The Short Form

$299 / 8.9 x 2.1 x 1 IN / 4.6 OZ / harmankardon.com / 516-496-3400

Plus

•Replaces all other remotes •Good design and hand feel •Harmony-based programming and "activity" buttons

Minus

•No Harmony tech support •Costs $50 more than Harmony 880

Key Features

•Operates up to 15 devices, etc. •2.5 x 2 in color display •Includes charging cradle and Li-Ion battery •Internet-based programming (Windows 98 or Mac OS X or higher)

There's an old saying: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Carving out a niche in the sub-$500 universal remote control market is no easy proposition, and Logitech's Harmony brand remotes are the reigning king of that hill. So, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, Harman Kardon wisely decided to license Harmony's technology for their latest Total Control remote. The result is the Harman Kardon TC30 universal remote, which looks like the result of a Harmony 550 and 880 getting together and making sweet, sweet love.

Do I really need to tell you the benefits of buying a universal remote? Basically, if you own a receiver, a DVD player, and a TV — let alone a cable box, CD player, satellite radio receiver, media server, Xbox 360, VCR, TiVo, and so on — you need one. It will take the pain and frustration out of operating your system. Period. If you buy Harman's latest flagship receiver, the AVR745 ($3,499), you'll be pleased to find the TC30 included. For everyone else, see your Harman dealer.

SETUP Programming the TC30 is a breeze, but a computer with an Internet connection is required (a high-speed connection will accelerate the process). The instruction booklet gets you through loading the software and connecting the remote to your computer via the supplied USB cable. One drawback — Harman and Harmony software can't coexist on the same computer, so I had to uninstall my Harmony software before installing the Harman version. While this won't affect most users, it will be a real burr for installers who routinely program both.

After creating a login ID and password, the programming software walks you through adding devices by type, manufacturer, and model number. The Harmony database is huge, and constantly evolving to add new components as they're introduced. That means that it will likely have the codes and configurations (inputs, power settings, and the like) to everything in your system. Then you answer questions about how you've set up and use your system — which TV and receiver inputs are occupied by your sources, how channel selection is made.

Start to finish, I had the TC30 controlling my system in under an hour. And that included tweaks like adding buttons, changing timing and input commands, and others.

PERFORMANCE The Harman Kardon TC30 performs just like a Harmony remote, which is to say excellently. Automatically, the activity-based command buttons (Watch DVD, Listen to CD) correctly configured my system — components powered on or off as needed, and proper inputs were selected for the TV and receiver. The remote then gave me access to all the commands I needed for controlling the source device, as well as basic receiver commands such as volume.

Nearly all universal remotes can handle basic commands like Play and channel-changing. Their Achilles' heel: atypical but crucial buttons such as "aspect" or "Live TV." The color LCD screen on the TC30 is perfect for adding such controls. My Scientific Atlanta HD-DVR cable box is crippled without the A, B, and C buttons, and the TC30 incorporated them seamlessly. Food critics describe the "mouth feel" of certain dishes. In a similar vein, the TC30 has good hand feel. It's comfortable for one-handed operation (righty or lefty); the transport and 0-9 keys are nicely spaced for accurate button-pushing, and the buttons require just the right pressure. In addition, the TC30's flat bottom (versus the Harmony 880's J.Lo-esque rounded backside) is more stable on chair arms and seemed to seat better in the docking station. The buttons are backlit, but they're dim and might be difficult for some users to see in a totally dark environment.

One cool feature is the ability to create a customized slide show of eight pictures that rotate when the remote is charging. I loaded mine with Dolby, DTS, and THX logos for a personal touch.

BOTTOM LINE The Harman Kardon TC30 is a great remote. It does everything it should do and does it intuitively. It feels good in your hand, won't roll off the couch, and is easy to program. If there's a downside, it's that it costs $50 more than the Harmony 880 and doesn't come with Harmony's phenomenal telephone tech support. But if you've got a hankering for a Harman that works like a Harmony without quite looking like one, you won't go wrong with the TC30.

Remote Control Station
Back to Homepage
What's New on S&V