![]() Maybe I’ll just go the Harmony route.” Well, in order to get any use out of the Harmony Hub Extender, you would need to already have a Z-Wave home automation system in place which costs money. If I were to upgrade my Harmony with Z-Wave connectivity, it would cost $280 – $580 before tax! I’m sorry, but that’s a bit steep for me especially considering my previous points.īut maybe you’re reading this thinking to yourself, “But this guy already has all of this Z-Wave stuff setup. Either that or I’ve been ahead of my time. If Logitech would have come out with this a year or two ago, I totally would have been on board with it. Plus, why do I need this Harmony upgrade if I’ve already got my Z-Wave home automation system controlling my entertainment center? Too LateĪs I mentioned, the Harmony Hub Extender (which enables Z-Wave) is not going to be available until December 2014. I feel like this would leave me with 2 separate home automation systems that are trying to be the control center and I might have difficulty with 2-way communication. If I were to guess, I think Logitech is trying so hard to be the center of home automation control that they are not going to allow Z-Wave to control Harmony. Will it also allow Z-Wave to control the Harmony Home Hub? Or will it just be one-way from Harmony to Z-Wave. It’s a little early to tell exactly what the capabilities are going to be, but it sounds like the Harmony Hub Extender is only going to offer Z-Wave protocol connectivity, I assume as a Z-Wave controller. Is Logitech Harmony Offering Too Little, Too Late, for Too Much? Too Little But, I could do without it by controlling my entertainment center with my phone via Tasker and/or Yatse, or with voice commands to the Xbox One. I still use it just because it’s nice to have a physical remote. What that did was make my Harmony unnecessary. Instead of the Harmony controlling Z-Wave, I figured out how to make Z-Wave control my entertainment center. Later on, I figured out how to do the opposite. Unfortunately, the 890PRO was an older remote and the configuration application was so clunky and buggy, I was never able to get it to work the way I wanted. I wanted to be able to hit a button on the Harmony and have it trigger a Z-Wave scene. Failed Attempt to Have Harmony Control Z-WaveĪt one point, I upgraded my Logitech Harmony 650 Remote to a Logitech Harmony 890PRO Remote in order to use the Z-Wave capabilities that were built into that remote (and only that remote). Then, I got into Z-Wave home automation and discovered how much more I could do with the rest of my house. ![]() It allowed me to hit one button and all of my entertainment center electronics would turn on and set to the right inputs. It was my first baby step into the world of home automation. I’ve been using them for years and I’ve recommended them to many of my friends and family. My Journey with Logitech Harmony and Z-Wave Home Automation It will cost an additional $129.99 and won’t be available until December 2014. Here’s where it get interesting! The Harmony Hub Extender adds true home automation control to the remote and the Home Hub by enabling Z-Wave or ZigBee communication. In order to use the features you would get with the touch screen, you would have to use the mobile app which connects to the Harmony Home Hub. This is basically the cheaper version of the Ultimate Home remote because it does not have the touch screen. It allows you to integrate and control home automation devices and up to 15 entertainment center devices. This is the new high-end remote that includes a 2.4-inch color touch-screen. It can be bundled with the Harmony Ultimate Home or Harmony Home Control or purchased separately for $99.99. It basically receives commands from the remote and controls household devices via RF, IR, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. This is the device that enables what Logitech is calling “The Harmony Living Home Experience”. So let’s take a look at the new line-up… Logitech Harmony Home Hub You can even trigger Activities from the Harmony Mobile App when you’re not at home. You can start an Activity with one touch of your remote or mobile device, automatically on a custom schedule, or by passing a sensor. Plus, you can easily combine multiple devices into Activities to trigger at once so you can power on your TV, dim your lights, adjust the temperature and open your window shades all at the same time. ![]() With just a few easy steps your remote, tablet or smartphone can now control your TV, set-top box, speakers, lighting, thermostat, door locks, window shades and other popular devices. Finally! This is something I’ve been trying to do for some time now. Logitech just announced 4 new Harmony products with new features that will allow it to interface with your Z-Wave home automation system.
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