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Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link

by Darren Murph posted Sep 29th 2009 at 10:19AM

Say it with us now: "Yippee!" Why such joviality? We'll tell you why. Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and Silicon Image have all teamed up to create yet another new connector, with this one hoping to forever harmonize the strained relationship between mobile phones / PMPs and high-def displays. The so-called Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group is seeking to create a new "industry standard" for connecting handsets and other portable consumer electronics to HDTVs and displays, though we're still wondering why exactly we need a replacement for HDMI, DisplayLink and the forthcoming Light Peak so soon. As with most of these things, details about the actual product(s) are slim, but trust us, they're working on it. And they're working hard.

Logitech Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3 review

by Steven Kim posted May 19th 2009 at 1:09PM Featured Story

Logitech Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3
We all love getting new gadgets -- marketing and design departments have honed their crafts to a point that pretty much guarantees a steady release of endorphins throughout the selection, purchasing, unboxing and first impression stages. We've spent about a week putting Logitech's Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3 through its paces; long enough that we feel we're safely past the "honeymoon" stage and can put a little perspective on how it fits in with HT setups incorporating a PS3. Follow us past the break to see if we'll be living happily ever after, seeking counseling or filing for divorce.

Continue reading Logitech Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3 review

Logitech Harmony Adapter for Playstation 3 -- official, real, and in our hands

by Steven Kim posted May 12th 2009 at 4:00AM Featured Story

Logitech harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3
Yeah, sure, we knew the Harmony IR-to-Bluetooth remote adapter was coming down the pike, but even with FCC filings and official confirmation of the device from Harmony, the PS3 owners among us are breathing a small sigh of relief now that we've got our hands on a unit that prove it will make it to market. We have a love/hate relationship with the PS3's Bluetooth remote control -- the range and total non-directionality of it are great, but having a separate remote control just for the PS3 is a real stick in the eye of our couch potato lifestyles. There are a few choices for solving the PS3 remote control conundrum, but on first blush this unit has three things going for it: support from a big name like Logitech (of course including codes in the Harmony database), it does not eat up one of your PS3's USB ports, and it handles switching the PS3 on and off (not unique, but some other solutions don't). We'll give the IR-to-Bluetooth converter a full rundown in due course, but follow us past the break for our initial impressions, an official fact sheet and a link to a Q&A section on the Logitech blog.

Continue reading Logitech Harmony Adapter for Playstation 3 -- official, real, and in our hands

Atlona teams with Wisair for wireless USB to HDMI adapter

by Darren Murph posted Apr 15th 2009 at 6:06PM


Wait a second -- isn't wireless USB, um, deceased? Regardless of what pundits and the industry at large have said (via words, actions, or otherwise), Wisair is absolutely refusing to give up the dream. To that end, the firm has teamed with peripheral mainstay Atlona in order to develop and produce a wireless USB to HDMI adapter. Much like the wired AT-HDPiX, the May-bound AT-HDAiR enables users to connect any USB-enabled computer to any HDTV or projector via VGA or HDMI. The difference? This one works sans extra cabling. The range here is 30 feet, though you can only expect footage to stream through at up to 720p (or 1,440 x 1,200). At least the price tag is just $199, which sure beats some of the obviously more capable options with WHDI chips within.

Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapters now available for under $20

by Richard Lawler posted Mar 30th 2009 at 9:32PM

Got a Mini DisplayPort equipped laptop or video card and need to connect it to something... um, not Mini DisplayPort? If you've got a crisp Andrew Jackson, then Monoprice has an adapter for you with HDMI, DVI and VGA outs, all of which are now shipping for $14.25 and up. Unless you don't like saving money, nor enjoy your peripherals actually working with your new machine, it'll be hard to find a problem with this.

[Thanks, Phil]

Gefen announces 4x2 and 2x4 Switchers for HDMI v1.3

by Darren Murph posted Mar 29th 2009 at 11:16PM


Gefen's roll of new switchers continues today with two new ones: the 4x2 Switcher for HDMI v1.3 and the 2x4 Switcher for HDMI v1.3. The former, as the title insinuates, enables users to connect four HDMI v1.3-enabled devices to two HDTVs or projectors, while the latter is aimed at integrators wanting to display the same high-def video and audio on four HDTVs or projectors at the same time. Each one also comes bundled with HDMI cables and is fully CEC pass-through / HDCP compliant. As for pricing, you're looking at $549 for the 4x2 and $699 for the 2x4, and they'll both ship out next month.

Read - 4x2 Switcher for HDMI v1.3
Read - 2x4 Switcher for HDMI v1.3.

Logitech Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3 gets official

by Darren Murph posted Mar 20th 2009 at 4:48PM Breaking News


You've got to love it, don't you? Just a day after we caught wind of Logitech's Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3 (via the always informative FCC), the aforesaid company has come forward and confessed to its plans. The good news is that the adapter is for real, and while we're still not being told too much about the device itself, we do know that it will operate with any Harmony remote and it won't take up a USB port on your console. In other words, it's a simple Infrared-to-Bluetooth converter, though it promises to give Harmony remote users "complete control (including power on / off) over the movie-watching experience on a PS3." We're pleading for more information on pricing and availability, but until that's received, just enjoy your weekend knowing that you'll be able to buy one soon enough.

Gefen's 8x4 CAT-5 HDMI Matrix is probably overkill for you

by Darren Murph posted Mar 20th 2009 at 8:35AM


Be warned -- unless you seriously need eight HDMI sources hooked up to a single matrix switch in order to activate four at a time on an array of panels, you should probably skip right over this one. If we just rung your bell, however, read on. Gefen's latest HDMI distribution box is definitely catering to the high-end / commercial market by being entirely rack-mountable and supporting up to eight HDMI inputs and four outputs. High-def signals can be transmitted over CAT5 cabling, and there's even an RS-232 port for additional control capabilities. As for distances, you can expect 1080i material to travel up to 300 feet without degradation, while 1080p content will flow 150 feet. The only problem? The $4,499 price tag. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Gefen's 8x4 CAT-5 HDMI Matrix is probably overkill for you

Marmitek intros Connect410 and Connect411 HDMI switches

by Darren Murph posted Mar 19th 2009 at 7:38PM

Can't say we've ever had the pleasure of handling a Marmitek device ourselves, but for those scouting a new HDMI switch, said company has a new duo it'd like for you to look at. The Connect410 is a higher-end HDMI switch that can handle four HDMI devices and pipe 'em one at a time to a single HDMI output. It also includes a built-in repeater and equalizer for correcting any signal loss, and the bundled remote ensures that you'll never have to leave the sofa to switch inputs. The Connect411 does everything the aforementioned 410 does, but it adds in a digital audio output for good measure. Each one can be procured right now across the pond for €89.95 ($121) / €149.95 ($201), respectively.

Logitech Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3 answers a million prayers

by Darren Murph posted Mar 19th 2009 at 5:43PM


For everything going wrong in your life right now, there's at least one beacon of light to keep you, a dutiful PS3 owner, smiling. A long (long!) awaited device has just slipped into the FCC's database, and while details are scant, most of what we need to know is tucked away in the title: Logitech Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3. For far too long, PS3 owners with IR-based universal remotes have had to rely on clunky IR-to-Bluetooth converters to get the two to communicate, but as soon as the E-R0001 hits the market, all that will change for Harmony owners. As of now, we've got three questions that desperately need answered: 1) when?; 2) how much?; and 3) what Harmony remotes are compatible?

Gefen ships pricey HDMI v1.3 Fiber Extender

by Darren Murph posted Mar 4th 2009 at 8:21AM


As if Gefen didn't have enough solutions for extending your HDMI signals, along comes yet another that's more expensive and more sophisticated than any of the others. The all new HDMI v1.3 Fiber Extender enables users to pass along HDMI 1.3 signals up to 330 meters (around 1,000 feet) without even a hint of signal delay or electromagnetic interference disturbances such as cut-outs and pixilation. The secret? Rather than using Ethernet or copper wiring, this box transmits the content over a single fiber optic cable, utilizing six lasers to serialize the HDMI 1.3 signal and pass along 1080p high-def video and audio to displays far, far away. 'Tis a shame this helpful little bugger is priced at $1,499 -- kind of puts it out of reach for the vast majority of those that could use it. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Gefen ships pricey HDMI v1.3 Fiber Extender

Black Box doles out new media distribution over Ethernet device

by Darren Murph posted Mar 4th 2009 at 3:33AM


Another day, another way to distribute your media over tried-and-true Ethernet. Black Box Corporation has just announced its very own content-over-Ethernet box, which is hailed as a video and audio over Ethernet (VAoE) media distribution system. The device can utilize CAT5, CAT5e and CAT6 cabling to transmit high-definition video and audio to one or more displays up to 300 feet away; if you're hoping to reach farther, just throw in a standard network switch. We're told that it can support resolutions as high as 1080p, and it even acts a true gigabit Ethernet switch by supporting IP cameras, NAS components and other devices through its trio of 10/100/1000Mbps ports. There's nary a mention of price, but we get the feeling it won't be affordable.

Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter ships next month for under $15

by Darren Murph posted Feb 10th 2009 at 4:34AM


Who says you need a knock-down-drag-out to determine whether your next component should have HDMI or DisplayPort? The forward-thinking cats at Monoprice have finally provided a ship date for the forthcoming (March 15th) Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, which ought to help bargain shoppers out who have found themselves with a Mini DisplayPort-equipped laptop or graphics card. The best part? It's just $14.25 for one, and even less if you buy in bulk. How's that for fair pricing in a tough market?

[Thanks, Charbs]

Netgear's Coax-Ethernet Adapter up for pre-order

by Darren Murph posted Jan 29th 2009 at 8:53AM


Netgear quietly introduced us to its MCAB1001 MoCA Coax-Ethernet adapter (among other things) at CES this year, but the curiously useful device has just now set itself up for pre-ordering. Put simply, this is the device to get for those who both loathe wireless (and all those inexplicable dropouts) and can't pony up the courage / fundage / willpower to wire their home with Ethernet. By enabling users to extend Ethernet signals over existing in-wall coax cabling, you can easily pass along web content, Blu-ray / DVD material or practically any other digital signal over the coax network that's (hopefully) already established within your domicile's walls. Yeah, $229.99 is a bit pricey, but go price out a house full of Ethernet and then reevaluate.

[Thanks, Matt]

SmartVM delivers HDMI Splitter, HDMI Switch and HDMI Matrix

by Darren Murph posted Jan 17th 2009 at 7:11PM


Considering that there are never enough options when it comes to HDMI adapters, we'll welcome in SmartVM's latest family with open arms. The company has just tossed out a trio of new boxes, so we'll get started with the HDMI Splitter. Said device is HDMI 1.3 compatible, supports resolutions from 480i up to 1080p and can distribute an HDMI signal to up to eight HDMI displays. Moving right along, we've got the HDMI Switch, which arrives with a number of inputs (depending on model) and allows for one of the lot to be selected for on-screen viewing without pulling / plugging new wires. Lastly, the HDMI Matrix Switch enables "up to four HDMI compatible source devices to be switched easily into four HDTV compatible monitors or projectors," and the RS-232 / IR remote port should tickle the integrators just right.




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