In March 2011 I told you about the Logitech Harmony 1100 Universal Remote. I still use mine on a regular basis and it does a great job of controlling devices. As I said in the original review, it was very easy to set it up for my devices. If I had any complaints about it, it would be the difficulty of using the touchscreen controls to type in television channels or to control the DVR functions. So I typically also keep my satellite remote handy as well.

Logitech has recently released a new remote, the Logitech Harmony Touch that combines the best of Harmony 1100 with dedicated buttons for common functions. It has a color touchscreen that is a bit smaller than the one on the Harmony 1100, but it also has a similar form factor to many cable/satellite remotes.

The Harmony 1100 has dedicated channel and volume up/down controls and those are also included in the Harmony Touch. Yet I love that it has dedicated buttons for a DVR or DVD player. Where I typically type in channels manually on my satellite remote, the Harmony Touch allows you to include logo buttons for your favorite channels on the touchscreen. This also saves you from having to memorize channel numbers.

A universal remote like this will cost you a bit up front, but it is easy to program and will remove a lot of clutter on your coffee table. Heck, it also simplifies controlling all of your devices. I highly recommend it!