Sure looks like a wifi readout!

who knows, it does look a lot like the RC9800i so could have that in common, on the other hand it could also just be a send IR/RF icon

PS here is #4 [Link: pronto.philips.com]

Well, it does have WiFi, which I think is very important these days in a true Home Automation controller.

Hopefully it is implemented well. I had heard that the video required the new Pronto to be in its dock, and receive the video through the wired connection.

I don't LOVE the looks, but any equipment looks better and better when it performs better and better.

Great screen though!!!

I think that the two icons are for IR signal and Battery strength, IMHO!!!

iPronto WiFi is very reliable in my experience, so Philips already has a proven track record re WiFi. I don't know about true video. In the iPronto, WiFi provides Internet access/browsing and RF communication via extenders. The extenders work well, so I'd expect they will with the new Pronto. With such a small screen, I need to be convinced there is value to browsing, but some people do it on cellphones, so maybe thjere is something useful there.

I don't get why this is an "installer product". If it is so much easier to configure and program than earlier Prontos, why isn't if for everyone? Sounds like a marketing ploy that has no technical merit.

You obviously haven't been reading the posts in the URC forum.

URC PC-programmable remotes are quite easy to program, yet URC is moving them toward the custom installer. See this August 1 News Item.

The debate is literally raging over it........ not just that the remotes and programs are designed for custom installations, but mostly about how URC "tightened" the reigns.

Prontos have been out in the open since the beginning, unlike RTI, etc. Perhaps Philips is targeting that same Custom Installer market.

Check out the News Item to see one company's take on why easy to program remotes sometimes aren't for everyone, especially the second last paragraph.

Then maybe you'll have your answer.

Greg

Ok, now we know what it looks like, time to start a discussion on cost. I'm thinking it's got to be at least a few hundred over the pronto 7000.

The Pronto NG was released at an MSRP of $999 so I think it's pretty safe to assume that this is going to be at least that much.

On another note... I just found out that Only One Remote is one of the "installers" that Philips refers to in "Designed by installers. Made by Philips." Apparently they were invited to Belgium in February to meet with the engineers. Right around the same time Daniel released his tour of the Belgian Philips manufacturing plant. Coincidence??? Come on Daniel... tell us more ;-)

what i would like to know is if the rs232 control will be bi-directional or not...

What I want to know is how much is this thing going to cost to program? How much do custom installers/programmers usually charge for this type of thing?

Does Philips say that the software will only be available to custom installers, which is what URC would like and is trying to do?

Or are they just saying that they have made the software much easier to use so that custom installers can make great configurations with less work?

In other words, is this a Custom Installer Only product like the RTI remotes?

I don't see anywhere where they comment on this one way or the other.

One of the things that has got the pronto where it is, is the enthusiasts, who have practically done some of the marketing for them with the clever ccfs etc they have produced on this site. I know what I want and how I want my pronto to work, I don't need someone else holding my hand for me. I would love for some far eastern company to release an embedded linux pronto like remote with source available to all. That might actually stop much of the installer only nonsense.

The issue is perceived market share. A lot of installers won't handle Pronto because it is so easily available online at discounted prices. Philips will sacrifice the enthusiast market if it thinks it can get a bigger market share by limiting distribution to the installer channel. Since RTI, URC, Nevo, Crestron, etc. have gone that route, maybe they are right. Personally, I think it is a shame that none of the mfgrs has a structured product marketing strategy wherein similar but different products are made for different distribution channels. The PC and CE companies have been doing this for ages - it must work.

Amen.

I have an RU-940 (sorry can't remember the us model numbers...) one of the best gadgets i've ever bought. When I purchased it I had that "what have I done!" feeling in money terms, but as soon as I started developing my ccf, I saw the power. Even to this very day I'm making changing as my needs change, as i got a dvd/hard disk recorder, as I've learnt of my cable company changing channel numbers. The harmony is nice from hard button point of view, but I don't like the reliance on internet registration and it does not give me the control prontoedit does. I am considering an RU-960 (TSU-3500 ?) at the moment (from a reputable online dealer - dedicated to home automation devices - around for a while now), but now i'm wondering what sort of situation i'll be in, in future.

The 7500 and the RFX 6500 are a real solid combo. Yeah it lacks variables and stuff like that but the RF has been improved dramatically withthe 6500.