Infrared Relay System

Finally – the perfect solution to view your TV from any angle! Do you have a seating area opposite your bed or are you using your cabinet as a room divider? Now you don’t have to be restricted to having your TV face only one direction. Our 360 Swivel lift allows you to rotate your TV 360 degrees via a handy little remote control. Not to mention, our swivel cabinets are loaded with other amazing features – built-in storage with infrared relay system, Ethernet port for external controls, and a built-in wire management system that includes 2 HDMI ports and cables.

The Crystal Pointe 360 Swivel TV lift cabinet was the first swivel model introduced on our site. Since its debut, it has been a HUGE hit! We recently completed production on our newest swivel model – Prism 360 Swivel. Our standard, non-swivel Prism has been a long time favorite of decorators and customers alike, who are looking to add some modern flair to their space. Prism 360 Swivel gives you all the style of the original Prism cabinet, with the ability to view your TV no matter where you are in the room. As an added bonus, Prism Swivel is also available in an XL size.

Is there another cabinet of ours that you would like to see available with a swivel option? Let us know in the comments!

To better understand how our Infrared Relay System works, it best to first explain the difference between Radio Frequency (RF) and Infrared (IR) commands.  Radio frequency commands can go through wood.  A garage door opener uses RF commands to open the garage door.  Infrared commands cannot go through wood.  IR commands must have direct line of sight with IR sensor lights.   In order to change channels on a cable box, the remote has to be pointed directly at the cable box sensor light.

With most AV electronics operating on IR commands, how is one supposed to operate AV components if hidden within a TV lift cabinet?  The answer to that question is to use the Infrared Relay System.

The Infrared Relay System consists of a receiver eye, output flasher lights (known to us as emitters), hub, and transformer power cord.  In each of our storage TV lift consoles, we install a barely visible receiver eye at the front of the cabinet.  Behind the cabinet doors, emitters are already built into the cabinet side walls next to shelves.  Both the emitters and receiver eye all get plugged into the little hub.  The transformer power cord feeds power to the hub which in turn feeds power to connected emitters and receiver eye.

How does it work?

The receiver eye relays IR commands from TV remote down to the flashing emitters, which in term ping the command to the correct electronic device.  For instance, if user wishes to change channel to station 10, all the user needs to do is point the remote at cabinet.  The receiver eye located in front will relay the command to emitter and the emitter will bounce the command signal to cable box.  The cable box receives command and channel is changed to station 10.

The IR Relay System allows console owners the ability to watch television without seeing their electronics.  Electronics can remain hidden at all times.  Simply plug and play!

No one can deny the convenience of a television remote control these days. And now they seem to be able to do most anything – from changing channels to initiating recordings. But what is the technology behind these little devices that make them magically bring up the TV guide or raise and lower your flat screen television in your TV lift cabinet?

Remote controls were first used in WWI by German naval vessels to direct them into Allied boats. Then in WWII, remote controls were used for detonating bombs. Now over sixty years later, remote controls have a much more peaceful use.

For at-home use, most remote controls are powered by infrared (IR) technology. Infrared light is also referred to as “heat,” and remote controls rely on the use of light to carry its signal from the control to the device it directs. On the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared light falls on the invisible portion, between “visible” and “microwave.”

The signal sent out by the remote control is in binary code; that’s how the media player or TV knows whether you are telling it to turn up the volume or switch the channel to your favorite show. Binary codes are built by ones and zeroes, and they leave the remote control via transmitting LEDs. They are received by the media device or TV’s microprocessor. However, if you own a TV lift cabinet, the remote control’s signal is first captured and resent to the media player through the Infrared Relay System, standard on all ImportAdvantage’s pop-up TV cabinets.

Different TV manufacturers use slightly different binary codes for basic functioning, and this is why universal remote controls have to be “programmed” to your specific TV brand before they work. An example binary code for a Sony TV to make the channel go up is “001 0000”.

Even though infrared remote controls have been the industry standard for the last 25 years, they are limited by their range, first and foremost, which is only about 30 feet. While it is not necessary to “aim” your remote control directly at your device, you do have to point the LEDs on the remote control in the general vicinity of your media player or TV in order to get the signal across. If you are in a highly sunlit room, it could cause some interference with your remote’s signal.

To advance the technology behind remote controls for home theater use, some niche manufacturers are moving toward radio frequency (RF) remote controls, which are what directs a home garage door opener. The major advantage of a RF remote signal is that the exact signal for the function you powering (channel up, channel down, etc.) is emitted directly from the remote, so there is no need to point an LED to a microprocessor. However, the downside is that there are a lot of competing RF signals around the home (cell phone, Wi-Fi, cordless phones, etc.). But their range goes as far as 100 feet.

So hopefully you now have a deeper appreciation for your remote control; we just can’t help you find it between the couch cushions!

These days, remote controls are used for more than flipping channels and adjusting the volume of your favorite television programs. With the invention of DVR technology and instant movie-watching devices like the Wii® and Roku®, you can pause, rewind and record any show at any time, which means your remote control is a powerful tool for TV viewing. Thankfully, the doors of our TV lift cabinets won’t get in the way of your remote control, thanks to our unique Infrared Relay System which allows the transference of your remote signal to any remote-capable device placed in the TV lift cabinet departments.

The built-in Infrared Relay System repeats the signal from your remote control and relays it inside the cabinet, allowing you total control of all your devices without opening the doors and without experiencing any lag time. Moreover, all of our furniture comes with the Infrared Relay System already included at no extra charge, and no special programming is needed on the Infrared Relay System or on your device. That is because the Infrared Relay System in our TV lift cabinets utilizes four to six high-output infrared flashers, which locate your equipment immediately without programming.

Our patented Infrared Relay System keeps unsightly cable boxes and gaming units hidden behind beautifully crafted doors so you can get the most out of your TV lift cabinet.