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Wireless HDMI 101 (rookie)

post #1 of 32
Thread Starter 
OK, I am a rookie when it comes to wireless HDMI. Here is my situation- 8 year old projection TV died so its time to go plasma/led but I want to minimize my wires which leads me to wireless HDMI. I still intend to keep the components within the same area.
1) Are the wireless HDMI products TV specific or can they be used on any new TV?
2) I have a Blueray player, surround sound equipment, Xbox, and WII

What are my best options and/or limitations? Please help me figure this out!
post #2 of 32
First thing you should know is that wireless HDMI is not a standard. The broadcast methods are standards but the underlying signal encoding isn't. So each manufacturer has their own methods.

Some require line of sight (check reviews) others compress the video or can't handle every type of audio. Read carefully before choosing since not al manufacturers state their limitations.

Also a recent thread had a long discussion of audio/video delays where the audio would not sync with the video using a Rocketfish wireless HDMI system.
post #3 of 32
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by alk3997 View Post

First thing you should know is that wireless HDMI is not a standard. The broadcast methods are standards but the underlying signal encoding isn't. So each manufacturer has their own methods.

Some require line of sight (check reviews) others compress the video or can't handle every type of audio. Read carefully before choosing since not al manufacturers state their limitations.

Thanks. I thought that the HDMI output on all TV's is the same meeting a standard. So what you are saying is that the transmitters/receivers all work to their own vendor specification? Any recommendations?
post #4 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by tekgeek1 View Post


Thanks. I thought that the HDMI output on all TV's is the same meeting a standard. So what you are saying is that the transmitters/receivers all work to their own vendor specification? Any recommendations?

The HDMI side is standard but wireless HDMI isn't a standard. It isn't even part of the HDMI Org. See if anyone even has a logo for wireless HDMI that includes the HDMI acronym.

My recommendation is wired. HDMI is difficult enough without introducing a non-standard.

More information here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_HDMI
post #5 of 32
Wireless HDMI is an oxymoron. HDMI is an uncompressed signal. The wireless transmitter compresses the signal to fit it into the available bandwidth. The receiver uncompresses the signal. The best of them do it in a way that the effect of compression is least noticeable.

I wouldn't consider a wireless connection unless I had no other choice.
post #6 of 32
Tekgeek1

Where you see TV's with wireless HDMI' built into a TV you'll be limited to using the matching Transmitter/Switch/Media Box - most of these systems' are only designed for very short range connectivity.

The Stand-alone wireless products with HDMI In/Out you see won't talk directly to any of the 'wire free' TV's and instead you have a powered Receiver unit which plugs to an HDMI Input on the TV.

As others are saying wireless HDMI is a pipe dream - and as yet HDMI.org won't sign off on anything that's been put into the market.

Again as others have said unless you have absolutely no chance of installing wires I'd forget about wireless and instead install conduit plus wires.

Joe
post #7 of 32
Here is one wireless HDMI transmitting device, that Atlona has to offer.It allows to connect up to five HDMI sources to your display and switch them using a remote control. AT-LINKCASTAV
post #8 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justas View Post

Here is one wireless HDMI transmitting device, that Atlona has to offer.It allows to connect up to five HDMI sources to your display and switch them using a remote control. AT-LINKCASTAV

Note the 3 Gbps bitrate. Not even the earliest HDMI versions were that limited. Also the audio bitrate is half of the max for HDMI.

So what you get is not actually HDMI but a compressed version of HDMI. Now 3 Gbps can produce a great picture if properly implemented but it isn't the original picture.

It's also not available anymore, I believe.
post #9 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by alk3997 View Post

It's also not available anymore, I believe.

Well, maybe not available, yet...

I think it is a new product and may be not shipping yet.

Note that Atlona calls it "wireless HD", not "wireless HDMI".
post #10 of 32
Atlona is delaying its release for some reason. I tried it on CES show-works fine. Walked 40 feet away from the receiver with their tablet and transmitter, and it was still working. Wanted to walk even further, but they caught me and turned back in
post #11 of 32
I hit the AVS search for Wireless HDMI and found this. [subscribed]

Can anyone point me to good technical reviews of wireless HDMI products? I'm looking send the HDMI signal from my rack in the front of the room to a projector on the ceiling 15' away.
post #12 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by eaadams View Post

I hit the AVS search for Wireless HDMI and found this. [subscribed]

Can anyone point me to good technical reviews of wireless HDMI products? I'm looking send the HDMI signal from my rack in the front of the room to a projector on the ceiling 15' away.

I think if you read from the top of this thread you'll note that there is no such thing as wireless HDMI. There are devices that take HDMI, send a compressed version of the signal to a receiver and then output HDMI on the other side. That's not HDMI.
post #13 of 32
ok...

So can anyone point me to any reviews as to the performance we all care about re: "devices that take HDMI, send a compressed version of the signal to a receiver and then output HDMI on the other side"

Specifically having to do with quality of video signal, connection, distance, etc... using current popular tech.
post #14 of 32
I think you are going to have to find your own reviews of any equipment that interests you.

There are two main competing technologies: WHDI and WirelessHD. There is also Wireless Gigabit which doesn't seem to have gotten far yet. And there are a variety of proprietary technologies.

WHDI runs in the 5GHz unlicensed band. It is limited to 1.5 or 3.0 Gbps depending on channel width. HDMI at 1080p60 requires 4.46 Gbps. Even if you undo the 8 to 10 encoding of HDMI, WHDI does not seem to have the bandwith to transmit it uncompressed although AMIMON claims to do it. I think the difference is a matter of semantics. The process is lossless as far as the video and audio signals go. You may experience inteference from other devices, like WiFi, running in the same band, say from a neighbor.

WirelessHD runs in the 60GHz unlicensed band. Transmission can be uncompressed or compressed using H.264 compression. Current implementations seem to offer a bit better bandwidth than WHDI, 4 GBps, enough to run 1080p60 without loss, although the technology holds the promise for higher bandwidths. Because it operates at higher frequency, effective distance is more limited than WHDI. But you are less likely to have interference operating in the same band because of the limited effective distance.

Neither of these technologies currently support DeepColor at 1080p60, at least without compression.

The short of it is, if you are like most users and don't need anything more challenging than 1080p60 2D, or 1080p24 3D, at standard color, either technology has the potential to deliver the image you want. If you want DeepColor, you may be SOL, depending on resolution. If you want 1080p60 3D, forget it.

If you go for wireless, just remember that with any wireless technology you are likely to have occasional outages due to interference.
post #15 of 32
Wow thank you so much. That will help me a lot with selection. I wonder what tech Epson uses on their 3010e & 5010e for wireless 3d.
post #16 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by eaadams View Post

I wonder what tech Epson uses on their 3010e & 5010e for wireless 3d.

WirelessHD. There is enough bandwidth for "uncompressed" 1080p24 3D (BD) if it can support 1080p60 2D. Specifications in manual don't list 3D for wireless. Don't know if that is significant. Current chip sets seem to max out at 4 Gbps which wouldn't be sufficient for 1080p60 3D without compression.
post #17 of 32
I'm currently researching and writing an article on both WirelessHD and WHDI products for an upcoming issue of Home Theater Magazine. I have some units in house and began my testing last night. Colm correctly points out the limitations of the technology and I'll be able to add more in a week or so.
post #18 of 32
Looking forward to hearing what you find.
post #19 of 32
Colm,

So far this is a bear to research and write about. I have review products that utilize both the WHDI and WirelessHD standard. WHDI is nice because it works through walls (with compression), but it actually works. I haven't hooked up the WirelessHD product yet to test, but one thing is that the transmitter and receiver have to be in the same room (which could cause issues for some people), but the bandwidth is much larger and the spec seems to be more forward looking. As of right now, WiGig hasn't taken off yet but has it's own unique abilities that it brings to the table.
post #20 of 32
I am looking forward to what you have to say. With Wireless HD working best in the same room I am leaning that way for a projector source.
post #21 of 32
are there any affordable wireless HD devices (less than $200) I was looking on Amazon, but many of the products don't mention if they're using WHDI or wireless HD as the standard. need some recommendations for specific products.

essentially I just need to run wireless HDMI (can't wire the distance I need to in my apartment) from my computer to my tv in order to play live and PVR video/audio up to 1080i. I won't be using the wireless stuff to play blu ray or anything else. just OTA broadcast TV through the computer. It doesn't have to be the best quality, but I certainly don't want it to look like crap either. if WHDI will work ok for my purposes, what's a good unit. if not what's a good Wireless HD unit, as those seem to be the 2 major standards at this point

any help would be appreciated, there is just a glut of product out there and it's hard to tell whats of a decent quality and what standard it uses.
post #22 of 32
Is your computer line of site or are there walls in the way?
post #23 of 32
Vandeetz

If a wireless Networked Media streamer will deliver the content you require and could be installed close to your Display device I’d look at that as a better bet than wireless HD.

You are right there are lots of folk trying to ‘dump’ all manner of Wireless HD kit – you can guarantee not one single person has made any money out of it as the returns rates on these devices is through the roof, especially the budget gear where often the reseller has no idea how the supplier factory is ‘achieving’ a wireless connection.

Joe
post #24 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Vaughn View Post

Is your computer line of site or are there walls in the way?
my computer isn't quite line of sight but it is in the same room.
post #25 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Fernand View Post

Vandeetz

If a wireless Networked Media streamer will deliver the content you require and could be installed close to your Display device I’d look at that as a better bet than wireless HD.

would I need to have the tv hard wired or is there a receiver in this set up that can be plugged into HDMI? I'm open to anything that can get me decent quality 1080i material from the computer to the tv

right now I only have 1 usb port on the tv and it's being taken by a usb dongle

thanks for the help
post #26 of 32
What does the USB port have to do with this?
post #27 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by alk3997 View Post

What does the USB port have to do with this?

nothing in particular I just didn't know if I would need it open to set up media streaming device as opposed to a wireless HD or WHDI device

it's more me making sure I have everything i need and covering my butt, I don't think it's actually needed
post #28 of 32
Think along the lines of an Apple TV connected via a short HDMI cable to the TV with the Apple TV streaming content over your Wi-Fi Network or even Powerline using HomePlug – it’s got to be more reliable/robust than any ‘wireless HD’ solution.

Wireless HD tends to split opinions – some folk claim its works 100% for them others find it 100% unreliable.

If you are feeling lucky the best you can do is try a few wireless HD solutions and see if any work for you – otherwise go wired or as above have a networked Media player (with Wi-Fi or HomePlug) hard wired to the TV.

Joe
post #29 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by vandeetz View Post

my computer isn't quite line of sight but it is in the same room.

Any of the three products in this review will work for your needs: http://www.hometheater.com/content/air-def-tv
post #30 of 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Fernand View Post

If you are feeling lucky...
Sounds like something out of a Dirty Harry movie...
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