Tunnel Vision, Inc.: Whole House Audio: Xantech

Xantech has led the way in developing products that let you operate your audio/video system by remote control from any room in the house.

Xantech first pioneered and patented the idea of remote control extension systems in 1983. Since then, over 1,000,000 systems have been installed in homes worldwide. Because our product line features a wider selection than any other manufacturer - with new devices constantly being introduced - we have become the first choice of over 1,000 custom audio/video installers around the world.

Xantech products extend the enjoyment of expensive audio/video equipment throughout the home, instead of confining the fun to where the equipment is located. With a Xantech system installed, all VCR, cable, satellite and stereo systems can be enjoyed in other rooms as well. Our extension system creates a relay network that sends the user's infrared commands back to the components. The user carries only his handheld remote controller from room to room.

Each extension system includes a receiver for the secondary location wired to emitters at the main location. The receiver picks up the infrared signal from the handheld remote, converts it to an electrical impulse and sends it over a connection wire to the emitters. The emitters reconvert the electrical signal into infrared and beam it toward the equipment. Since the original remotes are used, all functions operate exactly the same as if used directly in front of the equipment. Turn the VCR or audio system on or off, change volume, change channels, switch sources - all from the secondary location!

We have been engaged in a continuous program of product improvement and development and have made a number of firsts in the rapidly growing marketplace, including the first in-wall infrared receiver module, the first peephole infrared receiver module, the first infrared sender amplifier and the first infrared receiver using surface-mount technology.

We have taken our extension system one step further by introducing the world's first learning in-wall keypad. This in-wall keypad gives the user the same control over the audio/video equipment as the original handheld remotes but makes it more convenient and accessible from all the rooms in the home.

We are now offering our own series of audio/video products as well as devices to control other brands of a/v equipment. For instance, we offer multiroom matrix a/v preamps and multichannel amplifiers to match.

By inventing this technology and by working closely with professional installers throughout the world, we have developed unique insights into the problems of multiroom remote control as well as the needs of the professional installer.

The 730 SmartPad gives the installer the ability to place a keypad in any room as easily as the 780 because it uses the same 3-wire hookup (Power, Ground, and Signal).

Since no infrared transmission is actually used, the SmartPad is also recommended as an ideal controller for any location where sunlight or fluorescent light might affect the performance of a normal infrared receiver.

The basic unit comes with 20 keys. Four keys are dedicated to bank switching of the microprocessor's memory. The other 16 keys are used for initiating IR commands. Therefore these 16 keys plus 4 banks give you the capacity for 64 individual commands at each location! The SmartPad is also capable of multifunction sequencing up to 10 commands per key, further enhancing its flexibility.

A large set of printed icon labels with dozens of symbols, words, and numbers is shipped with each unit giving you the ability to customize a really SmartPad for each location.