An infrared data receiver includes an infrared detector for generating a received signal from an infrared input signal. A sampling module generates a sequence of sampled data from the received signal. A plurality of processing modules are included, wherein each processing module is capable of detecting and decoding data in at least one of a plurality of data formats. Each processing module analyzes the sequence of sampled data for its particular data formats. When a processing module detects one of its data formats, it generates a detection signal and decodes the sequence of sampled data into decoded data. A controller module receives the detection signal from one of the plurality of processing module, and disables the other ones of the plurality processing modules.