IR->Bluetooth->IR

You know what would be nice to have? A near-proximity IR->Bluetooth->IR adapter.

By "near-proximity", I mean having it attached to the original IR transmitting device, have an IR sensor, convert that to a 2KHz 1-bit bitstream, send that via BT to a receiver that converts it back to an IR transmission near whatever device needs to receive it.

Two significant problems remain: Bulk and power. For bulk, one could take advantage of paper-ICs or other film integration. (When I was a kid, I saw thick-film ICs dating back to the 70s. They may have been around longer than that.)

For power, I don't know. Probably the best way to go about it is to leech off the existing remote control's battery pack. I can think of a couple ways one might do that without interfering with the remote's internal expectations of its power source.

Of course, you could just build the thing into a lithium battery pack, rechargeable via USB, and tout it as both a range and life extension of the remote. Lithium power density is such that you might be able to pack the lithium, charging circuitry and bt transmitter in the space of a couple AA batteries. Some mechanical finagling and shoe-horning might be necessary to fit different battery compartment configurations.