Logitech recently announced the expansion of their Harmony remote division with the Harmony Ultimate and the Harmony Smart Control despite announcing plans earlier this year to sell the entire division. Both devices feature Logitech's Harmony Hub and Harmony Smartphone App to delivery seamless integration with your existing home theater and gaming consoles.
The new hub device converts the RF commands from the remote into IR commands utilized by televisions, stereo receivers and Blu-ray players. The technology allows the remote to work though walls or in the case of a home theater setup, through closed cabinet doors. Furthermore, the hub supports Bluetooth which means you can power up and control a PS3, Wii or Wii U without picking up the console's control - perfect for streaming Netflix.
The hub also supports the latest version of the Harmony Smartphone App for Android and iOS devices. The app allows you to control your components just as you would with a Harmony remote and vice versa. For example, if you are controlling your setup from an iPad but someone else wants to use it, you can pick right up where you left off on the Ultimate remote or an iPhone.
If you already own Logitech's Harmony Touch, you'll be happy to know that it is fully compatible with the new hub.
The Harmony Ultimate package contains the Ultimate remote as well as the Harmony Hub for $349.99 while the Harmony Smart Control bundle contains the same hub and a simpler remote priced at $129.99. Both kits are expected to ship later this month or early next month, we're told.