Peerless itrio HD-Flow HDS100 - Review Summary

HD Flow Remote Control Abilities

As mentioned in the opening, the Peerless HD Flow HDS100 has the ability to pass your various infra red remote controls' information from receiver to sender. This means you can be watching in a different room than your source, but you can still pick up your sources remote control and use it. All you have to do is point it at the HD Flow's receiver. It has a "generic" IR receiver. It will capture the codes you are sending, and pass them to the transmitter which is located back where all your gear (sources) is located.

To get the remote's codes to the respective device, just put in the provided IR cable into the IR out on the transmitter. It supports three little IR transmitters that you place in front of three of your sources. If, say you hit the chapter skip on your Blu-ray player, the signal will get to the transmitter, then over the short wire to that little IR fob you place in front of your source's IR sensor. These are those same little things cable and satellite boxes have been also using for many years, when your gear is hiding where a remote can't point right at the sensor.

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Peerless HD Flow itrio HDS-100 - The Bottom Line

Peerless Itrio HD-Flow HDS100 Summary

With a price tag of $389 for one transmitter and one receiver, this isn't a low cost accessory. However, if the alternative is opening walls to run wiring, or if using the HD-Flow dramatically reduces the amount of labor, then it should prove to be a real bargain. In other cases, where running wire is rather easy, then the HD-Flow offers an alternative, that's probably still requires less labor.

The ability to reach into other rooms is a major feature of the HDS-100. In my line of work having this is a pleasure, but you'll have to decide if you have the need.

What impresses me is how well the HD-Flow is thought out. Four source switching, 2 HDMI inputs, component, and two stereo audios on top of the HDMI audio.

The really nice touch, though is the pass through (for lack of a better term) of your sources remote control. Take it into the room you are watching from, point it at the HD-Flow. Bingo. Using the fobs back in your room with the source, your player, or set top box responds as if you were in the room.

Without that feature, this product would have half the use, or less. But with the remote control ability, this becomes an extremely well thought out device.

It is unfortunate that we only had one receiver so could not play with the setup with 2 or 3 working to see if there are any issues. There were a few negatives. On the downside, the system is HDMI 1.3 not HDMI 1.4a, so no compatibility with Blu-ray 3D. For that matter, the system is rated 1080p 24/30/50/60, but not 120. So, for the most part 3D applications are out. From a practical side, I wouldn't expect this type of product to have such support yet.