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Philips says it is shutting down its Pronto remote control product line. The company has been trying to finder a buyer for the Pronto business since 2009 and was unsuccessful.

From the official statement:
“In December 2009, Philips announced the intention to relocate some of its existing remote control activities in Leuven, Belgium to Asia. At the same time, the intention was communicated to investigate alternative strategic options for the Pronto business, as this activity no longer fits with the Philips strategy. Following thorough research, no suitable partner was found for the acquisition of these activities. As such, Philips confirms today that it will discontinue the Pronto product line and related activities. “

The iconic brand targeted at the custom installation industry was first introduced in the 1990s. Since that time, the competitive landscape for remote controls has gotten much more crowded.

The shutdown is especially surprising since Philips just invested a significant amount of R&D into the development of its new TSW9500 in-wall Pronto touchscreens. The product received strong reviews last month at the CEDIA Expo.

The Pronto business, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, serves the custom audio-video installation market with advanced control devices. Lower-end versions of the remotes are sold online and via retail outlets such as Sears.
The company says it “will engage in a dialogue with its social partners on the consequences for the involved personnel of this announcement.”

Due in part to the time difference, Philips executives could not be reached for comment in regards to specific advice for integrators with units in stock or in the field who may be seeking technical assistance, warranty support or repair parts. [Editor's note: CE Pro intends to update this article upon receiving comments from Philips.]
Also, while the shutdown was announced today, Pronto remotes will likely remain on the market for quite some time as inventories are exhausted.

This is really bad News...
Our Pronto is being used every day while all the other remotes are in a drawer somewhere, unused. Lighting, TV, radio, Home theatre; you name it and you can control it with the Pronto. Especially with the features that were introduced in the last year, programming and using the Pronto was easier and better than ever before. I know no other remote that can compete with it! It's a shame and a big loss that this beautiful product will be discontinued...

This is quite amazing News, especially since they recently presented the TSW9500 based on the same framework.

In any case that means I will be receiving one of the last TSU9400 by the end of this week, , ... looking forward to playing with this collectors item...

Good News:
http://www.cepro.com/article/philips_pr ... utor_says/

Great News indeed!

On the image it obviously states Coming in 2011!


Although I'm not really sure if we are waiting on such a signal processor...