PS3 Universal Remote Adapter

Logitech's family of Harmony universal remote controls is incredible, save for one major flaw, they are not compatible with one of the best Blu-ray players out there, the PlayStation 3.

The Harmony Universal Remote Adapter solves that problem and allows for the Logitech remotes to function surprisingly well with the PS3... home entertainment enthusiasts around the world rejoice!

The Logitech Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3 is nothing short of a godsend. While the Sony's decision to go with Bluetooth may have worked wonders for the Sixaxis and DualShock controllers, as well as allowed gamers to use Bluetooth headsets with the PS3, it prevented the PS3 from being used with almost all the universal remotes out there.

While this may not be a big deal for some, for those who used their PS3 as a Blu-ray disk player, it was a nightmare. Even if you had a wonderful universal remote, you still had to use either the PS3's controller or the official PS3 remote to watch movies, so at the very least it required that you have two remotes to watch a Blu-ray.

This was a problem both for home entertainment aficionados, who have spent countless hours tuning their systems and hundreds of dollars on high-end universal remotes, as well as casual Blu-ray users who either get confused by having multiple remotes, or simply don't want the hassle of keeping two remotes around. One always seems to get lost, run out of batteries, or simply be on the other side of the room.

Whether or not multiple remotes is a hassle depends on the user, but not having the option to use one at all, due to the PS3's lack of a IR input and use of Blutooth was bordering on criminal, after all, the PS3 was touted, and is, one of the better Blu-ray players out there and a very flexible part of a home entertainment system.

There are any number of adapters out there that purport to support universal remotes for the PS3. The problem is many of them simply don't work. Such is not the case with the Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Adapter for the PlayStation 3. Quite literally I plugged it into a power outlet, told the PS3 to register a Bluetooth remote, pressed the little sync button on the bottom of the adapter and I was using my Logitech Harmony 700 remote to control my PS3 in less than a minute.

Now, in all fairness, I had already configured the remote to work with the PS3, but the adapter was able to sync to the PlayStation 3 without a hitch and it worked perfectly right out of the box. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.

The real marvel of the little Harmony PS3 adapter is that is doesn't connect physically to the PS3 at all. Essential it's an IR to Bluetooth converter. It reads all the signals sent by your Logitech Harmony universal remote and converts them to Bluetooth. As far as your PS3 is concerned, you are using a Bluetooth remote.

The adapter not only allowed me to control Blu-ray disk playback, but all major PS3 functions. The Harmony remote can send all 51 PS3 commands. I used to to navigate the XMB, watch Blu-ray movies, streaming video from my PC, surf the web, and shut the PS3 down. It worked flawlessly, well for me at least.

Alright, so do I have any complaints about the adapter? Sure I do. It's a little expensive, I mean a Harmony universal remote already will set you back a good $150 dollars, or more, another $50-60 to get it to work with the PS3 hurts. It doesn't exactly match the PS3's styling, which is a minor complaint, but something Logitech is normally great at.

The Harmony adapter, and the remote, worked flawlessly for me, and I've been tickled with how much more a central role the PS3 now plays in my home entertainment system. But there are reports out there that not everyone is having the same experience.

Some folks around the web are complaining that the Harmony adapter causes interference with their PS3 controllers, or that it causes the controllers to disconnect, requiring you to resync them. Others say it doesn't work with the PS3 slim at all.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to substanitate these claims. But you should be aware of them, and keep your receipts just in case.

While the Harmony PS3 universal remote adapter may be pricey the unit I have has revolutionized my home entertainment center and allowed me to enjoy the non-gaming features of my PlayStation 3 more than ever before. While one can argue that the harmony remotes should have Bluetooth built in, the adapter is a solid solution that will allow you currently available Logitech universal remotes easily and quickly. Finally having one remote to rule them all has been an epic experience.

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Harmony 700 Universal Remote

While it did take two and a half hours to set up the Harmony 700 universal remote with my home entertainment system, it was well worth it. Not only does it control most of the devices in my living room with the press of one activity button, it worked perfectly with my PS3, allowing for the control of the XMB, Blu-ray movies, streaming video and more all with the quality and elegance that defines the family of Logitech Harmony universal remote controls. The 700 may be an entry level universal remote, but it will run your living room with authority.One of the biggest gripes about the PS3 was that it was an incredible media center playing Blu-ray disks, DVDs, CDs, MP3s, streaming internet video, media from your PC, and much much more. Unfortunately it relies on Bluetooth to communicate with wireless accessories, which is great for headsets and DualShock controllers, but just awful for universal remotes.

With the release of the unwieldy named "Logitech Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3" the world of high-end remotes has finally opened up to the PS3, and what a grand place it is.

I've only ever had cheap universal remotes in my life. The kind you get at Rite-Aid and wish you'd kept the receipt to return. The kind that you spend four hours setting up only to have it not be able to change channels. You know, the evil, cheap electronics kind. The Harmony 700 is a completely different beast, and it is beautiful.

While setting up the remote to work with my Panasonic plasma, Pioneer amp, and PS3 was a breeze, getting it to work with my Roku, TiVo, and iPod Touch was a completely different story. The online software works well enough, but it took some searching to find out that the Roku listed under media center PCs. Though it took two and a half hours and some mild cursing to set up, the results were well worth it.

With the press of a button my PS3, TV, and surround sound all turn on, and do so just the way I like. Another click and the PS3 is off, the TV changes inputs, and I'm watching TiVo. The Harmony 700 runs my entire entertainment system like a dream. But it's a dream that ends too soon. With a six device cap I had to leave my Wii and Xbox 360, sadly, out of the mix.

Regardless, I now can use one remote to fully control my PS3 and find I use its various media functions far more often and have much more fun doing it. In short, the Harmony 700 is a perfect PS3 playmate.

View the original article here

Harmony 700 Universal Remote

While it did take two and a half hours to set up the Harmony 700 universal remote with my home entertainment system, it was well worth it. Not only does it control most of the devices in my living room with the press of one activity button, it worked perfectly with my PS3, allowing for the control of the XMB, Blu-ray movies, streaming video and more all with the quality and elegance that defines the family of Logitech Harmony universal remote controls. The 700 may be an entry level universal remote, but it will run your living room with authority.One of the biggest gripes about the PS3 was that it was an incredible media center playing Blu-ray disks, DVDs, CDs, MP3s, streaming internet video, media from your PC, and much much more. Unfortunately it relies on Bluetooth to communicate with wireless accessories, which is great for headsets and DualShock controllers, but just awful for universal remotes.

With the release of the unwieldy named "Logitech Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3" the world of high-end remotes has finally opened up to the PS3, and what a grand place it is.

I've only ever had cheap universal remotes in my life. The kind you get at Rite-Aid and wish you'd kept the receipt to return. The kind that you spend four hours setting up only to have it not be able to change channels. You know, the evil, cheap electronics kind. The Harmony 700 is a completely different beast, and it is beautiful.

While setting up the remote to work with my Panasonic plasma, Pioneer amp, and PS3 was a breeze, getting it to work with my Roku, TiVo, and iPod Touch was a completely different story. The online software works well enough, but it took some searching to find out that the Roku listed under media center PCs. Though it took two and a half hours and some mild cursing to set up, the results were well worth it.

With the press of a button my PS3, TV, and surround sound all turn on, and do so just the way I like. Another click and the PS3 is off, the TV changes inputs, and I'm watching TiVo. The Harmony 700 runs my entire entertainment system like a dream. But it's a dream that ends too soon. With a six device cap I had to leave my Wii and Xbox 360, sadly, out of the mix.

Regardless, I now can use one remote to fully control my PS3 and find I use its various media functions far more often and have much more fun doing it. In short, the Harmony 700 is a perfect PS3 playmate.

View the original article here