For many years, signal transmitters and receivers have been available that allow video and audio to be sent to an area of a room or to another section of your home entirely, however we are now in the high definition age and we need to look forward to more modern methods of delivery to keep up with the much richer content available today.
Unfortunately, the TruLink Wireless HD Kit does not work from room to room as the devices require ‘line of sight’, so if you were hoping to deliver a Sky HD signal from the living room to your bedroom, I am afraid you are out of luck with this particular item. What this product does offer though is a solution to the problematic cable placement dilemma, particularly when your flat screen television hangs on the wall and the last thing you want to see is a selection of protruding HDMI leads. The living room is one of those key areas of any dwelling, where the occupants strive for a relaxing environment and mess doesn’t exactly add to that goal.
The TruLink Wireless HD Kit comes complete with a wireless HD transmittor, wireless HD receiver, wall bracket, remote control and power supplies. The manual is extremely flimsy in size, however it really is just a matter of plugging in your HDMI compatible equipment and enjoying the result. There is no software or a mind boggling selection of switches to worry about, in fact the only switch to be found at all is to turn the device on or off. Not exactly rocket science, which I am sure will please many.
Both units are capable of transmitting and displaying 1080p signals and can quite happily deal with PCM, Dolby Digital and DTS audio. Even though the information is sent wirelessly from one device to another, the data is actually uncompressed preserving much of the original source quality. In fact most of the time you won’t even notice the difference from a wired or wireless connection.
As long as your device supports HDMI, you have a few possibilities and I will explore some of those here…
HD Digital Television
The most basic of high definition requirements is the ability to watch HD television. Whether it be Freeview HD, Freesat, Sky HD or any other service, you need to be able to watch uninterrupted programme viewing and the TruLink Wireless HD Kit doesn’t disappoint. When tested with a Sky HD setup, the 1080i signal had absolutely no problems when watching movies, documentaries or even fast moving sports.
HD Gaming
The Sony PlayStation3 is a gaming console that has a wide range of media functionality. While enjoying a spot of Wipeout HD, one of Sony’s crowning achievements showing 1080p gaming and a 7.1 surround sound experience, I noticed only incredibly small distortions with the TruLink Wireless HD Kit, as it was fighting hard to keep up with the extremely rapid frame rate and vast number of channels of sound needed to replicate a traditionally wired experience. All in all the TruLink Wireless HD Kit didn’t let me down and gaming really is a demanding test for any device.
Laptop Transmission / Presentation
Recently I had a look at the Toshiba Satellite Pro L650-165 Laptop, which featured a HDMI port. With the TruLink Wireless HD Kit I was able to transmit exactly what appeared on my laptop screen right to my 40″ HDTV for everyone to see. From one end of the room, I could quite happily sit on my sofa controlling a photo slideshow, movie or even a game and have the result shown on a far larger display at the other end.
Please ignore the camera flash in the center of the screen
Of course, the same idea could also be applied to businesses who wish to make presentations through a HDMI projecter, which is some distance away from the laptop or computer.
The Rest
You can place the transmitter and receiver up to 10 metres apart with around 5 metres above or below the other unit in height, however you would be wise to position them as closely as possible to reduce any chance of signal problems. The included wall bracket will help with this aim. The kit also comes with a remote control and with this you can set the devices to go to sleep when no longer in use, which is a plus as both the transmitter and receiver make a small humming noise when active.
Overview
The need for ‘line of sight’, single HDMI input and device noise are unfortunate issues that limits the use of this technology, however if you are struggling with HDMI cables in hard to reach places due to a wall mounted HDTV, the TruLink Wireless HD Kit offers a possible solution for your dilemma. The picture and audio quality is staggeringly good and remains very faithful to the original source be it a high definition digital television decoder, Blu-ray movie player or gaming console.
Specifications
WirelessHDยฎ 1.0 certified
Meets Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP) protocol
Compatible with other WiHD-enabled consumer electronics bearing the WiHDยฎ logo
HDMI 1.3 compatible
FCC and CE approvals
36 antenna array provides a strong wireless signal
James is a Freelance Journalist, Copywriter, Author, Blogger & Podcaster specialising in gaming, gadgets and technology, both retro and modern.
Ever since he experienced the first controllable pixel movement on the television screen, he has been entranced by the possibilities and rewarding entertainment value generated from these metal and plastic boxes of delight. Writing hundreds of articles, including commentary and reviews on various gaming platforms, whilst also interviewing well-known industry figures for popular online publications.
Creator of the ScummVM Music Enhancement Project and host of the Game & Gadget Podcast.
View his portfolio here: James Woodcock's Portfolio.
For many years, signal transmitters and receivers have been available that allow video and audio to be sent to an area of a room or to another section of your home entirely, however we are now in the high definition age and we need to look forward to more modern methods of delivery to keep up with the much richer content available today.
The TruLink Wireless HD Kit comes complete with a wireless HD transmittor, wireless HD receiver, wall bracket, remote control and power supplies. The manual is extremely flimsy in size, however it really is just a matter of plugging in your HDMI compatible equipment and enjoying the result. There is no software or a mind boggling selection of switches to worry about, in fact the only switch to be found at all is to turn the device on or off. Not exactly rocket science, which I am sure will please many.
The need for ‘line of sight’, single HDMI input and device noise are unfortunate issues that limits the use of this technology, however if you are struggling with HDMI cables in hard to reach places due to a wall mounted HDTV, the TruLink Wireless HD Kit offers a possible solution for your dilemma. The picture and audio quality is staggeringly good and remains very faithful to the original source be it a high definition digital television decoder, Blu-ray movie player or gaming console.
