Wireless HD video sticks demoed

Amimon has been showing off its HDMI stick, which converts any HDMI source into a WHDI transmitter – and now has kit to connect to – but even that isn't generating much public interested in wireless video. The stick will be demonstrated talking to an HD projector, sending uncompressed HD video up to 100m – 3D video is also a …

[tony]

Want.

Think it could be great. No matter how many connectors a tv has you're always one short so why not have wireless? Bung the tech into the tv and only have a power cable to worry about ruining a rooms aesthetics.

[Barry Tabrah]

Some minor concerns

Uncompressed is lovely. However what about encryption? Is it secure? Does it even HAVE encryption? Not a concern if you're streaming TV around the house but a little more concerning when this is how you've got your PC hooked up.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why does it need to be secure?

If you need secure video feeds there are better ways and more suitable methods.

[SteelPriest]

that was a bit harsh

If these were in the same price range as a good cable, i'd buy some just to be rid of a bit of AV tangle.

...assuming they don't interfere with each other (or my 802.11n)

[Anonymous Coward]

Cable spaghetti

Would be nice to loose some of the cable spaghetti at the back of the tele but its USB powered? Last time I checked I couldn't get the xbox or PS3 to output via USB.

[tony]

usb power,

Looks like it plugs into a hdmi slot and then uses a cable to a usb port for power.

[ChrisC]

USB *powered*, yes...

Yes, it's USB powered, but the AV data it transmits still comes from the HDMI port...

[Ammaross Danan]

USB Power

Now to just get a powered USB hub soley to power the 3 or 4 HDMI devices off the back of the TV. Now the problem is, why don't they make a 90-degree version for those rear-facing HDMI ports (instead of some of the nicer downward- or sideways-facing ones)?

[Andyb@B5]

A nice option.

From their website "The 3.2x1.18x.61 inch (81.3x29.9x15.5 mm) transmitter plugs in directly to the HDMI port of the notebook and is powered by the USB port." So I guess an extension lead into the USB port, it just doesn't look hot to show it in the advertising blurb.

I already have wireless keyboard and mouse and getting one of these means I can park the desktop box anywhere I want, keeping my work area clearer. I'll have to give this some serious consideration!

[Andy Farley]

Gimmie

I'd buy a pair of these right now, just to link my PC to my TV without having to take a HDMI cable outside the house (French windows are the nearest wall).

Unless someone knows of something that'd do the job just as well? There's a beer icon in it.

[Fluffykins]

Option?

http://tinyurl.com/2ectnql

[Anonymous Coward]

Had the same reaction

With this I could build my HTPC into my coffee table with a cheapo touch screen (a la MS Surface) and use it remote control the tele as a second monitor. If this works I'm hoping I can finally keep the toddler's grubby mitts off the big screen :)

Granted, this would be cleaner with one of those touch-capable all-in-ones but I'm not sure those could push the second monitor properly.

[Steve X]

point-to-point, or broadcast?

Does this just replace a single cable, or can one transmitting stick send to multiple receivers? If it is one-to-many then it could be useful when your video source doesn't have enough ports to feed multiple display devices., recorders, etc.

[Ke]

Wall mounted TV sans cables.

As per subject.

[Anonymous Coward]

No cables?

Is it solar powered?

:P

[Stephane Mabille]

Want one

Finally the solution I have been looking for nearly a year.

Want Sky HD in the bedroom, can't cable either sat antenna or HDMI from main room...

In view of the few reaction it seems I'm not the only one interested and there might be a market for it after all!

[Mark York 3]

Wall mounted TV sans cables = Win

Main PC downstairs streaming to TV in bonus room, less cabling.

I'd buy that for a dollar.

[JEDIDIAH]

Been done already.

> Main PC downstairs streaming to TV in bonus room, less cabling.

>

> I'd buy that for a dollar.

Well. If it's just the PC you are worried about then you can just use WiFi for this already.

I will be doing this with a "TV in the bonus room" as soon as my new ION box arrives.

[Anonymous Coward]

Lots of applications for this

But need to be compressed so can work over normal Wifi n. H264 is pretty cheap encode decode nowadays and is fine for most video.

Imagine one in your mobile - take some nice HD footage, playback on your tv without those bothersome cables.

Nice.

[Ed Cooper]

No compression

This thing must actually do some sort compression or image processing, as the article says it prioritises areas of the video stream, that sounds like compression to me. Maybe under ideal conditions at short range and low video entropy you will get bit perfect transmission?

Secondly I guess the transmission process is tranmsit and forget, the receiver won't have a chance to request lost data it'll have to fill in the blanks on the fly, if it even notices what data is lost, which leads to suggest the encryption/security process will be rudimentry at best.

Looks great if copper is really not convenient or not possible, otherwise if it is successful, I'm guessing it will soon be its own victim. Can't imagine how its going to work in an appartment block with dozens of devices all within radio earshot of each other.

Though looking forward to kids forcing pr0n broadcasts on the demo sets in your local branch of dsg.comet.dixons.pcworld.currys.digital

[Anonymous Coward]

That only raises more questions...

Do multiple units play nice with each other? eg: If I have one of these on my PS3 and one on my PC will they interfere with each other? Does the TV need only one receiver or is it one per device?

[Trollslayer]

Uncompressed?

Not in the traditional sense but they do try to drop redundant parts of frames.

Now what happens when there aren't enough to get this into their bandwith?

3GHz/ 40MHz bandwith = 750 values per symbol = 10 bits per symbol WITHOUT overheads.

They aren't really transmitting raw video.

[sandholme]

HDCP supported

Does it support HDCP, if not then it's not as much use as it could be.

[Tony Barnes]

Would be perfect...

...for streaming Xbox to other rooms in the house! Have been looking for a decent solution to this for a while, moving it about = PITA.

lol, would obviously have to be cheaper than another xbox!

[Anonymous Coward]

Why so down?

On what appears to be a great product, streaming HD video from my SKY HD box to other rooms with a simple dongle seems to good to be true?? In theory means you could play a PS3 in another room as well assuming the controller can still communicate.

"while the competition has more generic applications".

What competition exactly? What other product will let me do those things?

[smeddy]

Good device

I couldn’t understand the negative stance of the article, glad others agree. Great little device.

[Dumple McWhartingcock]

DO WANT

Would be nice to play all those control pad friendly games (all none FPS obviously) installed on my gaming pc in my office from the comfort of the sofa with the epic audio I have in the living room. I was going to buy a second rig for doing this in the living room but this device will save me hundreds of pounds if it works well!

All I want to know is when and where I can get this device!!!

[JEDIDIAH]

Why not just ATSC/DVBT?

...although it occurs to me that all of this seems a bit overdone.

A more robust and more standard way of going about this would seem to be going the old "ipod radio transmitter" route and just broadcasting your video on a normal TV channel. Regardless of what approach you take, you still have to manage the problem of multiple devices and the house next store.

[trydk]

A Little about the Specs

-

According to the specification overview on the WHDI™ website, it has got the following specifications (with my comments):

* Video rates <= 3 Gbps

* Uncompressed transmission

* Range > 100 feet (or 30 metres for the few of us that prefer metric ;-) through walls (!!!)

* Latency < 1 ms (should be good enough for gaming and probably implies no encryption as that would impact latency and since they do not mention encryption either)

* Element prioritisation

As they do not compress the signal and since they utilise the bandwidth extremely well, they did a tradeoff in the error detection/correction department instead by giving video elements of high visibility more error detection/correction bits and elements with less visibility fewer (or maybe even none). This means that any transmission problems would primarily manifest themselves in the less discernible elements of the picture, whereas trasnmission problems in the more discernible elements would be error corrected. (If I understand it correctly, they are in fact protecting the most significant bits of the signal better than the least significant bits.)

Thus no compression, but a similar effect (i.e. missing parts of the picture/artifacts) if you are in an environment with much noise or using it over relatively long distances. The 100 feet claim does not say if that is with a perfect transmission.

[Anonymous Coward]

HDCP

The crux of this device will be in HDCP support I suspect. That and if it supports HDMI Audio as well.

The native DRM implementation over HDMI may not react well to these links, meaning no or severely degraded video depending on the source. Running a power point from your laptop wouldn't be an issue, but streaming content or Bluray playback might not work at all if something throws a tilt bit.

HDCP does encrypt the link though, and that is handled on the source and destination devices so it should effect the load much.

I hope they make one for standard VGA + Audio with the same radio tech.

As to the market case, I'd buy a crate full of these to get video from a teacher/presenters laptop up on the LCD projectors in our classrooms.

[Anonymous Coward]

Consumer demand, yes there is.

Just look at the mostly positive response to the article. The lack of any perceived consumer demand may simply be due to the general unavailability of such devices. Yes, there are some available, but they are bulky and expensive. It needs to be small, affordable and Plug and Play like these units. And they need to be marketed in press like T3 and Stuff magazine.