Harmony 676- what are pic and sound keys?

I'm no expert, but this is my experience.

The Pic button give you quick access to all the functions for whatever device is displaying your picture (such as a TV or Front-projector), and the Sound button gives you quick access to all the functions for the device that is running your sound.

From my experience, this only really provides much use if you are using a separate sound system, and watching something other than just TV. I have two Harmony remotes; one for my theater, and one for a very simple tv/dvd/vcr setup in another room.

When I'm watching TV on my secondary, more simple setup, the "Pic" and "Sound" buttons don't really serve a purpose, since the TV is providing the source signal (tv tuner), and outputting the sound.

But when I'm, say, watching a DVD in my theater, that is when the "Pic" and "Sound" buttons are valuable (to me at least), as I can access all functions for my front-projector (via Pic), and my Receiver (via Sound).

You can, of course, add functions from ancillary devices to the normal "Activity" button setup, but the Pic and Sound buttons really provide any and all functions which may not fit into your Activity button mapping.

Some people find these buttons quite useless, but I do use them. It would be better for all if these buttons were user-customizable (meaning the ability to assign the button to another function), but unfortunately they are not.

Hope that helps!

You haven't programmed any function to it yet. When you sign in to your account on the Logitech website, you will be able to access the activity that you want to modify. There's a choice to change the behaviour of the buttons. Once isnside there you will see tabs for the current activity and Pic and sound tabs. Click on one of those and you will then have access to the functions that you will be able to program to the buttons. Once you get it the way you want it, upload it to your remote and you should be good.

Just to clarify, I'm going by memory, so don't hold me to this to nth degree.

Hopefully, you'll have enough info to get it done.

Good Luck!

DIY Guy, thanks for the added detail. I didn't realize that his "Pic" and "Sound" buttons weren't showing anything on the LCD screen.

As for the media button, it can be used for Favorite Channels for viewing TV (this will show as "Setup your Favorite Channels" next to the activity that supports it, such as watching TV), and also for choosing movies/albums from Multi-disc DVD/CD changers, etc.

Precisely the reason I think any Harmony without "pic" and "sound" is a waste. Those buttons are very handy and I use them all the time.

I echo cherry ghost's sentiment. In particular, I never realized how much of my sound system's capabilities I was missing out on until I got my Harmony 670 and set up the Sound soft keys. None of my previous universal remotes had enough buttons to be able to control everything that I wanted to and I hate having multiple remotes in my family room, so I just did without a lot of the sound controls.