Home > Consumer Reviews > Microsmith Hot Link XL Cat 5 Extendable IR Booster System
Microsmith Hot Link XL Cat 5 Extendable IR Booster System
Average Customer Rating
(5.0 out of 5)
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Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Product is great, customer service is better!
(5 out of 5) by Tony Bliss on Jul 1, 2008 (Arkansas)I've bought many things online over the years and have never bothered to leave a review, but after purchasing this product I just had to.
The product is really great - it does exactly what it says it's going to do, it's easy to set up, and it lives up to all the hype.
But even better than that is the customer service! I accidentally ordered the wrong version - the one that doesn't extend with Cat5 cable. I shot them an e-mail and asked them what to do, and they sent me the XL without even waiting for my exchange product to get back to them - I had it in two days! They also included a SASE for me to return my incorrect purchase in.
On top of that, when I received it and plugged it in it didn't seem to work - but after conferring with Microsmith we determined it was a problem with my Cat5 cable, and he helped me troubleshoot the whole issue.
The product is top notch, and the service is even better. Just buy it now!!
The product is really great - it does exactly what it says it's going to do, it's easy to set up, and it lives up to all the hype.
But even better than that is the customer service! I accidentally ordered the wrong version - the one that doesn't extend with Cat5 cable. I shot them an e-mail and asked them what to do, and they sent me the XL without even waiting for my exchange product to get back to them - I had it in two days! They also included a SASE for me to return my incorrect purchase in.
On top of that, when I received it and plugged it in it didn't seem to work - but after conferring with Microsmith we determined it was a problem with my Cat5 cable, and he helped me troubleshoot the whole issue.
The product is top notch, and the service is even better. Just buy it now!!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Works great - excellent quality
(5 out of 5) by Jeff Chambers on Oct 23, 2007 (Pleasanton, CA USA)This device does a great job of extending your remotes. The unit includes a separate LED status indicator and an IR receiver. As opposed to what several other reviewers suggested, having these devices separate makes perfect sense. I placed the LED indicator on the bottom of my TV and the received behind (yes, behind) the top area of the LCD TV. The CAT5e compatibility provides versatility when relocating devices. Quality/build is great and the instructions were sufficient.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Great way to hide all that unsightly a/v equipment!
(5 out of 5) by Rick on Sep 18, 2007 (Santa Monica, CA USA)This device allows you to control your a/v equipment from a distance after you have hidden it away in a closet, cabinet or another room. It works great (once you get the setup down). Also, the tech support for the product is outstanding.
In principle it's very simple. You place a small infrared eye (or receiver) in the room where you will be using the remotes (I put mine behind the tv). That connects via a Cat V networking cable to another device that has 6 little IR emitters attached to it. You attach (via tape) one of the IR emitters over the IR receiver for each piece of A/V equipment and you are in business.
In practice, you must be prepared for a little tinkering. Finding the best spot to place the "eye" was a trial and error process. This is not due to any defect with the product, however.
Most big plasma and LCD tv's give off a lot of IR (infrared) radiation during operation. (I am using this in connection with a 60" plasma.) So if you just tape the eye to the side of the tv, it's very possible that the interference from the tv itself will prevent the remote signals from getting through. (There is a little blue light that will shine when the eye is receiving IR radiation--if it is shining when no remote is being pressed, you know you have IR interference.) It took a bit of fiddling to get the positioning just right.
I made several calls to customer support during this process, and they were amazingly responsive. I spoke to a couple knowledgeable tech's (including the inventor of the product) who were very patient and helpful. They know the setup can vary depending on your individual situation and are very good at talking you through the process. It was easily the best customer service experience I've ever had with a technology product. (I am more used to long waits, tech's who barely speak English and tech's who walk you through mechanical scripts without really understanding the product.)
(Note, this is my second Microsmith IR booster. I previously bought a different version for a smaller tv which also works great. Because that tv was smaller the setup was more straightforward).
In principle it's very simple. You place a small infrared eye (or receiver) in the room where you will be using the remotes (I put mine behind the tv). That connects via a Cat V networking cable to another device that has 6 little IR emitters attached to it. You attach (via tape) one of the IR emitters over the IR receiver for each piece of A/V equipment and you are in business.
In practice, you must be prepared for a little tinkering. Finding the best spot to place the "eye" was a trial and error process. This is not due to any defect with the product, however.
Most big plasma and LCD tv's give off a lot of IR (infrared) radiation during operation. (I am using this in connection with a 60" plasma.) So if you just tape the eye to the side of the tv, it's very possible that the interference from the tv itself will prevent the remote signals from getting through. (There is a little blue light that will shine when the eye is receiving IR radiation--if it is shining when no remote is being pressed, you know you have IR interference.) It took a bit of fiddling to get the positioning just right.
I made several calls to customer support during this process, and they were amazingly responsive. I spoke to a couple knowledgeable tech's (including the inventor of the product) who were very patient and helpful. They know the setup can vary depending on your individual situation and are very good at talking you through the process. It was easily the best customer service experience I've ever had with a technology product. (I am more used to long waits, tech's who barely speak English and tech's who walk you through mechanical scripts without really understanding the product.)
(Note, this is my second Microsmith IR booster. I previously bought a different version for a smaller tv which also works great. Because that tv was smaller the setup was more straightforward).
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Amazing Sensitivity
(5 out of 5) by Kelly Gann on Sep 8, 2009 (Silver Spring, MD United States)I used a Matrix switch to split my BluRay and STB to feed both of my LCD Televisions in the same area. I am controlling my Samsung BluRay, Motorola STB, Philips Sound Bar, Philips LCD and the Matrix Switch. The Harmony remote only has to be in the same room, you really don't even need to worry about pointing it at the sensor, it is that sensitive!
Worth every penny, am running 65 feet of Cat5E along with a 65foot amplified HDMI cable.
Worth every penny, am running 65 feet of Cat5E along with a 65foot amplified HDMI cable.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
This is the one to get
(5 out of 5) by Nathan on Jul 26, 2009 (La Crescenta, CA USA)I did a lot of research on IR forwarding devices. In my opinion, this is the one to buy.
Some other devices work by having you put a single point IR transmitter in the same general area as your electronics, and then blasting IR signals and hoping they hit everything. The "pyramid" devices fall into this category.
Some other devices work by having you put a fake rechargeable AA battery into your remote control, and the fake battery is really a radio transmitter. What if you have more than one remote?
This device is solidly built, works exactly as described, doesn't need to learn any remote commands, and transmits directly to each individual device. It also works with LCD and plasma TVs, you just have to put the IR receiver eye behind the TV. You simply run a Cat5 line from the TV area to where your A/V equipment is, and position the receiver and emitters on each side of the connection.
Microsmith also has fantastic customer support. I can't rate this product highly enough.
Some other devices work by having you put a single point IR transmitter in the same general area as your electronics, and then blasting IR signals and hoping they hit everything. The "pyramid" devices fall into this category.
Some other devices work by having you put a fake rechargeable AA battery into your remote control, and the fake battery is really a radio transmitter. What if you have more than one remote?
This device is solidly built, works exactly as described, doesn't need to learn any remote commands, and transmits directly to each individual device. It also works with LCD and plasma TVs, you just have to put the IR receiver eye behind the TV. You simply run a Cat5 line from the TV area to where your A/V equipment is, and position the receiver and emitters on each side of the connection.
Microsmith also has fantastic customer support. I can't rate this product highly enough.