The Philips Pronto TSU2000 LCD Touchscreen Universal Remote Control - Power at your Fingertips...
Written: May 06 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful LCD display. Endless customizable options. A gadget lover's dream.
Cons: Expensive. Cryptic Editing Software. Poor manual and support.
The Bottom Line: Tired of working 6 different remotes? Want to burn $200? Then look no further than the Pronto TSU2000 from Philips.
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| jag2112's Full Review: Philips TSU2000 LCD Touchscreen Remote Control |
Want to get the pulse of a gadget geek racing? Just mention a universal remote control with a touch-screen LCD backlit display. Mention 2 megs of programmable memory, a huge database of controllable items, a PC link for more customization, and a web site that allows you to download games into it.
Mention all that and an excitement-induced heart attack is sure to follow. In all seriousness, the standard home theater system may consist of a half dozen remote controls. From your TV, Cable Box, Satellite Dish, Receiver, CD-Player, DVD Player and more...it takes a flexible mind and a organized demeanor to keep track of all those remotes, not to mention keeping up with battery changes.
And while there are a number of Universal Remote Controllers out there, few easily handle ALL of your RC needs - until now.
Enter the Pronto TSU2000 from, of all manufacturers, Philips. The Pronto TSU2000 takes the ergonomics of a Palm PDA, the power of a 2 megabyte engine, the control of its own Pronto Edit software, and the convenience of the Internet (to download patches/games/files from) to give you complete power at your fingertips. This is a couch-potatoes dream come true - reaching for a single remote control unit that can handle unlimited tasks.
The first thing you'll notice (after you get over the shock of the sticker price) is the elegant LCD touch screen. Providing a resolution of 240x320 with a total of four shades (white, light gray, dark gray and black), the images this RC emits are really impressive. There's a contrast dial on the top of the RC, and a manual backlight button as well. When backlit, the unit projects a very attractive aqua blue color that's easy to read in many lighting conditions.
In addition to the LCD screen, and the Pronto TSU2000's brushed metal exterior are seven direct access buttons. The nice thing about these buttons is that each can be assigned a global command that operates the same under all devices (volume control, channel changer, etc.) Complete control over these buttons, including excluding certain devices is also available. And speaking of control and programming, the Pronto TSU2000 comes with a huge database preprogrammed codes covering hundreds of brands of devices right on the remote. More are also available over the 'net in the event you can't find a particular unit (which is unlikely).
But in the event you have a device that isn't covered in the dB and isn't available online, the Pronto TSU2000 can "learn" all your system components (provided you have the original remote control unit for the device. What's more, use of non-volatile memory insures that you don't lose any customized programming during a battery change.
As mentioned above, the Pronto TSU2000 can handle an unlimited number of devices (Well, limited to its memory) The default pre-programmed devices include: TV, VCR, Preamp, Tuner, CD, DBS, LD, DVD, Tape, CDR, Cable Box, Audio Processor, WebTV, Flat TV (HDTV), Home Controller, MD, PTVR (TiVo or ReplayTV) & AOL TV.
Since the Pronto TSU2000 uses a GUI interface on its LCD screen, you're given the ability to custom label EVERY button: Every button in every device can have a custom label, entered via a miniature QWERTY keyboard. 192 characters are provided, covering numbers, upper and lower case keys, numerous icons and foreign characters. You can even download graphical icons from the 'net.
Another powerful feature of the Pronto TSU2000 is the macro command. Essentially, you can program a series of commands, with delays in between, to do just about anything. For example, with the touch of one button, you can turn on your TV, change the channel to 35, turn on your receiver, set the volume to 50% and more. You can create an unlimited number of Macro groups. Each group can have up 25 separate macros, with each macro containing up to 255 commands, limited only by available memory. Delays can be inserted up to 99.9 seconds long each. The uses for this are limitless - and it really adds to the entire 'laziness' factor that this remote already brings to the table.
The Pronto TSU2000 also has an unlimited number of timers available, allowing you to run macros or single commands at any time of day on a daily or weekly basis.
Clearly, the Pronto TSU2000 can handle any and all of your remote control needs - as all of the above 'pros' indicate. But there are some significant 'cons' that should be mentioned as well.
First, and foremost, the price. At $225 (or more), this is clearly a very expensive device. Considering the technology behind this unit, the price is somewhat justified, but you'll be hard pressed to justify spending that kind of money just for some added convenience - cool factor aside of course.
Second, the include ProntoEdit software is very cryptic and difficult to master. The software is needed for some of the finer customization this unit is capable of. Unfortunately, with complete control comes significant complexity.
Third, the included manual really lacks a lot of details in the complete manipulation of this device. As powerful as the Pronto TSU2000 is, the manual is just as poorly arranged and produced. Fortunately there's a plethora of on-line help available, but for the price, Philips should certainly provide a far more comprehensive manual.
Finally, the customer support that Philips provides is also sub-par. Again, with a unit this complex, they should expect a number of inquiries, but based on my limited experience, and the information I've gained from other users, Philips simply isn't ready to handle all of the incoming requests the Pronto TSU2000 generates. And that's a shame. Philips has a popular item here. They need to establish more resources to it.
If these 'cons' are addressed, the Pronto TSU2000 can easily become the standard of all universal remotes - similar to how Palm captured the world.
One final con, of a more personal nature. The ProntoPRO TSU6000 is now available, offering a glorious color LCD display. It's incredible. It's beautiful. It's $800. Ouch!
Complete specifications are listed below.
Thanks, as always, for reading....
Pronto TSU2000 Specifications
Dimensions (WxHxD): 3.5" x 5.4" x 1.5"
Weight (With Batteries): 9.5oz
Weight (Without Batteries): 6.5oz
LCD Screen (WxH): 2.3" x 3.1", 3.8" diagonal
LCD Resolution: 240x320, 4 colors
Backlight: Aqua EL (LCD), Yellow LED (Buttons)
Memory: 2mb non-volatile flash memory, 512k SRAM
Learning Frequency: Up to 56KHz
IR Operating Distance: Approx. 33 feet
Learning Distance: 1" up to 1'
Batteries: 4 AA or optional 4.8v rechargable pack
Battery Life: 6 months
PC Interface: RS232 Serial
Warranty: 1 year
Color: Silver
List Price: $399 USD; $79 USD for DS-1000 Docking Charger
Recommended:
Yes
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