Those of you that expressed interest in the upcoming Acer Phaser - the IR-RF-IR remote control extender that fits into the battery compartment of any remote - chances are we won't see this product anytime soon. The company that was supposed to bring it to market (Acer Neweb) has disappeared, its employees laid off.

I wonder what that means for the similar product announced by Zenith, which I suspect was an OEM version of the Acer Phaser.

Don't hold your breath.

I get the feeling that Acer would have made it and Zenith would have merely sold it. However, I do believe that Zenith most likely holds the patents -- so they could simply find a new manufacturer.

Hope so. I called Zenith yesterday to ask, but the guy that oughtta know was out of town. Will try again next week and post here if it is of any interest.

I called the person and left him an email, but did not receive a response. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is just too busy to respond to individual consumer requests.

In the main time, if you are looking to improve you IR reception, I'd recommend trying the Xantech 291-M Kit. I have IR receiver sitting on top of my TV, and it eliminates all my line-of-sight problem spots. Also is not all that picky about pointing your remote directly at it. Works like a charm.