The electronic freak's dream remote
Written: May 10 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Flexibility, programmability, convenience
Cons: Price, learning curve, shape
The Bottom Line: The best programmable remote you can get. Period.
|
|
|
| thrasher32's Full Review: Philips TSU2000 LCD Touchscreen Remote Control |
INTRO:
Hi. My name is Marty, better known on Epinions as Thrasher32, and I'm an electronics junkie (everybody say "HI MARTY"). I live alone and I have 4 TV's, 3 computers, 2 A/V systems, a music studio, 4 guitars, and about a zillion "small" gadgets. The worst part of being an electronics junkie is that you end up with so many remote controls that things just get ridiculous. You can just imagine my excitement when I found out about the Philips Pronto TSU2000. I was sportin some serious wood, to be sure!
UNIT DESCRIPTION:
The Philips Pronto TSU2000 is an LCD touchscreen universal/learning/programmable remote. It looks a lot like a PDA. It's about 4 inches wide by 5 inches long by one inch thick. It has a large LCD touch screen (about 4 inches by 4 inches), and 6 or 8 hard buttons. The TSU2000 runs on 4 AA batteries, or an optional NiMh rechargable battery pack. There is a backlight for the touchscreen, which can be activated by a switch on the side, or can be set to turn on anytime the remote is activated. There is also a contrast control dial on the side, as well as a serial input port. The casing is painted silver, and the unit weighs about 10 ounces with the battery pack installed.
PRICE:
I paid $217 for mine. The charger/battery pack kit set me back another $60, bringing the grand total to about $280.
DEVICE LIMITS & MEMORY:
The TSU2000 can handle an infinite number of devices, assuming you have the memory installed to handle them all. The TSU2000 comes with 2mb of installed memory, which should be more than enough for the average user. I believe you can upgrade the memory if you need to.
PROGRAMMING METHODS:
There are three distinct programming methods available on the TSU2000:
1. The Brand table: The TSU2000 comes with a large manufacturer database installed. Philips claims that there are over 260 manufacturers' codes in the database, and I believe 'em. What you do to program the device using this method is:
a) Select the device to be programmed (ie TV)
b) Select "BRAND" from the popup menu
c) Select your brand from the list (ie PIONEER)
d) Select a codeset (there may be multiple codesets for each manufacturer)
e) Try it
f) Hit the "Install" button to install the codeset
2. Learn: The TSU2000 can read your original remote's signals and program itself using those signals. Programming using this method goes like this:
a) Select the device to be programmed (ie TV)
b) Select the button you want to program (ie POWER)
c) Point the devices remote at the TSU2000's sensor
d) Push the appropriate button on the original remote
e) Repeat for all the buttons you want the TSU2000 to learn
3. Program: The TSU2000 connects to your computer (PC only, no MACS) via a serial cable (included). The TSU2000 ships with a program that you install on your computer, which allows you to program functions on your computer, then download to the TSU2000. You can also change graphics, and a bunch of other really cool stuff. Unfortunately the edit program is a bit cryptic, and this is definitely the hardest option to use. I've been a software developer for 17+ years, and I couldn't figure it out in one session. Obviously, since I haven't figured it out yet, I can't tell you how to use this option, but once you get it down, this should be the most powerful and flexible programming method.
CUSTOMIZATION:
This remote is amazing when it comes to customization. You can add, delete, and relabel all touchscreen buttons and devices. Want 6 DVD player controllers? No problem. Want to label your 3 TV's "Huey", "Dewey", and "Louie"? No problem. Want to label the power switch for your stereo "Goofus"? No problem. Want to delete the "Record" button to mess with your wife's head? No problem. The TSU2000 is the best I've ever seen in this respect. Oh yeah, you can (and will) have multiple scrolling screens for each device.
IR POWER:
I GUARANTEE that the TSU2000 puts out a stronger signal than your original remote control. It's like a lighthouse next to a nighlight. I can bounce signals off of walls, ceilings, my butt, anything I want. This thing kicks out some serious IR.
THE TOUCHSCREEN:
The touchscreen is black and white (or more accurately, green & light green), with a couple of different shades. Think original gameboy and you got the picture. The "touch" part works well, you barely have to touch the sreen to get a response. In addition, the touch sensitivity is adjustable via the setup menu. The contrast is adjustable via a little dial on the side, which comes in handy. If it's too dark, you can use the backlight, which is a nice aqua blue color, like those indiglo Timex watches. The backlight can be set to stay on from 1 to 120 seconds, or can come on automagically when the remote activates.
OK, OK, HERE'S SOME STUFF I DON'T LIKE:
#1: THE EDITING SOFTWARE: Like I said earlier, I have been a software developer (read: PROGRAMMER) for 17+ years, and I couldn't figure out the editing software in the first 2 hours I used it. That's a problem.
#2: PAYING FOR THE CHARGER & BATTERY PACK: I think for $400 MSRP, they should include the charger and rechargable battery pack.
#3: THE IR LEARNING FREQUENCY RANGE: The range of learnable frequencies only goes up to 56mhz. Granted, 99% of all remote control frequencies fall within this range, but some do not. For example, my receiver remote is well out of the limit, so I can't program it into the TSU2000. The strange part is that the TSU2000 can transmit IR codes well in excess of 56Mhz, it just can't read them in learning mode.
#4: THE RESTING ANGLE: The remote almost lies flat when you set it down. This makes it difficult to see the screen if you are reclining or lying down. It would have been nice if the screen sat at an angle when the remote is resting on a table or couch.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The bottom line is that no other universal remote even comes close to the TSU2000 (well, there is the TSU6000, which has a color screen, but that puppy costs $1000). The TSU2000 is unrivaled in the number of devices it can handle, and it's felxibility and customization options. If you have a lot of remotes, and are looking for the ONE that will unify them all, the the Philips Pronto TSU2000 is the one for you. I believe that it's fairly priced at $225 (street). I highly recommend buying the charger/battery pack kit ($60) so you don't have to worry about replacing standard batteries all the time. There are some minor annoyances, but overall, this is truly an electronics junkies' dream. Highly recommended.
--Thrasher
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
thrasher32
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Reviews written: 96
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
Old-school headbanger/guitarist/programmer/electronics nut with an itchy writing hand...
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.