YoLink Smart IR Remote/IR Blaster, 38KHz Frequency IR Learning Remote Controller for TVs, BluRay/DVD Player, Home Entertainment/Audio, LED Strips, Air Conditioners, Fans, YoLink Hub Required

It was easy in the DIY mode to "learn" from the LED light's remote controlSupport was great in helping me disable the "beep" soundI use this for an elderly person to encourage them not to open the front door at nightI wish it was available in white.

I don't understand the high reviews on this thing. It wouldn't learn the power button on my TV remote (that's all I tried since more would be useless) and despite saying it learned my speaker, it wouldn't transmit it. Add to that the sparse and poorly written instructions and the complicated setup having to buy an extra hub for $20 to make it work. Also it was making a really loud beep when it tried to (unsuccessfully) transmit the volume signals to the speaker. That would have driven me crazy if it had done that every time I used it. Glad I won't be.

We love this device. It is programmed to control my son's TV in his room. He often has the volume too loud and we can now tell Alexa from the living room to lower the volume, etc the TV in his room. Alexa app requires that a Yolink hub be hardwired into the network. This worked for me as I had a hardwired LAN unit in addition to the voice wireless hub.You first need to program in the scenes into the Yolink app for the IR unit. Next, open the Alexa app and then the Yolink automation app in. Then you need to go and program in the automation sequence (alexa command and action to take - locating the scene you made in Yolink). The hardest part was the Alexa setup. But it does work and works reliably.PROS:- Simple to program the IR transmitter and program all of the normal keypad functions of a typical remote- IR range is very good in the room TV is controlled- IR transmitter does not use a power adapter and runs on 2 AA batteries- Unit size is small and easy to place anywhere (avoid putting next to wall warts as it interfers with the communication from the hubCONS:- Instructions for tying into Alexa are basically by your intuition (does follow logical steps)- Took Alexa app a reboot in order to find the Yolink hub

Let me clarify what the point of this product is. It's not meant to replace your regular remotes and become a universal remote control. Instead, this is about automating your non-smart devices that use a regular infrared remote, so that they can be controlled remotely, via the internet, from the YoLink app on your phone. That means you can automate, do things on a schedule, or make something happen when something else happens. (If this, then that). In my case I wanted to be able to control my television when I'm in the kitchen. So now I can ask Alexa to turn on the TV, change channel, change the volume, etc. It's pretty cool. That was a little fiddly to set up, the clue is you need to set up a "Scene" in the YoLink app for the action you want to take, then set up a "Routine" in your Alexa app.So, if you have a need to do something like that then this product could be for you. Note that you can only program a maximum of 5 remotes, and you must have the original remote to do the programming. There is no way to enter codes and program it, you need a working remote so it can learn from that.It is a little finicky to program. I found holding the remote a few feet away worked better than up close. But once I figured that out it didn't take long. Once you have programmed it, you can put your remote to one side. The YoLink box just needs to be within range of the device you're trying to control. You can even hang it on a hook on the wall if that works for you.You can also program schedules, so that some operation happens at the same time every day, week or whatever. It's pretty flexible. The schedules are stored locally on this device so will still work even if you lose internet.One final thing to be aware of, you do need a YoLink hub but you only need one of those and then you can add whatever other smart devices you want. I now have a giant fleet of YoLink products including temperature sensors, water leak detectors, and more. I have a temp sensor for my swimming pool! And if a water leak is detected in the house, then the YoLink valve immediately shuts off the water to the whole house.