Before I start I need to make a confession. I don’t really (blush) care that much about high definition. I know that as a gamer and lover of good movies I should care, but honestly I often can’t see the difference between HD and standard.
I am aware that this is probably the kind of confession that will result in men with torches coming to burn me at the stake but wait, I may yet redeem myself. Read on.
While HD is not necessarily something that I slobber over in public places (I have yet to control the urge to hug an HD TV, for example) I can see that it is the beginning of something extraordinary. And nowyou are going to be able to stream your HD content wirelessly.
Now that, dear reader, is cool.
ASUS have made something rather wonderful called the WiCast. This clever and stylish looking device is inexpensive and innovative. It is! This is a huge step in the right direction, making wireless HD far more practical than it has been to date.
It sends signals from your computer to your television without too much missioning and troubleshooting, and has a range of about 30 plus feet. You attach the WiCast to your PC using two USB ports and an HDMI output and you put the receiver behind your TV. Voila! It will send 1080p video and audio to your big HD screen.
Oh, and you aren’t limited to only using your desktop PC. You can use a netbook, a notebook, and even the latest ASUS all-in-one to transmit your data.
The technology behind this is simple and smart. It uses the Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) to transmit the video signals and supports a latency free transmission. This focus on low latency means that you’re going to have fewer issues with stutter and out-of-sync voices. I really hate that, it completely throws me off a movie.
I am particularly impressed with the fact that this chap is USB powered. It means that you can, literally, take it anywhere you want. Going on holiday and don’t want to watch the Teletubbies in a foreign language? Just set your system up and watch whatever you like, in HD! Of course, that’s assuming that the hotel/resort has HD TVs.
As I mentioned the other day, I am also pretty averse to having loads of wires hanging about the house. They are just so unsafe with kids around, and they look pretty crap. So another tick in the box for the WiCast is the wireless factor. Your netbook can be plugged unobtrusively into the wall (or not at all!) and you can watch HD TV without calling for medical help to untangle you from the wires.
These nifty devices are coming out in September so I guess I’ll have to wait a bit before I find out what they will be retailing for. I think that the guesstimate offered at the moment, in dollars, is around $199. Not bad for such a nifty piece of kit.
