Remote Confusion
What's better -- RF or IR? And what's the difference?
Dear Paul,
I’ve heard there are some remote control systems that use RF and some that use IR. What’s the difference? Is one better than the other for a home theater system?
Dear Jim:
RF stands for radio frequency; RF is usually found in remote control devices whose signals have to penetrate hard surfaces. One of the most common examples of an RF remote control device is the button-covered handheld device you often use to unlock your car. The remote receiving unit is somewhere inside the car and responds to your sending "key" by triggering the unlock mechanism.
On the other hand, so-called IR,or infrared, remotes send signals on a different frequency and are often used in the components of a home theater system – your DVD player, TV, receiver and so-on. One problem with IR: You have to be able to see the device you’re controlling, so it won’t work if your stereo cabinet door is closed. There are many workarounds – including a little "cyclops" IR receiver that sits outside your stereo cabinet, receives the IR signal from your remote and sends it inside the cabinet through a thin wire to your stereo.
Good luck!
The beauty of RF is that it is fast to install and everything is hidden out of sight. The beast is that you pay much, much more for a RF remote, and none of your 'factory' remotes will work with it. If that RF remote dies, you need to pay much, much more again. And I *think* a RF remote will shorten battery life compared to a similar non-RF model, because these remotes are actually sending out two signals with every button press - RF and IR.
An IR blaster (repeater) by its nature must be in sight of the remote, although it can typically be nicely concealed. These systems can use any cheap remote you throw at it - learning, universal, factory, etc. So there is no need to program a special remote in order to use it (although you really should - nobody should need more than 1 remote for typical TV or movie watching, no matter how complex your setup is).
My favorite repeaters are mounted in the wall, often trimmed with a standard light-switch plate. They can give a confirmation blink to tell you they just received the command.
Something stupid sony didn't do with their huge massive brick PS3 remote!!! 
da max: Bluetooth is a technology that still relies on RF technology. It is just a more universal variation of it, allowing non-factory devices to link to it. This means that you could have your computer operate your TV or stereo system. Or even your cell phone for that matter.
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