Q-Waves Wireless USB AV Kit

To confirm this we pulled out a newer laptop that had a 2.4GHz processor and had recently been upgraded with Windows 7. We downloaded the Windows 7 drivers from Q-Wave’s web site, and found that this faster laptop was able to transmit our HD files to the Samsung TV with better frame rates.

A solution looking for a problem?

However, when using an HDMI cable, the Windows 7 version of the software currently fixes the resolution on the external screen at 1280 x 1024. This isn’t a problem if you use the dock’s VGA connector, and Q-Waves tell us that there’s a fix for the HDMI output due very soon that will allow you to select lower resolutions, as you can with the Windows XP and Vista software.

To be fair, the 1280 x 1024 resolution worked well enough – the only problem being that this is a 4:3 aspect ratio (or 5:4 to be precise), so we had to use the Samsung TV’s own aspect ratio controls in order to stretch the image out for the widescreen display.

Verdict

From a technical point of view the Wireless USB AV Kit is really rather impressive. The question is simply whether you really need a wireless connection to a second monitor or HDTV. Home users already have numerous options for playing music and video from a PC on an HDTV – so the Wireless USB AV Kit may only attract people with a phobia about cables. However, its appeal may lie with business users, enabling them to walk into a boardroom with their laptop and have a presentation up and running on a large display in a matter of seconds. ®

More AV Kit Reviews...

Western Digital WD TV Live

LaCie LaCinema Black MAX

Elgato EyeTV DTT Deluxe

SiliconDust HDHomeRun