User reviews for the Philips ProntoPro TSU6000 from Philips Electronics. Ratings Reviews MSRP (USD) Average: 3.49/5.00 Median: 4.00/5.00 23 $999 The ProntoPro upgrades the Pronto TSU2000 with a bright 256-color LCD screen, 8 megabytes of memory, a pickup sensor, sleek new case design, more hard buttons, optional RF basestation and an improved user interface. Message Forum Our Review Clicker Picker Specifications Add Your Review Get it at:

Written by Roger Sharkey from Lebanon, NH. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 16 made on Monday April 22, 2002 at 10:59 AM. Strengths: This is a must have for the man who die's with the most toys wins! Software is great. There is nothing that I have not been able to program. This thing is as mush fun to program as it is to use. Weaknesses: For a street price of around $ 700 should have a active screen and a faster processer. Review: This thing is great. Anyone thinking of buying one should go and download Dan Tonks file. I got more from reverse engineering his file than I did from reading the proedit manual. The main dislike is that for a $ 100 less you can purchase a PDA computer with a active screen and a lot faster processor. This unit with these changes would be a 10. Quality: Features: Value:

Written by John Corkery from Silver Spring, Maryland. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 15 made on Wednesday April 10, 2002 at 10:46 AM. Strengths: Elegant, easy to use, excellent screen visibility, great touch response, ample memory, stable software. Weaknesses: High price, pick up sensor doesn't seem to work reliably. Review: Since I won a free ProntoPro here, I thought it would be appropriate for me to write a mini-review and express how much I like the remote. First of all, I think ProntoPro Edit is a very nice, simple, easy to use program. I actually enjoy playing around with it. After several months of use, I don't recall encountering a single bug or crash. I must admit, though, creating a clean, memory-efficient CCF can become a rather tedious process, especially when it comes to actually assigning macros and aliases to all of the individual buttons. I had to go back and double-check my work because I nearly fell asleep a few times while I was doing this! On the other hand, with all the memory that the ProntoPro provides, I'm sure I could've just taught the IR codes directly to every button instead of using the software to alias duplicate codes. It would've resulted in a very memory-inefficient file, but it probably would've saved me quite a bit of time. Overall, I really, *really* appreciate the stability of the software and the fact that, with a little bit of thought, you can use it to configure the remote practically any way you want. I'm also very pleased with the remote itself. It's fairly light but it doesn't feel flimsy at all. The color LCD is nice and bright with excellent visibility, especially when compared to a B/W screen. The screen's passive nature does create noticeable streaking through large graphics, but this can be reduced by using the dial on the side of the remote to increase contrast. I've also found the screen's touch response to be excellent; noticeably better than the B/W screen on my MX-1000. I've never used an older, two-button Pronto, but I'm glad my ProntoPro has four. It's nice to be able to use the hard buttons for transport functions like rewind, pause, play and fast forward. Plus, it just seems like four buttons can much more easily and logically accommodate groups of related functions than two buttons. I do miss the joystick on my MX-1000, but not terribly so. I created large cursor controls on my panels so the buttons are very easy for my finger to target and, after a little bit of practice, they can even be used without really looking by just feeling for a general area of the screen. Others have mentioned it before, but I'll mention it again: 8 MB is a LOT of memory! My CCF is fairly graphics intensive, so I was amazed to see that I still have 81% free memory remaining! I really can't see running out of memory with this thing unless you have a large-capacity CD/DVD jukebox and use large cover graphics for each disc. The remote seems to be extremely memory-efficient. I haven't really noticed the delay that others have described when "waking up" the remote after it's been idle for a while. My experience has been that pressing a hard button will immediately wake up the remote and turn on the LCD, but then the button will have to be pressed again to actually send the assigned command. On the other hand, if the remote's been used within the past few minutes, pressing a hard button will send the command without turning on the screen. I haven't really found this behavior to be bothersome, but I guess it would be nice to have the option of keeping the remote "awake" at all times. As you can tell, I really like my ProntoPro. It's elegant, simple to use, and controls my home theater system perfectly. My only real complaint about this great remote is that the "pick up sensor" doesn't seem to work the way it's supposed to. Every once in a while it does, but most of the time I have turn the remote every which way to get it to activate. Quality: Features: Value:

Written by Varun from Pennsylvania, USA. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 14 made on Sunday March 24, 2002 at 10:52 PM. Strengths: Unlimited power and configurability with ProntoEdit software. Incredible range with RF adapter. Beautiful final configurations possible. Weaknesses: Clunky ProntoEdit software. "Smearing" of colors on LCD screen (dual scan). Hard buttons cannot be programmed separately for each panel. Price. Weight balancing and ergonomics of unit not great. Review: Properly configured, this remote does things no other remote on the market can do. It has incredibly powerful programming, allowing unlimited macros, aliases, delays, and complete customization of every button position and appearance. With the extra option of the RF extender (there can even be multiple RF extenders), the controller can operate from up to 100 feet away. It works well even from 2 stories above in my house! This is really slick for a multi-zone setup, allowing control of output to the upstairs speakers from the bedroom. Custom programmability can handle virtually any kind of setup. With an infrared remote for a computer, the pronto can be programmed to control a complete mp3 library for example. Even complex macros are easily made, and I can have an infinite number of mp3 playlists and play them from anywhere in the house. The price of the remote is really steep, and the screen and battery life should be better for the price. The built in software breaks up the remote into "Devices" "Macros" and "Home". The top of the LCD always has these three catagories displayed. This rigid design is not helpful, and results in about 1/4 of the LCD screen at the top wasted, while a category for "Macros" is pointless. The remote would be much better served with "Activities" - a combination of buttons from various buttons on one screen. The 4 hard buttons along the bottom are erased when any macro is selected. Why it was done this way, I don't know. Another quirk - when navigating panels, there is no way to go "Back" to the panel where you just were. A missing feature like this makes programming custom panels a real chore. For example there can not be a persistent button on every panel to allow you to change the DSP modes of the receiver, for example, and return back to the panel where you were. Hopefully these types of quirks will be fixed with the next version of the system software and ProntoEdit... The weight and balance of the unit is not great. It is a little hard to hold comfortably in one hand while trying to press buttons. The screen also has an auto-off feature which can be set to up to 2 minutes, which is pretty slick but always seems to shut off when you want it on and always feels to be on too long when you want it off. The fast battery drain is a drag too. It should use lithium batteries but it doesn't. People who have high-end home theater setups with lots of time and computer skills to program this remote will appreciate it the most. It is overkill for a average user. Someone with a DVD jukebox and computer graphics skills for example would be able to create panels displaying the DVD box panels which work as buttons to launch the movie when pressed. Overall, this remote is the only solution for RF control with this level of configurability and power. No doubt there will be better designs in the next several years, especially with the merging of computer and home theater. There is no other solution available _now_ and this remote does everything it it advertises. To any pronto users having problems with the RF and learning certain remotes, make sure you have upgraded to the newest version of the system software and are running the newest ProntoEdit. Quality: Features: Value:

Written by Michael Soble from IL, USA. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 13 made on Friday December 28, 2001 at 8:09 PM. Strengths: Looks nice, lots of potential Weaknesses: Very difficult to get it to perform. Review: It just won't work right. I'm not an idiot. I Built my computer out of components, I ran the wiring through my own walls and put together the surround sound myself and I was hoping to get one remote to run it all. But it just won't work. For my TV, the mute button does channel return and when i create a channel return button and try to teach it, it does not work. After about 20 tries, it said it worked. It lied. Add onto that the buttons are too small and the screen doesn't calibrate well and you have a doorstop that looks nice. I mean, I have small hands and decent coordination, but I need my palm pilot stylus to get the home button in less than 3 tries. That would be ok if it came with a place to put the stylus, but no luck. I've wasted 20 hrs trying to get it to do what I want between the unit, the PC program and searching the net for people that have put in the effort and are lucky enough to have my components. I found some, but at this price if it won't work everything, it's a waste. Bottom line; I got an RMA and it's going back tomorrow. Quality: Features: Value:

Written by Mike Lawrence from Richmond, VA. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 12 made on Thursday December 27, 2001 at 4:13 PM. Strengths: Beautiful color screen, four hard buttons at bottom of remote, excellent learning capability and improved PC software, huge memory capacity. Weaknesses: Very expensive, awkward for one-handed operation, screen shows some color bleeding, especially in default configuration (rows of neatly aligned buttons). Review: I've read the other reviews here and disagree on a few points, some more strongly than others. Many have taken issue with the display itself and I think they have presented an unfair picture. Passive FSTN technology is admittedly inferior to Active TFT in some respects, but provides significant advantages in battery consumption. The primary problem with all passive screens is that certain color combinations and arrangements result in noticable color bleeding or speckling on solid colors. However, I find that the screen is very clearly legible under both bright and dark lighting conditions and have been able to tweak the panel layouts to eliminate bleeding except with extremely low contrast settings. All in all, I think the display is an enormous improvement over any of its predecessors or competitors. The addition of color allows you to design much busier panels that don't appear cluttered -- some UI expert could probably explain why. I also don't find the buttons on the side difficult to push, although they don't provide as much tactile feedback as I would like (I'm a guy who prefers the noticable click). They do hug the side of the remote a bit too close for me. I like the sensor that lights the screen when you pick it up, it doesn't seem to come on when it shouldn't and usually does when I want it to. I don't think that any of the Prontos have a very good ergonomic case design and this one is no exception. I have very large hands and I find it possible to balance it on my fingers and operate with my thumb, but my wife must use two hands and still prefers her TiVo remote, which she considers the masterwork of remote control usability. It is very fast at changing between screens and preprogrammed with an fairly functional database of devices for easy instant use while you design your masterpiece CCF. I agree with the previous reviewer than the touch screen requires a fairly heavy touch. I often want to turn on the back light by tapping the screen and find I really have to mash it harder than seems needed. The charging dock has a rather queer method of hooking on. You have to attach the Pronto at a 45 degree angle to these odd little hooks and if you try to just tug it straight out of the station it seems like you could easily break them off. I am getting trained, but a visitor might easily mangle the thing. And yeah, the price is a bit insane. I think it costs more than most of my equipment, but I don't care. It is really cool. Most of this review is intended for people who already are familar with the Pronto family. I think that the customizability and amazing UI flexability of the Pronto makes it hands-down the best remote on the market, but I've already rambled on for far too long. The bundled programming software is very powerful and pretty easy to master, although I am a professional software guy so my toleration for complexity may be a bit higher than most folks. Quality: Features: Value:

Written by Brett DiMichele from PA, USA. The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 11 made on Sunday December 16, 2001 at 5:26 AM. Strengths: Powerful Pronto Edit Software, Nearly Limitless Functionality,Splendid Color,More Memory than you should ever need. Weaknesses: Ergonomics could be better (thinner) Hard Buttons on side of remote need better tactile feel. Battery Comparatment door needs to be made from harder plastic. Touch Screen Sensitivity needs boosted and an included stylus would be a plus. Review: Here is a review where I will not compare the Pronto Pro (A bonafide remote) to a Pocket PC. Some person(s) obviously can not write an objective review without comparing apples to oranges. And said individuals probably DO NOT nor have they ever used a Pronto Pro. The Pronto is a techie's technicolor dream. A powerful remote with very powerful software to back it up. The Pronto Pro allows you to design your own GUI from start to finish. You construct the layout that suits your needs. The memory is almost limitless and the DragonBallZ Processor seems to run all of the programing with relative ease. The drawbacks of the LCD Touchscreen remotes are that they all have wide chasis with somewhat questionable ergonomics. It is hard to design something to be perfect in your hands when it is as wide as the Pronto Pro. With that being said it does fit my large hands rather nicely. The hard buttons on the side of the remote could benefit from an easier tactile feedback. Also an included stylus that could be hidden in the body of the remote would be a god send for those complex ccf files using small buttons. The LCD Screen is a tad bit numb on sensitivity. In future versions I am sure they will correct that. Learning was flawless and every single component (including X-10) was taught to the Pro without any problems. IR Transmission is super strong without the need to even aim in the general direction to operate components. In conclusion yes the remote is expensive and it could and probably should sell for $500.00 at the most, but even at $700.00 to $1000.00 there is not another LCD on the market in that price range that can or does compete, Yet... Quality: Features: Value:

Written by TIM BURKE from CORPUS CHRISTI,TX. The reviewer has used this remote control for 6-12 months.

Review 10 made on Wednesday December 12, 2001 at 11:14 PM. Strengths: COMPLETE SOLUTION TO HIGH END INSTALLATIONS. Weaknesses: INABILITY TO RETAIN HARD BUTTON ZONE REQUIREMENTS{SUCH AS VOLUME, MUTE) WHEN ACCESSING OTHER EXTENDER ID'S. Review: HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Quality: Features: Value:

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