You are correct, the chip will need to be programmed. I don't think that the flash for Pixelnet has been released yet but RJ will make an announcement when it is in the Pixelnet coop when it gets going. I wouldn't worry about missing that as many will be talking about it in the dongle and smart strings sections as well and you should also see it appear i the Wiki. If you are going to be putting smart strings in your display you may want to invest in your own programmer because if I understand it correctly and I may be wrong, each string controller will also have a pic and may need to be programmed down the road. Normally Pics come programmed in full coop kits but the shear volume of them in the upcoming smart string coop may prevent that from happening this time and once again, the large number of them may also overwhelm the members volunteering to program for others which could extend your wait time to get the Pics back.