Logitech Harmony 885 vs. Philips SRU 9600

Home theaters! The whole world wants one... and once you possess one, you want one that’s bigger and better. I’ve seen subs that are as tall as a schoolboy, which when turned on can shake the very foundations of my modest apartment. But what's the use of all this killer equipment without the one thing that controls it all? The administrator of the whole process: the remote control.

With each device comes its remote, and to put it briefly, remotes and humans don’t go well; after all remotes were first used to detonate bombs in World War 2. Multiple remotes mean more buttons, more searching for the right app, and yes, more frustration looking for the right remote.

The solution is a universal remote, which helps eliminate clutter and minimize time. So I've taken the most popular universal learning remotes in the Indian market – Philips SRU9600 and Logitech Harmony 885 – and compared them. I did not look at the Logitech Harmony 1000, as it’s out of our league in terms of price. But you can read its review here.

Design and Features
Philips and Logitech are strikingly different in form. While the former is a long, straight-edged, rectangular piece, the Logitech comes in a curvaceous form that's ergonomic for the palm. Next comes weight: Logitech is lighter than Philips, so that’s another point for Logitech.

The next thing is probably the most important, and that’s the arrangement of buttons on the front panel. Logitech has a plethora of buttons. Besides a regular crowded matrix in the bottom half of the panel, buttons are also arranged in an elliptical ring around the 1.8 inch color LCD screen.

Philips has an LCD screen too – a larger one in fact, at 3.5 inches diagonally. It's monochrome, but it's a touchscreen. Philips hardly has any physical buttons on the front panel; only a jog wheel with central select buttons. A few others are in the vicinity, true, but the main functions are carried out via the touchscreen.

Looks-wise I think Logitech is snazzier, with its lead-colored body and mild luster; though the shape appeals too. Philips is not bad if simplicity is your thing – the glossy black front panel looks cool.