I have boiught Prontos for >10 years. Like many others, I have made Pronto development into a pleasurable hobby. Accordingly, I have developed quite a few things - including an interface that was downloaded from this site >1500 times (and which is presciently reminiscent of the new Windows Phone interface, although it was developed in 2007).

Hence, the current lockout is horrible for me. Not only is the new PEP inaccessible, but also the previous Version 2 is gone! I have just configured my new laptop, and i cannot even download any version of PEP to integrate my new equipment - meaning that my Prontos have now become expensive paper weighteners.

At least in the EU, there is strong consumer protection legislation to protect us against this kind of behaviour. If a company lures consumers into buying Prontos based on the availability of customizable software (and this was exactly what happened to me), and then said availability is revoked, the company makes itself vulnerable to action by the European Consumer Protection Agency. To my admittedly non-lawyerly eyes, Philips may well have crossed the line here...

Doh. Please stop. There are already enough 2 topics about this here.

If you don't like the graphics make your own, like most of us integrators do. The Pronto is not about the looks, but about usability, and that has plenty. Graphics can always be changed, but if the device lacks a capability you can't do much about it.

PEP2 is still accessible on this site. And keyword: backup.

About the crossing of the line. Crossing of the line would be that your pronto stops working. Like apple with it's capability of deleting bought apps. Your pronto still has the same capabilities, and can still be configured, so it didn't really loose anything. For now it seems they are locking only further updates.

Dear BluPhenix, you are entitled to your view - and so are we "hobbyist". I maintain that I chose the Pronto against its competitors (and spent significant $$$ on it) because of its exciting programmability. If that is being taken away, or restricted, I do feel very much cheated!

I do not understand your remark re. the graphics. Of course I make my own graphics - but how exactly am I supposed to do that if I cannot access the software? I need large blocky buttons since I am hypermetropic. I cannot use the standard buttons since I have trouble reading them.

Finally, I seem to read "between the lines" that you may be motivated by the (utterly legitimate) desire to protect your business as integrator. Believe me, I sincerely wish you lots of success and profit! However, I deem it extremely unlikely that Philips' ill-advised decision will result in additional business for you. I, for one, will most certainly not turn to an integrator, but will rather be looking for non-Philips alternatives.

I said, PEP2 if you need it now is still available on this site, as are all the FW updates.

There was no in between the lines. My field of pronto usage is a bit different from the intended market and is one that no end users would not do by themselves plus I'm limited to my country, so my business is not affected by DIYers. On the contrary If I can I try to help here as much as I can (and am not hiding my conclusions/tips regarding the programming of pronto's), because I too got a lot help here at the beginning.

Please, next time just put it in the thread that is already made, will be tidier.

And see this post please regarding availability of latest PEP2 and firmware.

[Link: remotecentral.com]

Also note that on the Pro line, there has NEVER been a limitation that says one cannot downgrade a remote (for example one that might have come back from repair) to remove a newer firmware version and replace with an older firmware version.

:-)

FYI, you mention your availability to configure not been revoked. I vehemently disagree. The software is on RC as well as the firmware (see my previous post) so, you still have that capability.

Also, configuration with newer "flavor of the month" software was likely not mentioned in said contract so, IMO, the contract has not been broken. With regard to said contract. I don't recall reading in any of the Philips product literature delivered with the TSU9600 remotes anything about configuration software or the liability of the company to provide said software or software updates for an unlimited time span in the future.

Thanks. I was not aware of the availability of PEP on this forum. I remember that another forum had offered PEP for download, but had to quickly remove it following legal threats from Philips.

If Philips tolerates PEP downloads from RC, that alleviates the acute issue. Of course it is still less-than-optimal that newer software be made out-of-reach, but if that's how Philips wants to handle things, I am confident that market forces will take care of that issue (for example some clever people may see a business opportunity in making a product that jumps into that void...).

Finally, I now have read that things may change for the better next Monday, hence I fervently hope that they will!

Isn't Philips an EU based company?

Where is your interface listed? Are you insinuating that Windows found your interface on Remote Central and decided to copy it?

Interesting point but i dont think Philips have ever made this a consumer product, it has always been classed as a " Professional Range" and there for you were not able to purchase this from a hight street shop. Unless some arrangement was make with the seller.

The older 940 upward to the 990 was a high street product, and even the TSU 9200 was pulled from the High street as it was considered to complecated for the beginner.

Sorry, not true at all. Philips made it a consumer product by allowing a very "sloppy" distribution approach when they killed their dealer channel in the late 90's and early 2000. Philips has likely been the worst of all of the mid-range remote manufacturers when it comes to "a very sloppy distribution model". They have allowed ebay and other internet box movers to find product sideways from unethical distributors which Philips approved and the sold products below dealer costs everywhere on the internet to absolutely anyone with a credit card. They have undermined their dealer channel every chance they have had over the past 6 years. And because of it they have lost a market they used to own. And I do mean "owned". In the early 2000 Philips owned the lions share of the custom installer remote market. Then they got greedy and allowed every kind of "sloppy" distribution you could think of. Custom installers didn't like their approach and left them in mass to URC, RTI, Marantz and others.

In 2006 they tried to get back custom installers with the "designed by installer" tag line with the 9400, 9600 and the 9800. But the dealers have not come back except a small percentage.

Dave
RemoteQuest.com

Yes, and therefore I am suing Microsoft for a few billions...

No, no, that was supposed to be a joke. I have made an interface consisting of large blocky buttons which, yes, is reminiscent of screenshots I have seen of the new Windows Phones. Honestly, I feel flattered by the above - not cheated!

Although in my regular work (biotech, molecular biology) I am the inventor of several patents, I have made no efforts to protect my interface which I deem practical for my purposes but trivial in its conception. Anyway, the interface is here: [Link: remotecentral.com]