Setting up the Logitech Harmony Hub is slightly confusing if you aren’t technically inclined. There are many steps and lots of things that can be modified, but don’t worry that’s why we’re here! So how do you set up the Harmony Hub? Here are the general steps for setting up the Harmony Hub. There is a lot more that can be done with the Harmony Hub. Next, we will go into detail about the individual steps for setting up the hub and what its different capabilities are.
What can the Harmony Hub do?
The Harmony Hub allows you to control your entertainment and smart home devices using a smartphone or tablet. You can create activities in which you can control multiple devices through a single interface. By initiating an activity, the hub will power on multiple devices, set the inputs, and allow you to change channels, navigate, raise/lower the volume, and more.
What devices can the Harmony Hub control?
The hub is capable of controlling many different devices. It can control devices by using IR, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Use this device compatibility search tool to verify if your devices can be controlled by the hub or not. It’s also compatible with certain smart home devices. This list has slowly grown over time and will likely continue to grow. The following devices produced by major manufacturers can be controlled by the hub:
TelevisionsProjectorsAV ReceiversSet Top, Cable, or Satellite BoxesDVD and Blu-ray PlayersGame ConsolesOther Media DevicesSmart Thermostats (Nest, Honeywell, Ecobee)Smart Window Shades (Lutron Caseta, Hunter Douglas)Smart Lights Bulbs and Lighting Systems (Phillips Hue, Lutron, LIFX)Devices connected to other various smart hubs.
How does the Harmony Hub work?
Using one of the Harmony remote controls, smartphone, and/or tablet, the Harmony Hub sends out IR commands to different entertainment devices. The hub can also control different devices via Bluetooth or Wifi/IP. Connect the IR mini blaster to the hub to ensure IR commands are more likely to be received. You can configure activities with the hub. These are a set of commands for powering on, setting inputs, and controlling devices. For instance, you can create a “Watch TV” activity. When turning on the “Watch TV” activity the hub will power on the television, cable box, and receiver (if applicable). It will also set the television and/or receiver to the correct input. The activity will then have a single page to completely control the cable box, control the volume, and much more.
How Much Does it Cost?
The Harmony Hub is relatively inexpensive when compared to other universal remote control systems. Click to check the current price. I can’t recommend this product enough! The setup is relatively simple and makes your system startup and shut down much more convenient. No more searching for the 3-4 different remote controls needed for your system. Use your phone to turn on all of your devices and control everything from a single app!
How do I set up my Harmony Hub?
Connect the micro USB power to the back of the hub. Allow 30 seconds to 1 minute for it to fully boot up.
Download on IOS: App Store DownloadDownload on Android: Google Play DownloadOnce you have downloaded and installed the Harmony Control App, we can begin the setup process!Note: There is a desktop application for setting up the Harmony Hub, but it is slightly outdated. Download for Windows: MyHarmony for WindowsDownload for Mac: MyHarmony for MacI suggest using the app on IOS or Android to complete the setup process.
Entertainment Device – This includes televisions, projectors, receivers, DVD/Blu-ray players, media streamers, etc. There are 4 different options for adding devices that can be controlled by the hub. Home Control – Smart home devices are added from here. You are able to control your smart light bulbs, smart outlets with a lamp attached, thermostats, etc. This is pretty handy because you can add your lights to the activity and have them dim when you power on your system. Computer – To be perfectly honest, I’ve never used the computer control before. I guess this could be used if you have a media server set up on a computer or something like that. Scan for Wi-Fi Devices – These are the devices that the hub automatically discovered.
When adding an entertainment device, you will need to know the “Manufacturer Name” and “Model” of the device.
If the On and Off commands aren’t working at all, then tap “FIX” and it will guide you through a troubleshooting process.Once the commands are working properly, tap “NEXT”.
For my setup, the app suggested a “Watch Fire TV” activity which controls the projector, receiver, and Fire TV. You also have the option to create your own activity from scratch. On the next page, it asks you if you are able to both hear and see whatever the Fire TV is displaying. Tap “Yes” if all is good. If for some reason you cannot see and hear the device, then tap “No” and adjust the input settings. After this, you will need to set the input for your devices on this activity. We leave our projector on the same input and switch inputs through the receiver. The Fire TV is connected to the HDMI port labeled “HDP”. So I will set the Mitsubishi Projector to “No Change” and the Denon AV Receiver to “HDP”. Connecting Bluetooth Devices (if necessary)Depending on the media device in your set up, you may or may not need to connect the Harmony Hub via Bluetooth to that device. Fire TVs, gaming systems, and media streamers typically use Bluetooth as their control method. Some devices, such as Roku streamers will be controlled via Wi-Fi/IP. This control method works very well and is incredibly fast! Bluetooth is similar, as well, but the range is much more limited.
Watch this process closely to make sure everything is powered on and set up properly. After the process has finished, it will ask if everything turned on correctly. Tap “Yes” if everything worked, or tap “No” if something went wrong. Edit Start SequenceThe start sequence is the list of commands executed when turning the activity on. By default, this includes the power on commands for each device, setting inputs for devices, and a delay. You can customize this by adding custom commands to the devices if wanted. Edit End SequenceThe end sequence is the list of commands executed when turning the activity off. This includes all of the power off commands for your devices. ScheduleScheduling allows you to start and end this activity at a certain time of the day and on certain days of the week. For instance, you could schedule this activity to end at 2AM every day. This would ensure everything is turned off if you accidentally left something on. Or you could use it as a parental control to make sure your kids stop watching TV and go to bed. Use this at your own discretion. ConnectivityAs mentioned, this allows you to reconnect to different Bluetooth or Wi-Fi/IP devices if they have lost connection for some reason. I actually had some issues with the Fire TV disconnecting. I had to use this to re-pair the hub and Fire TV so that the activity would work again.
Controlling the Activity with the Harmony App
On most activities, there will be a bar at the bottom with fully customizable commands and placement of those commands. These and other controls on the activity are very customizable. Modifying the buttons on an activity is really simple! It’s best to customize the controls that best fit your needs. Make it as simple as possible to control all of your devices.
Other Harmony Products
There are more products in the Harmony product line! They include the Harmony Elite and Harmony Companion remote controls. They are both programmable to work in “harmony” with the hub. See what I did there? Pretty clever right?If you prefer to have a dedicated remote control for your system, then I suggest getting one of these remote controls.
Related Questions:
If for some reason your activity is not working properly, there is a great troubleshooting tool available in the app. While using the activity, tap the “?” at the bottom left. There are three options available on this page. The Harmony Hub cannot connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. It can only connect to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks. The Harmony Hub accepts commands using RF (radio frequency). This means you do not need a direct line of sight to control the hub with a smartphone, tablet, or one of the RF-enabled Harmony remote controls. The hub sends out commands via IR, RF (Wi-Fi), and Bluetooth. IR signals will require some sort of line of sight. The included IR mini blaster increases the power of IR signals. This means the IR signals are more likely to be received by the devices. RF (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth controlled devices do not require a line of sight to be controlled.
Conclusion
In all, the Harmony Hub is an outstanding addition to any home entertainment system or home theater! It’s such a powerful tool that integrates with so many different devices, and it’s easily set up with little to no programming knowledge. Checkout my step by step video guide on YouTube! If you enjoyed this article and like the Harmony Hub, then checkout my article on Home Theater Lighting. I include many different lighting options that would pair great with the Harmony Hub!
