Wirelessly Distribute HD Video.

Any experience with RF Link AVS-5811 5.8 GHz Wireless Audio/Video Sender/Receiver for non hd transmission?

The general answer is no. It's not possible to send full-bandwidth HD video wirelessly, at least not with consumer-priced gear. There are $30,000 broadcast rigs used to beam HD camera feeds back to a transmitter truck. But - thanks to the laws of physics - even those require clear line-of-sight without walls or obstructions, due to the short wavelengths used.

In some cases, if you have access to the original compressed data stream you could send that via wireless LAN to a decoder device elsewhere in your house. Say for example, you've captured HD programs on your computer as MPEG2 files. Broadcast HD is generally compressed to 19.2 Mbit/sec or less, which *could* be transmitted over wi-fi G or N (on a good day, with no interference, etc) to another computer or playback device. But that probably won't do you any good with live Satellite or Cable, since you don't have access to the original compressed program stream.

Bottom line: get ready to run cables.

FWIW,
There are a number of devices for this application on the horizon. They will be introduced at CES and probably available around June of 07.

.. and I'm pretty sure every one of them will re-compress the data stream - like this one or this one. There's no other way to fit 1.5 Gbit/sec of data into a 60 Mbit/sec wireless system. It just remains to be seen how bad the PQ will be, and how quickly it will degrade (ala wi-fi) when wireless conditions can't maintain full speed due to distance or interference.

Bump....

Also interested in a wireless link re-transmitter for in-home use (assuming that HD is a no no today) is there anyone who can comment on experience with the above?
Is this "the only game in town" in this area?

Here is a unit I found for the distribution of a HDMI signal: http://www.connectivity.avocent.com/...ge/mpx1000.asp. This unit looks nice but the problem I see is if you want to split the HDMI signal to go to your TV at the HDMI source and the Avocent transmitter, a splitter amplifier for the HDMI signal would cost as much as the Avocent transmitter and receiver.

I have been researching wireless A/V systems this for over a year now. I currently have an older RF-Link Wave Comm 2.4 Ghz, model WCS30, to distribute from the A/V output of my H20 DirecTV HD receiver (composite output), to a second set in the kitchen. I have had problems with it and am also looking for a solution.

Problem 1. It picks up interference from my wireless phones, wireless network and microwave oven, because of it being on the 2.4 Ghz frequency. The unit works good when I shut all my 2.4 stuff off and problem 2 doesn't occur.

Problem 2. When the picture goes to a bright white background screen (example: a hockey game), the sync in the pictures starts the picture rolling and the picture all turns white. Looks like a lack of bandwidth. As soon as it goes back to darker colors it goes back to normal.

The solution to problem 1 is a simple one, get a system on the 5.8 Ghz frequency and the other devices won't interfer with it.

For problem 2, I called RF-Link. They advised me they were aware of the problem and about a year ago, advised me that a new 5.8 Ghz unit was coming out soon, that would eliminate that problem. A year later it is still not out, according to their webs site. The site still shows the AVS-5811 as their current 5.8 model.

My question is, has anyone used the current model, AVS-5811, with any DirecTV or DISH HD receiver, and experience my problem 2 using it or did it work ok? I want to switch to some type of 5.8 system, and am getting sick of waiting for the RF-Link unit to come out.

This product compresses the HD video before transmission - so we'll have to see how that affects PQ. You certainly won't be getting bit-for-bit fidelity on the other end - not when you're trying to send 1 Gbit/sec worth of data over a 60 Mbit/sec wireless link.

The regular avocent boxes are really designed for the signage market, not HD Theater. If anyone will make a great box, it will be avocent but that market is still maturing so expect alot of change over the next few years. I am biased on Avocent, but it's all from good experiance.

Personally, I'd never run wireless for HD video. Just hire someone who knows what they are doing to pull the wires and hook it up the right way. A really experianced installer can get wire just about anywhere, trust me on this one.

If you don't have room for a mini RGB bundle, then just have them pull a couple of Cat5e's and use a balun on each end. You can start with Component and upgrade to HDMI when the technology matures. Wire is cheap and it works everytime.

The reason I can't use a wired system is that the area where the TV is located, is an island area of the kitchen, and the house is on a concrete slab. The only wiring to the island is the electrical which is in the slab. The TV I am using is a Viewsonic LCD HD, the picture quality is not bad even with the composite 2.4 wireless, when the two problems I mentioned above are not present. But need to find a basic wireless A/V system that will work for me.

plagerized from theinquirer net
By Theo Valich in Las Vegas: Monday 08 January 2007, 10:14
HAVING A BIG LCD or a plasma TV is very nice and all that, but can you imagine shelling out a couple of hundred dollars on cables because you don't want to have a not-so-cool-looking computer under it?

Philips came up with the answer, it claims, and that is Wireless HDMI. For a promised price of $300, Philips will sell you a set of wireless cables. Hmm. Now, this really, really does not sound right. Wireless cables? Anyway, the final name hasn't been decided yet, but the availability should come later this year.

For those with tech in heart, technical aspects of the Wireless HDMI are relatively simple: uncompressed 720p/1080i/1080p signal get sent using the UWB (Ultra-Wideband) standard to the receiving device in the six to eight metre range.

But the range is a probbo. UWB with around 10 meters range with full bandwidth for 1080p, with DRM going back and forth included? Last demo I saw was cracking up at three metres and was limited to optical visibility and that was fairly recent.

Anyway, if you own a big flat panel with HDMI and want to scream your HDTV signal via ADSL2+ or fiber-optics, keep your fingers crossed.

I received an answer from RF-Link that their new long awaited wireless A/V transmitter will be available soon. It will have 8 selectable channels as opposed to the current models having only 4. The model number of it will be, AVS-5808. They don't have a price on them yet, it is supposed to be release on 1/28. The units are supposed to arrive in the country between 2/08 to 2/16 and be available shortly after that. Unit is not HD though.

The new unit can be seen on their web site at: http://www.rflinkusa.com/products_AVS5808.html

If you can get a hold of one at a good price, I recommend the Belkin RemoteTV wireless transmitter for high quality downrezzed HD-to-SD (I use it to view my 211 reciever in the Kitchen). Simple elegant solution (component and S/PDIF in/out of base and receiver, turn it on and go--works on 5.8mhz, multiband autoscans so it won't interfere w/ phones and Wifi)--no wires, no networking, just true plug/play. All A/V gear should be so easy to deal with. I've had nothing but positive experience w/ the gear since I installed it some months ago. Only wish I'd stumbled across it sooner.

Check this link for more of my take on it:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=790119

A friend who is looking to buy a new HDTV for a room where there is no cable outlet. Comcast told him that he cannot run wire into this room for a new cable outlet for the HDTV.

He went to Best Buy and a salesperson told him that there is a Trek product that allows him to get wireless connection from his cable outlet from another room to the new HDTV room for his Comcast HD DVR box. He was told that he will be able to get signal wirlessly transmitted from the Comcast cable outlet in another room to the HD DVR box for his new HDTV. Has anyone bought such a system? Would the HD picture quality be as good as if the DVR box is connected directly to a cable outlet? Is there any issue with frequency interference?

Thanks,

Gary

never.it is simply impossible to send full bandwidth hd video wirelessly at the moment with consumer products
hd quality (720 p and above ) can only be sent via
cat 5e thru a passive balun (component video only )
cat 5e thru an active balun (hdmi sender -receiver )
terminated hdmi cable with a maximum of 30 metres
bc5x type cable (3 cores plus shields for component video /horizontal and vertical sync thru 2 other cores with their shielding )

as for your question about quality compared to having a digibox next to the screen .it will pretty much depends .if a matrix switcher have video buffers on them then you will not see the difference with a naked eye .
passive baluns can sometimes show some niggles ,but nothing major

wireless receivers/senders .............. a veritable work of the devil .mediocre at best ,usually full of if buts and maybes
my advice always cable up ,better still ,work with a good pro and dont be affraid to open your wallet

Gee, it MUST be true if a Best Buy salesperson said so!

Sorry, no such product AFAIK. They were probably thinking of Terk's Leapfrog wireless A/V distribution product. Interesting product - but strictly Standard Definition, not HD.

There are some "wireless HDMI" products coming to market soon that support HD. But so far it appears most of them only support short distances within the same room (eg, to avoid running a cable up the wall to your plasma TV - not to connect rooms together).

And what business does Comcast have telling your friend where he can and can't run wire within his own house? If he's not comfortable running coax cable himself, then just hire an electrician or A/V installer. Sure, it costs money - but it's very straighforward.

And strictly SD is being kind. You can almost forget about out of line of sight applications. They might be okay for transmitting an SD picture from a VCR across the room, but beyond that fuhgettaboutit. I tried using them to send some audio across two rooms, and I had so much static/hiss I gave up and ran cables. I've got a sender and three receivers practically NIB that I'll sell if you want to try it yourself

But there is a good chance as Leapfrogs use 2.4GHz, they will not work good if you have any 2.4 GHz wireless networking, telephones or a microwave oven. I got interference from all 3 above devices with my 2.4 GHz wireless A/V transmitter/receivers. That is why I wired my house with Cat6, with 4 drops in every room. Now I can use Baluns and run what ever where ever I want.

In regards to Comcast cable wiring, my friend lives in a high rise condo with steel studs in the wall. Comcast told him that it would be almost impossible to run cable wires from another room to the room where his HDTV is placed. Thus, my friend was seeking wireless options for HDTV cable reception.

Thanks for your input. It sounds like the wireless HD transmission option between rooms is not really available at this time.

There are some but they are not cheap. You can get some to send Wireless HDMI or Component:

These for HDMI outputs:
http://www.lenexpo-electronics.com/p...roductid=17007
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/A...MPX1000HD.html

For HD Component outputs:
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4319

Gefen makes one that works at 30 frames per second, 1080P. It has a 40 foot range and costs over 500 bucks if you're lucky to find one.

As far as I can tell, the Gefen EXT-WHDMI still hasn't shippped (pre-order only, $999) and the quoted range is now only 30 feet line-of-sight, "maybe 10 feet" if going thru walls.