Further, although claiming to know all about the set-top box (admittedly a 1-year-old cheapie); it refused to believe the remote matched the actual device, even when it agreed the randomly-selected key-presses were correct.  Note – according to Logitech, this is based on a heuristic analysis of the likely matches of the remote in the on-line database.

About the only real success was the brand-new VHS / DVD player (yes – I seem to have a 'thing' about those!). 

Once the Harmony was aware of the devices, I asked it to create the same three activities as I defined for the primary equipment.  It did so easily, demonstrating that there was no issue in maintaining independent sets of AV hardware.  In fact I was easily able to rename the new activities with suitable names such as "watch kids' TV."  Thus carrying the Harmony to another room, with completely independent equipment would work fine.

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, the TV refused to listen to the Harmony and I'm not sure the set-top box was paying any attention either.

Let's bring this to an ending.  I would expect that the person who already has the latest-and-greatest equipment (I'm thinking about my brother-in law here) would be drooling to have the Harmony 1100i. 

I'm also thinking that those of us with AV devices that have separate On and Off buttons would have few problems. 

However, those of us with run-of-the-mill equipment will struggle to convince the Harmony to behave as we'd like.  But then again, I'm probably not the target audience, especially with a recommended retail of $AU 899 and web-store prices in the $600 - $650 range.

The Logitech Harmony 1100i will be available in stores in the latter part of March 2009.