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Topic:
Pronto lcd screen differences
This thread has 123 replies. Displaying posts 46 through 60.
OP | Post 46 made on Friday June 30, 2000 at 13:52
LJB
Historic Forum Post
Scott,
I got ya. :) So much for my statement about not being an idiot. haha

Mike,
What a wonderful diagnostic idea! It may actually be invaluable. Please make sure and either post or email me the results?

Lisa
OP | Post 47 made on Friday June 30, 2000 at 17:10
Ryan Carney
Historic Forum Post
Sounds like a good idea Mike H. Your store has an excellent reputation on this site. Still, I have to say the difference I saw was outstanding! I did my comparison with Dan Tonks's CCF in both units and it was rediculous. I'll admit that I'm a picky consumer but this was unacceptable...whatever the reason. basically, it looks like Philips got cheap and cut some corners! Their engineers had to know about this...I often suspect that a few of you out there might possibly be engineers affiliated with Philips( Especially after I got a good look at the CCf's depicted in the Pronto advertisment which is currently running in various audio/video mags).At any rate, This unit costs around $400.00w/charger these days so I think a decent LCD is within reason. MAJ, I have to disagree with you. It's a "TouchScreen Remote"...obviously the LCD screen is every bit as important as functionality! If I didn't care about the LCD, I'd buy a remote with hard buttons only. If the look of the graphic interface wasn't important, what's the point of this site. Function is extremelly important, but I'd bet more than half of the people who frequent this site are here to download graphics (buttons, frames, logos, etc.)...and, I'm sure thet bought the pronto for that reason! Whats the point of having a user customizable graphic interface if you can't see it? Philips cut corners and got caught! Hopefully they'll switch back to a better LCD.
OP | Post 48 made on Tuesday July 4, 2000 at 15:14
M.A.J.
Historic Forum Post
Ryan,
You may have a point--whatever floats your boat...
OP | Post 49 made on Wednesday July 5, 2000 at 06:32
Paolo
Historic Forum Post
Hi, yesterday I took home my brand new Pronto (silver, European version) and I'm also VERY disappointed by the LCD quality. I'd like to underline that I've never seen a Pronto before but I can't believe that is the LDC you buy for that price! I even thought something was wrong with it but browsing this forum I realized I'm not the only one complaining about that washed/dimm LCD :(

Ciao, Paolo (Italy)
OP | Post 50 made on Wednesday July 5, 2000 at 08:10
David B.
Historic Forum Post
As with most things, the look of an LCD screen is a relative experience. Remember the first screen that PALM devices had? No one complained about that screen's quality until the newer models came out with a much sharper LCD.

I'm perfectly happy with my Pronto. It's not because I like or hate the screen. I'm happy because it allows me to make my complicated home theater setup simple enough for everyone to use reliably. It's the best human>technology interface/strategy as a remote control that I've ever seen.

Sure, they could put an even nicer looking and higher resolution LCD on the pronto. We'd all wish we had that one instead of whatever we have now (good or bad). Then they'll come out with the color version, and we'll all regret the one we have (bad, good, or highrez). Then they'll figure out how to get a TV preview image right on the pronto's color screen. Of course we'll all wish we had that one (instead of the bad, good, highrez, or color model we have).

Ya know what? If the software of that new color PIP pronto isn't any better than the software in my old pronto, then I personally don't see any real need to upgrade. At this moment in time the pronto remains THE best universal remote control out there. No matter what the price or quality of LCD. Good Job, Philips.

Dave
OP | Post 51 made on Wednesday July 5, 2000 at 10:04
Sean Button
Historic Forum Post
To add to gripes-

Why does a modern laptop LCD screen have no contrast adjustment? - Because the screens are good quality.

Why does the Pronto have one? - Because when it warms up / cools down the screen needs constant adjustment.

A VERY annoying feature.
OP | Post 52 made on Wednesday July 5, 2000 at 14:17
Daniel Tonks
Historic Forum Post
Well, also that active matrix LCDs are quite a different beast than the B&W variations used in the Pronto (and older palmtops, watches, etc).
OP | Post 53 made on Thursday July 6, 2000 at 03:59
Mike Huggins
Historic Forum Post
Okay here we go then !!

I received back the Pronto from one of my customers who was not happy with the screen.

To go back to my previous post:
There are, shall we say, three types of Pronto:
1. US Pronto (grey/green case)
2. UK Pronto with the red dot for the light sensor (which never was installed) - we'll call this V1
3. UK pronto withOUT the red dot. We'll call this V2.

I loaded all three Prontos with the CCF that my customer had installed (it was a nice one too !). The idea being to compare all three.

I was quite amazed by the outcome and think you all will be too !

I insisted on having an "innocent bystander" there too (this was in the shape of my 60+ year old electrician doing some work on the house, who himself knows nothing about remote controls)

I put all three next to each other in a LIGHT room.
We both agreed (and I made him comment first) that the V2 (!!) was the easiest to read. The screen background is sort of silver/grey compared to a sort of silver/green of the V1 and the US.

Then I tried them all in a DARK room with the backlight lit. The V2 stuck out as being by far the brightest. It was MUCH easier to read that the others.

Obviously these finding are my/our personal comments and opinions, and anyone could decide different. I guess it's personal taste. I would have to agree that *** none *** of them quite live up to the wonderful screen shot on the cover the box of the Pronto though !!

So there you have it. Now what ?!!

Mike
http://letsautomate.com
OP | Post 54 made on Thursday July 6, 2000 at 22:32
LJB
Historic Forum Post
Mike,
You did wonderfully!!! I thank you very much.

Frankly, I'm not sure this is something that will affect the average user, but is attention to detail we want to imrpove. I made sure your information made it to the correct circle of knowledge. :)

With your information and the few serial ranges we have, Philips will be able to isolate which time frame the screens came in and further the testing from there to narrow it down.

We may never see the results, but future users definately will!!

Yet another fine example of this user community coming together. Thank you all for valuable input.

Lisa
OP | Post 55 made on Friday July 7, 2000 at 12:35
Spike
Historic Forum Post
I have just bought the silver version of the pronto. I too am very disappointed with the display - in night time it appears impossible to set the contrast to show all four levels of shading, plus the screen is too responsive to the heat generated by the back light making for constant adjustment. The snap shot picture on the box & web site show far sharper pictures. My question is just how good was the original Samsung displays... i.e. The current one is worse than my Psion 5 (which isn't that good to start with) - is there any merit in getting Philips or LetsAutomate (supplier) involved?

Either way, the remote is good but I have to support Ryan in that the display is one of the key features of this product. You wouldn't accept a T.V. if Philips start putting dud tubes in them (to meet demand generated by good reports of the original design), why accept substandard Pronto?

OP | Post 56 made on Monday July 24, 2000 at 17:38
Richard Hollis
Historic Forum Post
Hi Guys

It's been a long day, but I've read through most of the messages on this thread.

I really like the idea of getting one of these things. A friend has an RC-500 and his looked and worked really well.

If I were to get an RC-5000 from say letsautomate would I get a decent screen do you think? It clearly seems that the Philips is totally worth avoiding!!

What are the options as people see it now?

Cheers
Richard
OP | Post 57 made on Monday July 24, 2000 at 20:25
Kevin
Historic Forum Post
I havent heard of anyone getting a bad LCD screen with the RC5000.
OP | Post 58 made on Monday July 24, 2000 at 21:24
Matt Hanna
Historic Forum Post
Hello Everyone!

Well, after reading through the original post and all subsequent replies, I will give my absolute opinion on the Pronto LCD issue. I have worked for Sound Advice in Sarasota, FL for almost 5 years as a custom audio/video salesman, and have sold the pronto since its 1st release..
I have also personally programmed at least 20+ of these remotes with my laptop computer over the last year or so.
The original pronto that I owned and all the older prontos that had the light sensor had a very crisp lcd & great contrast. I had to a least 4 times program my own personal pronto to be used for a customers system & replace my with a new one when I could get my hands on another because of the shortages I had at our company.
I was so disgusted to see that when we started to see a nice replenishment of these remotes that the LCD's had such poor contrast & images were "fuzzy". I actually defective exchanged & sent bad quite a few remote before I realized that all the newest remotes looked like this. I have had a few customers bring this same issue up with me because they compare their remote to a friends older remote and I have to tell them they are right but I can't get them a good LCD model.
Heck I can't even find a good LCD model for myself & am very bummed that I ever did any favors by giving up my old pronto for a customer (selfish as that may be.. haha).
I had 2 specific customer's who actually had their pronto break.. 1 had a cracked screen.. 1 just went totally dead(not a battery or reset issue). Both these customers were very unhappy when I downloaded their CCF's into new pronto's for replacement remotes. Sorry, but again I explained their was nothing I could do...
I am optimistic that Phillips will see the error in their ways, especially since there are now some new players in the LCD touch screen biz and actually go back to the old higher standards that made the foundation of the Pronto so great..

Hope my testimonial helps to at least give those who know their is a difference in "current" and "older" prontos some extra foundation to base their opinions on.

Matt
OP | Post 59 made on Monday August 28, 2000 at 21:45
Jacques D'Hondt
Historic Forum Post
Hi,
I have just purchased an European Pronto and even if I cannot make the comparison with an older model, I am very disappointed by the lcd quality. I have spent a lot of days for making pretty customized buttons who display very good in Prontoedit Emulator but are totally washed out when on the Pronto.
In addition, I have a model with the "auto-reset" problem.

Regards,
Jacques D'Hondt - Brussels
OP | Post 60 made on Tuesday September 5, 2000 at 12:08
Frans Leerdam
Historic Forum Post
Hi everyone,

Last week, I did buy a new "silver" Pronto and was very dissapointed about the contrast. The adjustment is very hard to handle so I went back to the store and checked it with another one. It did have the same bad contrast. So today I phoned the Pronto Helpdesk ( Tel. 00 31 53 4849106) in the Netherlands. They told me that they know about this Forum, but told me that they I was the first person complainting about this LCD screen . They promised me to check this problem out and to call me about it as soon as possible.

Frans,
The Netherlands.
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