BlastIR Classic

I purchased this so I could control my SONY AV receiver from my theater room when the receiver is mounted behind a wall in the adjacent utility room. It works great, and is easy to install. All you need is a power source near buy, connect the IR sensor & mount it somewhere in your room, then connect the transmit cable & mount one or more of the IR emitters near the sensor on your receiver. You don't have to be too terribly precise on how close to your AV sensor you mount the emitter. I even tried just dangling one near the front of my AV receiver, and it worked just fine. I believe this will be compatible with most remotes and receivers, but I didn't take the time to study all of them. Oh, and you can connect multiple remotes to multiple IR receiver devices, so it is pretty handy if you are stuck with more than one remote with audio/visual equipment that is not in the same room.

Feels like a well made product. Easy setup and works well.

I had purchased an old 60's magnavox HiFi console on craigslist and gutted it of its old tubes, speakers, and other whatnots. I bought this repeater so I could hide all of my components inside the cabinet. It has worked flawlessly so far (it's been a month). The only visible part is the little black receiver that is about the size of my index finger. As others have mentioned, it has a very bright blue light that lights up whenever it sees a remote's signal. I suppose you could tape over this if you find it bothersome, but since it's the only visual notification that I have when I turn up the volume on my stereo, I have kept it uncovered. Then I know its working. Because it works so well, I would consider buying one of these even if I didn't intend to hide my components. The receiver sees my remote's signal MUCH better than any of my components ever did, and I only have a single point in the room where I need to aim the remote. Definitely a good purchase. UPDATE: I've had this now for 6 months or so, and after moving the little receiver box a million times (I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old) the cord has come lose from the circuit board inside. A replacement costs 20 dollars with shipping :/ Still.. this is a great unit, but you may want to secure the connection between the wire and the receiver unit (the part with the obnoxious blue light) with some electrical tape or something. UPDATE2: It's been like 2 years and this thing is still going strong. I use this with a XBMC/KODI set up and I have taped the repeater IR light to the reciever for my cheap-o Chinavision remote connected to my media center. It has worked flawlessly for all of this time. Well worth the investment.

I was looking for a device to relay signals to my newly-hidden DVD player and cable box (both happen to be Samsung). There is a bewildering array of choices. I also have a 2013 Samsung TV, which already has an IR relay to control the cable box, but that relay only passes on a few specific signals from the TV's remote, and does not permit full control of the cable box (e.g. DVR functions). So, specifically what I needed was the ability to control two hidden devices, and also to not have to paste the transmitter directly over the receiving sensor, since for the cable box I actually needed two transmitters, one from the TV and one the IR relay. So this kit contains the sensor, which is about 1" long by 1/2" wide by 1/2" deep, and needs to be stuck on a surface so its sensor is facing into the room; a small box that all the lines plus the power cord plug into, and 4 sets of transmitting lines (two transmitting bulbs on each line). The adhesive strip is not great but that's obviously not a big deal. All the wires supplied are kind of stiff, and since the sensor is light, and the transmitters are tiny, it's really necessary to sick them all to something so that they remain properly oriented. I did not measure the cords, but they were more than long enough for my set-up. I had ordered an extension C&E CNE03722 Stereo Headphone Extension Cable 50 Feet 3.5mm which looks to be fine but I didn't need it. The main issue I was concerned about was whether the transmitters would function if they were simply placed in front of the receiving boxes, rather stuck onto the boxes, and the answer is they work fine. Since the kit is supplied with 4 sets of transmitting lines, each of which has two transmitters on it, what I did was use two of the lines, and just located both transmitters bulbs on each line about an inch in front of the receiving boxes. I'm sure I could just have used one line and positioned one transmitter in front of each box, but since I didn't need all the transmitters, I figured this would help insure a strong transmitted signal. I actually stuck the two transmitter bulbs for the cable box right on to the transmitter coming from the TV, and they all work fine. I noticed some other reviewers complained either of a time lag, or of a need to orient the receiver exactly right. I did not notice either problem. From about 12 feet away, if I aim the remote any where in the direction of the TV, the receiver picks up the signal just fine. The receiver flashes a blue LED whenever it detects a transmitted signal, which is very reassuring. So far, I have seen absolutely no problems controlling either the cable box or the DVD player, for all available functions. I can use the Cable remote to control both the TV and the cable box, and it all operates seamlessly (as when the box was located in the open below the TV). I would say the construction quality is adequate, not outstanding. Certainly "good enough" for the purpose.

The IR frequency compatibility: Works perfect with the following devices: Yamaha RX-V473 Receiver Marantz receiver DirectTV Satellite Receiver Sony BlueRay DVD Player Sewell IR Target (the sensor at the TV) Compatibility: The target that comes with the Sewell BlastIR works perfectly with a Samsung 59" Plasma TV without any problems. Even with a Plasma TV the normal target that comes in the kit works perfect when placed just behind and barely above the top of the TV. I also have another Sewell IR Target on a LG LED TV and it works perfect with it also. My Install: I have an Ethernet CAT5e running from a Ethernet RJ45 Keystone in Patch Panel in a Network Closet to a wall plate (RJ45 Jack) behind the TV. I made a short (3") adapter (CAT5e wire with Ethernet plug to a 3.5mm Jack) that makes it easy to use with any Ethernet Jack. My favorite 3.5mm (1/8") Keystone (Jack) is the ICC brand. Plug the 1/8" target into the jack behind the TV. I used an 1/8" - 3' extension cord to connect the Hub to the RJ45 Keystone in the Patch Panel. Works perfect. Sewell BlastIR compared to Hot Link Pro: When I compare it to the Hot Link Pro, I love the Sewell mounting holes on the hub and the individual emitters whereas the Hot Link Pro emitters are on a ribbon and the Hot Link Pro hub does not have mounting holes. I own both products, one of the Hot Link Pro and two Sewell BlastIR. Sewell BlastIR is about 1/2 the cost of the Hot Link Pro and it very install friendly. In conclusion, I love this little gadget!!!!! So simple. I have used them in 2 different homes so far. Will definitely use again in our new home construction network/media closets.

In short: I couldn't get this to work reliably after months of trying. You keep clicking the remote, maybe 30% of the time the correct signal gets to your device. E.g., You press the button to send, say 302 to your Cable box. What gets sent might be 3 or 30 or 02, etc., you get the idea. The issues in detail: You can buy IR extenders for anywhere from about $8 to $108. This one is in the lower part of midrange. The Sewell signal receiver/sensor and the main/distribution unit both have a blue led that lights up whenever an Infrared signal is received and being processed. Unfortunately, lots of unintended infra red light triggers the receiver unit, e.g., the light in the room from a TV will light the blue signal indicators on the Sewell receiver and central unit--the blue lights flicker on or off depending on the image on the TV. This errant flickering doesn't cause unintended signaling in your devices-- it's too random to be interpreted as genuine signals, but it's unnecessarily distracting to have the blue lights flashing persistently the whole time the TV is on. Covering them over with electrical tape once you have them placed suitably might be a good idea. The blue lights are brighter than any sane person would want anyway. Getting the Blaster (the small bud that retransmits the original IR signal) placed on a unit (BluRay player, TV, etc.) so that it signals accurately and reliably can be a headache. You might have more success placing the blaster near the desired sensor so that it is broadcasting a beam, which doesn't have to be aimed as carefully. Placed up close, the placement must be precise. In either case, sometimes a signal will work and sometimes not. It reminded me of the old TV days with rabbit ear antennas and tinfoil and turning in a million different positions trying to get things to work. Holding a remote button down longer than normal increases the likelihood that the signal will result in the correct behavior, but for some signals this presents a rapid succession of the same signal--so Channel Down once becomes Channel Down with many repeats. So use is frustrating, not just initial setup. One other point. The description on amazon is contradictory about the number of blasters. Sewell's standard packaging for this product, and the way it arrived, is with 4 blaster cords with two blasters on each cord for a total of eight. The blasters on a cord are only about 3 inches apart when delivered, but you can separate them further but pulling them apart. Each cord is really a pair of cords connected along their length like zip cord/lamp cord but easily separable down to the plug. You can buy additional blasters for about $3-$6 depending on whether you buy singles or the paired type that come with the unit. Vendors on amazon seem to be offering them for about 2 - 3 times those prices. Based on the reviews I seen on various web sites, the Sewell is one of the better performing IR extenders. More is the pity. It's like major back surgery--it is preferred only if all other possible options have failed or there are no other options. I.e, if you can get your original device within line of sight of your remote so that you can avoid using an extender, that's a better choice. If you have to use an extender, be prepared for frustration, both while setting up and when using your remote thereafter. I hoped to move the ugly box from Comcast to a discreet location and tried for months to get the sewell to reliably work. Alas, I ended up sending it to the round file.

The product itself seems sturdy and decent. Installation was a breeze. My main beef is with the I.R. receiver. The eye that sees the signal from your remotes is recessed back below the surface of the receiving piece, so it will obviously have a limited field of view, making it hard to get a good aim at it with a remote from different positions in the room. It does a fair job of picking up signals from my Denon AVR-1911 remote. It does a poor job of picking up signals from the remote to my Dish Network VIP-722K DVR remote. It takes long, deliberate button presses, that aren't sequenced too quickly, in order for it to do what you want. With DVR usability a very high priority for me, this unit didn't cut it, so I had to return it. It's unfortunate, since I really wanted to like it.

I was very happy with the quality of this product. The kit's receiver cable is only 9ft long, which is great I'm sure for most people, but I needed something longer. I decided to test my luck and created a ~30ft cable with a set of standard 3.5mm headphone jacks (one male, one female, both 3-conductor type) and 16-guage speaker wires (requires 3-conductor cable). I placed the cable between the receiver cable and the repeater box. To my surprise and delight, it works wonderfully. Other notes: The receiver cable has both an IR receiver and a blue indicator LED at the end. At first I thought the blue light would get annoying (it lights up when you press a remote control button), but it actually has proved to be a satisfying indicator that the receiver is picking up the remote control. If you don't like it, you can always put some electrical tape over it. Pros: -Very sturdy feeling ( metal enclosure ) -Works great right of the box -Seems to work well with extended cable lengths ( over 30ft ) Cons: -The "receiver" connection is a bit lose, not bad enough to remove a star though.

Great divice

I had a different IR repeater that I was trying to use and found it to be a pain to use so I bought this in the hopes that it would be better and easier - and it was. I am using it to control about 8 devices behind closed doors and it performs admirably. One small annoyance - the IR receiver blinks with a blue light when it receives a signal - while it is nice to have the visual confirmation, a less bright colour of light would be better (I would suggest red)

the receiver has a very wide field of view. both the box and receiver have a blue light to identify when a signal is received. no perceivable delay between transmit and receive. IR signals work on the scientific Atlanta boxes (8300HD tested) cons, can't seem to purchase additional dual transmitters from amazon.ca, wires are very thin but seem to work for now. very happy with this purchase as it did exactly what I needed

If you are a UK buyer, you should be aware that the 12 volt power supply that comes with the unit has a US plug fitting, and is for 110 volts, not 240 volts, so you can't even use a 'shaving adapter' to plug it in :-( Once plugged in with a working 12 volt supply it works fine

This was easy to set up and worked great on my audio receiver and dvd player. On my Telus Optik TV tuner / PVR, DVR, it works pretty well for the first several minutes then it becomes intermittent, then stops working. I have to keep one cabinet door open for the TV tuner. I'm not sure if the tuner is just not compatible with the IR receiver.