Items Tagged With ir

Here's an interesting little video from the guys at Savant showing off their novel take on a universal remote.  The 'Select' is a hardware device that you dock with an iPod Touch to create the worlds only multi-touch, retina display, home automation remote control.  Check out the video after the jump...

Marmitek has revealed the new Invisible Control 6! infrared repeater/extender. You can use it to control up to 6 A/V devices in a closed cabinet and it is suitable for new IR code formats (like RC-MM) that are used in BT Vision, Freesat, Freeview, Sky TV and Virgin boxes.  The system also includes built in IR filtering so it can be used with Plasma, LCD and LED TVs without the normal interference problems.  The unit is available now For around £60...

VooMote have announced another hardware addon that turns iOS devices into universal remote controls.  The new 'Zapper', due to launch this month, combines a remote and a TV Guide functionality which they say will transform your iDevice into a 'digital hub'...

Back in April ThinkFlood announced the RedEye Pro, their new 1U rackmount, Linux powered whole house IP / IR remote solution.  Now Volutone have put together this video tour of the unit in operation.  The system works with iOS devices, Android, PCs etc converting IP to IR and RS232 allowing you to control your home's AV, lighting music etc...

Many of us control our Sky box from other rooms in the house using an IR emitter stuck on the front of the unit.  These can become detach, either through time or little prying finger.  Now for under £20 you can ensure perfect transmission of your IR commands every time and clean up the look of the front of than new 1TB Sky+HD box you just bought...

The idea of creating a battery with a built in RF transmitter to convert your IR remote to something that would work through walls has been around since 2004.  Now NexGen have announced two new systems that work up to 40 metres away from your equipment.  The Xray Remote Extender (£59) and the enhanced Genius Remote Extender (£69) that will operate multiple Sky boxes individually for example.  Check out the full PR details and video after the jump...

We just got an email from the guys over at ThinkFlood as they have announced a beta of their RedEye remote control product for Android.  Read on for the details of the free application that allows you to control your home in conjunction with their hardware...

ThinkFlood's popular original IR system for iOS devices just got a new big brother.  The RedEye Pro is a rack mount Linux server that attaches to your network to provide IR and Home Automation control.  You can command your home from your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with the iOS app, as well as any PC, Smartphone, tablet or other device with a browser.  ThinkFlood are currently developing apps for Android phones and tablets too...

Square Connect, a member of the Z-Wave have broken the mouild with their new 'wooden puck' device for infrared controlled home entertainment. A new version of the Blaster, the “Blaster Pro” integrates Z-Wave, allowing expansion of the control sphere beyond the home theatre to include lighting, window shades and other appliances. The SQ Blaster range of products utilise the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch as control interfaces, with applications for other smart phones and tablet devices under development...

With Philips announcing the death of their entire range of Pronto remotes a few weeks ago, and UEI following suit at CES cancelling their NeVo range too, the universal remote market seems to have taken a huge hit from the iPod Touch and the iPad.  Never the less, Sony have decided to enter the fray with their own Wi-Fi and DLNA equipped touchscreen...

This months "My Automated Home" feature is from Keyvan Rahimian who shows us around his DIY IPad based home automation set-up. The system uses an impressively professional looking visual interface in conjunction with with a hardware Ethernet to IR gateway from Global Cache to control his AV and Sonos whole house audio systems...

Here's a neat combination of hardware and software to allow you to control your AV system from your iOS device.  The Demopad app provides the customisable front end to your control set-up, while the Keene KIRA128 IP to infra-red module allows you to learn, store and send the commands...

Marmitek have launched 2 new IR products.  One aimed at controlling components in another part of the house - the GigaControl450, the other - the Invisible Control4 - redistributes IR in the same room (into a closed AV cabinet for example).  Both devices are under £40 and available now.  Read on for the details...

The new RedEye dock from ThinkFlood links to your iPhone or iPod Touch via Wi-Fi.  This allows you to send IR commands (va the dock) from your touchscreen to control any infrared device from any room in your home. Check out the video after the jump...

We reported back in June on some interesting new modules Keene Electronics were working on.  Well their IR Anywhere product has now been launched, allowing you to send your IR remote control signals across IP networks...

Amongst the Touch Panels and Waterproof remotes launched at ISE recently, were two new releases from RTI. - "XP-8 Controller. The XP8 is a new Control Processor with more power and I/O ports than any previous RTI Controller. Fast MPU, real time/multitasking operating system and expandability makes the XP-8 the perfect solution for large scale and complex projects. RTI are now firmly in the business of providing remote control solutions for commercial projects...

It's one of the oldest problems, how do you control the satellite receiver, set-top box, dvd player or whatever source that's in one room, from another. Marmitek have the answer with their recently launched PowermidXS IR - RF - IR system... 

When we finally got our hands on our very own PlayStation 3 earlier this year, we were surprised and annoyed to find Sony hadn't included a built in infrared receiver. The oficial Sony remote control (an optional extra) is a bluethooth device, and while ordinarily we'd welcome an RF option, it seems very short sighted not to also have included the option of using IR. Sony wants to position the PS3 as a "media hub" in the living room, and with its HDMI and Bluray credentials many owners use their PS3s in their home cinema setupy. Now, we can all use our IR universal remotes to control our PS3s, thanks to this new $20 Blu-Wave Infrared Remote addon from Nyko...

News from Bluedelta on their recently launched IR distribution system...

"Bluedelta Designs have come up with yet another ingenious product that is set to make controlling your Satellite and any other Audio visual devices an ease from anywhere in the home. SmartEye enables users to control their satellite receiver from any TV in the house such as the kitchen, bedroom or even the kid's playroom! Combined with the Smart Blaster, the Smart Eye will also communicate with your DVD, Video, freeview and even your HiFi if it's beside the satellite receiver...

"Chipmunk AV Controller is a new Windows.NET application for controlling audio visual equipment. Chipmunk communicates with connected devices via plugins. Commands are created; and events learned using a graphical user interface.

Chipmunk includes 5 plugins: RS232 serial, USBUIRT infrared, Remote Control Server (capable of running on a wireless network), Event Scheduler, and an On Screen Display.

The shareware comes with a Visual Studio.NET SDK for developers to create their own plugins. Chipmunk also incorporates a Lua scripting engine and code editor for further extensibility...

This looks very interesting..."It almost sounds too good to be a true - a universal IR remote with high-quality LCD screen, built-in WiFi, a handful of adapters to bridge WiFi to Z-Wave, RS-232 and IR, and native Windows Media Connect. All this for $249 including docking station...

"Libra Systems is proud to announce the launch of its WP-2 remote wallplate, primarily aimed at the home installation market. There is an increasing demand for sleeker and more aesthetically pleasing installations, where customers require the simplest of controls on wallplates, and all other functions being handled by handheld remotes. The WP-2 is a simple and stylish solution that will complement modern homes, while allowing infrared control of remote equipment.

Designed mainly for audio control, the WP-2 is a UK-sized wallplate incorporating an infrared receiver, and 3 buttons that can learn IR codes for volume up, down, and on/off. There is also a 'long-press' feature on the on/off button which allows a separate infrared command to be activated when the on/off button is pressed for more than 3 seconds - very useful for special all-off or power-off functions...

A new £100 IR distribution system has been launched by Keene Electronics. With very reasonably priced ad-on emitters and especially receivers (£7.99 - £12.99) the higer priced gear like Xantech have a new challenger on their hands...

"The ultimate distribution system for Infra Red signals. It allows you to control equipment by IR remote, even when the equipment is out of sight, inside cabinets or in remote locations! The IR Commander builds on the proven technology of the Keene IR Distribution amplifier to provide a greatly expanded number of inputs and outputs. Use of optional expansion modules allow up control of equipment up to 50m away, providing a solution for even the most demanding and complex installations. A fully connected unit provides a maximum of 10 IR receiver inputs and 13 IR emitter outputs. It's even possible to couple two Commanders together to provide 20 x 26 if desired"...

AWARD-WINNING ULTRAMOTE® UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL PACKAGE NOW SUPPORTS DELL'S NEW AXIM X50 SERIES POCKET PCs - New Version Supports Even More Brands of TVs, Stereos, PVRs, Lets Users Multitask in the Living Room

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2004 - Users of the newest Dell Pocket PCs, the Axim X50 series, now can use the award-winning UltraMote® universal remote software and PDA to control their TVs, audio components, personal video recorders and other home theater components - while surfing the web, making Internet phone calls and performing other tasks.

According to a recent study conducted by The Media Center at the American Press Institute, 70 percent of users want to multitask while watching television. Those with wireless networks now can use the Axim X50 to control their home theaters using UltraMote, surf the web, browse digital photos, and even take a Skype call through the Axim headset jack.

UltraMote universal remote software version 3.0 also has been enhanced to support an even broader range of brands and models of televisions, stereos, cable boxes and other devices. Users can customize the Axim and other supported models to surf channels, control DVD players and audio components, change lighting or control other tasks in the home theater. No computer is necessary to set up the UltraMote software, because the software "learns" remote control commands. Users can customize the PDA's remote control screens with their own skins or use the included set.

UltraMote version 3.0 software can be used with the Axim's integrated infrared capability, or the optional, patent-pending UltraMote Extender card can be added to boost range up to 50 feet*...

FirM Jr + KAT5 - A marriage made in Croydon :) (Submission by Tony Butler).

Having made the decision many moons ago to move all my AV kit to node 0 (coincidentally, around the time my twin boys were born!), I have long sought the twin holy grails of quality distributed A/V and reliable distributed IR control...

Just received this... Hi Mark - I've just written some software for users of the RedRat3 IR Controller, It's a complete Windows Based configurable GUI. The unique part of the Application is the ability for users to add / delete move buttons and to change backgrounds and buttons to whatever they want, for example a picture of the wife on a Volume mute button...

Submission by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it - I have had a Philips Pronto for quite a long time now but it has not been the most popular control device in my house. It works well in integrating multiple IR remotes but it has not been very helpful in integrating with the rest of my HA system...

Submission by: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it - This project is to address a major problem faced by many Home Automators, who are looking for a more intelligent way to monitor the status of their equipment throughout the home. In the past, I have struggled with monitoring Audio Visual Equipment status in various zones of the home. I used Smartlink probes hardwired into HomeVision, but when I added multi zone IR distribution via FirM, the system could not work within a multi zone environment...

Version 1.03 (Last updated August 2009) 

"If you have a computer attached to your home theater, or if your computer IS your home theater, then you've likely hit upon a control issue: keyboards and mice just weren't made with sofas in mind. The recently burgeoning PC remote control market brings us yet another entry guaranteeing easier control over multimedia functions: the SoundGraph iMON Plus.

The iMON Plus infrared PC remote control sets the bar more than a few notches higher by offering some of the most advanced software we've seen yet. There's on-screen display, an unlimited number of program profiles, customized commands within all programs, punchthrough mode, macros, plus many integration elements such as a program launcher, task switcher, virtual keyboard and timer. There's even a few more advanced features that may surprise you - and don't forget the remote's 17-way mouse cursor joystick!"...

Submission by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it - RedRat have a new IR product -: irNetBox

The irNetBox is a networked device with multiple outputs for IR-emitters. It uses a simple and open TCP/IP based communication protocol, so can be used in conjunction with applications on any platform. On Windows platforms, the RedRat SDK can also be used, supporting simple application development or migration of applications developed for the RedRat3...

Submission by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it - "Firstly a little bit of background just to get you in the mood... I recently received Homevision as a Christmas present. Most people know what Homevision can do and it was one of these features that I was particularly interested in.. IR... Like most people into Home Automation I have a large(ish) number of IR controllable devices, amps, vcrs etc...

Submission by Jason Starkie - IR Distribution on a budget.  As your Hi-Fi and Home Cinema set-up grows there usually comes a point where you want to put everything into a cabinet or on to shelves. This can cause problems as more often than not your IR remote(s) no longer have line-of-sight with your equipment and consequently no longer work. Enter the Keene IRDA. This handy gadget receives the IR signal from your remote and redistributes it to up to five discrete IR transmitters. It can even be direct cable-connected to any IR repeater you may have (eg Powermid etc). The Kit will mix and match with other Keene products to solve more or less any IR problems...

At last a ntl/telewest compatible IrDa remote control extender! - The new innovative way to relay remote control commands from any RC5 or IrDA based device. DigiEye will allow you to control any satellite or cable receiver that uses both RC5 and/or IrDA codes. This includes all Satellite Receivers including EchoStar, Pace etc, European cable receivers for NTL and Telewest services, all VCRs and DVD players/recorders...

I've had some problems with my TiVo signaling the Sky Digibox. I'm using a Pyramid affair to control TiVo from the bedroom upstairs and these seem to be notorious for sending out spurious IR. This noise then interferes with legitimate signal between TiVo and the Sky box. So, I decided to try one of the new RF2Links from PaceLink.

The RF2Link is a "hard wired" solution that takes the IR output on the back of TiVo and inserts it into the Sky Digibox on its RF2 connector in the same way the Sky TV Link IR extenders do...

Laser now have the PDA-ir CF cards in stock! The confirmed price is £23+VAT (£27.03)

This update has been posted on the PCMCIA sleeve compatability issue
"Please note that the PDA-IR module currently does not work in the iPAQ PC Card sleeve with a PC Card adaptor. This is due to a technical issue with the PDAwin TV Remote Controller software. PDAwin is aware of the problem and is working on rectifying it."

For many of us, the PocketPC seemed like the perfect instrument to use as a universal remote control. A great colour screen, easily useable with your fingers, small and lightweigh, where's the catch? Well, the catch is range. The PPC, like the Palm before if, suffers from a wheezy IR transmitter. In fairness it was never designed to beam across a room to turn your telly up. There's been no real hardware solution to this problem, until now that is...

Now here's a new product - in fact it's so new that the serial number on my review sample was 00003. The "P.C. Remote" is hardware/software solution, from Scottish firm Concept UK, that turns your PC into a learning IR universal remote...

 

A new hardware add-on for the Comfort Home Automation Alarm system allows users to remotely control equipment that uses IR...

From RemoteCentral.com - news of the Yamaha re-working of the Pronto remote - "It's official, Yamaha is releasing their own touchscreen LCD remote which appears to be a customized version of the Philips Pronto TSU2000 remote complete with code database. The Yamaha RAV-2000 features a new case design and rearrangement of hard buttons, but lacks a recharging station. The on-screen interface has been totally customized with new graphics and animations...

Comfort has released new keypad that incorporate an IR receiver, allowing control of the alarm and home automation tasks via the Philips Pronto touch screen remote...

The Remote Central review of the new One For All Director URC-9900 is the usual, thorough, in-depth test you have come to expect from them!