Installation and IR Extender
The LF-30S is easy to setup, especially since the transmitter and receiver are clearly labeled. To begin, connect the transmitter to the device that will produce the audio/video (DVD player, satellite receiver, MP3 player) signal. Connect the receiver to the device you will watch or listen to the transmitted signal on. Turn on the transmitter and receiver.One nice feature with the LF-30S was the IR extender, which allows for operation of a device, like DVD player or satellite receiver, from another room. The IR extender plugs into the transmitter and comes with a sensor that sticks to the transmitting device’s remote control sensor. This is a convenient feature because operation of a device from another room just makes sense for this type of device.
Because of the IR extender, I could operate the DVD player in my living room with the remote control while watching it in my bedroom. I didn’t have any problems with the remote control operation. It was as though the device was in the same room as the remote control. The key is to locate the remote control sensor, and place the IR extender on it.
Transmitting and Receiving Signals
While I didn’t have room to test the 150' range, I was able to receive a good signal from over 60' away with a series of walls in between the transmitter and receiver. Essentially, the signal went from one end of the house to the other.I used the LF-30S to transmit video/audio from a DVD player, satellite receiver and digital camcorder. I was concerned that picture/audio quality would be sacrificed by sending the signal through the open air. However, any concerns were quashed because the picture and audio were just as good as if played without the LF-30S.
I didn’t get much disturbance in normal use of the LF-30S. When transmitting the signal around corners without adjusting the reception, the picture was slightly scrambled and the audio had a light buzz. However, most disturbances were easily corrected by adjusting the antennas on the transmitter and receiver. Antenna adjustment was easy, but might require two people – one to adjust the transmitting antenna, the other to offer feedback when an acceptable signal is acquired.
The only time I didn’t get any signal disturbance without adjusting the antennas was when the transmitter and receiver were in the ‘line of sight’ of each other.
Downside - Issues To Address
There was a downside to the LF-30S. While the receiver connected to a device via coaxial and composite, the transmitter only connected by way of composite.Since the unit operates on the 2.4 GHz frequency, it will conflict with many cordless telephones (not cell phones). During the product test, I was not able to get a dial tone on my cordless phone while the LF-30S was turned on. I did receive incoming calls, but could not answer them on the cordless phone because of the interference. This is something to seriously consider. If the LF-30S is only turned on when in use, the conflict with cordless phones would be minimal.
Also, I had some problems with the reception, especially when moving around the receiver. The disturbance was minimal and ended when the movement ceased.
Another glitch was with the audio. At times, it was difficult to get rid of the low buzz on the sound. The noise wasn’t overpowering, but could be annoying to some people if not corrected by adjusting the antennas.
Conclusion
Overall, I was impressed with the LF-30S. I can see how this device would come in handy for those wanting to watch television or listen to music in a place that isn’t equipped to do so otherwise, like in a garage, by a pool or in a room not wired for cable/satellite. Other uses could be listening to satellite radio in the front yard, running computer audio to a stereo on the other side of the house or sending a signal from a camera to a monitor, like for weddings, parties or security issues.The bottom line is that this product works as good, if not better, than I expected.
