Help -Considering USB-UIRT Since Irman is not working for me

[msnell]

I would really appreciate some input on my decision before ordering.

I run a PC with J River Media Center 11 to distribute music through my home with a pair of Russound 6 zone amps. The Russound unit has a built in IR repeater with receivers located throughout the house. The Russound system has a number of emitters which I have connected to my AV components. I have not run into any components which have had problems with this system.

A couple of years ago I ordered an Irman to hook into my PC and control the music in Media Center. Media Center has a plug in which lets you learn IR commands and receive them through the Irman. It worked perfectly, BUT...When I hook the Irman up to an emitter from the Russound system, it no longer worked.

I tried reprogramming the Irman through the Russound emitter, I noticed something strange. The plug in displays the hex codes of learned IR commands. These hex codes were different when going through the repeater system than they were when I went directly into the Irman. In fact each time a reprogrammed a button through the repeater system, it came up with a different hex number.

I don't know a lot about IR codes, but this looks to me as though the repeater system is slightly changing the codes or putting some sort of header on the code. What strikes me strange is that this has never effected any of my other components.

Media Center also has a plugin for USB-UIRT, so I'm considering trying it. I'm just worried that the repeater will cause the same issue with this unit.

Does anyone have any insight or experience they can offer which might make my decision easier. Anything would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[jrhees]

msnell,

What is likely happening is that the Russound system is simply repeating all IR across rooms, which means it also amplifies and repeats IR noise as well. Depending on the IR receiver algorithm used in the IRman, the IRMan is likely seeing some of this IR noise before or after an IR code and interpreting it as part of the code itself.

Something you can try with your IRMan is moving the Russound emitter away from the IRMan some distance and see if it helps.

The USB-UIRT should work in this scenario. In any case we can work with you to get it all working,

-Jon

[msnell]

Thank you Jon. I wish I talked to you a couple of years ago, as you seem to have the answer to my problems. I moved the emitter about one foot away from the receiver and it now appears to work.

I'm still having some fine tuning issues, but I'll play around with the distances and angles over the next while and hopefully it will prove stable. If not, I try the USB-UIRT.

Thank you for your assistance.