Any way to operate a Truevisions box thru a wall?

[NancyL]

We're working with a contractor on a little remodeling project that involves hanging a new flatscreen TV on the wall and getting rid of all the clutter of the wifi router, DVD player, and (I had hoped) the Truevisions box by putting them in a new closet behind the wall with the TV. To that end, the contractor has installed the outlet with the ADSL line for the internet and the Truevisions in the closet.

Obviously the wifi router (and thus our internet and communication with printers, etc) work just fine thru the wall of the closet, but Hubby did a little test run today with one of our small TVs and its Truevision box and realized there is no way to operate the the Truevisions channel selection or volume change function of the Truevisions box thru the wall.

At least with the current Truevisions boxes that we have. Duh. That's right. We have problems changing channels when the cat sits in front of the Truevisions boxes while we're watching TV. Why would a wall be any different?

Any ideas? Is there some way to wirelessly communicate with the Truevisions box? Some way to "up" the signal from the True remote so it will go thru a wall to the box? The box is ugly, ugly, ugly and has a bunch of nasty looking wires between it and the TV that I don't want to look at. Thus my seemingly brilliant idea to stuff it into the new closet behind the TV.

Edited June 29, 2014 by NancyL

[Jdietz]

Use something like this:

http://www.roomieremote.com/store/itach-wi-fi-to-infrared-adapter.html

[JesseFrank]

Wifi is a radio signal, while the remote of your Truevisions box is infrared signal.

There is a TafN that distributes the infrared signal over the antenna cable

http://www.tafn.com/link100.htm

[RichCor]

As JesseFrank point out, the remote control uses an InfraRed signal (light pulses not visible to the human eye, requires direct unobstructed path).

As IR is 'light' it can travel through thin transparent surfaces like glass or plastic.

You can also use a device to act as a bridge, receiving the IR signal near the TV, transporting it over RF (Radio Frequencies), then another box reconverts is back to IR and uses small mirrors to reflect the signal to the receiver window. The bridge can be RF, WiFi, Wire or even Optical tubes.

There are many products that can help. Some more expensive or elaborate than others.

Suggest you do a google search for IR Extender and IR through cabinet doors

This eBay product looks surprisingly simple and easy to install:

It's USB port powered, wired device, 1 Receiver with a convenient IR confirmation LED and pick up the signal from the remote controller, and 1 Emitter that sends the signal to the A/V components in a cabinet:

Infrared Remote Control Receiver Emitter USB for IR Extender Repeater System Kit

[phoneguy702]

The IR extender is the way to go the wire is very small and concealable the hardest part is finding the IR receiver window on the cable/sat box. Use some cellophane tape to hold the "blinker" to the box to find the best placement the adhesive that comes with most of them is only good for one try. It is important to get the placement right the first time.

Edited June 29, 2014 by phoneguy702

[NancyL]

I wonder if any of these devices are available in Chiang Mai?

I played around with the Truevisions box and it seems the sweet spot is the little circle right in the middle of the front panel -- the circle that lights up when you turn on the box. I'm thinking maybe the contractor can put a small hole in the wall and a shelf behind that hole in the closet and we can simply aim the remote at the hole.

We need to do something fast! He's coming in today to finish the job! So, I have go to out this morning to buy this IR extender thingy if it can be found in Chiang Mai.

[JesseFrank]

I wonder if any of these devices are available in Chiang Mai?

I played around with the Truevisions box and it seems the sweet spot is the little circle right in the middle of the front panel -- the circle that lights up when you turn on the box. I'm thinking maybe the contractor can put a small hole in the wall and a shelf behind that hole in the closet and we can simply aim the remote at the hole.

We need to do something fast! He's coming in today to finish the job! So, I have go to out this morning to buy this IR extender thingy if it can be found in Chiang Mai.

If he can make a hole in the wall you can as well pull the cable through it and install the box in the same room as the tv .

Good luck with the option you have in mind, yoou will have a (hopefully) nice useless hole in the wall.

The TafN i linked to should be in stock in the better satellite shops.

[NancyL]

Well, there has to be one hole in the wall anyway for the power and HDMI cables, because the TV is going to be hung on a swinging arm, not mounted flush on the wall. I'm not too thrilled with the idea of putting a hole lower down on the wall to accommodate the True visions box, but at least it would just have to be a small hole, big enough for the little lighted circle on the front. All the junkie looking wires out of the back of the box to the back of the TV would be hidden behind the wall.

Before the remodeling, the room was dominated by a table with a clunky TV surrounded by a DVD player, internet wifi router, Truevisions box and a rats nests of wires. My vision was to get a flat screen TV up on the wall and all the rest of the stuff in a closet behind the TV.

Meanwhile, I guess it's off to Pantip Plaza this morning to look for a TafN.

Edited June 30, 2014 by NancyL

[rakman]

something like this will do the trick:

http://www.amazon.com/X10-Powermid-PM5900-Control-Extender/dp/B00023KG40/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1404181881&sr=1-7&keywords=wireless+ir+repeater

[JaswinderSingh]

I have suggestion modifiy your STB, you just need to open stb and there you will see IR senser like a small light same as in remote. You have to remove the sersor then attach wire as long you want then attach sensor on the other end of the wire.