR on two laptops that run Windows 7 with Media Center. One is on 24/7 to recover over the OTA (over-the-air) in HD 1080i Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. It does a excellent job doing that. But how do I control all this gear. I use SONY HDTVs , SONY 7.1 True HD Amp with matching SONY 7.1 Surround Speakers, Center Speakers, Active Sub Woofers. I do this because when I turn on the SONY everything turns from SONY I also run SONY SMP-N100 and N200 Network Media Players that does handle Windows Shares and NAS from ZyXel NSA325.

All this runs so well. But the SONY remotes that's a lot to deal with. Sure they main TV remote controls everything except to the ACER/GATEWAY laptops. So to get the Logitech Harmony Remotes to work you need USB IR to get it working. No drivers needed. Just connect that your set. But you need to trick the Harmony Remotes so they can work with the USB IR and launch Windows Media Center, open Recorded TV, Video, Music, Pictures or watch LiVE TV.

To get that part working I have 2x HDHOMERUN boxes that gives me 4 HDTV tuners over the network. So basically you install the software, drivers on each PC you want. Then you can watch live tv on those PCs. If you setup one PC to record it will do that.

So there you have it. Now these new keyboard with the touch pad mouse doesn't say if it lights up at night. SONY remotes don't do that buy the 4x Harmony's do.
 
I wonder if it will have better range than their wireless keyboards and mice, or if it's IR. If so I'll take one.
 
IR range from the laptop to my sofa is over 14 to 16 feet with the Harmony. I still use the mouse more than the remote. Some things take longer, but on the remote FF is really quick.
 
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