{"id":2894,"date":"2022-12-15T17:53:24","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T23:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/?p=2894"},"modified":"2025-09-11T21:05:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T02:05:39","slug":"use-home-assistant-to-control-infrared-ir-and-radio-frequency-rf-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/use-home-assistant-to-control-infrared-ir-and-radio-frequency-rf-devices\/","title":{"rendered":"Use Home Assistant to Control Infrared (IR) and Radio Frequency (RF) Devices"},"content":{"rendered":"

When setting up a smart home – especially in the early stages – there will be many “non-smart” devices in the house. An option is to replace them with newer “smart versions”. But that’s costly and in some instances, not possible to find smart options – or safe\/wise ones to purchase. So what is a person to do – how can the “dumb devices” in the “soon-to-be-smart-home” become smart? Easy (and inexpensive) – add an IR \/ RF Blaster to Home Assistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An IR \/ RF Blaster sends Infrared (IR) and Radio Frequency (RF) signals to the “dumb-devices” in the “smart-home”. In other words, it takes the remote control that came with the TV, heater, lights, etc. in the house and puts them into Home Assistant. How cool is that?<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Control<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Why Use an IR \/ RF Blaster<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many perfectly good devices within a home use the older non-smart<\/em> technologies – Infrared (IR) and Radio Frequency (RF). One option to make these devices controllable by Home Assistant is to replace them. This means spending more money, creating e-waste in disposing of what is likely a perfectly good device, and a lot of hassle. Additionally, there’s a chance that a smart<\/em> version of this device doesn’t exist on the market place yet. If it does, it’s most likely priced substantially higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a marginal investment (particularly when considering the cost to replace existing devices) an IR \/ RF blaster can be added to Home Assistant to make those devices controllable by Home Assistant. And as new devices get added to the home they can be easily setup on the same IR blaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Home Assistant Universal Remote<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To be clear – an IR \/ RF Blaster is really just a Home Assistant universal remote. It’s like the old universal remotes you’d buy at Radio Shack back in the day to control all of your devices (is it just me that remembers those beasts?). But this is better. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n