Sewell InjectIR extends your IR signal over HDMI
http://hd.engadget.com/2011/06/27/sewell-injectir-extends-your-ir-signal-over-hdmi-gives-you-even/
Nice device! I was looking at some thing similar to this at CES back in January, although none of them had a switch to disable/re-enable CEC control.
One of these might actually be a good solution to a problem I’m having with CEC control anyway in fact, so I might give this a try!
I’m about to hook up another HDMI drop in my house from my AV distribution point, and bought one of these to play with that includes IR, and can run the HDMI over a pair of Cat6 cables.
I have no idea how Monoprice manages to source these things for the price!
@strangely - let me know how that HDMi plate woirks for you. I have been happy with all of my Monoprice purchases now that I am using Cat6 sheilded and cables the same length. Too bad I didn’t find out about these plates before buying a whole house’s worth of the plates without the IR port.
Let me know if you find any other solutions on Monoprice that may serve as a cheap add-on to my existing plates. It can be difficult to find something on the Monoprice site sometimes. Ideally I’d like it to be like the Sewell product as being an add-on, but if I had to I could eat the $18 I had spent so far on the other plates.
I just got a new LG thin TV on special at Fry’s, so I want to dial in my system to be more like yours (wife friendly). I had trouble with the HDMI matrix swtich and my older Vizio, it took a long time to handshake and often came up with no sound. I think the LG will be much better now, plus it has a better picture, a wirelss air mouse remote, Netflix and other apps, a free iDevice app, RS232 (if I need it, but gotta figure out the network commands), and does a pretty good job of streaming my media from Plex on the PC and Mac.
Will do! I bought them for our guest bedroom and the garage. Just a small matter of no TV really to overcome 
I’ll most likely try it out with an old projector for the time being. Altough knowing me, it might be a while til I get round to dropping the wire to it, so if you want to borrow them to try out, you are welcome!?
Just picked up 3 of the Sewell InjectIRs. COuld probably have used the Monoprice wall plates, but was planning to run HDMI to the points already and not Cat5, so decided to go with Sewell. Cost me a little more, but my hope is that this works in combo with SQ Blaster in home run closet to control TV functions locally (on/off and volume) for remote LCD TVs.
Got my three in the mail and tested over 75 ft HDMI cable and they worked great. Only concern is the IR emitter is larger than I thought it would be, it is lie a small box maybe 3/16" x 1/2" x 1/2" instead of standard emitter. May need to be creative in mounting location, but other than that great product, packed professionally and works great.
Just wanted to add that I installed the Sewell Inject IR in my home theater this weekend and there is one flaw that might make it a non-starter for some. Unless the device the HDMI is plugged into remains 'On", there is no IR communicated over the HDMI cable. Should not be an issue in my final installation plan, but in a standard setup if you turn the receiver off, then you cannot turn it back on, if the HDMi cable is plugged between your receiver and the display device.
You can get round this by using an HDMI switch or some other form of powered repeater! It wont affect all devices anyway as I have several that keep power over the cable even when off! It may even be possible to turn your HDMI-CEC functionality on (if you have it), as this will generally keep power up also I think!
I have one installed in reverse that I’m actually sending IR from an SQ blaster from my AV rack to one of my TV’s…similar to how you are using them I think!
[quote=“strangely, post:8, topic:168617”]You can get round this by using an HDMI switch or some other form of powered repeater! It wont affect all devices anyway as I have several that keep power over the cable even when off! It may even be possible to turn your HDMI-CEC functionality on (if you have it), as this will generally keep power up also I think!
I have one installed in reverse that I’m actually sending IR from an SQ blaster from my AV rack to one of my TV’s…similar to how you are using them I think![/quote]
Good ideas, thanks, and I am using them exactly as you are. In my final setup I will be using a HDMI switch, but it will not directly connect to my projector as the output from the 4x4 switch will go to the AV Receiver and the Receiver will then connect to the Projector. The other 2 TVs will connect directly to the HDMI switch and so should not have an issue, just the theater setup. The CEC idea is interesting and I will try that, my receiver does support CEC and the manual states the power consumption is higher, so it seems like this might work.
Just remember that things will also get interesting if you have HDMI CEC enabled on other devices (it may be by default on your TV’s etc) and you’ll find that if using an HDMI matrix switch, that the HDMI CEC messages will go across every HDMI cable and device on the matrix, and you can then have all sorts of things turning on and off
The good thing is that these IR injectors also use the HDMI-CEC wire, and they serve to block the signal… This is actually the other reason why I wanted to use these as I’m using HDMI-CEC locally at each TV for my TVs and AV receivers!
Which Matrix switch are you using?
[quote=“strangely, post:10, topic:168617”]Just remember that things will also get interesting if you have HDMI CEC enabled on other devices (it may be by default on your TV’s etc) and you’ll find that if using an HDMI matrix switch, that the HDMI CEC messages will go across every HDMI cable and device on the matrix, and you can then have all sorts of things turning on and off
The good thing is that these IR injectors also use the HDMI-CEC wire, and they serve to block the signal… This is actually the other reason why I wanted to use these as I’m using HDMI-CEC locally at each TV for my TVs and AV receivers!
Which Matrix switch are you using?[/quote]
I am using the Monoprice HDX-404E. Switch works really well, but unfortunately I cannot get the Sewell IR Injectors to work reliably and not interfere with the signal on my projector. I am probably pushing the limit of what can be done with the equipment I have as I have the basement all on one system in a media closet with Denon AVR-1912 running a Epson 8350 Projector, Monoprice Matrix switching XFinity and WD Live TV only currently and 2 other LCD TVs (Bar and Gym). I also have a ATON DLA4 and a separate Yamaha receiver for using in 4 zones with SQ Blaster hardwired to DLA4 for control.
Having a lot os reliability issues with setup, SQ Blaster needs to be reset periodically as it stops responding, and if I install the 3 Sewell IR Injectors in the 3 screen locations I cannot get 2 of them to repsoind at all and the Projector has image issues sometimes. Setup I cam currently using is only a single Sewell injector on the projector and a Harmony Remote in theater that does everything for that, and local remotes in bar and gym and SQ remote for switching inputs for those locations. SQ Remote also controls audio system.
Am probably in the end going to go with either Harmony 890 Pro, which will allow different room control, lighting and RF to closet, while providing local IR for Tvs and Projector.
How long is the HDMI run to the projector and what gauge cable is it? Apparently the Monoprice HDMI plates (baluns) and shielded CAT6 cables will get you farther than the highest gauge HDMI cable will. On the projector, is the signal cutting out completely or are you getting image artifacts or sparkles?
For the SQ blaster, if you’ve not updated the firmware to the latest version (079 I think?), then I would! I did mine last week and it seems to be a lot more stable now! I would also consider attaching it to an appliance module and have a scene that you can toggle the power on it if it fails at all!
Also for the IR injectors, I’m not sure they are designed to be able to support multiples on something like a HDMI switch, as effectively you are putting 3 on the same wire, as I believe the HDMI CEC signal wire (pin 13) is not switched between inputs and outputs from my experience (unlike the video)! Have you tried one receiver and multiple transmitters? I have a feeling that wouldn’t work anyway, as I guess the devices aren’t all that passive!.. Worth a try though!
Are you using the HDMI matrix switch plugin?
22 AWG HDMI and longest is 50’. Tested prior to install with injectors on longest run and it worked fine. Projector either loses signal entirely when switching, or has off color ( red tint) when issues occur.
Will update Blaster firmware and add reset appliance module (good tip).
Did not think about multiple injectors and receivers attached to switch. Have one pair working, might try just installing additional inputs to see if that might work, but seems doubtful.
I am not using plugin, just codes from Blaster database and macros in SQ Remote.
[quote=“strangely, post:10, topic:168617”]Just remember that things will also get interesting if you have HDMI CEC enabled on other devices (it may be by default on your TV’s etc) and you’ll find that if using an HDMI matrix switch, that the HDMI CEC messages will go across every HDMI cable and device on the matrix, and you can then have all sorts of things turning on and off
The good thing is that these IR injectors also use the HDMI-CEC wire, and they serve to block the signal… This is actually the other reason why I wanted to use these as I’m using HDMI-CEC locally at each TV for my TVs and AV receivers!
Which Matrix switch are you using?[/quote]
CEC idea seems to work, I have tested it a few times and signal is transmitted after receiver is “off” and does not seem to affect other devices on the matrix.
Trying only input IR Infect on other HDMI cables with only one output on main HDMI cable did not work.
Good to hear, and yes, its a nice side effect of these IR devices that they block the HDMI CEC.
I’ll try to have a think how else you could get multiples to work!
[quote=“strangely, post:13, topic:168617”]For the SQ blaster, if you’ve not updated the firmware to the latest version (079 I think?), then I would! I did mine last week and it seems to be a lot more stable now! I would also consider attaching it to an appliance module and have a scene that you can toggle the power on it if it fails at all!
Also for the IR injectors, I’m not sure they are designed to be able to support multiples on something like a HDMI switch, as effectively you are putting 3 on the same wire, as I believe the HDMI CEC signal wire (pin 13) is not switched between inputs and outputs from my experience (unlike the video)! Have you tried one receiver and multiple transmitters? I have a feeling that wouldn’t work anyway, as I guess the devices aren’t all that passive!.. Worth a try though!
Are you using the HDMI matrix switch plugin?[/quote]
Updated SQ Blaster to 079 and it is even less reliable. Only lasts a few hours now.
Unusual as that’s the opposite of mine!
I am wondering if it has anything to do with me hard wiring the ATON speaker selector to the blaster. I might try removing hat to see if or affects reliability.
Either way I have it plugged into an Appliance module for easy reset…
OK, seems reliability issues were related to me hardwiring the ATON speaker selector directly to the IR input. I removed the hardwire connection and reliability is vastly improved.