Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 14, 2013	Jun. 28, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for grant			8,752,000	10,155,000
Additional shares authorized			0
Intrinsic value of options exercised			$ 2,300,000	$ 800,000	$ 5,200,000
Percentage of contribution by eligible participants			4.00%
Maximum contribution per participant			1,000
Defined contribution plan description			This plan allows participants to contribute up to the applicable Internal Revenue Code limitations under the plan. Harmonic can make discretionary contributions to the plan of 25% of the first 4% contributed by eligible participants, up to a maximum contribution per participant of $1,000 per year. Employer contributions were suspended from 2009 through 2012, but have been renewed, on the same basis for 2013, totaling $0.4 million.
Company discretionary employee match			25.00%
Employer contributions made			400,000
1995 Stock Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Price at which incentive stock options may be granted			not less than 100% of the fair value
Price at which non-statutory stock options may be granted			not less than 85% of the fair value
Expiration period			7 years
Decrease in plan reserve for every unit			1.5 shares for every unit or share granted
Decrease in plan reserve for every unit			1.5
Increase in plan reserve for every unit			1.5 shares for every unit or share forfeited
Increase in plan reserve for every unit			1.5
Common stock reserved for issuance			18,606,465
Shares available for grant			8,586,056
Share based compensation arrangement vesting period			Both options and RSUs vest over a period of time as determined by the Board, generally two to four years, and expire seven years from date of grant. Options granted prior to February 2006 expire ten years from the date of grant.
Exercise price of RSUs			$ 0
1995 Stock Plan [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period			2 years
1995 Stock Plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period			4 years
1995 Stock Plan [Member] | Prior To February 2006 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expiration period			10 years
1995 Stock Plan [Member] | Incentive Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Price at which stock options may be granted			100.00%
1995 Stock Plan [Member] | Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Price at which stock options may be granted			85.00%
2002 Director Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Price at which non-statutory stock options may be granted			not less than 100% of the fair value
Price at which stock options may be granted			100.00%
Vesting period			3 years
Expiration period			7 years
Common stock reserved for issuance			560,841
Shares available for grant			166,655
Share based compensation arrangement vesting period			Both options and RSUs vest over a period of time as determined by the Board, generally three years for the initial grant and one year for subsequent grants to a non-employee director, and expire seven years from date of grant
Exercise price of RSUs			$ 0
Reduced the number of shares reserved for every unit granted			1.5
Increased number of shares reserved for every unit forfeited			1.5
2002 Director Plan [Member] | Subsequent Grants [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period			1 year
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Percentage of fair market value of Common Stock to purchase shares			85.00%
Range of payroll deduction			1% to 10%
Percentage of stock awards funded		53.00%
Percentage of contributions refunded to employees		47.00%
Additional shares authorized	1,000,000
Common stock issued under the 2002 ESPP			1,230,851	1,598,895	945,287
Stock contributions value under 2002 ESPP			$ 4,800,000	$ 6,400,000	$ 5,200,000
Total number of shares issued under plan			9,499,960
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employee Stock Purchase Plan Annual Contribution Per Employee Percent			1.00%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employee Stock Purchase Plan Annual Contribution Per Employee Percent			10.00%
Assumed Omneon Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period			4 years
Maximum term of stock options granted			10 years
Common stock reserved for issuance			299,745
Assumed Omneon Stock Options [Member] | Assumed Unvested Stock Option [Member] | Omneon [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of assumed options to be issued under the assumed acquisition stock plans			1,522,000
Assumed Omneon Stock Options [Member] | Assumed unvested restricted stock units [Member] | Omneon [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of assumed options to be issued under the assumed acquisition stock plans			1,455,000
Assumed Omneon Stock Options [Member] | Options and Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period			4 years
Other Stock Option Plans [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock reserved for issuance			187,650