6 Pop Songs Great for Audio Demos
Worst DIY Installs Ever Part 7
10 Must-Have Products for Your Next Install
6 Amazing High-End Home Theaters
Print
Email
Comments (4)
Share
RTI’s New ‘Pro Control’ Division: Lower-Cost Remote Controls for Broader Markets
The Pro Control PRO-24.z universal remote enables two-way ZigBee RF control at lower price points than other ZigBee remotes from RTI.
That’s about the starting price of RTI’s other remotes, sold exclusively through professional installers.
Introduced at CES 2010, first products in the Pro Control lineup include two universal remote controls and two base stations. The entry-level remote is the PRO-24.i with IR control only. The step-up remote is the PRO-24.z, enabling two-way RF communications using the ZigBee protocol.
Both remotes have a 2.4-inch color touchscreen display, but the 24.i is a standard TFT, while the 24.z gives you a slick OLED. The OLED is nice not just for its superior image quality, but because it consumes far less battery power than traditional LCDs.
Both products also feature a new swipe function that lets you flip through the display as if it were an iPhone – up, down, left and right (a capability implemented on RTI’s new ST-7 controller).
New to the RTI family of remotes is a toggle button that the company calls a five-way programmable joystick (available only on the 24.z).
In theory, each station (up, down, left, right, enter) on the controller can be programmed to perform up to three different tasks (tap, double-tap, press-and-hold) depending on the activity.
For example, in a TV program guide, press-and-hold might be used as a page-down command. Motorized shades could be raised and lowered similarly.
However, RTI has not yet determined which features it would enable with the Pro Control remotes, according to Baker. It may be that some of the toggle functionality will be reserved for RTI-branded products.
Base Stations and Control Options
Both Pro Control remotes offer IR control, so they can operate A/V and other control systems on their own.
For better functionality and RF capabilities, however, Pro Control offers two base stations for the 24.z: the ProLink.4 and step-up ProLink.z with ZigBee.
[continues]
Both stations are IP-programmable, and feature IR routing ports with adjustable IR output strength. Both have 12v sensing inputs and both store macros in the unit itself for reliable transmission.
The ProLink.4 hub operates in the 433MHz band and provides only one-way control, presenting no feedback to the remote.
The step-up ProLink.z operates on the 2.4 GHz band and enables two-way communications via ZigBee. Two-way control is enabled via serial or IP communications, thanks to two RS-232 ports and one Ethernet jack on the hub.
The 24.z remote control has dual-RF radios, so it can work with either base station; therefore, integrators need to carry only one SKU for the remote, and they can easily upgrade their clients to a ProLink.z at a later time.
RTI is working on an iPhone interface for the units.
Subscribe to the CE Pro Newsletter
Article Topics
News · Product News · Slideshow · Home Automation and Control · Universal Remotes · Events · CES · Ces 2010 · Rti · Universal Remote · Swipe · Pro Control ·About the Author
4 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
Systems Integrator: “Here’s the proposal for a system that will meet all your needs and control perfectly.”
Homeowner: “Wow! $800 for a remote. What about these Pro Control remotes? My cable company and Gleek Squid said they can do all the stuff you can do and the’re half the price.”
Systems Integrator: “They’re not quite the same thing. The RTI units we sell include our custom programming that’s unique to your home and needs and will work with more devices once the manufacturer gets around to making a driver for them. At least we can work around the missing interfaces—not sure if that Pro Control will allow you to do that.”
Homeowner: “I still don’t see the difference and it’s HALF the cost—plus I can get my friend to configure it—he’s a programmer.”
...you can see where this is going…
Guess all us integrators will have to return all the “C2C” (Comitted 2 Custom) shirts RTI has been giving away. Now THAT’s commitment 
Where are these so clled “pro control” remotes??? I have been hearing about them for more than a year. Come on already, customs can’t be holding you up that much!!!
Similarly, the Pro Control products will communicate two-way with some of the most popular subsystems like lighting controls and thermostats, “but you won’t have as many two-way device drivers as the RTI products,” says Baker.
Who picks and chooses the companies drivers that will be supported?The DB was made from installers and now they are going to be selective?