New ProntoEdit: It seems that in the last day Philips has quietly released a brand new version of ProntoEdit on their web site -- version 1.04 (not a beta version as was the European release). This one has the most changes and improvements ever made in a single update.

ProntoEdit PC software upgrades include:

• Template devices can have page jumps to themselves.
  (Basically a bug fix.)

• ProntoEdit now supports creating, editing and deleting timer actions and beep actions.
  (See the new firmware features news update from a week or so ago for much more information on timers.)

• ProntoEdit now works when Windows is configured to use 'large fonts'.
  (Finally! Well, almost. The opening logo is still drawn on a box that's too big... but panels look great!)

• ProntoEdit can load and save both the old (pre-timer) and the new CCF format, and will automatically download the correct version to the connected Pronto.
  (Aha! Something I suggested came through. This essentially means that all Pronto/RC5000 users can use this new version of ProntoEdit to transfer files to their remote, regardless of whether their remote's firmware supports timers or not. Each file version is available under a drop-down box under the "SAVE AS" menu option.)

• Proper firmware Application/System versions are displayed under the "Update Pronto" window.
  (Well, at least this is easier than the SHIFT+OK trick and saves any confusion over what software versions are included in a particular archive.)

• Improved firmware update process.

New firmware (SYS v3.6 & APP v4.81) improvements include:

• When a new device is created, all page jumps from and to the original device are replaced by page jumps to the newly created device.
  (This is an important "missing feature" addition.)

• When a new page is shown and the display is turned off the remote will now turn it on. This is typically the case when a hard button containing a page jump is pressed while the display is turned off.
  (Yet another one of the features that was suggested. For instance, if you set the LEFT/RIGHT buttons to SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN the screen would remain off even when they were pressed, thus changing screens without any visible notification. Now, the screen re-activates when any SCROLL or PAGE JUMP function is used on a hard button. This would appear to be part-and-parcel with the "macro on a hard button" bug fix.)

• When adding a device jump to a macro, the selected page is no longer the first page. The current page is selected instead.
  (This is one I reported right after I first received the Pronto over a year ago. When configuring the remote without the benefit of a PC, the addition of "Jump-To" commands to macros are accomplished by holding down the LEFT/RIGHT button and selecting the device from the drop-down menu. Previously the remote would ALWAYS record page 1 as the jump-to screen, even if you were on page 2 or 3. It now functions as I originally hoped it would.)

• Improved detection of the "once" and "repeat" part of an IR code.
  (Even though I have not known the Pronto itself to be unreliable in learning IR codes, improvement is always welcome. I'm hoping this will also improve the IR learning reliability of ProntoEdit... or at least hope that the problem is being addressed.)

New firmware features:

• Timer functionality.
  (Programmable on both the PC and remote.)

• 24-hour clock option.
  (For International users or folks that just plain prefer it.)

• Beep functionality.
  (Hopefully this also includes a fix to the infamous "beep bug". More information on how this works in a previous news update.)

• New symbols added to the Pronto font. (Some of the less-useful symbols would appear to have been replaced with better ones. This may cause minor problems with older CCFs that happen to use those ones. Symbols have still not been added to non-standard font sizes.)

• Learning certain high frequency codes -- B&O, Kenwood, etc.
  (I would really like to hear if this truly does work!)

• Learning certain toggle-bit codes -- Grundig 16 bit, Ferguson, Thomson, Telefunken, etc.
  (Ditto on this one. If someone owns this equipment and has had problems learning in the past, please drop me a line and let me know how it goes.)

All of this may be downloaded from Philips' SmartConnect website in the ProntoEdit v1.04 file. You will need to create a user account if you do not already have one.

My upgrade experience was not completely uneventful - even though the actual flashing process completed flawlessly, the configuration (CCF) file it upload from the Pronto and then re-download afterwards came up as an "invalid version". Re-transferring the exact same file corrected the anomaly. One new bug that was reported in the European firmware release does appear to have been fixed: all "Tetris" blocks appear normal.

Although the firmware upgrade file is available as a separate download, this is not required. Version 1.04 of ProntoEdit already includes the appropriate file. Also available for download are new versions of the Pronto and ProntoEdit manuals covering these new features.

CCF Files: New or updated CCF Files by Brian Porter, Emmanuel S. Davidson & Robert Kreisler (in the design elements section).