I'll try to answer some of the questions posted in other threads. Please note that the firmware is still beta, so things WILL change.

1) The list price will be $599 US, which includes the remote and charging station.

2) It should be coming out THIS MONTH.

3) From what I'm being told the RC9800i should be able to work standalone with PC UPNP software, for browsing of photos and playback of MP3s (you can play MP3s through the remote's internal speakers or, when it's set in the docking station, route the output to a stereo). However, in my testing with the current firmware you can only create a UPNP connection if you have a media player (such as Philips Streamium). You will also only be able to use the remote as a front end for Streamium products (but the good news is that some Streamium products, like the SL400i, should work with any UPNP media server software).

4) There is NO PC software or provision for backing up configurations. However you can upgrade the firmware over USB. This is NOT a Pronto product, think of it as a "Neo Pro".

5) It does not have RF, but it does have WiFi. And the iPronto already has a WiFi to IR device, so maybe they will make this compatible.

6) The default (and only) graphics are clear and of good quality, but very monochromatic.

Any other questions, let me know... although I should again caution, this is beta firmware!

How is the library of codes? Very extensive or so so?

How is the ir range? As good as the other Pronto products/better/worse?

Are any of the graphics changeable? Like different color options or different button choices?

How is the battery life? Hours/Days/Weeks or months?

Sensitivity of screen..Hard push or light push..adjustable?

Have you used the internal macro functions? Do they work well or are they useless?

As far as being able to back up your configurations..this is a major flaw. If you have any influence or suggestions for Philips, I suggest you tell them to make some kind of a provision to back up elaborate configurations. I couldnt imagine programming 8 components and macros only to have the software crash, reset glitch ore perhaps even if the battery dies and then have to spend hours doing it all over again.

If teh graphics are monochromatic, why couldnt they just improve their artwork or allow us to submit something they could use? Such a waste to have a hi res color screen only to use little to none of the possibilities.

Codes - should be the same as other recent Prontos. However it's currently a bit hard to tell due to how it displays brand names for certain types of devices. Does allow you to search by device model number and has a lot of discrete codes built in.

IR range - haven't done any tests yet. "Works".

Sensitivity - fine.

Changable graphics - no. Right now even creating a user-specified device seems a bit tricky (for instance if you configure a DVD player, in addition to standard commands I'm only given 8 user function spots that can't be labelled).

Battery life - can't really report much since this is early firmware. Sleep mode at least doesn't seem to drain the battery too fast! :-)

Can you give an opinion of whether the RC9800i is a better or worse option to a Pronto TSU7000.
I am currently using a Pronto TSU3000 and want to upgrade to Color. I am familiar with the Pronto software and can use it well enough to create usable macro's etc.

The RC9800i is appealing however for the MP3 streaming and appearance.
Your earlier comments concern me that the MP3 streaming wont work unless I also use a Steamium product which at this stage I don't intend to do.

Would you summarise the RC9800i as part of the Streamium range and not a universal remote to be used with a non-streamium home theatre?

I found 1 seller in the USA advising that they had the RC9800i in stock, do you know when you will see the final product and final firmware?

That must be one of those sites where everything is *always* in stock. :-)

The RC9800i is not part of Streamium, but is part of Connected Planet which comprises Streamium. But more than that it's a remote... it'll work perfectly fine as a universal remote even if you never activate the WiFi. Or a remote and EPG if you have no use for UPNP.

Will I be able to see on the RC9800i what songs are streaming to my Roku Soundbridge or what internet radio station it is playing? Or can this only be done via Streamium and Phillips' cheesy Media Manager software. I say cheesy because this software only allows playback of MP3 and not AAC or other formats. Does UPnP REALLY mean Universal Plug and Play or is it more like Universal Plug and Pray?

Hi Daniel
Thanks for replying to my earlier post.

Any news on availability?

It should be shipping this month.


Here's how UPNP currently works. Note that this is beta firmware, things will likely change.

1) On the RC9800i you configure a UPNP media PLAYER (not PC server). I think this will work with any UPNP player, but I don't have a manual so I don't know.

2) After configuring the media player the remote registers the UPNP server (AKA your PC) that the player connects to.

3) At this point you can now browse the media files on your PC.

4) If the media player is powered OFF, you can still browse files, display photos on the remote and preview MP3 files (note that I have not been able to get MP3 previews working, but it was demonstrated at CES).

5) If the media player is ON you can preview files and send a command to the media player that causes it to load up the file and play/show it on your home theater. And fast forware, rewind, skip to next file etc. But I cannot currently test this as the Philips media player has not had its firmware upgraded to support it. Because of this, I suspect that this feature will only work with Philips Streamium players, unless other manufacturers decide to support it.

6) I don't know about internet radio stations. The Streamium media player does that directly instead of through a PC, and since the RC9800i only seems to display items from the PC, no stations appear in my setup.

I hope to be able to clear some of this up when everything is finally released and I get finished software and a manual.

Have you used the RC9800i with a Mac. Is the software reliable and feature-competitive with the PC version? I sent Philips a few questions via their Web site a couple of weeks ago. I never received a response, increasingly typical for large companies.

I find this especially with respect to customer relations with MAC clients. It is as though MAC customers are so insignificant to even merit a response. That is a shame. I have had similar experiences with Phillips.

I have tried the Phillips Media Software for MAC streaming music files to my Roku Soundbridge. The software is not very good. It only allows playback of MP3 (no AAC or lossless). Moreover, the ability to create a playlist on the fly was very quirky. It would play entire albums instead of the individual songs I selected. Also, it had a tendency to ignore all but the first song selected and would proceed to play in alphabetical order albums and all included songs from my MP3 library following the previous selected song rather than following the specific list I selected (does that make sense?). I do not know how well this software works on the PC. Perhaps someone else could elaborate.

I sent Philips a question over a month ago and have also never heard back. I love the idea and look of this remote and I have a streaming media device so it would be perfect for me. The question I had is if it would be possible to import the movie titles in my DVD changer into the remote so I could use it to browse and select DVD's like I do now on my pronto 3000. I don't care if this happens via software on my PC or in the remote itself - this is a must for me.

Just for grins this is from the 'questions' area on the 9800i web site where they ask you to submit your questions:


You have questions and we have the answers!


Great! Now if they would just tell us where they are keeping them!!!!

I'm kinda surprised anyone would embrace a Philips product with their history of very spotty support.

I went to a training class for the tsu3000 with a room full of installers with laptops running. The trainer began explaining the software and someone asked about a basic function. "That's not enabled yet". You should have heard the groans from men who had lived through that before in the original Pronto Edit.

I think they have always gotten product out before it's fully debugged.

Then the iPronto. I've not used one, but from what I've read here and there, it seems like it has never done all they said it would and never will.

In the consumer electronics repair field I am in, Philips usually gets low marks from servicers who pull their hair out trying to get some of these new TVs to work, etc while Philips tech support says, "I don't know what to tell you."

I'm just surprised at the great trust you put in them.

I have a Pronto Pro and it has performed fine (knock on wood). I owned an iPronto for about a week and returned it. I bought it when they first became available, and as you suggest, it was not ready for release to the general public. I was disappointed because it did not live up to the pre-release hype. Many of the features advertised were not yet functional. I decided that even if the functions were available, the unit was not worth it's price tag. My thought was that if I wanted to surf the net, get a computer; and, if you want to control your hi-fi gear and tv, get a remote.

I like the idea of the RC9800i because it sounds like it is truly a remote that has UPnP capabilities, which is just an extension of remote control capabilities in this ever changing electronics world. I thought it would be great for controling my ROKU Soundbridge which streams music via iTunes from my MAC. Unfortunately, based on the responses and lack thereof from this forum as well as Phillips, I suspect that this new Phillips product will fall short of expectations just like the iPronto did. Maybe we should take a look at the upcoming Universal Electronics NEVO SL. It too is supposed to have UPnP capabilities.

im new to philips remotes. my questions is can you make your own names for the buttons and edit the names of components.

Devices, yes. Buttons... right now with the beta firmware no. But I hope they don't leave it that way.