I just got myself the Logitech Harmony 890.  Just playing with it now.  I know a lot of TGBers have this remote (or another L.Harmony).  What sort of "activities" do you have set up?  Mine's working ok, but I know it could be a lot better.  For the price of this thing, it better:)

I am guessing you but the 890 over the 880 for RF purposes?

I own a 880 and 890 and love them both.

I use one single activy which i custom call. "Watch Everything" :)

I make thegreenbutton the power button (powering on xbox 360 extenders)

I also change some buttons around

menu=thegreenbutton

exit=back

As for the button's on the top I use the following

Thegreenbutton (you can't have this to many places)

Livetv

RecordedTV

My pictures

My music

After tinkering and customizing the remotes you can't go wrong in my opinion.

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

Plucky, that sounds good.  I'm a nubie at this...can you give me an example of the steps you have to program in (for example - making thegreenbutton the power button on xbox 360).  I'm not really sure where to start (or how to)

I have the Logitech 880. Was considering getting 890 so I could have the electronics completely hidden, but decided to get an audio tower with a glass front. I use this because:

- I have the Mediacenter connected via HDMI to Plasma and optical audio to receiver.
- Cable set top box connected via HDMI to Plasma and optical audio to receiver.
- Cable set top box connected via S-Video to mediacenter TV Tuner and audio input jacks.
- Firewire from mediacenter to receiver to change channels.

(I do all the above, because my older receiver only has component jacks)

I have 2 activities:

Mediacenter

- Volume is controlled on the receiver (because can't control volume of SPDIF on mediacenter)
- Channel change on mediacenter.
- I added the following custom buttons:
    - Green Button
    - Aspect Change (on mediacenter)
    - Aspect Change (on TV)
    - Live TV
    - Music
    - Pictures

Bypass Mediacenter

- Direct from cable box to plasma.
- Volume change on receiver

Logitech remote has been working great for me over the past 2 years with various HTPC configs and software. Only 3 issues:

- The contact points between the remote and the charger are worn or something. I have to put a weight on the remote when it is in the cradle in order to get good contact and have the remote charge.
- The automatic wake up feature has gone a little flaky. Have to really shake the thing to get the screen to come on. Comes on great by pressing a button though.
- The logitech software that you must install on your PC, and runs in memory ALL THE TIME even if you are not using it takes up a great deal of system resources.

When you are setting up activities there is a setting in there to change power button for the device and just make the power button for the 360 the greenbutton.

The other customizations are done in configuration of buttons for activites.

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

Brilliant ideas!  I got it working.  Having trouble with the customized buttons though...

How do you get a button for the xbox360 to open Recorded TV?  My Pictures?   My Music?  I cant find these in the options...

Simple lie and say the xbox 360 is a media center computer :)

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

wouldnt that throw off everything else?  like how xbox turns on?  etc?  if I say my XBox is a Media Center PC, should I delete the XBox device from my harmony remote.

I'm quite confused.  This is my 3rd day with this remote.  Thanks

Won't throw anything off really. I have the xbox added as a device and a media center computer. They use the same commands.

I keep the xbox added as a device incase i need to access the xbox 360 dashboard/guide for any reason i can just select that device.

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

I am not in front of my computer now but on second thought I think as long as you add a media center pc as a device you can select it's buttons even with the xbox 360 being used in the activity.

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

I have my Logitech Harmony setup similar to Plucky.  One thing you must do for this to work though is go into the Xbox 360 system blade and update the remote control setting to allow the Xbox 360 to be controlled by a Media Center PC remote.

I have my Logitech software up in front of me and the devices I have are as follows:
* TV (my 42" Plasma)
* Xbox 360
* Media Center PC (I setup a Dell XPS 420)
    [When you add a device, add Computer>Media Center PC]

I have the following activities:
* Watch TV (uses Media Center PC & TV)
* Watch DVD (uses Xbox 360 & TV)
* Play Games (uses Xbox 360 & TV)

For my media center pc I adjusted the power settings to power on using the green media center button.

One thing you lose when you use a media center PC as your device instead of the xbox 360 is the 360 guide button, but you gain a WHOLE lot more (Recorded TV, Music, Pictures, Videos).  To solve for this, I just used the Learn Command under the main media center activity and used my Xbox 360 remote to learn the 360 guide button.  Now I have everything working great!!

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My Network Project - Media Center Blog

brilliant ideas guys i got it all setup now, with the media center pc as a device (i use that to use media center on the xbox extender).

So i created an Activity called "Media Center".  It turns on my LCD, my sound system, and of course -- the xbox360.

Only problem is...once i run this activity, the remote doesnt work for me UNLESS i hit 'device' then my 'media center pc' device i use to control the xbox.

How can I have this activity run and then have the remote already to activated to use my media center pc device? 

I'm sure this is easy, but again, i'm brand new, and it's pretty darn annoying that the buttons dont work on the remote after i run this activity and have to manually select the device.

Did you change you settings in the xbox to allow it to be controlled by a media center remote?

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

I created a new 'device', my media center pc, and i use that device to run MCE via my xbox...

Should I have simply changed the xbox to use a media center remote?  (how do i do that?)

 

I am LOVING this setup.  Plucky, your setup details sound cool.  Got any pics of it?

I believe you set up the logitech correctly. you selected a "media" center pc correct?

There is a setting in the xbox 360 itself to allow it to be controled by a media center remote. That way it will except the commands of a media center pc.

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting