10/24/22 - In searching for the perfect day, Timmy discovers something unexpected!
9/04/22 - That childhood favorite is back in a new Timmy video.
7/31/22 - It’s time for my second new Just Like Timmy video!
7/12/22 - Why not check out my new YouTube animation channel, Just Like Timmy!
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The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com:
| User reviews for the Take Control TC30 from Harman/Kardon. |
 | | Ratings | Reviews | MSRP (USD) |
Average: 4.28/5.00
Median: 4.33/5.00 | 6 | $299 |
The Take Control series returns with Harman/Kardon's TC30 universal remote control. Based on the Harmony's activity-based platform, the TC30 is an advanced model with color LCD screen with 8 side buttons, support for 15 devices and 255 activities, 5-way cursor control, USB port, rechargable lithium ion battery and docking station, plus online setup.
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| Written by conley_jb from Tallahassee, FL. The reviewer has used this remote control for under 1 month. |
| Review 5 made on Tuesday August 15, 2006 at 11:42 AM. |
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| Review: | I have been using this remote for about 2 weeks now and overall I love it. After finally giving up on trying to create that perfect custom interface on my Marantz RC9200 I decided I owed it to my family to actually give them a remote that works and they could use until I find the time to design that �perfect remote interface�. I know I wanted a Harmony due to the ease of setup and had used several previous models including the 5xx and 6xx series. After setting up an 880 for a friend I knew I wanted to go that route but the button layout was not to my liking; to close together. As stated above I like the layout of this remote is what sold me on the Harman over the Harmony. With the channel buttons spread out it is really easy to change channels in the dark, or without looking down and not type the wrong channel number. The 880 and other Harmony�s use the design that places all the buttons right up next to each other which can sometimes input wrong information if one gets in a hurry. The TC30 uses a more traditional layout with buttons spread out from each other.
So far after a week, my humble system is working at about 85% capacity through the TC30. My Harman AVR-525 Receiver, Mitsubishi 52� DLP, Samsung DVD 850 and one of my two DirecTV HD10 receivers are connected to it, along with a Polk Audio XM Receiver and they all work perfectly. I also have my Xbox connected; however the Play game activity just turns on the TV and adjust the input on the AV receiver since I do not have a remote turn-on for my Xbox. The rest of my system is comprised of a Second DirecTV HD-10 running into a custom built Media Center PC along with a secondary amplifier which feeds a whole house audio system. I have yet to attempt to get the TC30 to control either of these portions of my system, but was surprised to see a PC listed as an activity during setup.
Coming from a Pronto style remote my biggest complaint comes n the way of no Favorites under �WatchTV�. Although this is a feature of the 880, no were in the Harman webpage is this even an option to setup. When attempting to backdoor the Harmony webpage and access setup via their portal instead of the Harman Kardon one, again this option is not available, although I did find it interesting that you could add Favorite Disc under a CD or DVD changer. To me this was the most disappointing feature of the TC30, and other than the lack of a media button seems to be no reason why Harman couldn�t add this option under future software revisions (are you listening Harman?). Since this remote is a temporary solution until I either have the time to complete my RC9200 design, or a new full featured touch screen comes into my life I can live with this missing feature, however if this was my primary remote it as stated before would have been a deal breaker. Even though the buttons on the 880 are sub par, the favorite feature was one I had really hoped for and will miss. Due to this oversight on Harman�s part, I can only give this remote a 6 out of 10.
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| Written by moredes from USA. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months. |
| Review 3 made on Tuesday February 7, 2006 at 3:27 PM. |
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| Review: | All in all, I'm pleased with the TC30, and satisfied that the extra cost over the 880 is worth the button layout and ease of use. I would recommend it, provided--and this may be a big assumption--the user doesn't require Customer Support.
This unit does function flawlessly, and even with such a complicated system as mine it works without a lot of retesting or tweaking (2 DVD players, S-VHS tape, LD/DVD/VCD combo player, CD changer, TiVo, projector, surround processor, 3 amplifiers).
My only problem with the unit aside from the weaknesses I listed above, is that I want the LCD display to group the same "custom buttons" consistently from 'Activity' to 'Activity'. That is, I want to use the same 3 functions in 4 different Activities and I want to be able to list them in the LCD. I'd like to be able to configure it so that 3 buttons stayed in the same spot from "Activity" screen to screen. I asked someone at CS how to do that, and I'm still waiting for an answer; I'll probably learn how to bake a cake first, though, before I hear from HK Customer Service.
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| Written by charlz from Chicago, Illinois. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months. |
| Review 2 made on Saturday January 28, 2006 at 4:05 PM. |
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| Review: | I have owned a Harmony 880 for about six months and, after several adjustments, it did the job of controlling the devices and activities I had created.
I have never, however, liked its feel, the placement of its buttons, and the quality of images on its color menu screen.
Now comes the H-K TC 30, and my Harmony soon will be for sale on eBay.
The TC 30 is very attractive, maybe about a half inch longer than the 880. It has the same width, but is thinner than the 880. It has a squarish shape, which feels more comfortable to hold. The buttons used most often are placed within easy finger reach, and you actually can feel the distances between the buttons. They aren't all of the same flat type as you find on the 880. Some are raised black, other are raised translucent and all are clearly marked.
The images and lettering that appear on the color menu screen are much sharper than on the 880. The format is similar, however. No wonder, the TC 30 is powered by the same software as the Harmony; in fact, it is licensed to H/K for its use.
Despite this, while there are some similarities between the online setup menus of the two remotes, I like H-K's better. It is cleaner and more logically laid out. The nice thing about connecting to H-K's online remote setup site is that it doesn't require that you access it via a web browser. Just make sure you have a ive internet connection, then plug the USB cable into the remote. It automatically connects to the H-K setup site without the need for a browser.
It still took me about an hour to create the initial setup needed for my devices and to program the associated activities. But they worked correctly on the first test run. Not so with the 880's.
The remote seems to send its signals to my devices more quickly than the 880. The 880 always seemed a little sluggish to me in this respect.
These are my initial reactions to the TC 30, and it was a very favorable one. I would suggest to anyone looking for a remote of this type that this should be a serious contender. It appears to have a large equipment database, and what items it does not have H-K says it will learn the codes.
Oh, I was able to buy the remote for $185, a tad more than I paid for the 880 shortly after it made its debut last year, but it is well worth the price. |
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| Written by rzrbk8 from California, USA. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months. |
| Review 1 made on Wednesday January 25, 2006 at 2:31 AM. |
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| Review: | I can't say a whole lot yet as I just got mine yesterday and got it configured tonight. I am very happy with the remote-it controls ALL of my devices. It has the sophistication when I need it to, but the activity menus make it easy for my wife. The help menus are great too if things do not turn on right.
I love the size of the remote-a one hander. It has all the hard buttons that you would most often use and the lcd screen for the ones that you don't. I couldn't be happier.
The trick was getting to the point of setting the remote up. H/K fails to mention in their startup literature that to setup the remote you need to disable all pop-up, virus and firewall software for it to enter setup. I also struggled with it because the buttons on the setup screen are below the taskbar, so if you have your taskbar on top, you need to shrink it. Silly enough, but it took me awhile to figure it out.
The TC30 has all the features I was looking for in a remote: ability to control all devices, sophistication/ease of use, easy setup, rechargeable battery and good layout/feel. Definitely worth the price to finally have just one remote! |
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