The Logitech Harmony Ultimate: An oldie but goodie, especially at this price.
Sarah Tew/CNET
How many steps does it take for you to cue up Netflix? Find the remote. Turn on the TV. Turn on the sound bar. Switch the input to Roku. Navigate to the Netflix channel. Sheesh, I could binge watch a season of Travelers by the time all that’s done!
Maybe that’s an exaggeration (though you should definitely binge watch Travelers), but this is 2019. The era of automation. From now on, I just want to plunk down on my couch and say, “Alexa, turn on Netflix!”
With the right universal remote (and a hub to go with it), you can do exactly that. Here you go: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Monoprice has the refurbished Logitech Harmony Ultimate Home universal remote for just $75. It originally sold for $350, and the last time I ran a deal on it, it was $170.
See it at Monoprice
If you don’t need or want the hub (more on that in a bit), Monoprice also has the refurbished Logitech Harmony Touch for $30. Both products have been discontinued, but both are manufacturer-refurbished, which means there should be some kind of warranty. Unfortunately, Monoprice doesn’t specify what it is.
The Ultimate and Touch are just about identical, with a color touchscreen and handy charging dock. They can control up to 15 devices, and you program them using a companion smartphone app.
If you opt for the Ultimate Home, you also get Logitech’s Hub, which adds support for Bluetooth, IR and Wi-Fi devices and integration with the likes of Amazon’s Echo.
You may want to check out CNET’s Harmony Ultimate review, keeping in mind it dates back to 2013. I believe this “Home” variant came out a year later, but I’m not sure what’s different about it. I’ll simply say that $75 is a great price for a universal remote like this, and $30 is even better if you can live without the hub.
Your thoughts?
Watch this:
Logitech’s Harmony Ultimate: Some flaws but still very…
4:11
Read more: The best universal remotes for 2019
Four stupid-good TV deals
While we’re on the subject of TV, the deals just keep coming out of the woodwork. Really, it’s an embarrassment of cheap riches. I’ll start with the smallest: The Insignia 24-inch 720p Fire TV for $90.
See it at Amazon
Next up: Best Buy has the TCL Series 4 49-inch Roku TV for $249.99. If you’re thinking, “wait a sec, wasn’t this $200 back in January?” you’ve got a great memory. But that was the Series 3. This is the newer and better Series 4.
See it at Best Buy
For $30 more, you can bump up another inch (though to be honest, I think the TCL is the better value of the two): The Insignia 50-inch 4K Ultra-HD Fire TV for $279.99.
See it at Amazon
Finally, tied with its lowest price ever (at Amazon, anyway), the Insignia 55-inch 4K Ultra-HD Fire TV with HDR is $329.99.
See it at Amazon
So whatever size you need and whatever budget you have, you’ve got options. Oh, and be sure to check out new sales on bigger TCL models as well!
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