If you want to learn how to work with IR over long distances have a look at the article that Giorgos Lazaridis wrote. He uses 555 timers to generate the carrier frequency needed for the IR reciever which is the type you would find in a DVD player or a TV set (amongst a million other remote controlled things). Giorgos is getting a very healthy 10 meters of range from his system.
“The first part of the 556 (IC1A), generates pulses of about 1.5 msec duration, with 30 mSec interval (signal frequency is about 32 Hz). The second part, generates the carrier signal which is 38 KHz. The transistor Q1 switches the carrier signal (38 KHz) on and off, according to the previous (32Hz) signal. In simple words, the IR LED receiver a pulse train of 38 KHz, 32 times per second (32 Hz), each time for 1.5mSec. “