Hi,

Just got my first TSU7000. The hardbuttons light only goes on when I hit the light button. Is this right? Can't they light on toghether with the LCD like in the TSU3000?

I've submitted multiple bug reports to Philips and talked directly to the design engineers at that past 2 CEDIA tradeshows about this exact issue. There is no hard button backlight activation from either the tilt sensor or button/screen presses.

This is a huge oversight seeing as how the feature is included in older Pronto models as well as newer Marantz models. Several firmware revisions have been released since my numerous complaints and I'm still waiting for that feature. It makes me want to abandon Philips products because each new generation is two steps forward and one step back.

Wow, that sucks, the hard buttons lights does not has the feature that the model under it has and the 7000 cost more than double.

For what it is worth I have emailed Philips, I figured the more people that do it the more likley they might take notice.

For one brief moment I thought I had a work around... I configured a button on a hidden page to have the special function "backlight", pressing this lit the hard buttons, so far so good. My next step was to call this button from another. Did it work? Did it hell. It would appear that you cannot call special functions from another.

I don't know what your problem is, I use mine as a spare flashlight! :-) No, seriously, as I've stated before, you will get to know your remote like the back of your hand.

... but I do use it to navigate in the dark, when returning it to it's cradle.

You are correct Gary. Linking to special actions is not supported. Well you can do it, but said special action will not execute.

As for hard button backlighting, I agree that the backlight should be better. It's a feature of the remote that has not been implemented well. In addition, the options listed below should also be offered.

(Auto) Backlight activation options:
1) Backlight on screen activation only.
2) Backlight on hard button press only.
3) Backlight on screen activation or hard button press.
4) Backlight off.

Now I personally don't use backlighting at all. Even if the backlighting was better and offered the options I detailed above I still wouldn't use it. For the life of me I don't understand why people need to be able to see the buttons to operate them properly and with ease. Take a few minutes and practice if you need to. It's not a difficult task. The firm keys, all 4 of them are lined up directly under the screen. Then there are the cursor keys, the cursor pad in the center with two buttons on each side nicely spaced out. The channel buttons start even with the top of the screen. The volume buttons just above the bottom of the screen. To access mute simply work your way in from either end. Knowing the location of the buttons, then working the remote by feel alone is not rocket science. For now the backlight is what it is. As I said though, I agree that the backlight was not implemented well and should be improved upon. In the meantime, why not free yourself from thinking that you have to look at the remote everytime you need to operate the hard buttons and just learn to operate the hard buttons by feel alone. If you master this task you won't want to use the backlight anyway.

Whlist I agree that most of us will soon become familiar with button placement etc. We all have a certain understanding of technology else we would not be here. However the other half's, garnnies etc. do not and anything that helps or prompts them is a good idea in my mind. The lights are part of this.

My wife, two daughters, and my tropical fish agree.

Very true. I have a few challenged users myself. Using the dedicated backlight button generally works well for them, as this is the only button they need to learn to then kick in the backlight. It would be very nice to at least see some backlight options added via a firmware update as this would be a software update only. In addition to the options outlined in my previous reply it would be nice to see additional options, but for the tilt sensor. Said options would be activate screen only, backlight only, both, or off.

I agree completely. I really wish this feature would be implemented the way you described in your two posts. Hopefully someone at Philips will do something, but I doubt it.

But since the new "Pronto Professional" was designed with input from professional installers, I'm sure each and every one of our desires will be implemented in it. ;)

Re Lowpro
1) Backlight on screen activation only.
2) Backlight on hard button press only.
3) Backlight on screen activation or hard button press.
4) Backlight off.
I feel for us "searchers in the dark" #1 should be sufficient, or "always on" (the Pronto is charged in its cradle all the), because the backlight isn't really very bright...