An introduction to two-Way IR

What is two-way IR?

With one way IR, the IR travels “backwards” from the TV location to the location of your source device or central matrix. The addition of a “forward” IR path means that IR can be sent 2 ways along the transmission cable, known as “two way IR”.

The “forward” IR path takes IR from the central location to the location of the receiver part of the product you are using. Normally this will be the location of a display or projector.

What can forward IR be used for?

The most common use of the additional forward IR path is to send remote control commands to the TV or projector connected to the display receiver. These commands usually come from a control system located with the product with 2-way IR. This is normally a third party piece of hardware that’s being used to change the way the user controls the system.

An example of this is something like Demopad, which turns iPads and iPods into universal programmable remote controls, sending IR commands for TVs from a global cache box, via the forward IR path up to the TVs in order to control them.

The forward IR feature is typically something an advanced DIY user or professional installer will make use of. The forward IR path is not something that the ordinary DIY-er or end user will make use of in a typical installation.