Wasn't sure where to post this...anyway....

I'm in the process of putting together a home theater and my center channel is going to sit on a stand in front of my Sony KP-46WT510 46" RPTV. I don't have it all put together yet, but I'm almost positive the center channel speaker is going to create probelms with (i.e. block) the IR sensor on my TV. I'm aware that remotes like an MX-600 would take care of this problem. And it seems like I've heard of stand-alone IR->RF units. But I'm looking for the least expensive and simplest way to take care of this....and I only need something to fix this one IR signal....I have no desire to control from another room or anything like that.

Is there some sort of stand-alone wire extension that can be mounted on the infrared sensor so the reception point could be moved a few inches away to allow a clean, unobstructed IR signal path? Something that wouldn't even mess with conversion from IR to RF.....just something that would relocate the IR reception point. Thanks.

Xantech is an option. You will want a dinky link, a connecting block, a power supply, and an IR emmiter. Couple hundred bucks for your client. No rf required.

Being a tad on the kinky side, I prefer the mirrored ceiling approach. No Xantech required...

just use a remote IR reciever and connect one of it's ports to the IR sensor on the TV set. you could locate the reciever under the center channel.. Try this first. put the center channel speaker where you want it and try the remote. You might find that the IR sensor in the TV set still recieves the signal. IR is very sensitive.

Cheapest Solution? Move the Center Channel.

ANY HIGH END RECIVER HAS AN IR OUT USE THAT WITH AN EYE THAT SHOULD COST ABOUT 8 BUCKS

My center channel hasn't arrived yet, but I've been experimenting with similar sized items and it does appear that the IR sensor on my TV is gonna have problems. Can you recommend a brand/model IR receiver? And where to buy one? Thanks.

ha! True, but below the screen will work much better in my application as it will be more inline with my left and right speakers/ear level. My TV's kinda tall and if I were to put the center channel on top of it the soundstage would be left, UP, right. Not to mention I've heard of Sony RPTV owners bowing their TV's cabinet from the weight of a center channel.

That's a great idea I never thought of. My receiver is gonna be an Onkyo TX-SR502. It DOES have an IR in/out, but I downloaded the manual and it says that it is only for connection to other Onkyo components. I'm wondering if it still might work in the way you described? Anybody ever try that with an Onkyo receiver?

I would agree with impaqt on this one...
The expense and hassle of creating the IR repeater system is far greater than the very slight performance lost in lowering the center a couple inches.
Even if you are a super tweak, you could aim the L,C,& R baffles perfectly to seated ear level by making some blutack balls.

Plus with the $100-150 you save, you could justify buying a couple Sopranos box sets or upgrading the video cables or something.

If you still go through with the routed IR, use a xantech mouse shield over the emitter to keep the intermittent line of sight commands from duplicating the routed commands and toggling the tv on/off super fast or skipping channels two at a time with every odd button press.

call Onkyo and find out if the IR IN / out is just an IR pass through or if the out is a transmitter.

Update:

I got my center channel and sure enough it completely blocks my TV's IR sensor.

However, the problem has been solved for all of $35. With the help of David Kandasamy @ My.TV, I ended up purchasing a MyExtender RF extender. I'm not really using it the way it was designed to be used, but nonetheless it is working and I'm a happy camper. I just put both the receiver and transmitter in my equipment rack and ran the wired emitter to my TV's IR sensor. Works great and isn't an eye-sore either.

Also, I contacted Onkyo about using the IR connection on the back of my 502 with a wired emitter and they said it would work, but it doesn't.

I, for one, am a bit skeptical about this claim THAT YOU SEEM TO HAVE TO SHOUT AT US. Would you be so kind as to list those receivers that you have personally worked with that have such an output?

Are you sure that this output is modulated? I have heard that some of these outputs have unmodulated signals, which makes some component IR sensors unable to see them.