The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds
70%
Crystal Video WHDI dongle

Crystal Video wireless HDMI kit

5GHz WHDI video streaming made easy, ish

  • print
  • alert

Agentless Backup is Not a Myth

Review WHDI really can send HD video across a house at 1080p resolution and without compression. But for the same money you could get a pair of Blu-ray players, so you've got to really care about streaming that content.

The technology was demonstrated at the CES event in January - and see Reg Hardware's WTF is... wireless HDMI - but now it's about to hit the shelves in the UK from multiple brands. I tested a generic dongle and receiver, manufactured in Shenzhen using chips from the standard's main backer, chip maker Amimon. Expect it to appear in the UK any day now branded by SAC Electronics and similar.

Crystal Video WHDI dongle

The transmitter dongle needs a dedicated power supply, fed into that mini USB port

The box comes with two components: the dongle, which hangs out of a player's HDMI port, and a router-sized box which one connects to the display device - TV, projector, etc - by HDMI. Both ends support HDMI 1.3 and HDCP. There's a weighted stand to hold the receiver vertically.

Hopefully, you like the upright Wii look in your electronics, otherwise you'll be blocking the vents on the side of the box as it lacks the usual rubber feet. That said, I ran the receiver flat on a table for an hour or two without any sign of overheating. But the manual states it should be kept upright to improve reception, so it's best to get used to the vertical look.

The dongle, on the other hand, did get hot - uncomfortable to the touch, even. But given the way it sticks out the side it's not easily touched. If you're used to Wi-Fi dongles then this is a monster, jutting out 80mm from the side of the laptop, it's also more than 20mm wide.

Worse, the dongle also needs a separate power supply which comes from a mini USB connection. A very short cable is supplied, as it's only expected to reach to the side of the same laptop, or to a USB port on the back of your Blu-ray box.

Customer Success Testimonial: Recovery is Everything

Next page: Almost zero config

£200 buys a lot of...

...cable.

Yes I know about all of your Victorian houses/terraces. Its not rocket science you know? Routing cables behind walls is something sparkys do day in day out.

Wireless "solutions" work until they become popular, then they don't work at all.

Fit some sockets - and if you're renting either sort it with the landlord or move. Provided you use a decent sparky most landlords will be quite happy for you to do it - try to get them to pay half/deduct from rent though as it IS an improvement.

There's a finite capacity to radiated signals in an area. The capacity with conducted signals (ie wired) is limited only by how many you can cram into the area.

1
0

@Sampler

But if you're using a cable then you still need to plug it into the HDMI port. So if the socket is on the back then the telly still needs some clearance. An HDMI socket on the top/bottom/sides would be neater and you can find plenty of tellies with those.

I agree about sticking the cable in the wall though.

0
0

I suspect...

I suspect it means "without *re*compression", as actually wirelessly transferring entirely uncompressed 1080p video is I think beyond the capabilities of any wireless technology outside of the lab today...

0
0

More from The Register

 breaking news
Curtain drops on Apple Store ahead of WWDC: What lies behind?
Steve Jobs watching from on high. No pressure, lads
 breaking news
Cold, dead hands of Steve Jobs slip from iPhones: The Cult of Ive is upon us
Billionaire biz baron's death clears way for uber-shiny iOS 7
Airbus imagines suitcases that find themselves
Point your mobe at your smalls to track their every move
Surprise! Intel smartphone trounces ARM in power trials
Tests show equal performance while sipping significantly less juice
First look: iOS 7 for iPad
No, Apple hasn't released it yet, but that doesn't stop intrepid devs
Apple said to be 'exploring' 5.7-inch iPhone
Who's the copycat this time, Mr. Cook?
Review: Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock
Missing Mac ports reunited, for a price
 breaking news
Australian 'Apple tax' repealed for MacBook Air
But the new MacPro is priced at a premium