"When Logitech signaled the end of the universal remote era by announcing the death of its Harmony product line in April 2021, I was sad to see it go. Though it had dominated the universal remote market for most of the preceding 20 years, Logitech's Harmony had become a relic. As streaming eclipsed physical media, as affordable smart TVs with built-in apps proliferated, and as HDMI-CEC became a ubiquitous way for devices to talk to each other, the need for a programmable, universal infrared remote gradually dissipated. Even the addition of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to Harmony's control toolbox couldn't save it from rapidly declining sales."
"That's the elevator pitch for the Cantata Haptique RS90 universal remote (€349/$406): Based on an Android platform, the RS90 promises to do everything a top-of-the-line Harmony could do, plus far more, including voice commands-a feature Logitech never successfully implemented. In theory, the RS90 should be the last remote you'll ever need. In reality, it's a beautiful piece of hardware that has a long way to go if it ever wishes to assume the universal remote throne that Logitech abandoned."
"Sleek design. Large color touchscreen. Backlit keys. Wide compatibility with control protocols. Confusing to set up and use. Can't learn missing IR commands. Voice function is still very limited."
Logitech's Harmony decline resulted from streaming, smart TVs, and HDMI-CEC reducing the need for programmable infrared remotes. Many users still mix legacy IR devices with newer Bluetooth and networked gadgets, creating demand for an affordable whole-home remote that avoids professional integration. The Cantata Haptique RS90 (€349/$406) is an Android-based universal remote with a sleek design, large color touchscreen, backlit keys, and broad protocol compatibility. The RS90 promises extensive device control and voice commands, but early impressions show attractive hardware paired with confusing setup, inability to learn missing IR commands, and limited voice functionality.
Read at WIRED
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