Have you ever wondered how your remote works? How can you control your TV or Speakers from a small device that has no Bluetooth? Your TV or cable box receives your commands from your remote and has an IR Blaster. It is a small device in all remote controls and allows us to control our TV from a distance. In this article, we will see what an Infrared Blaster is, where it is used, and more.
What is an Infrared Blaster?
Your devices have all kinds of cool technology that are so small that you might not even be aware of them. They are always performing functions that make your life easier no matter the quality of your device. One such technology or device is the infrared Blaster in your remote control and cable box. This small device lets you give commands to your remote that it carries out on your cable. It works so fast that you don’t even think twice about it.
How does Infrared Blaster work?
Infrared Blaster does exactly what its name says. It blasts infrared light from the device it is installed in to communicate with the other device that has an Infrared sensor. This sensor receives the infrared lights blasted by this blaster and performs the command given to it. The most common place to find an Infrared Blaster is in your remote and its sensor in the TV.
In the past Android mobile phones also had Infrared Blasters that allowed them to control the TV or Speaker without using a Bluetooth or wifi connection.
What is Infrared?
Infrared is a light that has to be able to reach its sensor for it to perform the assigned task. This is also why your remote works better when in a straight line with the TV. It is also the reason your remote control stops working after a certain distance and from certain areas of your house. You might have seen a red light going off when you press your remote on your TV as well as the top of your remote. This red light is the infrared light that has been blasted through the Infrared Blaster.
Pros and Cons
Even though the world has moved on from IR Blasters to use Bluetooth and wifi in remotes and TVs calling them smart, they are clearly at a disadvantage when compared with the Infrared Blasters.
Pros
- Ease of use – The most important and prioritised thing in today’s world is convenience and IR Blasters provide you with just that. Using an IR Blaster allows easy control of different devices from one main location. This means that one remote can very easily work with multiple devices without you having to move. It cancels out the need for different remotes for different devices.
- Cost – IR Blasters are not as expensive as the technology used today in our smart TVs and remotes. If you look at their use statistics in the long run they always save you money. They are easily very cost-efficient as they also reduce the various remotes from various devices prevalent today.
- One Device Connectivity – The IR Blaster can very easily be connected to multiple devices which means you can use one remote to control a wide variety of devices simultaneously. You do not need a new remote for commanding your TV, Speaker, Cable, etc.; you can use a single remote with all these devices.
Cons
- Old Tech – The IR Blasters are as discussed above becoming obsolete. They are being replaced by new systems that use Bluetooth and wifi
- Range – The IR Blasters always require a straight and as minimum distance as possible to be used
Conclusion
Infrared Blasters are very easy-to-understand gadgets that are small and effective at the same time. They have been in use for quite some time now always making sure that our devices can communicate with each other and making our devices smart. They play a small role in making our lives easier yet their role is quite the most effective and overlooked one. They are underrated tech that started the path on which we are now on.
FAQs
What is the full form of IR Blasters?
IR in IR Blasters stands for Infrared.
Where are IR Blasters used?
They are most commonly used in TVs and remote controls
Does my Phone have IR Blasters?
No, IR Blasters are not used in mobile phones anymore.
What do IR BLasters do?
Infrared Blasters blast Infrared lights to Infrared Sensors.
Do IR Blasters have a long-range?
No, IR Blasters need to be used within a specific distance because they have a limited range.