Pronto Experts

[Daryl Furkalo]

The time has come for me to finally combine the 8 remotes that are on my coffee table into a single Pronto. I don't feel like spending the $$ for the colour versions, so between the Marantz and Philips versions, which ones should I be on the lookout for, and where can I find them in Canada? I have downloaded ProntoEdit but haven't spent a lot of time with it yet. Should I work on getting a functional CCF before buying one and letting it sit for a few months ... ?

Thanks for the help!

[Andrew Pratt]

Daryl unless you happen to find a someone selling a used pronto in Canada the only one available locally are the Marantz versions which tend to be more pricey. Honestly your best bet is to import one from the US either new or used on sites like Ebay. There isn't much difference between the Marantz and Pronto's so either one will do what you need but I'd get a pronto myself. There's the T1000 and the slightly newer T2000 models...both are identical with the only real exceptions being that the T1000 has 1 meg of internal memory while the T2000 has 2 megs...really though 1 meg is plenty for 98 percent of the users (myself incl) The T2000 also includes a built in database of IR codes but given that we have remotecentral.com to goto I never used those codes when designing CCF's anyway.

Let me know if you need any help getting started with pronto edit...the learning curve is a little steep but once you get the hang of it its straight forward and easy to use.

[Daryl Furkalo]

Importing it is then, I guess.

What would be the biggest reason to need the extra Meg of memory? The 9th remote that I forgot is the satellite receiver, and I was contemplating making icons for some of the channels ... or borrowing others. I don't have a CD megachanger so CD list storage isn't an issue.

[Andrew Pratt]

Daryl I've never run out of memory on a 1 meg remote even when doing DSS and CD mega changers....that said the price difference now for a used 2 meg version isn't that much so I might lean that way just to be safe but IMO its not worth paying a premium for.

[Daryl Furkalo]

Andrew, do you use the battery charger/docking station or standard AAA's? The best price I have found so far is $199US for a 2000, factory new. Seem reasonable? The 1000 are only on ebay so far that I have found, except for a factory reconditioned 1000 for $175US. I found one Canadian e-tailer that has the 2000 and it is for $469CDN, which would be about $100CDN more.

[Andrew Pratt]

I use AA's not the charger which most people say isn't worth the money since it would take a ton of bulk batteries to make it worth while cost wise. A good set of bulk yellow batteries from Superstore lasts me months so that's not a concern really.

Those prices aren't to bad but for a while there were lots of $150US refub T1000's being sold...still $200 for a T2000 is a pood price IMO.

[SiliGoose]

I like the charger just for the fact that it's a place to always put the Pronto. I can trust that it's always there when I need it (as opposed to being between the couch cushions).




-Sili

[Lex]

Well, I own both, the Pronto and the Marantz, actually 2 Marantz, lol. One of them, I haven't even loaded my CCF to yet, (bad)

Geesh, I can't remember the last time I put batteries in my Pronto, so I see the charger as a non-issue as well. Though I have 2, I wouldn't hesitate to go either way. Now if it was a color screen, different story!

Lex