New IR4PS3 Promises Complete IR Control of PS3

Sony's failure to make the PlayStation 3 a CE-friendly device has boggled consumers and CE Pros alike.

It has also spurred many an innovator to create kludgy fixes using Bluetooth dongles and an array of IR work-arounds.

RemoteCentral.com has followed these innovations and has an excellent review of the latest: the IR4PS3 from a Canadian named "Ben."

Here's how RemoteCentral tells it:

After studying the problem he had his answer: a small add-on circuit board with an IR receiver and processor that would integrate with the official Bluetooth remote's existing circuitry. The IR receiver captures commands from a standard infrared remote control, figures out what they are, and then sends the correct electrical impulse to the original circuit board. This simulates someone pushing a button, resulting in the desired command being sent wirelessly to the PS3. This method piggybacks onto Sony's proprietary system, bypassing the limitations of using the PS3's USB port for communications.

It took a few months to develop and fine tune, but by November 2007 a fully functional prototype had been built. And as of January 2008 we've received the first sample modified Bluetooth remote here at Remote Central, dubbed the IR4PS3 by its creator.

Read more about the IR4PS3 at RemoteCentral.com.