I've bought many things online over the years and have never bothered to leave a review, but after purchasing this product I just had to.
The product is really great - it does exactly what it says it's going to do, it's easy to set up, and it lives up to all the hype.
But even better than that is the customer service! I accidentally ordered the wrong version - the one that doesn't extend with Cat5 cable. I shot them an e-mail and asked them what to do, and they sent me the XL without even waiting for my exchange product to get back to them - I had it in two days! They also included a SASE for me to return my incorrect purchase in.
On top of that, when I received it and plugged it in it didn't seem to work - but after conferring with Microsmith we determined it was a problem with my Cat5 cable, and he helped me troubleshoot the whole issue.
The product is top notch, and the service is even better. Just buy it now!! Hot Link Xl CAT-5 Ir Repeater System
I did a lot of research on IR forwarding devices. In my opinion, this is the one to buy.
Some other devices work by having you put a single point IR transmitter in the same general area as your electronics, and then blasting IR signals and hoping they hit everything. The "pyramid" devices fall into this category.
Some other devices work by having you put a fake rechargeable AA battery into your remote control, and the fake battery is really a radio transmitter. What if you have more than one remote?
This device is solidly built, works exactly as described, doesn't need to learn any remote commands, and transmits directly to each individual device. It also works with LCD and plasma TVs, you just have to put the IR receiver eye behind the TV. You simply run a Cat5 line from the TV area to where your A/V equipment is, and position the receiver and emitters on each side of the connection.
Microsmith also has fantastic customer support. I can't rate this product highly enough.
It just works.
Don't be discouraged by the box that it's shipped in. That's just about the only thing that is bad about this product. The box gives the impression that it's one of those cheapo gizmos they used to sell in NYC electronics stores circa 1980's. The inventor really needs to market and distribute such a wonderful product much better.
The receiver is ultra sensitive, so sensitive, in fact, that I needed to hide it behind my plasma, cover it up with a post it, and it'd STILL catch every single remote click. I have tried it with a Scientific Atlanta cable box, and a Samsung DVD player with no problems at all. Every available button on the remotes gets transmitted perfectly. The only thing I'd suggest is a way to tone down the sensitivity of the receiving IR eye. Bright scenes on the plasma tv would make the blue LED blink (meaning that it was receiving an IR signal). As would fluorescent lighting. Once I covered the receiver up with a post it, it works perfectly. You can literally aim your remote anywhere and the IR will receive the signal off the bounced waves.
I'd highly recommend the XL system which is expandable via a CAT 5 wire. This allows up to 200 ft, the physical limit of CAT5 wires. Trust me, threading a Cat5 cable through sheetrock is a lot easier than doing it with a big cable ribbon. My setup is as follows: I have a single bedroom apartment with the living room and bedroom separated by a dividing wall 4 inches thick. I wanted to mount two plasmas back to back on either side of this dividing wall. However, I wanted to share the cable box, dvd player in the living room with the one in the bedroom. This product allows that perfectly. I am saving $10 a month by not having to rent another cable box and also avoiding the unsightliness of more video equipment in the bedroom.
Thanks Microsmith!
This device allows you to control your a/v equipment from a distance after you have hidden it away in a closet, cabinet or another room. It works great (once you get the setup down). Also, the tech support for the product is outstanding.
In principle it's very simple. You place a small infrared eye (or receiver) in the room where you will be using the remotes (I put mine behind the tv). That connects via a Cat V networking cable to another device that has 6 little IR emitters attached to it. You attach (via tape) one of the IR emitters over the IR receiver for each piece of A/V equipment and you are in business.
In practice, you must be prepared for a little tinkering. Finding the best spot to place the "eye" was a trial and error process. This is not due to any defect with the product, however.
Most big plasma and LCD tv's give off a lot of IR (infrared) radiation during operation. (I am using this in connection with a 60" plasma.) So if you just tape the eye to the side of the tv, it's very possible that the interference from the tv itself will prevent the remote signals from getting through. (There is a little blue light that will shine when the eye is receiving IR radiation--if it is shining when no remote is being pressed, you know you have IR interference.) It took a bit of fiddling to get the positioning just right.
I made several calls to customer support during this process, and they were amazingly responsive. I spoke to a couple knowledgeable tech's (including the inventor of the product) who were very patient and helpful. They know the setup can vary depending on your individual situation and are very good at talking you through the process. It was easily the best customer service experience I've ever had with a technology product. (I am more used to long waits, tech's who barely speak English and tech's who walk you through mechanical scripts without really understanding the product.)
(Note, this is my second Microsmith IR booster. I previously bought a different version for a smaller tv which also works great. Because that tv was smaller the setup was more straightforward). - Remote Control Extender - Infrared Repeater - Remote Extender - Ir Emitter'
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