Dealing with a weak remote
Connect a battery pack with 2x AA or AAA. AA have less resistance than a coin cell (Cr2032 it most likely uses). Hence the voltage will not drop down when the IR led gets powered.
Use an IR repeater. You can get the commercial ones, or you can make your own. Theres a couple of projects involving esp8266 so you could control multiple in multiple rooms. Neat and cheap. You could also ditch the remote with this and control them via a website/smartphone app.
Use a universal learning remote. Or see of someone has figured out the standard and found which existing configuration for a JP1 remote or something.