OTHER TECH

Philips plans on releasing several enhancements to the TSU9600 that are scheduled to be available by the time you read this. Among these will be support for music stored on Media Center PCs, as well as control of iMerge music servers. Even more exciting is the forthcoming Pronto script programming language that will offer two-way feedback via RS-232. This will enable the remote to display volume and input settings on receivers, track and time from DVD players, and so forth. This is a first at such a price, and these features will further separate the Pronto from the pack.

BOTTOM LINE The Philips Pronto TSU9600 touchscreen control panel offers virtually everything you could want from a remote. It's totally customizable, has terrific graphics, and with optional extenders offers Wi-Fi, RS-232, and relay control. About the only thing you might want is more of it; at a base price of $1,299, a 6.5-inch screen would be even sweeter.

The Pronto line has evolved over the years, and the TSU9600 takes all the best from past designs and throws in several new tricks, such as Escient and Lutron control. It's a worthy successor to the Pronto name and would be a welcome addition to any system.

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