WirelessHdtv
Latest
WHDI breaks out at CES 2011, brings 1080p streaming to TVs, PCs, tablets and a projector
We've felt the rush a-comin', and it looks as if 2011 may finally be the year that Amimon (along with its competitors) gets the break it has been yearning for in the consumer market. With wireless HD streaming options becoming more plentiful (and prices heading southward into a realm of feasibility), the WHDI standard is making a stand at this year's CES. Right around a dozen new products will be introduced this week with WHDI embedded, including HDTVs from Haier, PC-to-TV adapters from Asus and LG Innotek, tablets from First International Computer ('Jacob' prototype shown above), Malata and Gemtek / Ampak, a projector from Vivitek and a mobile-to-TV solution from 35.com. The goal here is pretty obvious -- Amimon would love for you to have a house full of WHDI-equipped gear, in turn creating an ecosystem where these devices could talk to one another and stream in a variety of directions. We'll be scouring the floor to see who's buying in, but it sounds as if that won't be too difficult a chore. %Gallery-112381%
Amimon demos prototype wireless 3D HD transmission system
Amimon -- remember those guys? The company responsible for transmitting 1080p video over a 5GHz band went (nearly) radio silent after making a few announcements at CES this year, but now it's hitting back with a new prototype system designed to support the bandwagon that James Cameron and company are driving forward. The new setup is capable of wirelessly transmitting 3D HD video using WHDI (5GHz), with the demo showing that 1080p 3D video could be beamed with a frame rate of 24fps without any major hiccups. For now, the system consists of a board for transmitting the signals and a board for receiving, with the both of 'em equipped with Amimon's digital baseband chip and RF transceiver. We're told that a shipping product is just a logo away, but we've no clue whether or not the first devices will be kits for outfitting existing televisions or new HDTVs with wireless 3D HD support baked right in.
ASUS O!Play AIR reviewed, deemed 'capable'
When we first saw the ASUS O!Play Air set-top box the latter part of last year, we were interested -- when looking for a networked media player, it's definitely good to have options. Now that the kids at Bit-Tech have got their hands on a review unit, however, are enthusiasm has dampened quite a bit. Sure, it looks good in print: HDMI 1.3, composite video and audio output (for lovers of antiques), eSATA and USB ports, CF, SD+MMC, MS+MS Duo card readers, and 802.11n -- none too shabby, eh? Once you got past the "greasy plastic outer surface," however, things were not so awesome. The interface felt "sluggish" as the reviewer "repeatedly watching the timer... waiting for menus to load," and the device itself eschews support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS MasterHD in lieu of multichannel HD LPCM audio over HDMI -- a tongue twister for sure, but also a deal-breaker for some. On the other hand, the kids did find the UI intuitive, and an automatic media preview especially helpful for wonky filenames. The question remains -- is it worth it for $130?
GefenTV Wireless for HDMI slings 1080p over 60GHz airwaves
The wireless HD war is far from over, but 60GHz is sure making a push for becoming the top dog in the race. Gefen's latest relies on SiBEAM's wireless tech in order to transfer uncompressed 1080p footage up to 30 feet sans lag. You simply connect one box to an HDMI-equipped source (like, say, your minty fresh Blu-ray player) and one box to your HDMI-equipped HDTV; from there, you can watch in amazement as the signal is beamed from one unit to the other without any cords in between. 'Course, this whole solution would seem a lot more elegant if these wireless modules were just baked into said BD deck and the aforementioned television, but hey, the retrofitters take what the retrofitters can get. It's all yours right now for just under a grand.
LG to ship HDTVs with WHDI wireless technology baked in
No one ever said you couldn't play both sides of the fence when it comes to wireless technologies, and it seems that LG is doing precisely that at CES. LG has previously shipped HDTVs with WirelessHD technology built in, but today the company is announcing a new partnership with AMIMON. The reason for the ruckus? The outfit is fixing to ship a wireless HDTV product line with second-generation WHDI technology built in, enabling 1080p content to be sent from a source to the HDTV sans wires over a 5GHz unlicensed band. Mum's the word on what sets will have WHDI baked in, but we'll be sure to dig up anything we can once the show floor opens up here in Vegas. In related news, 15 other companies have decided to drink the WHDI Kool-Aid, and you can read more on that whole shindig after the break.
WHDI specification hits 1.0 -- is this what wireless HD has been waiting for?
We've been waiting for what feels like an eternity for wireless HD to really have a place in the world (outside of the elite home cinema world, that is), and while the dream definitely took a hit with the FlyWire's death, it sounds as if things may be rounding the ever-present corner. Amimon, a company responsible for bringing wireless high-def capabilities to all manners of pricey wares through WHDI, has just announced the 1.0 specification of its protocol. Mind you, there are already quite a few big players onboard with the outfit, so hitting the one dot oh could very well kick start a new round of devices (set-top boxes, HDTVs, media streamers, etc.) designed to handle wireless transfers of 1080p material. You can catch the relatively calm press release after the break, and rest assured we'll be keeping our eyes peeled at CES for new gear based on the spec.
Rocketfish WirelessHD Adapter snips an HDMI cord for $600
When Belkin killed its FlyWire, it also put a serious hurtin' on the hopes of wireless HDTV ever truly taking off in the near term. Granted, the device was horrifically overpriced, but it was easily the most well-known product in the fledgling sector. Now, however, it seems that a few other players are sneaking into the limelight, with Philips recently introducing its sub-$1,000 Wireless HDTV Link and Sony pricing its DMX-WL1 for the everyman. Today, Best Buy's own Rocketfish has introduced its WirelessHD Adapter, a two-piece set that enables a single HDMI device to be connected to an HDMI-enabled HDTV sans cabling. You simply plug your source into one box and your HDTV into another; so long as the two are within 33 feet of one another, 1080p content can be slung without wires. It's up for order right now at $599.99, which -- amazingly enough -- is actually more expensive than that 30-foot Monster HDMI cable you were secretly eying.
ASUS O!Play AIR HDP-R3 arrives with WiFi and card reader
We had a sneak peek at ASUS' BR-HD3 just a week few back, and rather than holding out on us any longer, it looks as if the company has come forward to make things official. The O!Play Air HDP-R3 isn't a tremendous update from the previous edition, though the addition of 802.11n WiFi and a multimedia card reader are certainly appreciated. Reportedly, the media player packs an HDMI 1.3 socket, support for just about every file format known to man and a respectable price tag of around €90 ($133). Too bad the Yanks in attendance are left in the lurch. [Via Engadget Spanish]
ASUS working up BR-HD3 wireless HDMI streamer
ASUS has been toying around with wireless transmissions to displays for a hot minute now, and it sure looks as if the outfit is fixing to pick up where the Belkin FlyWire left off by introducing the BR-HD3. Currently in testing, the wireless HDMI streamer is said to pass along 1080p content "with no lag," though there's currently no official range to speak of. The real kicker, however, is the price. The aforesaid FlyWire -- which worked amazingly in the trade show demos that we saw -- was priced at $1,499, which is obviously far too much for most consumers. This box? £399 ($654), and it could be out as early as next month. Unfortunately, the device only supports a single HDMI input (so you can forget about connecting your Blu-ray player and Xbox 360 at the same time), but ASUS is planning to introduce a three-port version in June 2010 as well as a niche spinoff in Q1 that'll wirelessly stream one source to three HDTVs.[Thanks, Anonymous]
LG LH-series wireless HDTVs now available Stateside
Seems like slim wireless HDTVs are the CEDIA special, and LG's joining in the fun by announcing official US availability of the wireless LH-series, first launched at CES. No surprises here apart from price, they're exactly as they were when they popped into the FCC: the high-end $4,799 55-inch 55LHX has a local-dimming LED backlight, an 80,000:1 contrast ratio with 240Hz motion ruining enhancement and is less than an inch thick, while the LH85 line offers both $2,399 47-inch and $3,199 55-inch models. Check out our demo from CES for some hands-on with the ASW1000 Media Box, which is where the wireless HD action goes down.
Eyes-on: Sony's XBR10 LCD and its wireless video streaming box
We know, it's easy to be distracted by the sexy, slim BRAVIA LCD HDTV in front of you, but refocus your eyes for a moment on that unassuming box to the lower right. Given a distinct lack of (read: none) media inputs on the screen itself, that little devices is where all your HDMI, coax and other video sources will be going. With it's $5,000 pricetag the ability to hide DVR's, game consoles and whatever else well away from the television itself is a major selling point so feel free to peruse these pictures (no iPhone comparisons, we promise) and get familiar before this set hits shelves in October.%Gallery-72365%
Video: Slim, wireless, LED-backlit Sony ZX5 LCDs prepped for November release
Sony's packed in a plethora of buzz-worthy tech into its ZX5 series of Bravia LCDs -- thin panels, edge-mounted LED backlighting, 240-Hz Motion Flow, and wireless connection between the media receiver section and the glass. The new 46- and 52-inch versions have got the styling portion of the competition aced, but we're still smarting over the move away from local-dimming Triluminos LEDs. As for the Motion Flow, we'll have to wait and see for ourselves if 240-Hertz is going to be the magic number to win us over. But then again, we're greedy like that; but there's something drool-inspiring about a 52-inch LCD that gets 1080p video wirelessly sent to its 16.6-mm thin frame. Somehow, we don't think our response will be different when these beauties are released to Japan in November. Video after the break.
Philips launches Wireless HDTV Link, gives airborne HDMI a fightin' chance
Still reeling over the death of FlyWire this summer? So were we, until we saw this beauty pop up in Berlin. Philips Wireless HDTV Link promises to set your TV free from the tyranny of cables with an HDMI transmitter / receiver pair that'll let you place all those A/V components of yours a whopping 20 meters from your set. The base station has two HDMI connections, two component connections and boasts transmission of full 1080i and 1080p / 30 HD video. Coming soon (hopefully) this bad boy is retailing for €599.99 (about $850). [Warning: PDF read link]
LG slides out 55LH95 and 55LH93 wireless LCD HDTVs
Maybe it's just the disco-inspired wallpaper that has our motors all revved up, but whatever the case, we're pretty jazzed about LG's newest 55-inch duo. The 55LH95 and 55LH93 are the company's latest ultrathin LED-backlit sets, both of which slim down to 24.8 millimeters and pack a grand total of 3,360 LEDs -- a number that LG claims is around seven times that used in most edge-lit LED TVs. There's also a 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 240Hz refresh rate and -- potentially most intriguing -- a mysterious wireless feature that enables DVD and game consoles to transmit information sans an HDMI cable. There's no mention of what technology is baked in (AMIMON's WHDI, perhaps?), but either way, we're hoping the same stuff remains once these get announced for North America. Estimated pricing on the July-bound (in South Korea) sets is pegged for $5,500 and $5,900, respectively, and LG is apparently planning to issue 42- and 47-inchers with the same amenities here soon.Update: SiBEAM pinged us to confirm that it's WirelessHD included here.
Ralink and Celeno team up on HD WiFi home networking wares
We've known for some while that Celeno had a thing for high-def over WiFi, and that favoritism has never been more clear. Today, the outfit is announcing a partnership with Ralink that will hopefully lead to an array of WiFi home networking designs that are optimized for HD video distribution. The first solution will combine the CL1300 and CLR230 802.11n chipsets along with Ralink's RT2880 and RT2850 chips. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if Celeno is announcing any set-top-boxes to contain said solution just yet, but hopefully that's just a few months away. Hey, CEDIA ain't too far off, is it? Full release is after the break.
Staccato CEO says UWB still has more to give
Staccato Communications has been a big fan of this whole wireless USB thing for years now, and while it seems that most of the industry has presumed ultra-wideband as dead and gone, the aforesaid company is still firmly supportive. The company's CEO has issued an absurdly long letter in response to the death knell reports that flowed after UWB mainstay TZero decided to fold, and while we could go on and on about his deepest, darkest feelings on the matter, here's what really counts. The bigwig has suggested that UWB is still far from dead, and in fact, it's just now shaping up to grow. He promises that 2009 has big things in store for the format, and evidently, those "big things" will breath "new life" into the flagging protocol. We're still pretty skeptical that UWB will break out within the next 10 months or so, but we suppose we've seen crazier things come together.[Via Slashdot]
Panasonic officially premieres Z1 wireless HDTV
We may be years out from a commercially available 0.33-inch thick NeoPDP screen, but we aren't far from seeing a 1-inch think NeoPDP. We caught wind of this puppy at Panny's presser, but now we've got the official verbiage to back it up. The flagship 1080p plasma incorporates SiBEAM's WirelessHD technology, VIERA Cast support and a 54-inch panel. Other specs for the TC-P54Z1 include a 40,000:1 contrast ratio, a THX certification label and a 600Hz sub-field drive. We're pretty bummed that Panasonic hasn't disclosed the price and release date, but did you really expect anything different? Got to keep the hype building, right?
Wireless HDTV products backed with cash, still barely available
ABI Research definitely put its thinking cap on for this one, as it recently found that wireless HDTV vendors are still pouring cash into products, yet few are available for consumption in North America. It's a trend we've watched develop, and we cringe to think that it's not getting better. Chances are we'll see a new wave of cord-free HD products at CES 2009, all while we wait patiently for cord-free wares from CES 2008 to make it out of the testing phase. Sadly, the report doesn't actually mention anything we didn't already know -- companies are still out there trying to prove their format is superior, all while actual manufacturers dillydally around and miss one opportunity after another. And really, with prices like $1,499 for the Belkin FlyWire, we wonder if there's any mass market appeal even if the shipments do begin to flow.
Valens HDBaseT tech carries HD video, audio and internet over Ethernet
Merely a day after we heard that the ITU had ratified G.hn as the new global standard for HDTV home networking, along comes Valens Semiconductor to keep the whole HD-over-Ethernet conversation going. Hailed as the first system to send and receive uncompressed HD video, audio and internet simultaneously over a single Ethernet cable, its HDBaseT technology will be showing off to the world at CES 2009. Reportedly, it's working towards "creating HDBaseT as the new digital connectivity standard for HD multimedia distribution," but we don't suspect that will be an easy road to traverse. Both the VS100SK (receiver) and VS100SR (transmitter) ICs are scheduled to be commercially available in 2H 2009, and we're even led to believe that they could be integrated within Blu-ray players, set-top-boxes, HDTVs and projectors. Full release and diagram is after the break.
ProVision exec calls WiFi "the only" suitable wireless HDTV medium
The wireless HD world is as mangled as ever, with a variety of formats vying for supremacy and the general populace turning a deaf ear to the whole concept (by and large, anyway). According to ProVision co-founder Andrew Nix, 802.11n is the "only standard capable of cost-effectively transmitting interactive wireless HD video across all rooms within a home." Oddly enough, his company will be supporting Pulse~LINK, SiBEAM and AMIMON, backing the HDMI, Wireless HD and WHDI standards respectively, so we're curious if it will be trying to push its WiFi-favoring ways onto these guys. Or, of course, it could bust out its own WiFi-based solution at CES while sticking tight to the others for mere business reasons. We'll agree that a one-format solution would likely aid adoption, but haven't we already seen that WiFi isn't exactly the most stable protocol to handle continuously streaming high-def material?
