$250 customizable remote is no breeze to program
By Deborah Porterfield
Gannett News Service
Some people might consider the Philips Pronto Neo TSU500 Universal Home Theater Remote Control a bargain.
Sure, it costs $250, but that's nothing compared to the $1,000 you'd have to pay for Philips' top-end remote, the Pronto Pro TSU6000.
Additionally, both remotes are aimed at people with home theater systems, and after you've spent thousands of dollars on big-screen TVs, surround-sound speakers and the like, what's another couple of hundred or so?
Philips touts the TSU500 as an "affordable" customizable universal remote that is "easy to use." But just as the word "affordable" is open to different interpretations, so is the phrase "easy to use."
Once you set up — or customize — the remote to recognize and control all your electronic gear, the Pronto Neo is, in fact, fairly easy to use. With just one push of a macro button, you can turn on the TV and the DVD player and then watch a movie. Or with just one click, you can turn on the stereo and CD player and listen to tracks on a disc played at random.
But setting it up is no picnic.
In fact, training this remote to do even basic tasks can be tedious and, at times, frustrating.
The Pronto comes preprogrammed with codes for Philips products, which is great if your home happens to be a Philips one. If not, you'll have to train the remote to recognize your electronic gear. If you know where all your remotes are, the Pronto can be set up to "learn" their commands. All you have to do is line up each remote so that the Pronto can pick up its infrared signals. If, however, your remotes are hidden in drawers and under couches, you'll have to enter in the manufacturers' codes for all these devices by hand. A lengthy list of codes for TVs, CD players, stereo tuners, DVD players and more can be found in the back of the manual.
As with most such lists, though, the codes didn't always work.
For example, the code for a CD player proved sufficient for adjusting the volume and switching discs but wasn't able to actually turn the unit on or off. People who are determined to make the Pronto perform can try tracking down the right codes from each manufacturer or search for them online.
Folks who want to add even more customized touches can also hook the device up to a computer's serial port and download logos for favorite channels and other updates at www.pronto.philips.com. This site also can be used to access forums set up by Pronto owners, who offer advice on programming and using the remotes.
Once you've got the remote set up, you'll want to try it out from the comfort of your couch. But first, you'll need to familiarize yourself with its design.
About half of the TSU500 is taken up by an easy-to-read backlit, touch-screen liquid crystal display (LCD). Directly underneath the screen are four buttons that control various functions listed on the screen. Underneath these controls are five more buttons. One is a rectangular-shaped volume control. To increase the sound you press on the "+" portion, to decrease the sound, you press on the "-" part. The rectangular channel button has a plus and minus section that also lets you work your way up or down the channels. In between these two controls is a round menu button with arrows that can be used to move the remote's cursor up, down, left and right with an OK button in the middle that finalizes your commands.
For some folks, all these screens, buttons and choices will simply prove too much. But for hard-core techies who think of TV watching as just another excuse to fiddle with gadgets, this remote is more than a bargain — it's their idea of fun.
