IR question for those in the know

[SeanT]

Am currently sending IR over a stereo audio cable, which runs alongside the power cable to my LCD up the chase in the wall. Unfortunately, due to the power draw of the LCD when it first starts up, I am unable to use the IR sender for about 30 seconds after turning the TV on, the activity light just comes on and stays on for this time - at all other times it works perfectly.
Will I see any benefit from using any of the other cables available to me along the same run, these are - RG6 ish coax (only two cores so would carry on using the existing cable for the power part of the signal), figure of 8 stereo audio flex (and use the existing IR cable for what it replaces), cat 5, or cat 5 with some sort of balun / sender unit - or should I just bodge it with a powermid RF sender? If I do that, do those things have an IR output so I can split it up and feed it to each component properly the other end?

 

[Warpaint]

It may be the TV emmitting large amounts of spurious ir while it stabilises. This would effectively 'jam' the ir receiver and block your remote control from working.
You may be able to shield the ir receiver on your ir repeater system so that it is not getting so much direct radiation from the display. Where have you got it located? Can you move it if required?

 

[SeanT]

It's under the kit rack so that it can't "see" the TV - the problem is different to the ir problem that I get if I put it on top of everything in view of the radiation from the telly - however is there a better value (ie. not a hundred quid) source of an LCD-proof receiver?

 

[avs guy]

We use these, they're absolutely plasma proof and cost a fraction of the usual Xantech and similar rip off.

http://www.globalcom.co.uk/upload/tvLINKplus.pdf

 

[NonPayingMember]

I usually use CAT5 when I extend IR emitters/receivers. What is the IR system you are using? IS this an IR receiver sending IR down to the rack, or an IR emitter sending IR up to the TV from an RF extender or similar? Really need to track down what the interference is. Are you saying (assuming this is a receiver) that your IR control of all other sources is blocked for the 30second boot up of the LCD?

P.S. My personal experience of the globalcom stuff is that it is cheap sh*te. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. Things like the tvlinkplus and the Sky+ combiner fail constantly and need a reboot of the two sky boxes to get it back up and running. Xantech has never, ever, ever, ever, ever failed me. Rip off maybe, but I pay for 100% reliability, small discrete design, and an amazing range of components for IR distribution in the home. My 2c anyway

 

[avs guy]

Read the link, it doesn't need to be connected to a Sky box - it's standalone.

 

[avs guy]

Rip off maybe, but I pay for 100% reliability, small discrete design, and an amazing range of components for IR distribution in the home. My 2c anyway

We haven't stayed in business for 10 years by flogging crap by the way.

 

[NonPayingMember]

The things I don't like about TVLinkplus are it uses velcro sticky things that are about 2-3mm deep each to stick the IR emitter onto the kit. The IR emitter is on a plastic thingy that is about 1.5" then hooks up and faces back onitself. So you velcro this IR thingy to either the top or bottom of the device you want to control. This alone is inherently very unstable, the velcro pads supplied are cheap and can easily lose their stick, and the IR emitters aren't brilliantly powerful. It is also horribly ugly.

I'm not saying it doesn't work, I've obviously been asked to use one by clients before otherwise I wouldn't know about it. But, it's still not a piece of kit you can just put in and forget 100% of the time. Any movement of kit in the rack later and the emitter comes all off centre, and then as I mentioned, the sticky pads lose their stick and it's a pain to recentre. All these things are things I'd rather not have to worry about by buying better to begin with.

In some cases I still have to use Global (Sky+ combiner) and I hate every time I do but it's the only thing within some peoples budgets that does what it does. If the client had more budget though, I would come up with a more comprehensive solution. We are obviously two different minds. You accuse Xantech of ripping us off, I accuse Global of being cheap sh*te. The OP can now choose what route fits his budget best.

 

[avs guy]

Why not use a Xantech emitter then? the tvlink+ has two standard 3.5mm jacks or do what we do and make our own - we place these inside equipment on top of the IR receiver and terminate on a 3.5mm jack socket on the back of the equipment. With some heat shrink and a small 3.5mm jack to jack cable to finish off, theses emitters don't / can't fall off.


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and

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[SeanT]

It's the Harman Kardon / Xantech system (a non-plasma proof system, but it's shielded from direct radiation by a rather thick bit of mdf rack), and the receiver is in the main room, with the kit rack elsewhere - the three core cable is extended, not an emitter cable. It's exactly as you say liam, just blocked for bootup of the lcd, ie. when it is drawing the most mains power, doesn't even happen when you power cycle it when it has been on for a bit - it's a bit annoying as switchon is when you need to have control of the other gear to switch that on too / adjust volume / set channel.

 

[Warpaint]

A simple workaround might be to switch all other gear on before the TV.

Where is the TV's power coming from?. How about trying it on another outlet.

(I would generally agree about using CAT5 twisted pair to send the IR data , perhaps you should try that in case it is less prone to interference than your fig8 flex.)
PS you should not need any baluns to send IR data over CAT5.