HDTV Almanac - New Wireless HDTV Option

[alfredpoor]

You’ve got your beautiful, big, flat screen television hanging on the wall. Now how do you get the signal to it? You can buy an expensive HDMI cable to cover a long run, or you can spend a lot more to get a professional to run wires through your floor, wall, or ceiling. Now there’s [...]

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[jkp4]

Too pricey at $799 or at Amazon's ~$118 discount--this should be offered at around $200

[akirby]

So they should sell it at a loss? That technology can't be cheap.

[jkp4]

neither is HDTV technology and $799 buys a reasonable flat screen--- I doubt they will sell many at that price

[alfredpoor]

I agree that the average user may not buy this product, but the one that uses a custom installer might. It would save a lot of money. And I expect that the installers themselves will be buying them; they can install one of these a lot cheaper than they can install the equivalent cables. Assuming they can buy the boxes at wholesale, it could be an attractive solution.

Alfred

[DavidEC]

I like the idea.. but have a few questions:
(a) will it be upgradable to the newer HDMI 1.4 that is reported to have network transmission as part of the cable spec's?
(b) can a single transmitter feed multi receivers/TV's/Rooms?
(c) since as I read it a pair of devices supports four inputs/outputs is it ture 4X4 switching or does the box work as a source switch box.

While I may not purchase this device in its version "1" format, there were stories in 'Popular Science" of late of wireless power for TV's and 'LED' lights, as you would still have to run power to the TV/receiver box.

:David

[alfredpoor]

I can't find definitive answers on the Philips sites, but here are my best guesses. I don't expect that this will have an upgrade path to HDMI 1.4, and the network connection in particular. That's an increase in bandwidth that may not be available in the device. And it looks like an input switch from the pictures that I have seen, but I don't know that for a fact.

Alfred

[Roger Halstead]

With the cost of televisions including 40 plus inch and powerful quad core computers with wireless networking capability for less than this, I'd figure $100 on each end would still let them make a profit. That is if they are true wireless and not the type that send signals over home wiring.