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Philips iPronto Does It with Linux
An anonymous reader writes "The Philips iPronto may well be a gadget-lover's dream come true. Ever glance around the family room in bewilderment at the number and diversity of remote controls required to make your entertainment systems go? If so, you might think you know why Philips created this brainy new remote. But getting rid of all those little button-studded black plastic battery-eaters isn't all this Linux-powered marvel aims to do." And all for the low low price of $1700.
OMG! This looks like the coolest thing ever. Pop a web browser in there and I've got a new item on my Christmas list! It already has some kind of wireless Ethernet connection, what looks like to be a nice color backlit display (even if its less than 16bit color), touch screen capability, rechargeable batteries... wow!
/. in the bathroom on a decent sized ultra lightweight screen. They can even call it a PADD if they want.
I wish companies would figure out what I want in a tablet pc. All I want to do is to be able to read
Karma: SELECT `karma` FROM `users` WHERE `userid`=138474;
I'd rather expect to get a Windows version.
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
after a quick glance of the title, i suddenly became very scared that Linus T. was starring in mexican porn...wow, that was an uncomfortable 6 seconds....
xao
xao
http://TheHillforum.hopto.org
I went shopping for remote controls and checked all the models out at the local Home Theater store. Let me tell you, a remote should be easy to use and functional. This is not it. Anything more than a Hometheatre Master MX-500 is a waste.
How practical will it be...
Philips has a long history of making stuff that's cool but just won't well because it's not what people want.
Could Ozzy figure out how to use this one?
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eeww, I'll have a crab juice.
(Mandatory mention for every article about remote control)
The world's greatest remote.
Why do I h8 apple?
In case $1800USD is too rich for your blood they do offer a greatly stripped down version for $20 and there's a free demo (registration required).
"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST
So now, with one small device, I can control the porn on TV, the porn on the web, AND the porn streaming from my computer? No wonder it costs $1,700.
/syle
The article states that this new device will replace all of those little battery eater remotes.
Excuse me, but doesn't a 6.4" Color Touchscreen and an Intel XScale processor use more juice than a simple IC with an IR LED attached? I know it will have a LiIon battery, but still, they don't quote any runtimes between charges here.
Sorry, but $1700 is a bit much for a remote. Especially one that probably will only get an hour or two of runtime between charges!
Cole's Axiom: The sum of the intelligence on the planet is a constant. The population is growing.
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I read your email...
Who is John Galt?
At 1700 this device would actually cost more than all the things I would use it to control! :)
(Hey I'm a geek on a budget)
That being said - it does look like the ultimate in remote control bragging rights in one rather large (for a remote) package.
I was looking around for the battery life specs (I couldn't get to the specs page on the Philips website) .. and came across this page http://www.remotecentral.com/wn030403.htm
Found out that its got 5 days of standby lifetime.. not too fantastic, but with a convenient dock its acceptable I guess. But the second new feature of the firmeware upgrade said Reduced start-up time...
Hell..ANY startup time for a remote control isn't going to be good..
I went shopping for remote controls and checked all the models out at the local Home Theater store. Let me tell you, a remote should be easy to use and functional. This is not it. Anything more than a Hometheatre Master MX-500 is a waste.
Ironically, Philips makes a $149 programmable touchscreen remote (with a decent number of programmable hard buttons like the HomeTheatreMasters)--the Pronto Neo.
Some links:
Photo
Customized screen examples
Amazon $169/free shipping
BlueDo.com $149 (where I bought mine)
I really like it.
bp
... the stupidest product name I see in months. "iPronto", in Portuguese, translates directly to "iReady" or "iDone".
Could be anything from a baking oven to a toaster... sheesh (and a fscking EXPENSIVE toaster!)
(In unison) "He requires channel CXXVII. He changes the channel."
Yes...for 1700 dollars, I could hire a kid to act as my remote, *and* get me a beer.
Beat that Philips!
The remote-control-via-PDA is a great idea, except that the range on the IR beam from most PDA's is terrible. I tried a similar piece of software on my Palm IIIxe -- the range was only about a meter and a half. Kinda makes it pointless if you have to walk half way across the room to use it.
I did train it to open my wife's Jeep Cherokee, though (that's an IR model remote as well). Newer cars are going RF, so YMMV.
Life is short: void the warranty.
Yamaha 400 Watt Dolby/DTS Receiver ($299.99)
Yahama "natural sound" 5 disc CD Changer/ MP3 Player ($150.00)
Sony Progressive Scan DVD Player ($250.00)
GRaphic Equalizer ($99.00)
Sony Surround Speaker Set ($499.00)
Oh yeah... Home Theater Universal Remove with LCD Display etc. etc. ($229.00)
With the change left, hmmm.. 10 DVD's? Monster cable? Taxes for the equipment?
Sure the remote is for the high end (like my boss's viewing room), but my Den could sure use the extra system above.
Newsfollow.com
The iPronto isn't a remote control. The iPronto is a network terminal that happens to have consumer IR stuff built into it, allowing it to have remote control capability.
Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Maybe if we told people what we want, they might give it to us.
1. Fits in one hand
2. Real Physical Buttons (no touch screen)
3. Filled with codes for lots of units
4. USB connection to download new codes using USB Hard Drive spec (like Archos MP3 player) for Windows/Linux Compatibility
5. Learning/recording features from your collection of old/new remotes
6. Tivo/DVD friendly jog/shuttle buttons
7. Intuitive Layout (Yes..Holy Grail kinda request)
8. Macro Recording/Programming of button presses
9. Handles multiple sources (TV, Cable/Satellite, DVD/VCR, Tivo, Stereo/CD)
10. Config files to backup remote setup (thru USB interface)
11. Override/Reprogrammable Buttons
12. Battery door that DOESNT BREAK!
13. Sony-style of multi-function buttons (Sony used to have a grid of 12 buttons that could be changed by using a slider on the side that showed which device/function you were using for the twelve buttons. The slider would pull up/down a cheatsheet underneath the buttons that would would display the commands available in a viewable plastic window)
Optional:
* Embedded Linux
I worked at Philips Semiconductors up until about 9 months ago and they had a very strick policy: No GPL development, none, nada, nothing. The semi division was very afraid of having their intellectual property given away.
Seems interesting that the CE group would turn around and product a Linux based device, especially since Philips has been so cozy with MS in the past. I wonder if they are going to release their optimizations back to the world like they are supposed to, or if they are going to hord them.
What can't this device do? Not much, we suspect, given its embedded Linux operating system, graphical touchscreen interface, and sophisticated communications capabilities.
Come on, that's marketing, not reporting.
Put it this way:
I'm about 80 minutes into Fellowship of the Ring. The room is completely dark (except for the tv of course). I have, balanced precariously on one leg a vat of popcorn, girlfriend likely leaning on other shoulder. There may or may not be a few drinks on the table in front of me. I may or may not be really stoned.
Then that Balrog scene comes up and I just have to slow-mo it this time, it just looks so amazing, so in my dark, cluttered, reclined, drunk/stoned state, I fumble for the remote to hit the slo-mo...
Nah. Don't see it. For $1700, I want to just yell what I want, or twiddle my fingers in the air, and have it do something.
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
I think this is an incredible step in the right direction for getting this stuff into the residential market. I can't imagine your basic end-user running out and purchasing an AMX or Crestron (http://www.amx.com and http://www.crestron.com)system, because its not designed for out-of-the-box use.
That these systems are moving away from needing a $50/hour installation tech to incorporate sounds great to me. I WANT that corporate board-room feel in my living room, and the power that comes with being able to remotely control your environment.
Although with AMX/Crestron, you have access to the physical code so you can make it do EXACTLY what you want it to do. Having an open source system is going to be a major factor in my having an open wallet.
* Making waffles just so I have something to Twitter *
I forgot to mention that you are wrong about the discrete codes. I have entered them into my Neo. In fact, theres a Pronto2Neo app that lets you convert standard Pronto discrete codes to Neo discrete codes.
As far as pre-done configs, who wants 'em? Nobody has the same setup as you--they're never quite right. With NeoEdit you can create your own pretty easily.
bp
- It should be comfortable to hold in one hand
- It should have buttons you can feel
Do you really want to sit there with a laptop screen in your lap, and look down every minute or so to see where that channel up "button" is again?There's a problem with that however.
the average man thinks about sex every 5 minutes. So you can be sitting there with your girl, watching the 'lifetime movie of the week' and the TV suddenly switches to the spice channel.
I'm not sure I want that..
I am the lord of the pun. Dance Knave!
http://www.java-browser.com
Touchscreens and remote controls do not mix. A remote that requires you to look at it to use it, as a touchscreen does, is annoying/inconvenient. It's bad enough to spend $20 on a product that proves annoying... I can't even imagine spending $1700 only to be annoyed. I have tried a couple remote control programs for PalmOS and while I find it useful for controlling my TV for which the remote has gone kabloey, I would much rather have a decent learning remote with real buttons. Indeed I'd rather just have my old TV remote working again and deal with 4-5 separate remotes.
--- What?
Chips in our brains?
I'm worried about chips in our stomach. One buffer overflow vulnerability, and half the world will instantaneously vomit...
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I visited Philips Remote Control dev center a couple of months ago here in Leuven, Belgium and saw an early version of one of these. It's a luxury product of course, intended for people who just have too much money on their hands and are spending $10000 on a home cinema system anyway (that's what the devs told us). We also saw the lesser pronto's, which are basically tough, pda-sized (though thicker) smart remote controls with a color touchscreen. They are just remote controls (unlike this mini-computer), but they do come with software for designing your own button layouts and such. Apparently it's still a worthwhile market in the US. Lots of rich people DO buy this sort of stuff. The iPronto is basically a tablet-computer for your living room, which just happens to also be a remote control. My main gripe when trying out the various pronto's was the touch pad which was inaccurate and seemed to respond badly... and that was without greasy fingers from crisps or popcorn.
To program your remote to Yamaha-5550, you will download a file for this on your computer. Then use whatever port you like and connect your remote to computer and download the file to your remote. Viola! you got Yamaha-5550 in your remote. To do this, some industry consortium needs to come up with standards and then all new devices will come up with such a downloadable file.
I know programmable LCD remote controls exist, which can do just like this. But here are the shortcomings:
1) LCD Based: Needs too much battery power.
2) LCD Based: Hard to operate without backlight. Even then, you must look at it. I operate almost all my remote by touch feeling without lookint at them. No good non-LCD remote available which can download files from internet.
3) No industry standard. Not many manufacturers make such directly downloadable files. So no guarantee that your equipment is listed.
4) No industry standard. Each remote has its own version of code-file.
5) LCD Based: Too expensive.