Sewell BlastIR SW-29311 Infrared (IR) Remote Control Receiver Kit (Black)

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.

Needed to solve a problem with a senior who couldn't point their remote in the general direction of the TV. Or practically put it up against the TV screen. Ugh.So sometimes the cable box wouldnt turn on. Or the sound bar... So it would be a frustrated senior. And phone calls to...me that I broke the TV.Solved the problem by using this unit's receiver right near the TV's IR receiver. Told them to point the remote at the corner of the TV. And we locked down the controls for the sound bar and the cable box in a cabinet. And ran the wiring from this unit to those inside the cabinet..Problems. Solved. Works every time. Happy senior. Happy me.Only minor complaint is the adhesive on the emitters is a little weak. First warm day and they slowly drooped off. Easily rubbed the stock adhesive off by hand. Replaced with high strength clear tape that you can get from a big box home store. A little fussy with some devices to find the IR receiver on the front (cable box) and despite what the internet said, the cable box receiver wasnt where it was suppose to be and couldnt be seen even with a strong flashlight. Solved the problem by best-guessing the locations and applying 2 emitters to the front of the cable box.You'll have quite a few wires to manage (including a power block)if you have a lot of devices you want to hook up. But small price to pay for a very good value unit that has worked well for months now.

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

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.

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.

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 socket for IR remote pickup was " arcing " , ( plug to box ) when plug was inserted into the socket which disabled the whole unit . Had to remove box cover and reset the rubber ring in the drilled hole of the box between the socket and the box cover. This eliminated the arcing when inserting the plug pin into the socket. The whole unit works perfectly now, with quick response from the handheld remote.My audio equipment is in an audio/server cabinet in the opposite corner of the room from the TV and all of the ( 5 ) units in the cabinet respond nicely after finding the EXACT location of the IR PICKUPS IN EACH UNIT in the cabinet. This step is VERY IMPORTANT or the handheld remote signal will be, " NOW IT WORKS , NOW IT DON'T ". Also , the extended ( remote pickup receiver has to be placed in a place on the , ( wall, TV frame, etc. ) where it will see the handheld remote signal from most or all of the seating locations in the room.I like it !!!!!!! , It works

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.

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)

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

Worked Perfect!! We mounted it under the TV and works like a charm from across the room with all of our devices. We had a different brand that didn't work at all so we spent a little more money and got this one. As always you get what you pay for! Worth it!

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