Philips RC9800i LCD Touchscreen Remote Control

I have here an item that makes the "control issues" you may have at your house go away. No more disagreements over who lost what when and who took something somewhere and just where is it now when I need it so badly.

You will no longer experience the fumbling grapple on your end table or on the arm of your favorite chair ...

You will from now on be one with your electronic audio and visual devices ...


Philips RC9800i LCD Touchscreen Remote Control Does It!

Upon opening the packaging of the RC9800i, the short-cut instructions lay looking up at me. They're a "must use" in this deal, and allow the user to get his systems at attention and ready for instructions. The all-inclusive manual (in 5 languages) comes into play later.

This programming business is a time-consuming thing and the short manual tells you so in black and white: at least 30 minutes to get your new toy locked and loaded.

To me, this means time to play and I took the invitation immediately and right in the middle of prime preschooler programming.



Love at First Sight -- Stay Tuned!

I enjoy electronic gadgets, kitchen gadgets, scrapbooking gadgets, even nifty workshop tools and unnecessary sundries that beckon to consumers from store displays. I'm not a sucker for advertising of any kind, nor do I believe manufacturer claims most of the time. "As Seen on TV" means "steer clear" to me, so the claim of the RC9800i ... "simple, yet revolutionary control" had me cocking an eyebrow as I went to work on controlling my new control.

Just as it says this on the box cover, it also says "quick, clean and easy set-up" ... and as I had already read the statement about 30-minute minimum set-up time I had my doubts on anything written by a marketing professional. I'm a consumer who needs proof, not just suggestion, hearsay or supposition.

Right out of the box, I identified the package contents (Step 1 in the mini manual) and set about plugging in the power adapter and cradle. The RC9800i has just enough battery power upon the opening of the box to get the user through the set-up and a bit more, and afterward requires a 3-hour charge to get up and running at full power. A handy battery icon on the RC9800i screen indicates remaining battery life so you have an indication of the need to power up before you lose all control.

I rounded up the remotes in our home:



•

Stereo (controls receiver, 5-CD changer and cassette tape player)


•

Television


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Satellite receiver


•

DVD/VHS player combo


•

CD "boom box" style stereo

Switching on the RC9800i with the tiny switch on its underside, I downloaded updates to the software according to the online instructions (power connection by USB cable provided with RC9800i).

The RC9800i comes with a grey, plastic stylus for use on the touch-screen, and I proceeded to calibrate the touch screen -- as the unit requires. Again, these are "must do" procedures and there's no bypassing them. Smart move on the part of the Philips folks. The End User License Agreement hits you at this point, too, and there's no setting up without agreeing to it.

At this point, setting up your wireless network, if you have one, comes into the picture. No wireless network here, and that omits many of the functions of the RC9800i in our household. We won't be viewing pictures on our television as provided by our computer anytime soon with this little gem. Maybe someday ...

After an easy setting of the date/time (done by Internet if in a wireless environment, or by hand, if you're me), I moved on to setting up my "Rooms" -- all electronic devices in each room for which the RC9800i might come in handy.

This seemed like a good idea. One remote for the whole house. In theory, this is lovely. In practice, it's impossible. More on that later.



Interior Design in a Few Easy Steps

It's time to place your devices into the RC9800i by remote control, or if you're lucky, by keypad and model number. I made use of both methods, depending. If you cannot find your User Manuals for every electronic item you own, or if you cannot seem to lift the 400-pound television to peer at the tiny model number on its back, the RC9800i offers the option to "learn" the codes for you, or to scan several input options -- the latter being the most time-consuming, confusing and often frustrating.

It's a smart, smart little piece of plastic, this RC9800i. Its built-in bank of codes displays functions you may use on with your home electronics or "reds out" functions that aren't available on certain models. Fascinating.

In setting up each collection of electronics in your home, for instance your family room, living room, den, bedrooms, kitchen, library or computer center, the system allows for choosing of manufacturers and for the entry of model numbers to zero in on exactly what you own. If unable to hone in using these pieces of information, you get to teach the RC9800i how to read the remote control functions. Each remote uses infrared codes which the RC9800i "reads". All you need to do is press the right buttons and point the remote at the right place on the RC9800i.

The pointing part isn't as obvious as the manual makes it sound, however if you do take advantage of the pictures provided in the right-hand column on the mini manual it's much, much easier. I am a "no instructions" kind of girl. I want to figure things out on my own and make use of the manual only if I'm unbelievably lost. I'm a girl and I don't ask for directions. Therefore, pointing the remote for the tv at the RC9800i didn't work for me on the first half-dozen attempts. In turning the device over and around a few times, I found the "two white lines" between which I should aim the remote control before firing.

Interestingly, when you follow the directions, they work!

I had to "teach" my RC9800i the functions of each of our family room electronics. The stereo, at 14 years of age, wasn't in the RC9800i memory of model numbers, but the remote works, so I could teach the RC9800i to turn the receiver on, change CDs, skip tracks, repeat tracks and even program play. All from the comfort of my couch.

One note about this teaching stuff. When you use the remote near the devices you're trying to program into the RC9800i, the functions are going to function. After all, you're hitting buttons on the remote, even if you're aiming it backward. Be prepared for the volume to actually go up and down and for the inputs on your tv to cycle ... and if you have family or friends in the room with you, be prepared for lots of complaining.

I set up my RC9800i while my off-spring watched an after-school television program. Complaints of, "Mom! Stop changing the channel!" and "MOM! Do you have to do this now?" interrupted the flow of my teaching. Unable to wait to try out this new gadget, I kept at it and probably learned even more quickly how to use the "try" function to quickly cycle through each capability of the RC9800i touchpad.

Within the period of the 30-minute children's program, I had the RC9800i up and running to the degree that I could change channels and volume, turn all four devices (tv, satellite, stereo, DVD/VCR) on and off and even set tapes and discs to play.

I'm a mom with an all-powerful RC9800i ... hear the volume of the television roar!



The RC9800i Wants to Know It All

Another reason the programming takes time is the number of questions the remote "asks" during set-up. Be prepared for programming time with this remote. Some of the questions are confusing. How do you input channels on your satellite/cable "box"? On ours, you may only toggle up and down when using the actual box, but the remote allows individual input of numbers. The question refers to the remote control here, not the box. I answered this incorrectly at first, then wondered why I didn't have the option to actually key in channels on the remote.

You'll also answer questions such as, "How many digits does your television or satellite or cable BOX allow you?" How long does it take for your system to react to a command? The RC9800i wants to know that, too and puts you through the paces of finding out.

And remember, this is the Cliff's Notes version of the manual. The actual, full-length manual does not clarify these activities any better, at least in my experience, so referring to it for extra help won't do much for you, other than have you reading up on some of the features as you page through the book.



How Controlling IS It?

While I use the RC9800i daily and will continue to do so, Husband of Mine -- a big, big control freak -- the kind who keeps the remote in his hand and pointed toward the television during the time he's seated in front of it so that he might peruse the remaining channels on a whim -- doesn't cotton to my new toy.

Why? Because all the available "buttons" for a given remote control function are not available at a glance on one screen.

For instance, the Satellite control functions, our most-used set of controls, being that we control all our television viewing through it, are not all available when we want them. The RC9800i brings up a total of four "pages" of touchpad controls -- requiring the use of the "hard keys" at the left side of the RC9800i. We have to page from the number keypad (used to choose program by channel number) to the fourth page on which we find the "Guide" we want. Then, to choose to view the information on a particular program, we have to cycle through the pages and find the third page to use that option. To get out of the Guide we must go the fourth page again to exit ... not exactly time-saving. It's on the verge of nerve-racking, and while we're RC9800i novices, it's not going to get a whole lot better, at least not until Philips provides an online upgrade that will allow us to locate touchpad keys where they will be most useful in our particular situations.

Now, back to the idea of having one remote control for everything ... the word "handy" doesn't fit, nor does the word "perfect" or "ultimate".

This one needs some work to be that good.



Thank God, We Don't Live in the White House

The RC9800i is only as good as your need for control. If you're the kind who thinks, "Ha! Mine! All MINE!" in regard to having one remote for the whole kit and kaboodle that is your home electronics environment, this is your next new toy.

If you are like me and have someone with whom you must share the control, this might make an excellent sparring device -- Husband and I can turn the volume and channels up and down on each other for entertainment. If one walks out of the room with remote in hand, the other will still have options. Freeing? Phenomenal? Necessary? Only you know the answers for these questions at your house. At my house the answer to each is "sometimes".

As for using the RC9800i room to room, how do the Philips people want us to transport it? I find I must hold the RC9800i by its edges so that I don't touch the keypad and change something inadvertently, and carrying the device would mean a similar "handle with care" style. There's no way to grip this thing and trot from room to room with it without looking somewhat inept, unsure or just plain clumsy.

Philips does not provide a RC9800i holster. I'm envisioning a belt clip style holder for allowing me to control everything room-to-room. Otherwise, how will I multi-task? My hands are full of RC9800i.

Along with the holster, those of us with standard, adult-size fingers need a holder for our stylus. Nothing on the cradle or the RC9800i itself offers a stylus clip or an indentation of any kind for keeping the stylus handy. Now, the stylus, a pen-shaped piece of plastic, does have a nub that sticks out near its top to keep the stylus from rolling off a tabletop. While the nub looks very much like a clip on a ballpoint pen, it has no clipping ability. So, you either keep the stylus in an appointed location or find yourself looking for it, or making due with your fingers ... which you didn't think were so chubby until you pointed them at the RC9800i touchpad.

Toting the RC9800i from room to room doesn't make a whole lot of sense to those of us who lead common lives. I have my CD player in my office area programmed for use with the RC9800i, but realistically, am I going to take the thing upstairs with me each time I enter my space ... just to turn on the CD player and hit "play". No.

This remote isn't for that purpose. It's not for everybody. If you have a half-dozen remotes for the area you're controlling it's for you. It's for you if you have a media room and can sit in one spot and control it all.

It's also for you if you have the patience for this opening stage of "use what it offers" and realize you can't have the program guide on the same page as the channel control, or that you have TIVO features on your touchpad but you don't have TIVO in your life.

I don't believe this unit, though it's programmable as such, is really meant for room to room use. As I'm using it in the one room that makes sense here at our house, I just can't see taking it elsewhere and remembering to bring it back. This seems odd to me and not at all sensible. While it's entirely possible to use the remote control in this way, it's just not all that practical.



Sole Users Have It Made

And kids ...

If you have them, they will want to touch the touchpad. Why is it called a touchpad if you're not to touch it?

There's no child-lock feature on the RC9800i, or one to lock out offending adults, for that matter. If you want to keep the RC9800i from being a child's toy it's up to you to keep it out of reach and introduce it as "Mine" and "No Touch". Kids will learn not to play with it just as they learn not to turn on the stove or play with matches, but a child-lock combination on the touchpad would really bring joy to my reality. The RC9800i looks like fun to use (and it is), and kids want in on it whether you're looking or not.



Fixing your RC9800i

You may find that during the initial set-up of the RC9800i that you've mistakenly input certain commands that don't work properly or they didn't "take" when you thought they did. The system allow for "fixing" of commands, basically recalling the set-up screens and scrolling down to the command that's not responding and "reteaching" the RC9800i what you want it to spit back later.

Same goes for the clusters of activities you've made in the initial set-up -- you may have chosen the "watch tv" command but neglected to attach the Satellite or Cable box commands to the activity. "Fix" allows you to connect or reconnect the necessary electronic equipment so that when you touch the "TV" activity button you don't have to return to the main command panel to find the satellite or cable power buttons, thereby taking twice the time and patience. "Fix" makes things better.


Not for the Technologically Challenged

I'm not a technological wizard. I can program the VCR, the clock doesn't blink "12:00" on any of our electronics. I'm an ace at getting the coffee maker to have coffee ready for me when I want it, and to upload or download pictures to the Internet for various purposes.

I'm average on the technology front. I can use the RC9800i for about 1/3 of the purposes for which it was intended. If I were to supply the household with wireless Internet service (we're impaired there, due to some home-office usage issues) it's sure we'd be watching slide shows of our digital pictures and enjoying all the functions of wireless services from the vantage point of the RC9800i. As it stands, I can watch television and movies, record programming from my television and play music on my stereo without juggling remotes.

And, because our Sony television remote conflicts with the Sony stereo remote (same frequency), the Power button on either remote played havoc with the opposite electronic device. The RC9800i takes care of that, commanding one or the other but not both.



No "Blind Control" Here ...

You know you do this. Punch in a command for a channel change or a view of the program Guide without looking at the buttons on your remote. Right? C'mon ... admit it. You know your remote like the back of your hand and probably better.

The RC9800i doesn't provide this kind of blind usage. It's a flat-screen, pressure-sensitive touch-pad. There are mistakes to be made if you choose not to look. These aren't "fire the missile" or "launch the rocket" kinds of mistakes, but you do have to pay attention and you can't do too much with the RC9800i without paying attention to the device more closely than you do a standard remote control.



Why Does My Remote Need a Nap? Does It Have to Click Like That?

Being a rechargable battery-operated device with more memory than you can easily imagine, the RC9800i needs to rest from time to time. You must recharge it, but be thankful ... the battery can be recharged at any time without diminishing the overall battery life. You may recharge the battery at any time and for any lenth of time.

There's a sleep mode involved with use of this remote, and you may change the length of time your RC9800i remains "awake", but it does not remain on indefinitely. This saves your battery life, and "waking" the remote is something that you get to know quickly. A simple touch of the screen wakes it up and brings the system to life. There's no waiting but for the half-second it takes to touch the screen. Also, touching the screen to wake it does not result in a command on the remote. Touching the sleep screen simply powers up the remote, therefore you do not have to hope you're hitting a dead area -- just touch and go!

When the battery nears the low end of usability, the RC9800i will beep quietly while in sleep mode. Nice feature. Lets you know your controlling minutes are numbered, so power up or pay the piper.

As far as noise, you can choose to mute the RC9800i completely or make touchpad noises audible to the degree you feel necessary, but not in any way loud. The RC9800i sends out small clicking noises when using the touchpad features you'll hear a continual clicking, similar to a scroll with a computer mouse with a rolling scroll button. This feature doesn't annoy me a bit, but it's adjustable in case your annoyance quotient is higher than mine.



Decluttering Your Command Center

My conclusion on the Philips RC9800i Touchscreen Remote Control is this:

To minimize the number of remote controls in a given room and to take full advantage of a wireless network, as well as to make use of a combination of systems with only one command or a small group of commands, this is the system for you.

If you own a television and VCR as separate devices and have no other equipment this Philips gadget probably isn't in your best interest. Or if you own other equipment and it's off in a room by itself and as minimal as a computer without wireless service and a CD player, again, this Philips gizmo isn't your best choice.

A home with a roomful of home theater equipment ... stereo, special speaker inputs, video recording/viewing, wireless network computer capabilities, television, and various other remote-controlled systems will probably benefit from the this Philips RC9800i LCD Touchscreen Remote Control unit.











Many, many thanks to Dave and the fine folks at Hass MS&L for providing me this product for sharing it in review form. There's far more to it than meets the eye and I'll be learning about it for a long time to come. Thanks again!