If you want to know how to choose a remote control extender then this article will tell you everything you need to know to help you decide which one is best for you.
Martin Durham
Why you might need a remote control extender
Most remote controls use infra-red light to communicate with the equipment you want to control. If you think of your remote control as a torch then you need to be able to shine that torch at your audio-visual equipment in order to get it to work. That becomes rather difficult if your audio-visual equipment is deliberately hidden away in a cupboard or even located in a different room to where you’re watching and/or listening to it. A remote control extender solves this problem by receiving the infra-red signal from your remote control and then transmitting that signal somewhere else.
How a remote control extender works
Remote control extenders generally consist of three main elements:
- One or more infra-red receivers – which receive the signal from your remote control.
- One or more infra-red emitters – which re-transmit the signal from your remote control to the device(s) you want to control.
- Some electronics – which process the signal received by the infra-red receiver(s) and transmits it to the infra-red emitter(s).
The installation and setup steps for a basic remote control extender are typically as follows:
- Place the infra-red receiver somewhere where you can point your remote control remote control at it.
- Place the infra-red emitter in front of the audio-visual device you want to control.
- Connect the infra-red receiver and the infra-red transmitter to the electronics module.
- Provide electrical power.
You can then operate your remote control whilst pointed at the infra-red receiver and the infra-red emitters will relay the control signal to your equipment.
What you need to consider when choosing a remote control extender
What do you want your remote control extender to do?
When choosing a remote control extender the first thing you need to do is to be absolutely clear what you want it do in terms of your specific situation. For example:
- You may have hidden your audio-visual equipment away in a cupboard (but can still easily point your remote control at the cupboard).
- You may have hidden your audio-visual equipment away in a cupboard (and you cannot easily point your remote control at the cupboard).
- You may have put your audio-visual source equipment in a different room from where you watch and/or listen to it.
- You may have set up a way of watching and/or listening to your audio-visual equipment from more than one room so you need to be able to control it from multiple locations.
Some remote control extenders can be used in any of the above situations, whereas others are really only suitable for more specific applications.
How many audio-visual devices do you want to want to control?
The number, and type, of infra-red emitters that can be accommodated by a remote control extender dictates how many audio-visual devices it can control.
A ‘spot’ emitter can control one audio-visual device and a ‘blaster’ emitter can control as many devices as are within its range and line-of-sight. Depending on the number of devices you want to control you need to choose a remote control extender with enough emitters.
Are you happy to identify the location of the infra-red receiver on each of your audio-visual devices individually?
Using one or more ‘spot’ emitters means that you have to find the location of the infra-red receiver on each of your audio-visual devices. This is usually straight-forward but some devices (Sky boxes in particular) can require quite a bit of trial and error as the infra-red receiver is not easy to identify.
Using one or more ‘blaster’ emitters means that you do not have to find the location of the infra-red receiver on each of your audio-visual devices, you can simply place the emitter in front of your equipment and it will control everything within its range and line-of-sight.
How visible do you want your remote control extender to be?
Some (usually lower cost) remote control extenders build their infra-red receiver into their electronics module. This means that the electronics module has to be situated somewhere you can see it so that you can point a remote control at it.
Some remote control extenders have a separate infra-red receiver which connects to their electronics module via a cable. This means that the electronics module can be located somewhere out of sight and only the infra-red receiver itself has to be visible.
If your audio-visual equipment is in a cupboard, can you easily point your remote control at the cupboard?
If you can easily point your remote control at the cupboard that contains your audio-visual equipment then you have the choice of the widest range of remote control extenders. Other than cost, your primary considerations are likely to be around aesthetics and the number of devices you want to control.
If you can’t easily point your remote control at the cupboard that contains your audio-visual equipment then you should look at products which allow for separation of the infra-red receiver from the other elements. You can achieve this separation either by installing a cable between your cupboard and somewhere where you can easily point your remote control, or by using a ‘wireless’ solution.
Do you need to be able to control your audio-visual equipment from a different room (and if so, can you install a cable back to your equipment)?
If you need to be able to control your audio-visual equipment from a different room then you need to choose a remote control extender which allows for separation of the infra-red receiver from the other elements. You can achieve this separation either by installing a cable between each room and the equipment you want to control, or by using a ‘wireless’ solution.
Do you need to be able to control your audio-visual equipment from more than one room?
If you need to be able to control your audio-visual equipment from more than one room then you need to choose a remote control extender set which allows multiple infra-red receivers to be connected.
How do you want to power your remote control extender?
Many remote control extenders are supplied with mains power adapters, but some can be powered from an available USB port (or a USB power adapter) or via batteries.
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