[sweatykeith]

I currently have a Harmony 650 but it is getting tired. I am thinking of getting the Companion. I did a search for it and it looks like it doesn't have too many bugs or problems. I would like to know what people that use the Companion think about it. Any regrets? Comments?

 

[usc1995]

I assume you are getting the Hub and Companion combo as I don’t think the companion works without the Hub. A couple of points to consider- there is no backlight on the Companion so if you watch in a dark theater this might be problematic. If it is for a living room or media room with lights on then it is no problem. There is no IR emitted from the companion so the Hub (that acts as an IR blaster) and the mini blaster that comes with it need line of sight for all of your IR controlled components. Finally, I believe there are only 6 activity buttons (three actual buttons with three additional activities programmable by holding an activity button for a “long press”). If you want to program more than 6 activities that might be a problem. Considering the price you can get it for and the power of the Hub I think these things are great and just bought one for my family room setup.


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[mdavej]

If you use a lot of onscreen buttons on your 650, realize most of those will only be accessible via the phone app if you switch to the Companion, as it has no screen and a limited number of physical buttons. I personally would rather not use my phone for remote control. So unless I had a very simple system, I'd probably opt for the Elite or get another 6xx or 7xx series remote.

But the Companion does have the advantage of no line of sight requirement for the remote itself, phone app (if you like that sort of thing) and some RF, wifi and Bluetooth capabilities. Many people are perfectly happy with the Companion.

 

[Madmax67]

If your gear is in another room i.e. AV closet it might be a problem but other than that I love everything about the Companion's simplicity. Battery lasts almost a full year and the slimline remote feels like an extension of my hand. Downsides are no backlight which I quickly muscle memorized the buttons to offset and only 6 on remote Activities. I only ever use 3 so that was a non issue for me. This is a remote for someone who wants some micro features but doesn't have a large HT setup requiring the Elite 's added features. Biggest issue with the Elite is the short battery life and always needing to be docked afterwards.

 

[sweatykeith]

Thank you for quick replies. I think I am going to pull the trigger on the Companion.


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[Awakeintheashes]

Understand I'm resurrecting an old thread, but hopefully I can find a solution. I replaced my Companion a while ago with an Elite due to a couple buttons not working after a run-in with a sink. However, to protect my Elite from my young children, I would like to switch back to the Companion. All of the buttons work with the exception of the "back" and "menu" buttons.

Is there an an easy fix, or will I need to replace to Companion's motherboard?

Thanks in advance for any and all responses.