

Hence, the devices can also be placed anywhere as long as they are within the technology’s effective range. Furthermore, unlike Infrared, Bluetooth also allows transmission even through walls and other objects, and there is no need to point the remote to the device, as it does not require to be in the line of sight. This isn’t a problem with Bluetooth, though, as it uses radio waves instead of light.

So, the receiving device must be easily accessible within the coverage area of the transmitting device without a wall or any obstacle as the signal would not pass through it. With its line-of-sight limitations, Infrared is usually effective for devices that remain close to one another and relatively fixed. Nonetheless, as per Bluetooth SIG, several key factors influence the effective range of a reliable Bluetooth connection, including Radio spectrum, Physical layer (PHY), Receiver sensitivity, Transmission power, Antenna gain, and Path loss.įurther, it is worth noting that both technologies are useful for communication between devices close to one another.Īs Infrared needs light for data transmission, it requires a direct line of sight between communicating devices. Thus, it takes a clear advantage over the Infrared in effective range. In addition, it has a minimum range of 10 meters but can extend up to about 100 meters for more advanced settings. IR wireless connectivity has an effective range of not more than five meters, while Bluetooth can connect devices from more than a kilometer down to less than a meter. What’s great about Bluetooth technology is that it also enables home electronics, including TVs, to receive control signals from smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. It uses radio waves on a frequency band between 2.400 GHz and 2.483.5 GHz for data transmission.Īccording to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Bluetooth technology is designed to support a wide range of achievable ranges between two devices, providing developers huge flexibility to create wireless solutions.īluetooth uses RF signals to operate, and RF remotes are more expensive as there are fewer frequencies for them to use, and they still may experience interference from other RF devices, according to 1000Bulbs. Bluetooth remotes work the same way as Infrared remotes, but instead of sending light pulses, they send the codes to the device via radio waves. Bluetooth is a type of RF, which is an open wireless technology standard for transmitting data over short distances. On the other hand, high-end, third-party remote controls use radio frequencies (RF) instead of IR light.
#Wifi vs bluetooth controller tv#
In addition, TV remote controls that rely on infrared radiation shoot out pulses of IR energy from a light-emitting diode (LED) to an IR receiver in the TV, according to How Stuff Works.
