Logitech 880 manual Industry Overview

2. Industry Overview

2.1 The Problem: Complexity in the Modern Living Room

Undeniably, new technologies such as high-definition television and digital video recorders (DVRs), also referred to as personal video recorders (PVRs), enhance how people experience home entertainment – but they also introduce new complexities to the living room. Today’s typical entertainment system may feature anywhere from six to ten different electronics components, each with its own remote control (TV, VCR, DVD player, home-theater receiver, satellite or cable television decoder, DVR, CD jukebox, game console, etc.). Some systems require people to press as many as a dozen buttons, in the correct sequence, on a combination of remote controls, just to watch a movie with surround sound. While entertainment systems have become a source of pride – even a source of competition among friends – actually using them can be laborious, if not frustrating. The experience can be especially frustrating for family members and friends; anyone who didn’t set up the entertainment system may require detailed instructions to use it.

In addition to the complexity brought on by an excessive number of remote controls, people face the challenge of clutter, with their coffee tables lined with a half-dozen or more remotes.

2.2 The Opportunity

The opportunity to create a single remote to control an entire home entertainment system became clear several years ago as the modern living room entertainment system started to become more complicated.

However, early attempts at a universal remote were plagued with compatibility problems and limited functionality. There simply was no straightforward single remote that could control a growing list of individual components. Even in the current generation of universal remotes, many of which are fairly reliable with robust capabilities, there are three fundamental shortcomings:

•Difficult to set up: Remotes require complicated programming, so consumers must have steep technical knowledge or hire an installer.

•Difficult to use: These remotes require pressing an elaborate sequence of buttons to simply watch television or a DVD, or listen to music.

•Incomplete control: Many remotes only work on a limited number of popular devices. On some remotes, information that the remote uses to control components is stored internally, at the time it was manufactured, and quickly becomes outdated. This precludes consumers from updating their entertainment system without also buying a new remote.

The Logitech Harmony 880 Remote Reviewer’s Guide

Summer 2005

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