Infrared Relay System

The bedroom is the place we head for when we are tired and desperately need to rest.  Yet, it is also the space we like spending time in when we want to simply sit back and enjoy life.  So, it doesn’t quite make sense to have a bedroom that is sleepy all the way. It deserves a bit of style and a dash of creativity too.  There are tons of ideas that you can use, but here are our favorite ones: 

• Minimize the clutter- Just like you can’t think straight when there are too many thoughts cluttering up the mind, clutter in the bedroom totally kills the style. A style can evolve only when you get the clutter out of the way. Some things can straightaway be put away or even discarded, but then there is the clutter than you have to live with- the mess of wires and gadgets around the TV. Since you can’t quite throw it out, the next best thing is to camouflage it in a hidden TV lift cabinet. The hidden TV lift cabinet will have enough space for your TV, the wires, and other accessories and gadgets.

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

Are you a “Do-it-Yourself” person?  Then perhaps building your own TV Lift Cabinet and installing our lift mechanism is the best solution for you.

One of our customers, who purchased our Uplift 3700 Lift mechanism, recently shared his project results with us.   He was able to convert a birch dresser cabinet into his own TV Lift Cabinet.  He removed the dresser drawers and installed a center compartment for his speakers.  In the back of the cabinet he installed our Uplift lift Mechanism directly behind the speaker compartment.  The end result is one impressive home-made TV Lift Cabinet!

This customer did, however, have a question regarding our 12-Volt Trigger feature.

Customer Question:

How does one use the 12-volt power outlet located on the lift mechanism?  I am trying to devise a way to get IR commands into the cabinet to activate a receiver, the lift mechanism and a 42-inch plasma TV.

Our Answer:

To use the 12 volt trigger you will need a 1/8” stereo jack.

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

In today’s economy, everyone is looking to protect what they already own, and a TV, DVD player, stereo system and gaming console are investments that are 1) expensive and 2) need to be protected from damage. Thankfully, keeping them tucked away and yet always accessible in a TV lift cabinet is the wisest one-stop solution.

Instead of keeping your TV resting on a low coffee table or behind breakable glass doors, a pop-up TV cabinet quietly lowers it into a hand-crafted and solid hardwood cabinet. The TV is secured to the TV lift mechanism, so there are no fears of accidental tipping.

And when you store your media players in a traditional entertainment center in plain sight, which is where they would normally need to be in order for your remote control to work properly, they are at risk for dust damage and small fingers inserting objects for which they are not meant. These expensive media players are also susceptible to spilled drinks. However, in a TV lift cabinet these media players are

A pop-up TV lift cabinet provides its owner many fine advantages. Many of them have been noted in all the positive reviews ImportAdvantage receives for its TV lift cabinets, but here is a list of why you should own a pop-up TV cabinet.

A TV lift cabinet can save you much-needed space in any room. Much less bulky than a clunky entertainment center, a pop-up TV cabinet can easily store your TV, media players and all the media you watch or play. And when not in use, each of your electronics is stored behind hand-crafted hardwoods.

It keeps your devices safe. Do you have dogs that like to chew or kids that like to draw? Keeping your TV and DVD player out of sight when not in use makes it virtually inaccessible for those curious kids or dogs running around the room. Media players remain behind closed doors, but are still ready for use 24/7 thanks to the Infrared Relay System, standard on every model.

Another advantage that comes from an ImportAdvantage TV lift cabinet is that your TV is always

Did you know that you can surf the web right from you bed through your TV? Sure, most people can check email or tool around on the Internet from their smart phones and laptops, but smart phones are not designed for prolonged web searching, and dragging your laptop into your bedroom or sitting it on your lap on the couch can be cumbersome.

Special devices for the TV have been around a number of years, such as WebTV (now MSN TV), which provides users a wireless keyboard, unique remote control and the ability to surf any web page while you are in your comfort zone. The Nintendo Wii also allows users to find their favorite websites without getting up from the sofa.

Both Panasonic and EspriTV will soon be releasing televisions with built-in technology for accessing the Internet, complete with wireless keyboards.

Imagine surfing the web while propped up in comfort on your bed pillows. A foot of the bed TV lift cabinet makes this dream a reality, by allowing your TV to raise up from an ornate,

The Cachet TV Lift Cabinet by ImportAdvantage is part of the company’s line of $999 TV lift cabinets--offering a fine value without an ounce of sacrifice in craftsmanship. Finished in a rich, hand-applied tobacco color and fitted with solid brass hardware, the Cachet offers surge-protected on-board power for a TV and two components and a full 1-year in-home warranty.

The Cachet is very versatile and its center lift houses and lifts two additional pieces of electronics (such as a DVD player or cable box) with depths of 13 1/4” or less. The Cachet will hold flat-panel TVs up to 45 1/2” wide and 28 7/8” tall, and it comes with the lift systems pre-installed, as well as the built-in Infrared Relay System.

The Cachet is built from kiln-dried hardwoods and veneer, and it can accommodate a wide variety of home styles and color schemes.

See for yourself the value and beauty of the Cachet TV Lift Cabinet or any of the other fine TV lift cabinets from ImportAdvantage.

Most people can remember when VHS moved over and made room for DVDs. Today, all the buzz is about Blu-ray movies and Blu-ray players. But what’s great about a Blu-ray?

For one, a Blu-ray disc can hold about 10 times more data than a standard DVD disc, which is great for high-definition videos and behind-the-scenes extras. The name itself, Blu-ray, comes from the blue laser used in the player to read the disc. Standard DVD players read information with a red laser, which has a longer wavelength and takes longer to read information stored on the DVD.

For a short time, Blu-ray discs were competing with HD (high-definition) DVD discs, but now most major movie studios, movie rental companies and even makers of Sony’s Playstation 3 have announced they will only be producing Blu-ray discs, simply because a higher quality picture can be placed on the disc, as well as more content in general.

At ImportAdvantage, however, it does not matter if you have Blu-ray player, a DVD player, or even a VHS

Are you ready to bring a beautiful Axiom TV Lift Cabinet home to your living room, or any other fine pop-up TV lift cabinet, but a few of your family members are worried about having their Wii gaming console shut behind closed doors? Do not worry, the wireless controls that have made the Wii a household sensation will work flawlessly through the doors of any foot of the bed or standard TV lift cabinet thanks to ImportAdvantage’s unique, built-in Infrared Relay System.

The Infrared Relay System comes standard in every TV lift cabinet, so storing away the Wii gaming console, a cable or satellite box, your DVR or TiVo, or any instant movie player behind the handcrafted doors of an ImportAdvantage pop-up TV lift cabinet will give any room in your house a touch of elegance without interfering with their operation.

The team of skilled artisans who craft these TV lift cabinets have over 30 years of experience, and they have created handcrafted furniture for clients like Polo Ralph Lauren. Their