Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
 It can do anything, but it's not for the novice March 22, 2010
Busy Executive (Long Island, NY)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had an older Pronto and upgraded to this guy a while back, with generally good results. It can program or automate virtually anything that speaks IR remote codes, and you can organize the functions and make them look any way you want. Understand many of the functions that are available on this unit can be replicated at lower cost on something like an iPod Touch. The reason you'd use the Philips is that it gives you a completely custom look that can add a lot to make an installation look really custom.
Understand that you will definitely need computer and programming skills, as well as a reasonably good understanding of how IR devices work. But if you're comfortable and know a bit about programming, you can truly get wonderful and highly professional results on this device. It can be a true competitive advantage if you're a pro.
Although the programming itself can sound intimidating, it's really not as bad as some make it sound. First, you might not need to start from scratch...there's a community of users and pro installers who distribute cool looking templates on the web. This lets relatively non-technical folks get the benefits of this device in a simpler way. There are also databases of IR codes for thousands of devices, and in my experience, if you email just about any manufacturer, they will send you the details of their device IR codes to you. If that fails, you can even just point a device at the Pronto, and it will read the codes of any particular device - it just takes a long time to do this part for a device with lots and lots of buttons.
The wireless networking capabilities that connect to the extender unit are a big help, especially if you have a large plasma screen. I find that many large plasma screens generate quite a bit of IR interference, and so wireless between the head unit and the extender is a great idea. This is especially important if you tend to do complex macros with lots and lots of steps...missing even one command due to interference (or whatever) can cause problems. It also gives you essentially unlimited range (indeed, even over the Internet if you setup your network correctly).
The built-in display can be used to show the status of certain devices, such as media servers and so on. Turns out any device that lets you "read" status can be displayed here, and this includes things like home automation equipment, thermostats and so forth.
To an extent, the results you get depend on the equipment you use. For instance, some devices have codes to "toggle" features, while others have discreet codes for each state. If you want to turn on your TV, regardless whether it's on already, you'll have an easier time if your TV supports a command called "ON" rather than one that says "toggle the ON/OFF switch".
Recommended for experts and perfectionists.
A great remote control for tinkerers February 11, 2010
Steven Grimm (Sunnyvale, CA USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought this to replace a previous Philips touchscreen remote (the TSU3000 aka ProntoNeo). For me, this remote has just the right number of hard buttons -- enough that I basically don't need to look at the touchscreen while I'm using my home theater, but not so many that I have to hunt around for the button I want.
It is clearly aimed at professional installers (who program remote controls for a living) and at power-user types who like to tinker with tech toys. Luckily I am in the latter camp, so I really dig the fact that I'm able to write JavaScript code (they don't call it that, but that's what it is) to do fancy things like remember the state of equipment that only has power toggle commands rather than discrete "on" and "off" commands. I can also write code to control my computer thanks to the built-in WiFi connectivity. The editing software is pretty easy to use once you take a little time to understand the workflow it's built around, and there is a decent selection of user-contributed artwork and script source code out on the web.
If the previous paragraph does not excite you, this is probably not a good device to buy on your own. Buy it through a home theater installer who can set it all up for you and you will save yourself tons of frustration. This is not a good device on which to learn the technical skills you'll need to get the most out of it.
With that caveat out of the way, two things prevent me from giving it five stars. The first is that it seems pretty fragile. I carry it very carefully in the non-carpeted areas of my house because it feels like it would shatter to pieces if I dropped it on a wood floor. The second is that the software only runs on Windows. Not a problem for most people but for Linux or Mac users like me it's a pain to have to boot Windows just to program the remote control.
By the way, my remote control had old firmware and old PC software when I took it out of the box. Be sure to visit the Philips web site and get the latest files; the software on both the PC and the remote is much-improved over what ships in the box. In particular, you'll need a recent firmware revision if your WiFi network uses WPA2 rather than WEP.
 Best Universal Remote in the Universe! January 11, 2010
Zaphod 36
I had the previous version of this, which I loved. It finally died after 5 years of hard service and I replaced it with the 9400. Sure, there are cheaper remotes and a few more expensive, but NONE I have found can do so much. We have a VERY complex system in our home with 4 displays, multiple audio and video sources, and complex switching. The almost infinite programming capabilities that this remote has handles them all with ease so even the totally tech ignorant can operate the system easily.
Be aware this remote takes time to set up and a reasonable level of tech savvy to program so you will need to be able to handle these tasks to set it up but once set up, anyone can operate any system easily using the programmed remote.
One of the two best electronic products I have owned (the other is my iPod touch) - and being a gadget freak I have owned many!
Pronto TSU9400 pronto August 31, 2009
JT
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
1. User guide didn't match the software for Pronto Edit. I downloaded the latest version of pronto edit from the website because the software that came with the disk was an older version. The software was greta, but some aspects of the software were hard to learn. I couldn't find the latest manual to support the latest software but 99% of what I needed to know was in the older user's guide. For the parts I couldn't figure out on my own, I called customer support and they were attentive and able to help resolve some of those issues.
2. Apple TV. When using my apple TV, the remote learns the codes as expected, but I haven't figured out how to scroll down with it. With an extensive library, it is very painstaking to keep hitting the button because it only scrolls one at a time. I might figure it out later, but as for now I keep the Apple TV remote handy.
3. Channel Macros. For some reason, when I am using my cable box, if the last button I touched on the Pronto was a button that corresponds to any device other than the cable box the macro doesn't work. I have to press something like channel up or channel down, and then the channel button. I'm in Brazil, so it might have something to do with the cable box down here, or the remote...not really sure but I am still working the bugs out.
4. It takes a while to set up, but well worth it. On a technology knowledge scale from 1 to 10, I would say that I am a 5. Definately not the smartest guy, but able to learn. If you are willing to take the time and play around with it, buy it. Don't expect to have it ready to go within 1 hour of taking it out of the box. There are alot of programs you can copy from [...] or other places to make it a little easier.
5. I upgraded from an older version because the older version had a serial-port -vs- USB. If considering this remote vs an older version, Take a look at your computer first to see what kind of capabilities/ports it has.
6. I rated a 4 instead of a 5 just because it can be difficult to learn. For the capabilities/appearance I would rate it about 4.9...For user freindliness of learning...about a 3.
Get rid of all your remotes! August 16, 2009
Eileen Kimbell-Meaney (New Jersey)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
If you are tired of multiple controls, this is worth every penny. I have configured the PRONTO for our TV, DVR, stereo, CDs, DVD player, DirecTV. Programming can be complicated but if you follow the directions, you can make your entertainment life easier.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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