Using Laptop Infrared to control a TV

Souka

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2000
4,728
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Using Laptop Infrared to control a TV, how?


I used Google to search around for information..... found lots, most of it overyly technical and requiring external hardware.


Is there any software available for download (freeware/buy) that can utilitze a laptop IrDA port to control TV/DVD/Tivo....???



Thanks for reading this!
 

igowerf

Diamond Member
Jun 27, 2000
7,697
1
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I don't think you can. I posted this exact same thread when I first got my laptop and someone told me that I couldn't do it.
 

bunker

Lifer
Apr 23, 2001
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I know there's software available for Palm PDA's to turn it into a remote. The downside is (and I've tried it) the IrDA on the palm's is so weak you had to be like 3 feet from the tv for it to work. I imagine if they've done it for a Palm there has to be something for a laptop.
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
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but you would probably have the same problem, the IR transmitters on PCs would probably be pretty weak... maybe you could use a transmitter from a PC remote or something.
 

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
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Originally posted by: bunker
I know there's software available for Palm PDA's to turn it into a remote. The downside is (and I've tried it) the IrDA on the palm's is so weak you had to be like 3 feet from the tv for it to work. I imagine if they've done it for a Palm there has to be something for a laptop.

Correct... I got one for my Palm m500 and it doesn't work from my bed, which is 4 or 5 feet from my TV.
 

boran

Golden Member
Jun 17, 2001
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the things is that you have two kinds of IR emitters, IrDA is not suited for long range, and has a range of about 3 to 5 feet as stated above, however some PDA's come equiped with more powerfull IR emitters (so called consumer IR) so that they can emit IR over a longer range, this enables the use of a program to turn the PDA into a remote. however I do not think laptops have consumer IR since they cant really get carried around as easily as PDA's eh.