HD300 external IR receiver cable options?

[LehighBri]

I currently have the HD300 extender and recently moved some things around in my room. This new configuration makes it a pain to point my IR remote to the HD300 unit and thus I'm looking in to options to use the HD300's external IR receiver capability.

If I try to buy the external IR receiver from the SageTV store, it requires $10 shipping for a simple cable which seems way too high.

I read in various reviews that the Hauppauge external IR receiver will NOT work with the HD300.

Does anyone know of any other IR receiver options that are cheaper than the ~$17 shipped price if I order through Sage's store? I would suspect there has to be another IR receiver cable out there but I wasn't sure what models/products folks are using.

[LehighBri]

Didn't see any responses here yet. I know it may be a bit of a weird topic given Sage sells this in their store, but one of two things will happen here:

1. I'll find another cheaper IR receiver elsewhere and won't buy through Sage
2. Sage should update the logic in their store to reflect more accurate shipping costs for a simple IR receiver cable if that's all that's in my shopping cart (e.g. think monoprice.com)

[KeithAbbott]

I know it doesn't answer your specific question, but this thread has a lot of information about the HD300 IR Receiver in general:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50542

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by LehighBri

...one of two things will happen here

My guess is that neither of those things will happen. That is, you're unlikely to find a compatible device elsewhere, and shipping charges at the Sage store will probably remain unchanged for the foreseeable future.

In that case you're left with three options: build your own according to the published specs, spend the $18 to get one from Sage, or stand on principle and do without. I guess it depends on how much inconvenience you're willing to put up with to save ten bucks.

[LehighBri]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

My guess is that neither of those things will happen. That is, you're unlikely to find a compatible device elsewhere, and shipping charges at the Sage store will probably remain unchanged for the foreseeable future.

In that case you're left with three options: build your own according to the published specs, spend the $18 to get one from Sage, or stand on principle and do without. I guess it depends on how much inconvenience you're willing to put up with to save ten bucks.

The alternative solution that I was thinking of was taking an existing IR repeater cable (that has a 3.5mm mono plug) and connecting that to a 3.5mm->2.5mm mono adapter such that I can connect it to the 2.5mm jack on the HD300. It sounds like that's not possible as Sage implemented a different solution that wouldn't allow that?

[stanger89]

It's different than Hauppauge's but I don't know if it's different than anyone else's (Niles, etc).

[GKusnick]

If your third-party cable obeys the pinout in that diagram I linked, and your adapter passes through all three conductors, then maybe it will work. A two-conductor cable or adapter definitely will not work. If you think exploring that option would be a good use of your time, go for it. Me, I'd spend the extra $10 for a solution that's guaranteed to work.

[LehighBri]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

If your third-party cable obeys the pinout in that diagram I linked, and your adapter passes through all three conductors, then maybe it will work. A two-conductor cable or adapter definitely will not work. If you think exploring that option would be a good use of your time, go for it. Me, I'd spend the extra $10 for a solution that's guaranteed to work.

It's not about time or cost... I'm just very curious. In the end I'm sure I'll just buy it through Sage's store as I'm very happy supporting everything they do. Nonetheless, thanks for all the help/ideas.

[gplasky]

If you search the forum someone posted the steps they sucessfully took to modify a Hauppague IR emmiter I believe.

Gerry