Black Box: Input4TV: Philips Pronto Remote Control

by Larry Lemm
Summer/Fall 1999

In our never-ending quest to make couch-surfing a more enriching and enjoyable experience, we hereby introduce a new section of our reviews: a spotlight on unique wireless input devices. After all, how can one loaf on the couch when one is constrained by such inconveniences as cables running across the living room floor?

The Remote of the Gods

When people pick up the Philips Pronto remote, and see the LCD touchscreen come to life, the near-universal reply is "ohhhhhh."
The Pronto is a universal remote that replaces the gaggle of remotes littering the coffee table. It can control virtually any type of device, and for the techno-nuts, you can program it from your computer. The Pronto automatically can control other Philips products, and if it isn't working out-of-the-box on a component from another company, you simply need to make the Pronto learn from your existing remote.
To make the Pronto learn, you enter the "learn" mode, select a button on the Pronto, and press the corresponding button on your existing remote. That's all it takes.
If you really like control, you can program the Pronto to do a variety of functions at once. This feature is familiar to computer users, and called a macro. For example, you can create a macro to ready your home entertainment system to watch a movie. The first part would be to turn on the TV, the VCR and the stereo. Then you need the TV to tune to channel 4, the stereo line input to go to video and the surround mode to go the Dolby Pro-Logic. Record a macro in the Pronto, and the next time, a single button push does this all in one fell swoop.
For the extremely technical-minded, the Pronto also includes ProntoEdit software that synchs your Pronto to your PC, and allows you to record macros, customize menus and other important tweaks to the remote. The Pronto is a remote for a true couch connoisseur.

Pronto Remote Control
Philips
(888) 486-6272
www.pronto.philips.com
Suggested Retail Price: $399, $80 for recharge package