Your Universal Remote Control Center
RemoteCentral.com
Remote Control User Reviews
Previous page Next page Up level
Up level
The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com:

User reviews for the Philips Pronto TSU2000 from Philips Electronics.
Philips Pronto TSU2000
RatingsReviewsMSRP (USD)
Average: 3.88/5.00
Median: 4.33/5.00
52$399
Based on one of the most popular LCD remote controls in the marketplace, the TSU2000 doubles the amount of memory over the TS-1000 and includes a huge new built-in library of infrared codes.
Get it
at:
Amazon.com


Navigation: [ < Previous|Next > ]
Now viewing user reviews page 5 of 8 for
the Philips Pronto TSU2000 remote.
[ Go to: |<< First|2|3|4|5|6|7|8 ]

Written by Scott Adams from Minnesota, USA.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 3-6 months.
Review 24 made on Wednesday September 26, 2001 at 9:58 PM.
Strengths:It has many features and learns fairly well.
Weaknesses:This remote is not worth a fraction of the price. My touch screen just stopped working after 5 months, it's very cheaply designed and manufactured, there's NO customer service, it devours batteries, and the documentation was inadequate and inaccurate. The only value this remote has comes from user-built macros.
Review:Since mine died (touchscreen stopped responding after 5 months) and Philips refused to stand behind this product, I would not pay $25 for this remote knowing what I know now!
Quality: Features: Value:

Written by Greg Ewan from Tampa.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 3-6 months.
Review 23 made on Friday August 24, 2001 at 2:51 PM.
Strengths:You have the ability to make the icons on the screen very small down to the size of a period at the end of a sentence so that more fits on the screen. Since no one has fingers that small a rubber tipped palm pilot pointer works great to touch the tiny and less used stuff or you can make tiny symbols that only you know what they do. Using a pointer also prevents you from getting finger grease all over the touch panel. (I found some at comp USA that have an identical finish as the pronto TSU2000 with the brushed metal look.)
Weaknesses:When I got started it took me about 3 days of trial and error to understand the logic of the programming for this remote, and the documentation basically covered the default program that comes standard in the pronto. The manual had few suggestions for creativity, so I decided to draw a huge Visio flowchart of what all of my remotes did and what needed to happen to achieve the result. I ended up building the infrastructure based on that flowchart.
Review:The best feature of the Pronto TSU2000 is the flexibility and the massive amount of programming that can be done on it. When I first got the pronto, I spent about 100 hours creating a raw configuration that was functional, just not where I wanted it to be. Another 100 hours later, it does everything I ever dreamed for in a reasonably-priced remote. My ccf file is one of the larger ones I’ve seen out there and I still have 45% more free memory. Practically every button throughout the programming is somehow associated with a macro because I tried to cover all of the variables that someone may encounter when they were using the pronto. I also wrote several pages of help menus in case someone got stuck somewhere while using it.

Originally I was impressed with the macro and device pull down menus but then after using it that way it was just as confusing for me and other users as picking up the 14 remote controls that were on the coffee table originally. To eliminate this problem, I streamlined the system and removed the device menus and created everything on the front page- cable, dvd, vcr, amp, phone, tv, etc. Next, all of the screens that you enter have a “back button” that will return you to the screen you were on last. My configuration tricks you into thinking that the remote’s program is simple, yet is has over 230 screens but you think you only see about 15 of them. If you take a look at my ccf that’s posted out there under complete ccf files, you’ll get the idea.

Touch the panel, then touch one button to turn the whole system on. (This triggers almost 20 IR commands but they are masked behind the illusion that you only touched 1 button.) Once that’s done, you select the component that you want then more macros start and bring you to all the correct settings on all of the components. I even built in “full house automatic” buttons that adjust everything in the house with one button. There is a button for a party setting, mood music, and others. Most of the 50 commands are volume-reset commands. In other words the volume down IR pulses out several times to lower it to the lowest notch then I counted how many times I needed to press volume up to achieve the level of sound that was comfortable for the type of music that was selected. Then I added sound field variables for the amp, subwoofer adjustments and lighting adjustments through X10 around the house. Now it’s almost like magic, touch a single button and the whole house comes alive with sound and light in every room. When you are done, touch the “all off” and everything goes dark and silent.

Yeah, I’m impressed with Philips!
Quality: Features: Value:

Written by Keith from OR, USA.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 22 made on Wednesday August 1, 2001 at 7:27 PM.
Strengths:It's cool beyond belief and solves real problems in an elegant way.
Weaknesses:I'm hoping my wife doesn't connect the VISA charge with the pronto purchase.
Review:My wife's constant complaint about our entertainment center is that it takes a minimum of 3 remotes to do anything.

I've finished my first pass at making the Proto remote task oriented. If you want to watch TV you push one button, if you want the Tivo you press another. The pronto takes care of the details. My wife and kids agree that the remote configuration watching TV or listening to music much easier.

What they didn't see was the many hours I had to spend to figure out how to configure the remote. ProtoEdit is pretty darn cool, once you get past the sharp-jagged edges that leave you bloodied after prolonged use.

I can honestly say that coming up to ProntoEdit cold was one of the most daunting task I've dealt with recently. There are no books to help you get started. There is little guidance on how to approach the design of your remote. It takes a lot of trial and error, plus copious downloads from remotecentral.

The outcome was great. I might of thought twice had I known the effort required. But, there's no way I'll pry it out of my wife's hands know, so I guess I'll have to keep it.
Quality: Features: Value:

Written by BURT KRITT from LOS ANGELESCA.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-2 years.
Review 21 made on Monday July 9, 2001 at 11:13 AM.
Review:TO EVERYBODY: A LIGHT TAP WITH A FINGERNAIL ON THE SCREEN WILL BRING UP THE SCREEN AND/OR SELECT YOUR OPTION.
Quality: Features: Value:

Written by Glenn Auve from Arlington, VA.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 20 made on Saturday June 30, 2001 at 12:55 AM.
Strengths:Immense flexibility and power
Weaknesses:Poor documentation, touchscreen not as sensitive as I'd like
Review:I just got my Pronto a couple of days ago, but I think it's a pretty powerful and amazing little device. I got it for $225 (+shipping and handling of $17) from ecost.com which is a real steal. I have been considering getting a universal remote for about 6 or 8 months. I haev followed the reviews on this site but had never been able to come to a definite decision. When I saw the Pronto for such a low price I jumped at it.

I have a pretty small setup, just a tv, dvd, vcr, receiver. But like everyone I got tired of juggling all the remotes and also the vcr's remote was starting to die.

Out of the box I was able to set the Pronto up relatively easily the first evening with just a few glitches like the devices turning off whenever I selected them in the device or home menus. But a trip to the FAQ on this site helped me solve the problem. Since the user manual is so crappy I never would have known how to fix this problem. It took me quite a bit of trial and error to learn some of the basics since the manual isn't too much help. Tonight I jumped into the world of ProntoEdit and am very impressed. It's actually relatively intuitive and the user guide explains the basics pretty well. I downloaded some CCF's from this site and borrowed the bitmaps from there. Now my Pronto is really looking sharp.

I still need to sit down and map out what I want it to be able to do and then work on the programming in ProntoEdit, but once I get started I think it should go fairly quickly.

My one main complaint (other than the poor user guide) is that the touchscreen doesn't seem to be especially sensitive. You really need to press down firmly on the buttons to active them. A stylus (like from a Handspring Visor) works quite well however, or even a pen cap.

For the $242 total I paid I would have to say it is a real bargain. It has solved my remote jungle problem and now I can control the receiver volume and TV channels from the same remote!
Quality: Features: Value:

Written by phil from kansas city.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-2 years.
Review 19 made on Sunday May 27, 2001 at 7:41 PM.
Strengths:very flexable easy to program with the correct software. The only limitation on what you can do with this remote is you.
Weaknesses:contrast could be improved and i would like to see a color model.
Review:see above...this is a great remote if someone out there thinks this remote is hard to program or customize it is no fault of the remote this remote will do eveything.
Quality: Features: Value:

Written by Al from Cupertino, CA.
The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.
Review 18 made on Tuesday May 22, 2001 at 2:41 PM.
Strengths:The RC5000/TSU2000 is very flexible and powerfull from a projraming standpoint. But what really matters is how hard it is to use when all the programing is done and the family tries to use it.
Weaknesses:Display is VERY hard to read. Contrast needs adjustment all the time and you have to look at the display at just the right angle. I was shocked to see that even my Palm Pilot has a MUCH better display. Lastly, the unit is too hard to hold for lots of folks. You have to use too hands and it is not comfortable for surfing channels.
Review:Please see abouve. I use the unit now but am lloking for something that is easyer to hold, see, and use. Not a good family remote controle. But is does let you projram many things when using a PC to set it up.
Quality: Features: Value:


Navigation: [ < Previous|Next > ]
Now viewing user reviews page 5 of 8 for
the Philips Pronto TSU2000 remote.
[ Go to: |<< First|2|3|4|5|6|7|8 ]

Previous PageReturn to the user reviews index...
Add your reviewAdd Your Review

Hosting Services by ipHouse