This lighthearted, if epic review of the ProntoPro NG and ProntoNeo remotes from Philips does a lot to illustrate why these $1,000 remotes too often miss the point. Although they are super-powerful, their need to be massaged and tweaked to achieve any semblance of usability makes them a tool more suited for hacker-types, who probably would be more inclined to rig something up themselves from spare parts or computers or something, instead of the “I just want it to work,” crowd who can afford to toss off a grand for something that might do the job for them. The user groups sound fun, though, where groups of like-minded Pronto fans get together share tips and stories about configuring their super-remotes. I bet the elation one must feel when actually getting a macro to work – like turning on the DVD player, TV, and dimming the lights with one button push – must be pretty amazing.
Me, I just click “Play,” usually.
Read –
King of Remotes, but Try to Grasp It [NYTimes (H&G)]
