[jingo_man]

Looking for any help, experience or recommendations for an upcoming setup in my new house's lounge.

I will be mounting the TV on the wall with a VESA-compatible TV Bracket. The ideal setup will be just the TV on the wall, with a soundbar also on this bracket. No cabinets beneath it or cables on display.

Somehow, I will also mount the chosen HTPC behind here, so that it is hidden (including cables). I doubt I will have any spare screw holes on the back of the TV VESA locations as the bracket will take them. Maybe there will be something usable on the rest of the bracket?

But could this bring a new issue that the HTPC's built-in IR Receiver will no longer be able to receive the remote button presses?

Has anyone experienced this? Did you have to move the HTPC nearer to the edge of the TV, as hidden as possible but enough to receive the signals? Or a plug-in device / cable to extend this?

Another option would be to mount the HTPC onto the wall, nearer to the edge of the TV. I know a number of devices come with inclusive wall mounts in the packaging.

I know different devices seem to have different sensitivity. I haven't made my decision on the device I will be buying but I'm currently thinking of the upcoming Zotac NANO CI527 (i3 Kaby Lake, silent with no fans), so if people have specific experience with Zotac's and their IR sensitivity, etc.

Thanks

[trogggy]

I've not tried them but I keep meaning to order a couple for stuff in cupboards:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302191408336?_...EBIDX%3AIT
You'd need usb power - which is fine if the HTPC has a free always-on port, otherwise something to consider.
And they may or may not be great.

[DarrenHill]

Or how about doing away with the IR remote altogether and use a CEC adapter and the TV remote?

[Gorbulan]

HDMI CEC is not known for being reliable. Personally, I prefer IR since it "always works".

Has CEC gotten better since I last used it? My HDMI receiver is 1.3 HDMI so I may be out of touch now.

[bry]

I use gen1 of the flirc behind my tv. this is gen 2 https://flirc.tv/more/flirc-usb

[DarrenHill]

HDMI CEC is not known for being reliable. Personally, I prefer IR since it "always works".

Has CEC gotten better since I last used it? My HDMI receiver is 1.3 HDMI so I may be out of touch now.

I've only once had any issues with it on any of my Pi's, and that was the TV that had the problem and was cured by a power bounce. But that's built in CEC in the Pi hardware, can't comment about via a USB dongle.

I grant you though that it also depends on the feature set of the TV itself, which may limit how effective it may be.

[nickr]

Bluetooth is also a remote option.

[wascwabbit]

I use flirc with a harmony in a completely hidden setup with my htpc. I did need to add an IR extension to the IR receiver on the TV because it was not reliably receiving the power on/off command.