Philips's RC9800i is a more
intelligent remote
Philips RC9800i universal remote
The product: Philips made a name for itself in the high-end universal remote world with its Pronto-branded touch-screen controllers. As good as they were considered, the one big drawback of these remotes was that they were really difficult to program. By contrast, the RC9800i, part of the company's Intelligent Remote Control family, is designed to be easy enough for a newbie to program. Aside from a sharp color touch screen, it has built-in wireless connectivity, which allows you to see content (music, images, even compressed video files) on your PC and stream it to Wi-Fi, Universal Plug and Play-enabled devices. Naturally, Philips hopes you'll purchase one of its UPnP devices, such as a SL300i or SL400i Streamium Multimedia link, or its upcoming 50PF9830A 50-inch plasma TV.

• Sharp color touch screen
• Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b)
• Recognizes more than 600 brands of electronics devices
• Additional remote codes and features can be added via Internet
• Communicates with Philips Digital Media Manager PC software
• Uses UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) protocol
• Activity-based navigation and control
• Built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 24 hours of use
• Charging cradle included

The price: The RC9800i will cost $499 and be available in the first quarter of 2005.

The prospects: Philips came out with a wireless, Internet-enabled color touch-screen Pronto remote a couple of years ago, but it cost $1,000. With its impressive feature set and lower price point, this one should have far greater appeal.

By David Carnoy, executive editor, CNET Reviews