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Airtame wireless dongle mirrors your computer onto any HDMI display
Here's yet another option for wirelessly mirroring your computer screen to another display, but don't worry: This one is rather impressive. Airtame, the creation of a group of Danish folks, is an HDMI dongle that links your PC -- be it running Windows, OS X or Linux -- to whatever display it's plugged into over WiFi. Installation is a breeze: All you need on the PC side is just the software, and from there you can choose which dongles to beam your screen to. Yes, dongles, because you really can beam one PC to multiple screens, thus beating Miracast. We also played a game on one of the laptops, and the response time on the remote display was surprisingly good. Airtame's Indiegogo campaign has long reached its $160,000 goal, but you can still pre-order this $89 dongle in the remaining nine days left. Do also check out our video from the CES show floor after the break.
Seiki U-Vision HDMI cable promises to squeeze 4K upconversion out of 1080p video
Known for suddenly coming on the scene last year with some of the cheapest Ultra HD televisions around, Seiki is getting into the accessories game with its new U-Vision HDMI cable. The $40 HDMI cable packs Technicolor 4K-certified video processing that it claims promises the best edge restoration, noise reduction and other tweaks available, all performed by the USB-powered Marseille Networks VTV-1222 chip within. While we usually prefer that our signal pass to the TV unaltered, so far Seiki's UHD TVs haven't proven to pack the most sophisticated scalers within. Also helping its case are industry darlings like the Darbeevision Darblet that many are using to improve the quality of their HD video on passthrough. We saw the cable in action and while the demo seemed clean, the demo reel didn't give us much of an opportunity to compare what it was actually doing. The cable will go on sale sometime in the first quarter of this year, and arrive as an adapter in Q2. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Samsung's HomeSync media hub will play nice with non-Samsung Android devices
If ever a product needed to work harder to justify its price tag, it'd be Samsung's new $299 HomeSync box. Fortunately, the manufacturer seems to be self-aware enough to make some changes: the Android-powered storage, streaming and mirroring hub will soon offer full support for Jelly Bean phones and tablets even if they're outside of the Galaxy stable. This should allow an average household with numerous, diversely-branded devices to store and share their photos, music and videos using the HomeSync's 1TB "personal cloud," while also using their handsets as remote controls and as sources for mirroring via the box's HDMI input. As things stand, however, only a handful of non-Samsung phones, like the Sony Xperia Z and HTC One, are listed as compatible over at the Google Play store, and it could be a while before the HomeSync becomes truly brand-agnostic. In the meantime, there are plenty of other mobile-friendly NAS solutions around that are worth a look.
Xbox One owners report compatibility problems with UK TV providers
Nothing tests a stiff upper lip like a next-gen console launch. Having already been spooked by inaccurate pricing on the PlayStation Network, some Brits are now discovering that the Xbox One's heavily promoted TV functions aren't readily compatible with their set-top boxes. Whether on Freeview, Virgin or Sky, users' efforts to route TV output through the Xbox One's HDMI passthrough port are apparently resulting in "juddery" and unwatchable video -- perhaps because the Xbox One defaults to 60 frames per second while most UK hardware sticks to the PAL standard of 50Hz. In turn, if they're forced to give on using passthrough, they also have to miss out on the use of Kinect voice control to start watching TV, change the volume or "snap" TV side-by-side with an app. Ironically, one UK service that has made a particular point of never supporting the Xbox One -- namely, YouView -- may now offer the smoothest experience of the lot (albeit without any EPG integration), as its box seems to be more comfortable outputting a compatible signal. That won't be much help to others, however, so we've asked Microsoft's PR if there's any progress towards a fix, and in the meantime you might want to try a possible workaround from a reader at HDTVTest. [Thanks, Barry]
Chromecast stand-in CheapCast now beams browser tabs to your display
CheapCast is a great way to get some of Chromecast's functionality for free, sure, but it's been lacking a few of the Google dongle's features since the app launched. If you've been hankering to beam browser tabs to your TV (via an HDMI-or-WiFi-connected mobile device, of course), CheapCast's latest update enables just that. Android Police notes that this seemingly only works with tabs and not fullscreen casting, while DRM'd services like Netflix and Google Play Movies "actually might never work." However, this should make it easier to play Vimeo or other Flash-based video content on your flatscreen -- right where it belongs.
Sony looking into 'isolated' PS4 issues
Sony is investigating what it claims is a "very small" number of "isolated" issues with PS4 hardware, after a couple of high-profile games sites reported problems with their newly-acquired devices. Both Kotaku and IGN received consoles unable to output through HDMI, in the latter's case after updating the firmware to 1.50 and downloading the Netflix app. While it's unclear what exactly caused IGN's PS4 to stop working, Sony was able to quickly identify and fix the issue with Kotaku's unit. As Sony reps told the site, an "obstructing piece of metal" in the PS4 had knocked some of the connecting "teeth" out of inserted HDMI cables. Neither Kotaku nor Sony was able to explain how the issue arose, although the site didn't discount human error from its end. Meanwhile, a Reddit user who received a PS4 early through a promotion also experienced issues; his PS4 turned on, producing the blue pulsating light on the console, but wouldn't send a signal to TV. The issue with his unit remains unresolved, but Sony will provide him with a replacement unit. Responding to these reports and ones that surfaced elsewhere including on NeoGAF, Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida tweeted, "Be assured we are investigating reported PS4 issues. The number is very small compared to shipped, we believe they are isolated incidents."
Plair 2 HDMI wireless streaming dongle runs Android, costs $49
Plair beat Google to the punch with its wireless streaming HDMI dongle that was announced at last year's CES, but had the wind sucked from it sails with the arrival of Chromecast. So, the company went back to the lab and today, it's ready to reveal Plair 2, a dongle that looks the same as the original, but comes running a customized version of Android. That means instead of simply being a conduit for streaming video from the cloud, it runs most any app found on Google Play on your TV. It works via an Android companion app (for devices running version 4.3 or iOS 5 and up) that lets you connect the dongle to your home WiFi network and acts as a remote control for the device after setup's complete. Oh, and with the added functionality comes a sizable drop in price -- while the original Plair cost $99, this new version costs just $49.
RCA's Internet Music System blends detachable Android tablet, boombox
Though RCA has slipped from electronics giant to maker of niche products, it's just announced an intriguing music streaming system that is rumored to cost $178 at Walmart, according to Android Police. The Internet Music System (has RCA fired its branding department?) features a removable Android tablet of as-yet unknown size that plays music via Bluetooth to the docking amp and speakers. Music sources can be Google Play Music and apps like Spotify, as well as CDs via a player and yes, FM radio. As a topper , it'll also stream video from the likes of Netflix and YouTube to your TV via an HDMI cable. At the above price, it might be just the device for those tired of explaining for the eighth time how to play a YouTube song through the home theater system. To see how it works, check the video after the break.
You can plug a PS4 into the Xbox One, but Microsoft says you probably shouldn't
Microsoft's Albert Penello confirmed to Gamespot at the Tokyo Game Show that the Xbox One's HDMI input would work with any device, including its rival the PlayStation 4, but that's not the whole story. In a forum post on NeoGAF, Penello expands on the quote by mentioning it "won't be a great experience," citing HDMI latency affecting interactive content, and adds that he indicated as much in his original response to the question. He's still traveling and promised more details later, but it's easy to fill in the blanks on how the console is intended to be used. While it can work as an HDMI passthrough for any device, the process introduces some additional lag. That's fine for audio/video because it will still be in sync, but not so great if you're playing games . The Xbox One is designed for placement between the cable / satellite TV box (assuming owners want to use the overlay features or control with Kinect, and have pay-TV service) and wherever it's going, whether into a receiver or directly into the TV. You can plug anything else into it, like a PS4 or even an Xbox 360, but just because you can doesn't always mean you should.
Sony confirms PS4 camera supports commands via voice, face recognition
You can order your PS4 about without picking up a controller, thanks to the console's add-on camera. Revealed by Sony Senior VP and Business Division President Masayasu Ito at the Tokyo Game Show, you can use its voice and face recognition tech to do things like loading up Knack. Although, sadly, you'll still have to get up and grab a controller to play it (we were so close to the future). The news isn't a great surprise given the leak from earlier this month. It's still unclear how these commands work in practice, but we expect Sony to show off the tech soon enough. The PS4 camera will be priced $60. Ito also revealed another interesting tidbit at Sony's keynote, namely that the PS4 supports video capture over HDMI, something the PS3 did not. SCE America VP of Publisher & Developer Relations Adam Boyes took to Twitter afterwards to say there'll be "more details to follow down the road." The PS4 launches on November 15 in North America, November 29 in Europe, and February 22 in Japan. Sony estimates by the end of March 2014 it'll have shifted 5 million units of its next-gen console.
Sony confirms PS4 gesture and voice control, HDMI capture for games (update)
Looking for more PlayStation 4 news? Here's a bit now that Sony's Tokyo Game Show keynote address is over. A couple of features we'd hoped to hear more about have been confirmed, and the first is that the PS4 camera will support both voice and gesture control. It's no surprise that the system will take full advantage of the add-on's dual cameras and four mics for people who want to wave at their TVs, but it's nice to have that confirmed. Second, in a move that will mostly benefit game reviewers and YouTube video walkthrough experts (thanks for your help on these GTA V missions, all of you), the PlayStation 4 will allow unencrypted HDMI output for games. On the PS3 it didn't, treating games the same as Blu-ray movies, so anyone capturing video in HD needed to use component cables. That's on top of the console's "Share" button that sends clips of gameplay straight to Ustream, Facebook or PSN. Check out our liveblog for everything else discussed tonight including the PS4's mobile apps, indie gaming and Vita TV. Update: Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida tells us via Twitter that HDMI capture on PS4 won't be available at the console's launch this November, but "in the future."
gdgt's best deals for September 11: Samsung Galaxy S 4, Belkin Surge Protector
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HDMI 2.0 officially announced: 18Gbps bandwidth, 60fps 4K, 32 channel audio
Only just after it leaked out, the folks at HDMI Licensing are announcing HDMI 2.0 officially. Arriving just in time for the wide rollout of a new generation of Ultra HDTVs, it adds a few key capabilities to the connection standard. With a bandwidth capacity of up to 18Gbps, it has enough room to carry 3,840 x 2,160 resolution video at up to 60fps. It also has support for up to 32 audio channels, "dynamic auto lipsync" and additional CEC extensions. The connector itself is unchanged, which is good for backwards compatibility but may disappoint anyone hoping for something sturdier to support all of those suddenly-popular dongles. The cables won't change either, as the group claims current high-speed Category 2 wires can handle the increased bandwidth. Some companies have suggested upgrade paths for their UHDTVs already on the market -- hopefully we'll find out more about those plans this week at IFA 2013. Update: The HDMI Forum has listed a few more specs in its FAQ, including that HDMI 2.0 is spec'd to handle up to 1536kHz audio sample frequency, dual video streams for multiple users on a single screen, multi-stream audio to as many as 4 users at once and support for 21:9 widescreen displays. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
gdgt's best deals for August 14: Samsung Galaxy S 4 and iPhone 5
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Hands-on with the Google Chromecast
The backordered TUAW Chromecast finally arrived yesterday evening from Google. We apologize for the delay in this write-up, but we simply didn't have a unit to test with. I felt, that for the sake of celebrating our native blog culture, I had to give it a proper unboxing. The Chromecast ships in a rather nice box, with the cast unit on top and the power cord and "bits" underneath. An internal flap offered getting started directions, while a firm plastic insert held the dongle itself. While not quite Apple-level of packaging (and despite a rather odd smell that pervades the box), the packaging was clean and professional. Getting the $35 unit working involved several quick and easy steps. First, I plugged the dongle into a HDMI port. Google provides a small HDMI extension cord -- and I mean small, perhaps 3" long -- in the box. Use this if you need to keep plugging and unplugging your dongle on a regular basis, so you can travel with it. The cord provides an easier access point, especially when reaching around the back of large television sets. Next, I plugged the unit into power. You must supply that power through a micro-USB port, the standard these days for many devices especially in Europe. Google provided an in-box wall plug for this, but I tested as well with a USB hub and with a portable battery pack. In fact, the reason I ended up using these workarounds is that in the heavily tech area of my office, I experienced major interference when using the plug. Switching to battery or hub cleared up the reception immediately. Testing on our family TV, which is where I performed the initial setup and exploration, offered no similar charger issues. It was only when I brought the unit down to explore iOS development that I encountered problems. I'm using a standard USB 3 hub to power the now office-based Chromecast. You must, of course, switch your TV input to the dongle's active HDMI port to begin setup. There you're greeted by a screen prompting you to connect to google.com/chromecast/setup. I did this on my Mountain Lion Mac, downloading both a standalone Chromecast configuration app and a Chrome browser specific plugin. I had to confirm a 4-character connection code, as you might with a Bluetooth connection, provide my SSID and password details, and was quickly ready to rock and roll. I honestly am not quite sure how the unit was able to announce itself and connect without using my Wi-Fi network, which is password protected. The Wi-Fi setup was the last part of the setup and my upstairs TV was well out of what I consider normal Bluetooth range when communication first began. It's a mystery that I'd love to unravel. [Update: Commenter SaintNicster unpacks this process for us. "The Chromecast, when first initialized, creates an ad-hoc WiFi network with the device you're using for setup. The setup process breaks the current WiFi session temporarily and then connects to the Chromecast. The setup then copies the previous WiFi information and sends that to the device. Once it has this information, the ad-hoc network is disabled and it reconnects to the normal WiFi." Thanks!] In all, the entire setup process took maybe a few minutes. It was really quick and very easy to get through to the "ready to cast" screen that greets you. As an OS X user, you'll want to work in the Chrome browser, for which I installed a Cast extension. After adding this, a Cast button appears at the top-right of every browser page. This button lets you select a Chromecast unit (yes, ours is called "Maisy"; my son picked the name), choose playback options and reach a help menu. The in-browser options are pretty simple. This is where you choose a projection quality and enable or disable fullscreen zoom and browser resizing. As you cast, your active Chrome browser tab mirrors to the Chromecast unit, appearing on the connected TV. You switch tabs or end casting using the browser pop-up. I found this feature to be occasionally buggy (yes, it's a beta). I found that when Chrome is experiencing too many yellow warnings for this pop-up, you can try quitting and restarting the browser and unplugging/replugging the dongle. When working properly, the Stop casting and Cast buttons apply instantly. At times, you do want to stop casting to reduce the load on your local Wi-Fi network. The Stop casting button enables you to do this. The Cast this tab button lets you switch between tabs without closing them. To test, I loaded up a variety of media including movies, music, and PDF documents into Chrome. They all played over quickly without issue and minimal delay. That said, if you cast over text, I recommend using the Extreme 720p high bitrate option. Without it, text looks unacceptably jaggy, especially when displayed on large screens. Movies worked far better. My son happily watched Hotel Transylvania over Chromecast until bedtime. Since I casted a browser, the audio file I opened and played appeared as an embed. Similarly, when I visited Spotify, I had to watch the static web page. I'm pretty sure this isn't an ideal experience for my TV's screen health, assuming if I had kept listening over time as I did chores or used the treadmill. As I mentioned earlier, one of my first tasks involved creating a custom iOS app to play to my Chromecast. I initially assumed I could use the Elgato EyeTV as I do with my Apple TV. EyeTV enables me to place the HDTV input side-by-side on my desktop with my dev work. For whatever reason, I could not get it to work with the Chromecast. EyeTV went into an infinite "adjusting to new mode" loop, attempting to display 1080p at 60fps, and never synced to or displayed the cast data. Although I tried down-streaming to 480p and up-streaming to 720p, I just couldn't get this to work. Instead, I ended up using my second monitor in normal TV mode. Although prettier than a squeezed and delayed EyeTV, this made it impossible to take direct screenshots of the device in action. The final piece of the OS X-based Chromecast puzzle is the standalone app that enables you to manage your devices from a single place. Here, you can set up Wi-Fi, name your Chromecast, set a time zone, force a reboot, and factory reset a Chromecast (for return to Google or resale). It's also where you find one-button access to download the Google Cast browser extension. To my surprise and delight, I discovered my iPhone was already cast-ready. The latest version of the YouTube app easily found and transmitted to my Chromecast. I was able to set up a not-for-distribution sample app using Xcode and the developer API and start sending data that way as well. After finding my unit's MAC address, I quickly discovered (courtesy of OS X command line port scanning) that it communicates on port 8008. That discovery led me to the Chromecast hacks community on Google plus. With several weeks head start, these (mostly Java) developers have been pushing the Chromecast's capabilities, mostly on Android. They've reversed the Remote Application Media Protocol (RAMP) used by the device to the point where they have custom apps running: Sample Java source code for general device access is now available on github. Hopefully this will be quickly ported to standard C, enabling Mac-based casting. I'm particularly excited about potential VLC extensions. On the iOS side of things, now that I have an actual device to work with, it will be interesting to explore (time permitting!) how to push development beyond the grab-and-send-a-URL point I"m currently at. From a consumer-only point of view, for just 35 dollars, I found the Chromecast to be a really nice receiver solution for our family. I plan to use it extensively with my Mac/EyeTV setup. Instead of having to watch my recordings on the Mac in my office, I can now transmit those through the Chrome browser up to our (much nicer) HDTV. I can also see this being used for travel, as I mentioned in an earlier post. The video transmission quality was excellent, except when eldest daughter decided to start watching Crunchyroll episodes simultaneously over the same Wi-Fi network. A bit of shouting and bribery helped us negotiate those waters. Unlike Apple TV, Chromecast does not offer an Ethernet port. While we could watch and transmit Amazon Prime videos from Chrome (we're not Netflix subscribers, which offers its own iOS app with built-in support) with their somewhat dubious transmission quality, we could not get iTunes rentals to play over without extreme hackery. (I will spare you the details of the hackery. Suffice it to say that it involved Apple TV, Eye TV, and a lot of time.) In the end, was it worth the $35? Yes. Will I keep using this device past the review period? Yes. Is it as good as Apple TV? It's not a real competitor, and it fills its own niche quite nicely. The Chromecast extends desktop media playback to an external HDTV and it does that well.
gdgt's best deals for July 31: 46-inch Samsung HDTV, PNY Compact Flash Drive
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Chromecast bootloader exploit surfaces, opens up plenty of possibilities (video)
"Give it time." It's something many mums have uttered to their frustrated youth, and it's something that's also uttered amongst the hacker crowd each time a new device emerges. In the case of Google's $35 Chromecast, it took but a couple of days for the HDMI streaming stick to be exploited. Granted, Google's never been one to keep its biggest software projects under lock and key, but for those looking to tinker a bit with their new toy, GTVHacker has the goods. The exploit package has thus far been used to confirm that the software within is not Chrome OS -- it's described by the aforesaid site as "a modified Google TV release, but with all of the Bionic / Dalvik stripped out and replaced with a single binary for Chromecast." Those interested in giving it a go themselves can test their luck here, while the timid among us can hop on past the break for a video.
MMObility: Google's new Chromecast shows screen size does not matter
If you missed Google's latest press conference, go check it out here or spy on my own cute self as I attempt to explain what was covered during the event. Either way, it was a nice chance to see how dedicated Google is to the mobile lifestyle. I'd argue that this "mobile" lifestyle that I continue to love will not be referred as "mobile" soon as more and more people adopt portable computers as mainstay devices, but for now we'll keep the moniker. Despite the fantastic new Nexus 7, the real announcement for me was the unveiling of the Chromecast, a simple HDMI dongle that plugs into your television and allows the wireless broadcast of all sorts of web content. Why is this a cool idea, and how isn't it just something that we're already able to do? I'll give my take on it but would love to hear from my readers as well.
Why Chromecast may be cool after all
Today, in the TUAW backchannels, we've been discussing Chromecast, Google's sub-$40 streaming dongle for television sets. I like the idea and will probably buy one. If I'm understanding the early publicity correctly, Google has two really strong use cases, but I don't think it's any kind of "competitor" to Apple TV. It's another thing entirely. The real draw for Apple TV isn't mirroring. Sure it mirrors, and sure you can stream data out to it, but you do so with a lot of DRM issues -- with the motion picture and recording industries hovering over your shoulder and making sure you behave. (That's probably a big reason why Google isn't open-sourcing their SDK.) No, the reason people use Apple TV is the content. The draw is Netflix. The draw is Apple special events. The draw is music and slideshows. The draw is any of the other subscription services that let people like Dave Caolo watch baseball. You don't have to bring your phone to ship over compelling material, you just sit on your couch and watch. The Chromecast supports a few services pushed from mobile devices now, like Netflix (although the free ride is over already). Over time, more apps will appear, and one thing they'll all have in common is the device-to-dongle WiFi transmission. Chromecast does not provide a native interface the way the Apple TV does. While content streaming makes sense for some things -- presentations, sharing photos, etc. -- it's not always the best for high bandwidth TV shows and movies. That's why Apple TV comes with an Ethernet port and onboard services that let you catch up without having to mess around with your cell phone or tablet. Admittedly, some of the best things about AirPlay involve game playing, but in my experience -- and that of the devs I consulted with -- it's an extremely minor part of the marketplace, at least at this time. (Ask me again in the fall, when we start to see some of those custom controllers working with phones and iPads.) So where do I expect Chromecast to succeed? For travel -- both business and personal. First, I think it's just dandy for anyone who has business meetings. It is a small, inexpensive dongle without a lot of cords or overheads -- besides the power cords never shown in the promo photos. Still, it will be a mostly trivial affair to pull out your Android or iOS phone and get to presenting, especially with business-supplied Wi-Fi (or, in a pinch, with your own pocket router). I think that's a ridiculously strong and appropriate use of the system. [Note that not all business or enterprise WiFi networks are particularly Apple TV-friendly, depending on their security and routing configurations. It's yet to be seen if Chromecast will be subject to the same networking hurdles, but in the meantime bringing your own router or a 4G hotspot when working with either technology is a good safety net, as is an old-fashioned VGA or HDMI adapter. –Ed.] Second, for low-bandwidth (!) movies and TV shows and music, say when visiting a hotel and watching content from your phone or tablet? I can't see how that's going to be a bad thing at all. (Assuming the hotel offers an HDMI input on its TVs, of course.) I know I'm going way out on a limb here, but I could really see Apple following suit on this, offering an Apple TV 2 Go dongle. The idea of extending AirPlay to a dongle? I just really love that concept. I'm not sure how good or bad Chromecast will be, but I get why Google wants to go there.
gdgt's best deals for July 24: 47-inch LG LED 3D HDTV, HP Officejet Pro All-in-one
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