The Ultimate Remote?
- Thread starter Tommy B
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Soldato
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- 27 Jul 2005
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MrLOL said:
from having a little gander around the net it looks like the 520 version has a tilt sensor but not the 525, they look identicle tho.
lowrider007 said:
The review above states the 525 has a glow button.
What the hell is it with the rainforest company. I placed an order 10am yesterday, paying £2.50 for first class delivery and the lazy bast**** still haven't dispatched it. They are really awful when it comes to fast delivery.
Shimmyhill said:
I love my colour pronto pro, get the right codes for the device you have, and it does everything your original remote does. My Yamaha RX-v2600 amp remote is huge, but a bit of digging around and I found all the discreet codes for the amp remote. Same for my DVDr and Sky+ AND my Pioneer Plasma.
Setting it all up took a while, but its SO simple to use once macros are set up and programmed. The Windows software is a doddle to use.
Prontos certainly can be used as a total remote, my next bit of programming will be the Xbox360, and I will teach it the remote for my SB Audigy2 as well.
I dont have any other IR devices but if I did, they would be programmed in. I think I would like electric curtains and lights in the lounge, but that may be a bit excessive
edit: I think I misread your post! I thought you meant Prontos are not a total remote.. haha, so I am agreeing with you! I have not used the harmony range at all.
I hate touchscreens, they're a right pain to use. Need to look down to use them. However they are good in that custom buttons can be placed anywhere, with custom graphics etc.
I've had a touchscreen, and hardbutton with a standard non-touchscreen LCD and would recommend the latter. Touchscreens are a nice novelty, but once you start to use them realize hard buttons are better. ie I can press 1-9 in dark, without looking at the remote, and without using the backlight. You can't do that on a touchscreen.
I've had a touchscreen, and hardbutton with a standard non-touchscreen LCD and would recommend the latter. Touchscreens are a nice novelty, but once you start to use them realize hard buttons are better. ie I can press 1-9 in dark, without looking at the remote, and without using the backlight. You can't do that on a touchscreen.
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squiffy said:
Exactly why i would never buy another touch screen remote, they look ok but are absolutely rubbish to use. Always stick with hard buttoned ones. Just get any of them that have a learning feature, then you can just program them yourself and it's guaranteed to work with anything IR.
To be honest I'd find it really hard to live without my (colour 
) Pronto now, although it would probably be overkill for the OP.
I understand the points about touchscreens vs hard buttons, each solutions has it's supporters and to be honest the best option is to have both. Touchscreens are far from a novelty, you're free to setup your remote any way you like and you can make that as simple, complicated or fancy as you like. Lets be honest, manufacturers themselves can struggle to make decent dedicated remote for a piece of kit, so a pure hard button replacement is going to be even more of a compromise.
The more recent Pronto's have a D pad (sort of) for cursor movement, plus eight hard buttons and an additional five for volume up/down, mute and channel up/down.
One of the main reasons to switch to a Pronto or similar replacement is simple - macros! If you have more than a couple of bits of kit, then controlling them can start to be a chore.
The benefits become more apparent the more complicated your setup is - for instance, my AV amp doesn't drive my main speakers, I have a dedicated 'hi-fi' amp for that, which takes the pre out from my AV amp. My DVD player feeds my screen direct via HDMI, also bypassing my AV amp.
To switch on from cold and be able to watch a DVD, I'd need to power on my 'hi-fi' amp, AV amp, DVD player, screen. I also have to switch to the correct input on the 'hi-fi' amp, AV amp and screen
.
That's just for DVD, each AV source has a different input on both the AV amp and screen. After watching a DVD you might want to switch to TV... well, you get the picture...
The way I've set the Pronto up, I just push a button to swap to, say the DVD page and a macro automatically switches all inputs (and swaps to the correct page on the remote too ). The key part in all of this is that whoever uses my system doesn't need to know what inputs are assigned where. They just push a button and they get the result they want/expect 
.
You can achieve virtually the same level integration (better in some cases) as with one make systems, but you have the flexibility to choose components from pretty much any manufacturer, plus you don't have compromise signals by routing them through additional and often unnecessary switching.
) Pronto now, although it would probably be overkill for the OP.I understand the points about touchscreens vs hard buttons, each solutions has it's supporters and to be honest the best option is to have both. Touchscreens are far from a novelty, you're free to setup your remote any way you like and you can make that as simple, complicated or fancy as you like. Lets be honest, manufacturers themselves can struggle to make decent dedicated remote for a piece of kit, so a pure hard button replacement is going to be even more of a compromise.
The more recent Pronto's have a D pad (sort of) for cursor movement, plus eight hard buttons and an additional five for volume up/down, mute and channel up/down.
One of the main reasons to switch to a Pronto or similar replacement is simple - macros! If you have more than a couple of bits of kit, then controlling them can start to be a chore.
The benefits become more apparent the more complicated your setup is - for instance, my AV amp doesn't drive my main speakers, I have a dedicated 'hi-fi' amp for that, which takes the pre out from my AV amp. My DVD player feeds my screen direct via HDMI, also bypassing my AV amp.
To switch on from cold and be able to watch a DVD, I'd need to power on my 'hi-fi' amp, AV amp, DVD player, screen. I also have to switch to the correct input on the 'hi-fi' amp, AV amp and screen
.That's just for DVD, each AV source has a different input on both the AV amp and screen. After watching a DVD you might want to switch to TV... well, you get the picture...
The way I've set the Pronto up, I just push a button to swap to, say the DVD page and a macro automatically switches all inputs (and swaps to the correct page on the remote too
). The key part in all of this is that whoever uses my system doesn't need to know what inputs are assigned where. They just push a button and they get the result they want/expect .You can achieve virtually the same level integration (better in some cases) as with one make systems, but you have the flexibility to choose components from pretty much any manufacturer, plus you don't have compromise signals by routing them through additional and often unnecessary switching.
lowrider007 said:
The 525 has a sensor that if its been left untouched for a hour or so when you pick it up, it glows...
but it doesnt do this everytime you pick it up like the 520, that glows everytime you pick it up, whereas the 525 is just after 1hr of inactivity.
Jez said:
Just make sure you can learn the code, like I said earlier toggle bit codes can refuse to learn (these are IR commands that have different hexidecimal codes for two presses) our DVB box uses them so for the MX-500 I cannot learn them (not built into database either) Only my MX-700 with built in codes control this device. Sky boxes usually have toggle bit IR also.
I use the Philips pronto pro because none of my equipment is in line of sight all my equipment is in another room.
The Philips RF to infrared module came in handy for that part.
I also like the fact i can control all my x10 stuff again with RF part of the remote without the need for the infared to x10 module which is great.
Everybody has different needs and this fits mine exactly.
The Philips RF to infrared module came in handy for that part.
I also like the fact i can control all my x10 stuff again with RF part of the remote without the need for the infared to x10 module which is great.
Everybody has different needs and this fits mine exactly.
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I don't know why people have such problems setting it up? A 5 year old could probably do it as it's just a case of reading the instructions 
It's excellent and just what I wanted. Looks really nice too, especially in the dark. I just hope it works with my new Samsung LCD I'm getting on Sat.
It's excellent and just what I wanted. Looks really nice too, especially in the dark. I just hope it works with my new Samsung LCD I'm getting on Sat.
zealot said:
Looks like he's put a lot of thought into setting his kit up. I like how he used the broom cupboard to give more space in the room and keep everything tidy, plus he's got really easy access to the back of all the kit
.Controlling the lighting via a remote is very handy, I've got a couple of X10 modules so I can do something similar with the Pronto, plus I use a couple of timers (in the pronto, not stand alone sockets) to have the lights come on and go off at different times.
For most people the Harmony seems to fit the bill really well, I'm just not sure how well it would cope with all the system setup functions(?). My plan was always to retire my original remotes after learning the codes - I didn't want to have to dig them out again (and then find some batteries
) to change settings .I've had quite a few remotes now, Mosiac/Pronto (3 versions), and the only one in daily use is my Harmony 525..
Previously I spent hours and hours setting up my Pronto's with all the devices and button layouts etc, and a few macro's to try and make life a little easier, but in the end the missus would just pick up the normal remotes and mess it all up..
But when I needed a remote for the bedroom that would do my XBOX/TV/DVD etc, I bought the H 525 as I didn't want to spend another £350 on a pronto..
I just couldn't believe the ease of setup, as Tommy B says, a 5 year old could do it..
It's the activity based setup that makes it so easy.. so much so I bought a 2nd 525 for my Main livig room, and we have once and for all ditched all the standard remotes into a drawer..
I just love the way you just tell it what devices you have, then build activities like "Watch SKY+", "Watch a Film on the PJ", "Play XBOX 360", and it sorts all the switching on/off of devices for you, no macros needed, and it s intelligent to know the power state of all your devices, so no unnecessary turning things on/off. And if it does get out of sync, the 'help' button pretty much sorts it out straight away..
And it's so easy to change the button assignments, and has easy access to your full device remote commands..
I have a lot of kit in the front room, HTPC/Plasma/SKY+/AMP/DVD/PJ/XBOX360/LIGHTS and it took 10 mins to do the online setup f the remote with 6 activities, truly impressive..
You can make up some macro's, and smoe advanced timings, but it isn't as easy as the normal setup, but it isn't impossible..
Previously I spent hours and hours setting up my Pronto's with all the devices and button layouts etc, and a few macro's to try and make life a little easier, but in the end the missus would just pick up the normal remotes and mess it all up..
But when I needed a remote for the bedroom that would do my XBOX/TV/DVD etc, I bought the H 525 as I didn't want to spend another £350 on a pronto..
I just couldn't believe the ease of setup, as Tommy B says, a 5 year old could do it..
It's the activity based setup that makes it so easy.. so much so I bought a 2nd 525 for my Main livig room, and we have once and for all ditched all the standard remotes into a drawer..
I just love the way you just tell it what devices you have, then build activities like "Watch SKY+", "Watch a Film on the PJ", "Play XBOX 360", and it sorts all the switching on/off of devices for you, no macros needed, and it s intelligent to know the power state of all your devices, so no unnecessary turning things on/off. And if it does get out of sync, the 'help' button pretty much sorts it out straight away..
And it's so easy to change the button assignments, and has easy access to your full device remote commands..
I have a lot of kit in the front room, HTPC/Plasma/SKY+/AMP/DVD/PJ/XBOX360/LIGHTS and it took 10 mins to do the online setup f the remote with 6 activities, truly impressive..
You can make up some macro's, and smoe advanced timings, but it isn't as easy as the normal setup, but it isn't impossible..