After some demo time with
WirelessHD and Chairman / President
John Marshall, it appears 2009 will finally be the year cable-free TV connections roll out in a big way. Expect products to launch towards the end of Q2, according to the Gefen rep on hand, their adapter will go into production towards the end of Q1 and hit shelves for about $700, while WirelessHD tech could add as much/little as 10% to the cost of a new TV like the demo units from LG and Panasonic. How well does it work for the money? Pretty well, with no untoward effects on the picture, and easily switching from source to source automatically. Walking between the display and source didn't cause a problem but even millisecond-switching 60Ghz hardware was no match for being picked up and fumbled around by a photo snapping Engadget editor. Check out pics featuring Gefen (fear not, the final models will have RS-232), LG & Panasonic prototypes plus OEM hardware we're likely to see soon in one form or another.
posted January 8th 2009 9:02PM
Integrated for a $100 premium and they've got themselves a winner!
Non-integrated for a $700 premium and they've got themselves a wiener!
Does anyone really care for wireless a/v hookups?
I mean, how hard is it to run a cable all of 3 feet?
You've got it all backwards. Right now, components are always 3 feet from the TV because they pretty much have to be. With this technology, you can have your TV hanging on the wall and all your components next to you at the couch. It's like asking what's the point of a battery if it's so easy to plug your computer into the outlet three feet away.
Checkmate!
i don't see the part that sits behind the tv, in the non-integrated version... is it as big and awkward as the component brick? also, can i get that gefen in an uglier color? maybe red, yellow, and silver at the same time, with shiny fake-chrome accents? it's a good thing these are supposed to be hidden in a cabinet.
Another year, another CES, another promise of wireless HDMI, and the same old question from me:
What is the delay introduced by the wireless encoder/decoder?
In other words, if you're using this just for a wireless display (e.g. screen on wall, or projector), but use a hardwired digital connection for your audio - will the image & audio be out of sync?!
Luis.
I agree. What's the delay, is the image 100% as good as it would have been with a pure 1080p HDMI signal.
I think I will always prefer a 100% original signal going into my HDTV. Not one which is encoded / decoded again.
I do see the benefits of having your A/v equipment tucked away though, as long as the remote still work... IR blaster time.
That's means a whole new generation of signal stealing... I'll watch my neighbors HD TV from here on out. Excellent.
YGBSM John!
THIS was the sum total of your CES2009 effort?
http://www.trustedreviews.com/images/article/inline/9804-wirelesshd.jpg
Sibeam may win the standards battle, but you shouldn't.