How Can I Read the IR Signal from My TV Remote?

One of my earliest projects was converting a digital clock into an IR code reader that displays remote signals in binary. It’s super handy for repurposing old remotes!

Both Arduino and ESP32 can do this. Here's a great project guide that shows you how to decode IR remote control signals: https://projecthub.arduino.cc/krishna_agarwal/decode-ir-remote-control-signals-of-any-remote-using-arduino-9b8e30

You can definitely read IR signals using an ESP32 with the right library. Just grab an IR receiver, and you should be good to go!

There are apps available that let you use your phone as a TV remote. Might be worth checking if one of those can help you out!

While apps are cool, you can also use Arduino libraries to read and replicate IR signals. You don’t necessarily need fancy microcontrollers for this!

Just a fun tip—there are cameras that can see IR light! I modified a camera to remove the dichroic filter, and my phone used to pick up older remote IR signals. Check it out!