Xantech Overhauls Extended IR Control
Xantech Corp. has rethought the concept of extended infrared control for audiovisual systems with a new line of products, including its Red/95, Green/85 and Blue/25 series.
Xantech Infrared Receiver
“Changes in entertainment systems range from flat-screen panels to all-digital TV content delivery, and now 3D is part of the mix,” said Xantech president Graham Hallett, in a statement. “Changes in how we live include sweeping progress in energy efficiency and greater demands on living spaces. All this, in turn, places greater demands than ever on IR control systems.”
For example, according to Xantech, the fact that people and companies are onto their third or fourth flat-screen TVs, an IR kit needs to work with both plasma and LCD models. Plus with more compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) in homes and businesses, IR systems must be able to deal with CFL’s light interference.
For its new 95 and 85 series, Xantech added error-correction circuitry to ensure faithful reproduction of the original IR signal; automatic gain control to constantly study the ambient light level and re-calibrate an IR receiver’s own sensitivity; and adaptive filtering circuitry so the receiver can reject unwanted frequencies.
All three series include native carrier frequency transmission circuitry to accurately process the original pure carrier frequency, eliminating noise and interference, and transmitting the original IR signal in its correct form to the rest of the system. The 95 series also has an oversized IR element, giving it a wider operating window, better off-axis response, and longer range, according to the company.
“We now differentiate the kits by range and sensitivity instead of by type of television, and we simplified the selection process through our three-tier color-coded packaging system,” said Mark Cerasuolo, Xantech’s director of marketing, in a statement. “Our Red/95 series has our highest level of interference-rejection circuitry, working with all types of TV’s and lighting at ranges up to 120 feet. Our Green/85 series is our most versatile kit, and works with all TV’s and lighting up to 80 feet. And our Blue/25 series is an outstanding value in IR control when the need is simply to control a traditional TV display under traditional lighting conditions.”
The three new lines of IR kits are available with four receiver styles to fit various control applications. The DL/Dinky Link surface-mount is for easy, unobtrusive mounting on any TV set frame or other component. The HL/Hidden Link Designer-style receiver is a tabletop design for placement on entertainment equipment racks or components. The ML/Micro Link peephole or bullet design is intended for in-wall or in-ceiling installations, and in speakers with a suitable knockout feature. And the Decora-style receiver is intended for low-voltage mounting brackets or J-Box installations for in-wall retrofit or other applications.
