RC User Reviews: Philips ProntoNEO TSU500 Remote Control (8)

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User reviews for the Philips ProntoNEO TSU500 from Philips Electronics.

Ratings	Reviews	MSRP (USD)
Average: 3.29/5.00 Median: 3.67/5.00	52	$249

The ProntoNEO TSU500 is a lower-cost addition to the Pronto Family. But with a graphical LCD touchscreen, full code learning, macros on any button and complete PC editing software with custom bitmaps, the ProntoNEO itself is no lightweight.

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Written by Stephen from Nebraska, USA.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 3 made on Thursday November 15, 2001 at 7:57 AM.

Strengths:

Nice form factor-fits well in one hand. Very easy to program.

Review:

Imagine my shock and horror - I just put in 49 learned commands and realized I needed to add a button. So I did just that with the NeoEdit software. Download, boom! My learned commands are gone. There is no provision for saving a learned configuration back to your PC. For this reason alone it is going back into the box to be returned.

This is a fine product if your device(s) are in the pre-prog list (see ww.pronto.philips.com and get the .pdf manual) Otherwise it is flawed to the point where it shouldn't even be on the market.

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Written by Scott Wolcott from Pensacola, FL.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 2 made on Sunday November 11, 2001 at 11:19 AM.

Strengths:

Ease of use AFTER programming.

Weaknesses:

Not enough types of devices in the code sets. I have a Replay unit and a Sony MD deck that would have been nice to have a preset code set for instead of having to make a custom one.

The software. After you have got everything 'just right' it would be nice to be able to save that setup back to the PC so it could be reloaded if you needed to instead of having to teach all the custom settings over again in learn mode.

Review:

This is my first REAL remote so all I can say is that it is great to finally be able to retire all the other remotes to storage. Don't hide them too well though, if you need to make any changes to your setup you will need the original remotes to replace the 'learn mode' settings since these are lost every time you do a download to the remote.

Read the previous review... it's very good.

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Written by Will M from Columbus, Ohio.

The reviewer has used this remote control for 1-3 months.

Review 1 made on Friday October 19, 2001 at 12:22 PM.

Strengths:

* Ability to import .bmp files
* Very light and compact
* Time & Date on front panel
* Complete customization
* Only $250!

Weaknesses:

* Still some bugs with NeoEdit software
* Somewhat overwhelming for those not familiar with remotes programmed with PC software

Review:

Well, I consider myself one of the lucky ones that work for Best Buy Co. I had seen a hand-built prototype of the ProntoNeo TSU500 about two weeks ago in Dayton, Ohio brought in by a rep from Philips; I instantly fell in love with it. When I saw two ProntoNeo's sitting in a box at the store, I had to have one.
I've had the ProntoNeo for 3 days now, and I've just begun using it in my home theater. It has replaced a Sony RM-AV2100 (Hey, it was the best I could afford until now), but it's still taking some getting use to. The touchpad isn't quite as sensitive as the Sony's, and sometimes feels as if it's calibration is slightly off. That's really my only complaint about the ergonomics of the unit; the volume and channel button placements are perfect, and the 5-way hard button feels very solid.
Most of my bad experience is with the software. Granted, this is because it's a completely new program completely rewritten from ProntoEdit. First off, the help section for the software is rather thin - not so bad for someone who can work through it with some trial-and-error and a little patience, but for most consumers I deal with at Best Buy just looking to get the "coolest thing out there to go with their new HDTV just to make their buddies jealous," this program is going to fry some nerves. Now here are some some specific details about the software bugs.
1) When downloading an .ncf file, the time and date on the remote is reset to 12:00am on Jan 1st, 2000. Also, the LCD and Backlight timeouts get set at all sorts of weird times.
2) When downloading an .ncf file, all of the codes you have "taught" the ProntoNeo are erased, as well as any macros you have built on the remote itself.
3) The Online Instruction Manual: it took me almost two hours to figure out that in order to build a macro on the computer you have to use the "Add a Link" button, not the "Add IR Code" button.
4) At the end of executing a macro (i.e. - turn everything on), the device you are in remains on "MACRO" even if you use a "Jump to a Page" command. (The screen changes to whatever page you said to jump to, but if you scroll up and down through the pages you are returned to the Macro pages.)
5) Because it's new, I'm having to design my own bitmaps. Those of you with the Pronto or ProntoPro, consider yourself lucky for just being able to download premade .bmp's and .ccf's.
In closing, all I can say is this: the remote is not simple to program - by any means - for a novice user. I tried a basic programming with just the Manufacturer's Codes and half of my buttons didn't work. However, I am almost positive that this is because the remote is brand new (maybe Philips was in a rush to get it out), and I'm sure there will be patches out to fix some of these issues. Overall the level of fit and finish is excellent, and I'm very pleased with my purchase; it's a great upgrade from my Sony. This remote is a great stepping stone to some of the more involved - and more expensive remotes - on the market, and at a fraction of the cost. Great work, Philips.

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