Customer Reviews: Read 176 more reviews...
 THE BEST April 8, 2007
34 out of 34 found this review helpful
This is, without a doubt, the best remote control extender I've ever used. I have used three before this one. I have the X-10 Powermid in my bedroom and bought this one for my basement. I have a 50 inch plasma in my basement and I didn't want to put my cable box right underneath it or buy a media cabinet. I think it defeats the whole purpose of putting a plasma on the wall. I read the reviews on this RCE and figured I'd try another brand. I was very happy to see that the positive reviews were right on the money. I hooked it up in about 5 minutes. It was simple. My cable box is now located in the closet behind the TV. This RCE puts the transmitter inside the remote control. You replace one of your batteries with their battery shaped transmitter. The transmitter could care less in which direction you aim the remote control. This is so much better than the X-10 and others that require you to point your remote control at a receiver. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't and I'm always wondering if my remote control batteries are dead. This RCE works every time. I'm going to get another one for my bedroom.
Bottom Line: Finally a remote control extender that works! I love this product.
 Works great after switching battery position February 1, 2007
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
On another site I saw an earlier set of instructions for this product that included the line "If signal seems week you may need to move the transmitter to another battery slot in your remote." This was critical in my case to get any kind of distance transmission in my Tivo Series 3 remote (4 AAAs). In one slot I got only about 6 feet. After switching to another slot it works great from all over the house. I don't think I would have thought of this myself. 4 stars instead of 5 for leaving out this information in the instructions included with the product I received.
Great accessory - but some quirks August 21, 2007
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
Pros:
I primarily intended to use this with a Harmony 768 universal remote (4xAAA) and, once I figured out the idiosyncrasies, it has worked great & how I'd hoped; from anywhere in my apartment on more than a dozen components that make up my complex system, and with just as quick and reliable a response as with the direct original remotes. I don't even need to extend the telescoping antenna on the receiver (RF-receiver/IR-relay), and just lay it horizontally flat against the "saucer", which is placed in an inconspicuous location with nearby line-of-sight to my IR components.
Although I don't need the "eye extender" cable (since I have no components hidden in cabinets or out of line-of-sight for the receiver), I did test it. I was surprised how well it worked even from several feet from component IR sensors, regardless of its directional orientation. I imagine that the optional "triple-eye" accessory, selectively oriented in a cabinet rather than attached directly to individual sensors, could probably emit enough IR to control quite a bit more than 3 components & maybe as many as a dozen? Even an optimally placed single-eye could possibly supplement the receiver if there were several components in the same location but out of direct line-of-sight from the receiver.
Cons and idiosyncrasies:
It comes in plastic "bubble"-container packaging. Fortunately, the package edges can be peeled apart without requiring a "machete" or damaging the product, but it still can't be fully resealed. Of course this style packaging makes it unlikely you'd be able to return it if it didn't work out for you, which is a major reason manufacturers use these insidious packages.
It can be a bit quirky, depending on the remote with which it's used. I tested it with close to 20 original remotes as well as several universal remotes, AAA & AA battery usage. Most worked just fine, but I experienced the following issues:
- Harmony 768, universal remote (4xAAA); sensitive to which battery location for the transmitter (lower 2 battery chambers, farthest from 768's IR emitters, seem to work best); on occasion it suddenly stopped working until I spun the transmitter a bit inside the battery chamber - whether this was due to poor contact or an orientation issue, I don't know.
- HTM MX-500, universal remote (4xAAA); no response from the receiver, & with transmitter/battery in slot "1" the remote doesn't even "turn on" (ie, can't be used with this universal remote.)
- Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U, D-VHS (2xAA); no response on the receiver or otherwise when used with the original remote *OR* with the Harmony 768 sending HS-HD2000U commands (ie, won't control this component - A/B/C settings on the receiver made no difference.)
Other:
- be sure to observe the feedback LED on the receiver. If it responds to your remote, you're likely good to go. (I first tested this with the Harmony 768, and until I determined its idiosyncrasies, had *no* response. I can see how someone could quickly conclude this doesn't work.)
- some components don't respond as well (or even at all for one of my components) when both the remote's IR and the receiver's IR is beamed to the component at the same time. When I'm in a line-of-sight location with the remote, I have much better response when I point the remote away or cover its IR, restricting it to sending RF to the receiver. When I'm *not* in a line-of-sight location with the remote, it makes no difference where I point it, as I'd expect with RF transmission.
- The receiver's IR beam strength & coverage seems typical to other IR remotes. If you're using receiver line-of-sight rather than via directly attached "eye(s)", it may take a bit of trial and error to find the best convenient receiver placement location and direction to operate all your system components.
- the receiver's power adaptor *may* have to be plugged to a different outlet to avoid interference from other components plugged to a power strip.
- The aspect ratio of the Amazon product-image is width-stretched (actual "saucer" seems smaller than perceived from the Amazon image); you'll see the proper proportion in images at the NGHP web-site.
- I primarily use NiMH rechargeable batteries on my remotes, but wherever I ran into issues I also tried using standard alkalines. Battery type never made any difference in my testing results and all had full charges.
- check the NGHP web-site FAQs, where it recommends such things as charging the batteries 24-36 hours before using the 1st time (which I did for these test results.) You *may* find that the mini-battery charges somewhat faster when it's in its dedicated charge slot than when in the charge slot for the combined mini-battery/transmitter.
- mini-battery charge seems to be lasting similar to the "normal" rechargeables, so far, but I've only had this for a few weeks. It's still going on the 1st charge and quite a bit of usage.
- Yes, the instructions were written by someone whose 1st language is likely not English, but they're still quite understandable & easy to follow.
- This product is so useful for me that I bought a 2nd as a backup. Both exhibited the same quirks.
 It did not work, no technical support November 5, 2006
11 out of 15 found this review helpful
There is NO technical support for this product. If it works, great; for me, it did not work. And, the instructions are confusing. It uses a cute 2/3-size AAA rechargeable battery, and the receiver includes a space to recharge this battery. But putting one battery in does not charge it. There is a second slot for a full-size AAA battery, and a yellow sticker saying "only put the provided battery here". So I placed the second provided 2/3-AAA battery (the only other provided battery) in the provided AAA transmitter sleeve (the only full-size AAA thing provided), and placed it in the second charging slot. This made the charger happy. However, when I tried to install the battery and transmitter in my remote control sender after a one-week charge, the Sony remote sender acted as if the battery were dead. It worked fine with two alkaline AA batteries, but would not operate with one AA battery and the provided 2/3-AAA battery (in the AAA transmitter sleeve, in the AA adapter sleeve, the instructed thing to do). So ... now what? There is no technical support phone number, and no technical support email address, and no support web site. I'm stuck. I'm also out the price of the useless device.
Best remote extender ever! February 15, 2007
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
If you have a need to control devices from a distance, this is the product for you.
Install the transmitter in the battery compartment of your standard remote, place the receiver near the devices to be controlled, and you are done!
No need to spend more money on a new remote, train a remote and no need to position a relay component in the room that you are controlling the device from.
This thing is amazing that it internally picks up the remote signal, and turns it into RF for transmission to the extender receiver.
The IR is strong on the receiver end, and basically just needs to be in the same room as the devices to control. (it also comes with the wired extender if you need to place the control on the front of a device.
You can control multiple devices from the same receiver, and use the original remote controls too.
I am controlling a Direct Tivo from a room 3 floor's up on the opposite end of the house, and from 3 separate locations with 3 separate remotes. Distance is great.
I use the same receiver to control an outdoor sound system, using the factory remote.
If you want to use more devices, just purchase the additional transmitters to put in your remote controls.
This is an outstanding device that is extremely simple to setup and use.
Two thumbs up!!
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