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Rating: 
Summary: Finally, one remote does it all!!
Review: After spending literally hundreds of dollars over the years on "generic" universal devices The SST-688 has ended my quest. Having recently upgraded our entertainment system to include Plasma, Digital DVD recorder/playback, HDTV cable box, Multi DiskCD, and state of the art A/V receiver, it was clear we needed a simple, one device approach to control the system. My wife mandated it! A web search turned up the Harmony device. The best electronics decision I have ever made. The buttons "issue" others have raised is of little consequence. In reality, the true universal aspect of the SST-688 swamps any cosmetic issue. Harmony lets you tailor the remote to the specific model not just a generic 3 digit code that never seemed to catch all the functions. Easy to use Web downloads bolstered by table defined learning keys is awesome. Assigning all our components to "activity" based use makes one button control a pleasant reality. P.S. I now have a very happy wife when it comes to using our entertainment system.
Buy it! Worth every $$.
Still exploring more flexible use of program. For instance, have programmed using the A/V receiver as an AM/FM tuner to listen to audio while watching TV and retaining video conrol in the same activity setting...all on one device!! No switching of units on/off, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: Good internet programmable remote w/ DVR functions
Review: I found the remote to be very easy for initial setup, with a lot of flexibiity for customization if you want to spend the time to program some critical keys that are not automatically given a button in the initial setup or program a sequence of commands. I found the circle to be acceptible. However, the buttons do blur together out around that middle circle, making it a challenge to use the remote while keeping your eyes focused on the screen. Still, given that downside, it seems like a pretty good internet programmable remote with DVR functions.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Worth it. Save your money.
Review: I got it, and the first thing I noticed was that it felt great in my hand (just like the peanut Directv remotes). Then I messed with the buttons and ouch, they're terrible. The feel of the buttons is extremely weak. The up-down-left-right circle is beyond bad and feels awful. The buttons around the navigation tool are too close together and you'll hit the wrong button a lot by accident. Setting it up online was very easy. All my equipment was in the database, but I have a Panasonic DVD burner/player and it knew the remote code, but it put most of the important buttons in the scroll(the screen), making it a chore to get to important functionality. Yuck. I'm returning it and going back to my programmable Sony remote. It's much better and also 150 dollars cheaper.
Rating:
Summary: excellent button layout for DVR users, physical quality ok
Review: I've used the Harmony SST-659 (previous model) for the last six months or so, and I have to say these guys are onto something. Their web-based configuration is very decent, and they have continued to improve it based on user feedback (including mine). The general task-based model of their universal remotes is awesome, and *everyone* who uses it (in my fairly complex home theater/DVR setup) has had no trouble figuring out the basics.
The Harmony SST-688 is a huge improvement for me in terms of the layout of buttons: the primary "shuttle" controls (play, ff, rewind, etc.) as well as new dedicated buttons for next/prev track are right under your thumb in the middle of the remote rather than at the narrow button end. It was also extremely easy to apply my previous remote settings to the new remote: plug it in, do a quick communications check to identify my new model, and update just as before. There's also one additional activity button at the top; otherwise the operation is very similar to the SST-659.
I do agree with one other reviewer that the quality of the buttons on this remote isn't great, *especially* the up/down/left/right and Ok buttons, which feel very flimsy. I should also mention that I had to return my first one because the FF button didn't work unless you pressed it very firmly (just feeling the "click" didn't do it), so hopefully Harmony (now owned by Logitech) is paying attention and improving the quality of their manufacturing.
Rating:
Summary: The best remote ever
Review: The Harmony remote is the first universal remote I have used that JUST WORKS. After the easy USB & web based setup you are ready to control your system. Hit the off button & it OFFS everything. Click watch TV & it switches on the TV, your receiver & in my case satelite box & TiVo. Now click watch DVD and the TV stays on, the satelite box & TiVO are switched off & the DVD player is up & running & the receiver switches to the DVD inputs AND the TV switches to progressive mode and the right component input. Too cool. The Harmony does what I want it to do, not let me tediously do everything required myself. My technopeasant friends and family can now for the first time operate my audio / video system.
Highlights:
1) Sound is always adjusted correctly (in my case always the receiver). Most other remotes end up trying to adjust the TV's sound at least part of the time.
2) The backlighting is a nice nuclear radiation blue. I would like an evil red option as well.
3) Setup is so ridiculously easy using the USB cable connected to your computer & a web interface that downloads the latest codes for your specific components.
4) With all the settings being web based, I will also be able to control future items I purchase. Also, the settings are for my exact components, not sort of working settings chosen from a generic manufacturers list.
5) Harmony is constantly updating their stuff, so I keep on getting the benefit of all their and other customers good ideas.
Now, there are some complaints as well:
1) The button layout looks cool but sucks from an ergonomic viewpoint. Buttons are too close together, and the important ones need to be bigger and shaped for touch operation. The central up down left right & select button is an example of something they got right. The rings and arcs of buttons surrounding it are dumb though: Everything is tiny and too close together unless you are a 5 year old with minute fingers. Logitech needs to leave space between the buttons & group important ones together. Important ones need to be large: sound + & - should be huge buttons with space around them & close to the mute & channel up & down which should be pretty large as well. Play, pause, rewind, forward, slow mo & record should be large & spaced out & also have a replay button added so they are TiVo & DVR compatible. The glow button is not necessary & especially should be assignable to more useful functions. Or moved somewhere less central & replaced by something useful.
2) This is a slam against dvd makers really: the compressed sound mode (which lets you watch movies quietly at night) needs to be a one button access on their remote, not buried in a menu. Harmony could fix this by offering this feature as a button option though. Right now you have to laboriously program it yourself.
3) Support for TiVo (& other dvr's I would suspect) does not seem evident in the buttons on the remote. Most things can be assigned to some button, but not in a layout that is easy to use. A workaround is to use the 6 lcd buttons to control the TiVo. Especially since they actually are spaced fairly decently and can be navigated by touch. This is not elegant though and hopefully something Logitech will fix.
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