IR signals and Acra cabinet with grille door

Hi. We've just had a nice Pioneer plasma TV installed and got an Arca Nuevo 100 series unit to hold the various bits of kit. The door on the front is the grille or mesh finish - the idea being that we can use the remote controls (like Sky+ and Xbox 360 remote - both IR controls) without the door open or having to get IR extender cables.

BUT we discovered once it was all set up that neither the Sky+ remote or the Xbo 360 remote work through the mesh - the door has to be open. If you're about 50cm away from the cabinet with the door closed then both work but not any further.

Question is were we completely wrong to expect the remotes to work through the grille door? I've spoken to Arca themselves and they don't seem to know for definite but the girl I spoke to initially said she'd seen Sky remotes working through them. And the company we bought the unit from (and the TV) are checking it out for us. No problems with either just want to check with the experts here if this should work.

Batteries are not the issue and all new and we've tried with other Sky+ remotes we have and they don't work either.

Cheers

Jason

[smiffy333]

I think the mesh grill was designed for when speakers are installed in the cabinet, can't see infra red ever being able to go through it to be honest the material's too dense. You could always use the infra red extenders instead there's been plenty of posts about them.

[johndon]

I've got 3 Arca Series 100 units with the cloth fronts that have had a whole host of kit (including Sky+) in them over the last 4 years. Never once had a problem with IR remotes - doors are only ever opened to change DVD or CD, never to get the remotes to work.

John

John, any suggestions as to what we might be doing wrong? Have now discovered that any IR signals cannot go through the mesh - so the Xbox 360 remote, Sky+ remote and also mobile phones (just tested 2 phones trying to communicate via IR and nothing - not sure whether a valid test or not).

Have a media box for the TV - Pioneer - on the bottom shelf, the Sky+ box and a Philips signal transmitter on the next shelf and the Xbox 360 and a Netgear bridge on the top shelf. With door open all is fine. With door closed no IR remotes work.

[johndon]

I can only guess that the cloth is much thicker on the new 100 series units which would explain the problem you are getting.

John

[vex]

Blue Delta are just about to launch the Hide-A-Way which will allow all you AV sources to be hidden in a cupboard and controlled from outside.

An IR receiver on the outside, a bit of CAT5e or Coax and a high powered IR blaster on the inside to re-radiate any IR signals to the devices inside.

Chris

Problem solved almost...

The offending unit is actually my Philips SBCVL1400 wireless TV link - that sits on top of the Sky+ box. With this unit turned off at the wall the signals from the Sky+ remote work perfectly through the door. The Xbox 360 controller works in all cases but has to be pointed at a more specific area - ie towards the unit!

The Philips box surprises me as I've had it about 1.5 years now - always on top of the Sky+ box - and it's been working perfectly. The only difference is that now the unit has a mesh door whereas before the old unit had a glass door. I can only think that with the mesh door now closed and the Philips unit on the Philips unit is sending out IR signals that are not getting out so to speak and interfering with the IR signals from Sky+ coming in. Does this make sense?

I've tried moving the Philips unit around in the cabinet, taping up the IR emitter on the unit and changing the channels on the unit but still the same.

Situation now is having the Philips unit off at the wall most times and turning it on when I want to use the TV upstairs. Not ideal but workable.

[PsychicLemur]

So - is the conclusion that the grille doors let remote control signals pass through (as long as you don't have the Philips TV link)?

Yep. The grille works perfectly and lets all the IR signals through from both controllers - as long as the Philips TV link is off at the wall. With the Philips TV link turned on at the wall, the Sky remote does not work.

:-)