Atlona HD-AiR wireless HDMI system hands-on and impressions

One of our ultimate dream gadgets has long been a dead-simple wireless HDMI dongle for our laptops -- something that would let us just throw a window (say, Hulu) up on our HDTV without a lot of fuss, cables, or configuration. So obviously we were pretty excited to try out the $199 Atlona Technologies HD-AiR, which marries Wireless USB with DisplayLink and promises to send 720p video directly from your laptop to a base station with VGA and HDMI outputs up to 30 feet away -- until we received the box and noted the small print saying that it doesn't support audio. Hopes: dashed.

On top of that, we're not sure if it's DisplayLink, Wireless USB, or some combination of the two, but the video link seemed pretty bandwidth-starved -- full-screen video was close to unwatchable, PowerPoint transitions were kinda jerky, and even just moving windows around was pretty choppy. For such a promising -- and much-needed -- device, the HD-AiR just doesn't get it done. Atlona says the next version will have audio support and 1080p video support using the next generation of DisplayLink chips and drivers, but we'd hope the company's engineers spend a little more time in the lab polishing up their 720p framerates before they push this thing any farther. Video after the break.

Gallery: Atlona HD-AiR unboxing and hands-on

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[manifest3r @ Jul 17th 2009 6:07PM]

still processing?

[nerdtalker @ Jul 17th 2009 7:10PM]

Choppy video and limited bandwidth = because doing UWB is hard. Just that, plain and simple.

[Return of Jackson...whoo! @ Jul 18th 2009 7:56AM]

I'd rather use this CrapGadget than give Monster cables $0.001 of my money!

FACK YOU MONSTER CABLES!

You die now!

[Theo Steinmiller @ Jul 17th 2009 6:20PM]

I won!

[guy943 @ Jul 17th 2009 6:27PM]

Looks like the best way to do it is still to use a laptop with DVI output.

[EI8HT @ Jul 17th 2009 6:51PM]

or HDMI output

[guy943 @ Jul 17th 2009 7:49PM]

@EI8HT: Do they have many laptops with HDMI? I might need to upgrade.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jul 17th 2009 9:27PM]

A lot more laptops have HDMI compared to DVI. I think it's close to approaching VGA now.

[James @ Jul 17th 2009 9:48PM]

Yeah my 2 year old dell xps has hdmi so im guessing most would now days.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jul 17th 2009 11:36PM]

Too bad my 2 year old base model Dell still has S-Video.

[tyler @ Jul 20th 2009 9:20AM]

looks like none of the Apple laptops have hdmi.. hm.. bummer..

[Oliver Lewis @ Jul 17th 2009 6:38PM]

Wow, Nilay certainly has a very swanky pad... and does anyone know the make and model of the home theatre stand?

[lawyer bird @ Jul 17th 2009 6:55PM]

dude, i know that's the first thing i thought...what the hell are they paying u guys??

[blueangel00100 @ Jul 17th 2009 7:35PM]

Seriously, it seems he can afford to play around with a couple hundred dollar item and then bin it because it stutters...

[Matthew @ Jul 17th 2009 8:57PM]

Just goes to show what a can of paint can do. Seriously. I have one of the walls painted a nice deep blue-green with a stripe of chalkboard paint (for writing note sand reminders), and it does wonders for the overall effect. $40 for supplies, and you have a fun afternoon project.

[MRCUR @ Jul 17th 2009 9:52PM]

Nilay was (still is?) a patent attorney/lawyer... That could have *something* to do with his awesome living space.

[topdaddyslim @ Jul 17th 2009 11:03PM]

People living in their mother's basement are easily impressed. Apparently.

[nyq @ Jul 17th 2009 6:45PM]

what does this remind me of.....?
oh yeah! the very first wireless mouse and keyboards. I dont doubt that they will eventually get it right. But shit they should have known there would be a bandwidth issue/ power issue. They must have been thinking." well if you can make a usb 2.0 port into a 3g modem dongle, than why not try hd?" There is a vast difference between a cell tower pushing towards a 3g dongle modem.
and a usb 2.0 antenna pushing to a tv.

[Jason @ Jul 17th 2009 6:52PM]

Iogear has a product you are looking for. Streaming video AND audio.

http://www.iogear.com/product/GUWAVKIT/

I saw a video thrown from a Lenovo laptop to a 62" plasma in our executive conference room and it worked pretty well. I have yet to use it for personal use but I think it's what you were wishing for.

[Nilay Patel @ Jul 17th 2009 8:34PM]

I think the IOGEAR is based on Wireless USB as well - http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/06/iogear-wireless-usb-audio-video-kit-more-wireless-usb-eyes-on/ - so it might have the same problems. I'll see if I can get one to play with -- stay tuned.

[nyq @ Jul 17th 2009 7:05PM]

why from the lap top though, I mean you eliminate one cord, to bring only another cord into the room. Most people have either already invested in some form of media displaying system, wether its the ps3, xbox, apple tv, or some other brand name device. All three of which are ethernet lan or wifi capable. So no wires from the pc to the media device check! whats missing here?
a laptop in my living room? running to my office to toggle play on my desktop? or a device that is blasting from my media entertainment device already in my living room right under my tv that i would love to have mounted on the wall limited cordage adorning the rest of the wall. I get it wireless is nice! but your still dealing with a power issue! and one way or another your speakers are going to have cords or barely last the entire football game. Your tv is going to have a cord. and yeah unless you broke the problems tesla had been stuggleing with for years, your just not going to beat down the fact that you cant send an electrical current through the air to devices. the closest we get is magnetic exchange found in devices similar to the palm pre and sonic tooth brush. I like tech and gadgets as much as the next guy. but lets not to the exchange game. eliminate a cord in a room, and im happy, but dont try and fool me into thinking the one on the wall is gone but will your laptop last the whole movie everytime, or are you going to plug it in too?

[matt @ Jul 17th 2009 7:13PM]

dont let these fools ever make another dollar. who makes a product that does half of what it needs to do inorder to be considered functional, and says....the rest is coming in future product.

screw em.

[10minutehobo @ Jul 18th 2009 7:47AM]

"who makes a product that does half of what it needs to do inorder to be considered functional, and says....the rest is coming in future product."

Apple?

Oh wait, they don't even promise that.

[To: Hell @ Jul 17th 2009 7:23PM]

Jerky silent bigscreen porn anyone?

[Shiz @ Jul 17th 2009 7:29PM]

He has a nice living room.....

[Mikeweezer @ Jul 17th 2009 7:31PM]

Use a slingcatcher - I have mine hooked up with Sling Projector and I can watch Hulu (with audio) and the quality is good.

[jinsei888 @ Jul 17th 2009 7:44PM]

Atlona HD-FAiL

[ToasT @ Jul 17th 2009 7:49PM]

That laptop isn't a Macbook Pro...
Is Nilay feeling ok?

[The Dude @ Jul 17th 2009 10:08PM]

I'm willing to bet that it's because the hardware+software is not OS X compatible.

[tyler @ Jul 17th 2009 8:42PM]

Um.. recession antidote... win one of these?

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jul 17th 2009 9:30PM]

I like Nilay's style with videos. Laid back but still informational.

[MRCUR @ Jul 17th 2009 9:53PM]

+1 - More videos from Nilay please.

[MRCUR @ Jul 17th 2009 9:54PM]

Is that the T400s Nilay? Looks like it if you're flinging it around pretty easily at the beginning.

[The Avatar @ Jul 17th 2009 10:10PM]

Well at least it wasn't teh $1500 gang rape option posted yesterday.

[sweet greggo @ Jul 17th 2009 10:57PM]

No one in their right minds would buy this. Not even non techy people. Whoever funded this should have their billions confiscated and given to someone who can invest a little more wisely.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jul 17th 2009 11:54PM]

The product isn't horrible, it's just not for consumers but for businesses. My teacher has something like this that he uses to connect his tablet with the ceiling-mounted projector. It's just for some slideshows and other "educational" goodies so sound and bad framerate is no problem.

[Cray @ Jul 17th 2009 11:47PM]

Nilay, I appreciate the video demo, next time could you provide close-caption as I am hearing-impaired.

[Wwhat @ Jul 18th 2009 11:03AM]

The article is the CC since it says the same as the video basically.

[Wwhat @ Jul 18th 2009 10:38AM]

Hate to be nasty, but does mr patel ever get confused with a burglar? with his unshaven look and that jacket and general attire he looks out of place near such pricey equipment, I know it's a false impression, but still, there it is, mind you that pretty much completely dissipates when he speaks and you hear he's not in fact out of place after all.
So my advise to him is, talk to people when you want to not give them a chance to get a false impression.

Glad this is the internet and people can't reciprocate by judging my 'look' ;)

[Wwhat @ Jul 18th 2009 10:43AM]

One more to the subject thing; why not simply use another device, classical wifi or BT or whatever, to do audio? It's not perfect sure but audio streaming is old hat and it doesn't have to stop everything if this device doesn't do the audio when another 25 bucks can get you something to stream the audio, might still be a cheap solution just slightly more hassle, but then you can use the audio part to do music/radio on your hifi too when you don't want to use the screen so you have a 'value added bonus'

[ApplicationError @ Jul 18th 2009 12:15PM]

How about...

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=4318

[Wwhat @ Jul 18th 2009 5:41PM]

Price:$999.00, that's 5 times as much, five times, 1 2 3 4 5

[Michel @ Jul 18th 2009 10:50PM]

Hmm, that doesn't sound good. I was hoping it would pretty good but it seems to early on. I kinda hate connecting my laptop to my hdtv and have to stay close by to operate it.