Dell has the Harmony 880 for only $109, shipped free. If you’ve been sitting on the fence and/or waiting for a bargain, you’re not going to do better than this! The 880 retails for $249, but coupon code LWLCHHGG9Q7C9W gets you a $120 discount. Additionally, Logitech is offering a $20 mail-in rebate. The offer is good until tomorrow AM or until they sell 3000 remotes.

Harmony 880 reviews.

Harman Kardon has unveiled the Take Control (TC) 30, a custom branded Logitech Harmony remote. So what features does the $299 TC 30 offer over the similarly designed $99 Harmony 520? A color screen, rechargeable battery with cradle, and four more activity buttons. However… If you’re in the market for a remote with those features at that price, I’d suggest picking up the Harmony 880 which has better ergonomics and larger buttons. You can also find it on sale fairly often.

In other Harmony news, the 520 is being superceded by the 550. The updated remote adds six buttons, more closely mirroring the Harmony 360’s form.

SnapStream, the BeyondTV folks, has added the Firefly Mini to their arsenal. Unlike the original RF Firefly, the new remote is IR and button presses trigger keyboard commands to control many common software apps without requiring configuration or the installation of any drivers. Both Firefly remotes fully support BeyondTV and other SnapStream software, but it’s not required to use them. If you have many complex apps and want to control your HTPC through walls, go for the $49.99 RF Firefly or the ATI Remote Wonder. For a smaller and more economical option to use with simpler configurations, the $29.99 Firefly Mini is a decent choice.

Personally, I want control of all my devices with the least amount of clutter. Apparently someone at SnapStream feels the same… They’ve documented how to use a cheapie Sony learning remote to pick up the Mini’s IR codes, thus allowing you to toss it in a drawer. Being a Harmony aficionado, I’m here to tell you their remotes have a learning port and can do the same. Then again, you’ll have to ask yourself if an IR receiver is worth 30 bucks.

The Harmony 890 has finally hit the shelves and the reviews are trickling in. On top of the features his younger brother the 880 offers, the new model adds RF (to make it through those pesky cabinets and walls) and is fully backlit. But is that really worth the $150-$200 premium? With a list price of $399, I just can’t stomach paying more for this remote than I’d pay for an Xbox 360. Heck, it costs more than my HD tuner, DVD player, and Xbox 1 combined. The later 600 models are still my favorites of the Harmony line, though we’re currently using a 520 in our living room.

Business Week says: Logitech’s Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote costs more than many of the TV sets and stereo components it controls. It promises to change channels on your TV, turn up the volume on your stereo, pause your DVD player, and manage a multitude of other devices. The 890 uses radio frequencies in addition to infrared, so it can control devices behind cabinet doors or even in rooms a floor away. If it sounds a bit too ambitious — well, it is. A big problem with universal remotes is that the TVs, set-top boxes, and stereos they control are so intricate that no all-in-one remote can possibly handle every function with grace. Give the 890 credit for trying.

PC World says: It took a bit more effort to get the Harmony to work with its wireless RF extender. To enable the RF features, I had to specify whether the device I wanted to control was to be operated by the remote (via infrared) or by the extender. The 890 did practically everything I asked of it, flawlessly controlling equipment located in a nearby room. Unfortunately, my shipping unit routinely lost the connection when I tried to control my first-floor stereo equipment from the second floor, where I have remote speakers. In contrast, my year-old Home Theater Master MX-600 from Universal Remote (purchased for $450 and now available for half that much) handles this location easily.

What’s a bored, snowed-in geek to do on a Sunday AM? Troll the FCC website for new products, of course!

Sony’s got a home wireless AV transmission system (HWS-AV10) in the works. It uses the 2.4 GHz frequency to relay audio, video, and IR remote signals from a component in one room to a TV in another… while likely interfering with your cordless phones and WiFi. The base station includes an IR blaster allowing you to change channels or choose TiVo recordings at a distance. The receiver smartly bundles an external antenna to fine-tune reception.

In the past, I’ve used a few variations of this device with mediocre results. I’ve had better luck using media extenders/servers over WiFi… though they require a larger investment of both time and money. If cash is no object, go whole-hog with Sony’s LocationFree TV and take your screen with you around the house. For basic video, I’d advise just fishing the coax.

Sorry, HD Beat… this puppy’s standard def only.

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Just about everybody and their mom has been applying for (bizarre) DVR-related patents lately. Today I’ll spotlight IBM, who wants to own the rights of presenting “instant replay” content within a window. But wait, that’s not all… if you order now, they’ll also store that video right on your remote control’s “non-volatile” memory! And I don’t know why…

IBM says: The invention provides systems, apparatus and methods for recording a television broadcast, and a retrospective section of the record. These enable a television viewer to use a television control to select and store a retrospective section of a recorded television channel, while watching the channel. The retrospective section typically comprises a section of the channel that has just been watched by the viewer, so that an immediate replay of the retrospective section corresponds to an “instant” replay. An example method includes the steps of generating a record of the television broadcast, and operating a television remote control to select from the record, while viewing the television broadcast, a retrospective section of the record. The method further may include storing the retrospective section in the television remote control.

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Lucent brainiacs have filed a patent application for a DVR sleep detector. They envision a DVR-integrated “apparatus” which pauses TV playback once an individual has fallen asleep. Upon regaining consciousness, DVR playback resumes. The application covers both video surveillance and physiological monitoring to determine wakefulness. No word on how they’ll handle those risqué folks who watch TV together.

Lucent says:
[0011] The sleep detector may comprise an electronic camera for forming images of the viewer, and pattern recognition means connected to the electronic camera to monitor the physical condition of the viewer. For example, the pattern recognition means determine whether the viewer’s eyes are open or shut. The apparatus may further include logic means connected to receive output from the pattern recognition means to distinguish normal blinking from the onset of sleep.

[0012] Alternatively, the sleep detector may comprise a device wearable by the viewer for monitoring the physical condition of the viewer. For example, the wearable device may include one or more of an accelerometer, a heat flux sensor, a galvanic skin response sensor, a skin temperature sensor and a near-body ambient temperature sensor.

[0013] The sleep detector may be connected to the digital video recorder via direct electrical connection or via a remote-control type interface.

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