Bridging the Gap

Intel’s Wireless Display promises a single-touch bridge between your notebook and your display. Though there are limitations currently, its almost more exciting to think of where this technology can go in the next 1 to 3 years.
Back in January, Intel made quite a splash by revealing Wireless Display, or better known by its awkward nickname Wi-Di. This new technology would allow Wi-Di enabled notebooks to broadcast their audio and video signal to a Wi-Di receiver connected to a High-Def display or AV receiver. Intel CEO Paul Otellini promised that Wi-Di was going to be a single button solution that works seamlessly as long as you have both a Wi-Di supported notebook and the Wi-Di adapter connected to a TV.

In an age of HTPC’s, media players like the Western Digital WD TV and the wireless Asus O!Play, and easy interconnects like HDMI, some of you may already have the “last yard” bridged – bringing your broadband content to your TV. In this landscape, where does Intel Wi-Di fit in? Hopefully by the end of this review we will have this question answered.

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Intel CEO, Paul Otellini, introducing Wireless Display at CES 2010.
Image Source: International CES



The Package

The test package we received is a Dell Studio 15z, and a Netgear Push2TV (PTV1000) wireless adapter.

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The Dell Studio 15z 1569 is an attractive notebook which can be found at BestBuy.

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The Netgear Push2TV adapter looks more like a wireless router than a traditional adapter. On the back, there are standard RCA outputs for video and audio, an HDMI port, and a spot for the power adapter. When plugged in, a status indicator on the front tells you whether the Netgear Push2TV is receiving a signal (green) or not (orange).

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The Netgear Push2TV adapter comes bundled with one of three of notebook packages at BestBuy: the Dell Studio 15z, the Sony Vaio S series, and the Toshiba E205. Prices range from $899.99 to $1049.99. But Wireless Display isn’t technology exclusive to these three notebooks, you can enable Wireless Display as long as you have the following in your notebook:

  •  Core i7-620M, i5-540M, i5-520M, i5-430M, i3-350M, i3-330M
  •  Intel HD Graphics (integrated with the above CPUs)
  •  Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200, Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250, Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300

If your system matches the above, then all you would need is to buy the Netgear PTV1000 as an aftermarket accessory for $99.99.



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