OTHER TECH

"Pronto" Is the WordIn high-end home theater systems today, the Pronto from Philips is nearly synonymous with remote control. However, anyone who's ever programmed a Pronto knows that its high degree of customizability has a price - it takes a long time to set it up. In fact, Philips has found that most Pronto owners have their remotes programmed professionally. The new RC9800i (available in March, $499) is intended to simplify that job through an intelligent setup "wizard" like those provided with some computer software applications.

The latest Philips Pronto remote, the RC9800i, includes a setup "wizard" so you don't need a professional installer to program it.

You tell the RC9800i what equipment you want to control and how it's connected, and it creates its own macro commands (strings of related discrete commands) for turning components on or off and selecting the proper inputs and outputs. It uses Wi-Fi technology or a USB port on the side to keep in touch with other networked devices and features Universal Plug and Play for controlling and accessing additional devices and content. At CES, Philips demonstrated the ease with which the remote can pull pictures or stream music from a networked PC.

The remote's large, color touchscreen is perfect for viewing a slide show of your pictures, and the built-in speaker allows the remote to actually play your MP3s. The supplied battery-charging cradle has a stereo minijack output if you want to play music files from the remote on your A/V system. Des Power, senior VP of marketing and sales for Philips North America, commented, "As the digital revolution continues to grow, the remote will become the centerpiece of the home-entertainment experience, tying together existing and new devices with entertainment and PC content in an intuitive manner." < < Back to the International CES 2005 index