TV Remotes

[custard]

Got an enquiry for a fair sized commission that includes a large entertainment centre, the client wants to screen off the electrical appliances as far as possible, ideally behind cabinet doors. Okay, no problems there, but how would the remotes operate? Are there any opaque materials that would still allow remotes to operate?

Thanks.

 

[flh801978]

another way is a remote "extender" it has an eye that you have visible which retransmits to a sender inside the cabinets to the equipment

Ian

 

[custard]

Thanks Ian, I did float extenders to the client but his initial response was he'd prefer something cleaner. Maybe he had a really clunky extender receiver in mind, I might show him photos of more modern low profile versions.

But are there any materials that are opaque to our eyes but transparent to a remote?

 

[NazNomad]

Smoked glass 'can' work but it depends hugely on the remote and the receiver. some might work some might not.

If you want to be 100% sure it'll all work then I can't think of anything except an IR extender.

 

[Brandlin]

Got an enquiry for a fair sized commission that includes a large entertainment centre, the client wants to screen off the electrical appliances as far as possible, ideally behind cabinet doors. Okay, no problems there, but how would the remotes operate? Are there any opaque materials that would still allow remotes to operate?

Thanks.

... depends

Almost all remotes are infra red , line of sight. So best you can hope for there is something like smoked glass.

flh801978 suggests a remote extender but you need to be careful here. most extenders i have seen convert the IR remote signal to RF transmit it, receive it and convert it back into an IR signal. that means you still have to have your receiver unit of the extender in a place where it is line of sight and within the operating angle of the piece of equipment you are trying to control.

Another option is that some equipment (usually from the same manufacturer) allows controls signals to be passed between them so that only one receiving piece of equipment needs to see the signal and it can be passed between them equipment through cables.

However many pieces of equipment these days have smart phone app cntrols which are bluetooth or wi-fi enabled. for those you can box in the unit without any issues.

Hope that helps.... it is a bit of a holy grail for hi-fi manufacturers and stand/entertainment designers... and so many of the solutions are proprietary that there is no one size fits all.

 

[Brandlin]

But are there any materials that are opaque to our eyes but transparent to a remote?

In his case you might have some success with a mesh. Especially if the space behind the mesh is not lit. A suitably fine mesh might only have equivalent say 50% obstruction which MAY be enough to allow an IR signal. IR control systems can be quite tolerant of reduced signal strength.

 

[dynax]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giUkBQRufGY :mrgreen:

 

[NazNomad]

...that means you still have to have your receiver unit of the extender in a place where it is line of sight and within the operating angle of the piece of equipment you are trying to control.

Would panel-mount receivers plug into an extender?

https://www.keene.co.uk/keene-ir-panel- ... black.html

They'd look quite neat.

 

[Brandlin]

...that means you still have to have your receiver unit of the extender in a place where it is line of sight and within the operating angle of the piece of equipment you are trying to control.

Would panel-mount receivers plug into an extender?

https://www.keene.co.uk/keene-ir-panel- ... black.html

They'd look quite neat.

following the same approach as NazNomad - you would be needing a system similar to this... https://www.keene.co.uk/keene-ir-distri ... irpmr.html

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Could you find a mesh of some description that remotes would work through? It wouldn't need to cover the whole door. Presumably you'll have to incorporate some form of ventilation anyway?

 

[Droogs]

This is the material you may be after Custard
http://www.eplastics.com/Plexiglass_Acr ... ansmitting

 

[doctor Bob]

I've done a few behind speaker fabric in a frame, works fine. Looks good in a AV unit as the speakers are also behind the same.

 

[nev]

IR will go through speaker cloth material.
A decent IR repeater will have a receiver (the bit you see) smaller than a penny like this one.

We used to install them in custom cabinetry all the time (about 15 years ago) but I cannot for the life of me remember the brand.
Basically one receiver, one box of tricks and then either one repeater stuck on each component or one 'blaster' if everything is in one pile.
Any decent custom AV installation people should have the appropriate kit.
(I used to work on the custom installations for Audio Excellence in Cardiff, who are now AudioT and have branches in the SE https://www.audiot.co.uk/storefinder/)

 

[custard]

Many thanks for the replies. Very useful and much appreciated.

 

[Glynne]

Kumiko panels in the cabinet doors.

 

[cowfoot]

My Father had some media cabinets built a number of years ago - they used loose weave fabric on the doors in front of the Sky box etc, it looks really stylish - that 50’s radiogram look.

 

[Racers]

A lot of remotes will work without being in line of sight so a remote extender placed carefully underneath or pointing vertically at the back will probably work.

Pete