Antiference Wireless HDMI Extender

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TEST REPORT HDMI Extender Wireless transmission of HDTV signals ■ TELE-audiovision test editor Thomas Haring enjoying HDTV on the terrace, completely without cables (other than for power supply). We’re all faced with a similar scenario: UHF modulators, coax cables, RCA cables, analog transmitters and so on are just some ways for an average user to hook up an additional TV in the bedroom, terrace or garden to an existing pay TV receiver, DVD player, satellite receiver or games console in the living room. The list could go on forever, and every single option comes with a major drawback – full HD transmission with up to 1920x1080 pixels is not possible without using a cable-bound route. So up until now pay TV providers have been taking our money every month, yet the only place where we could actually enjoy their HDTV offering has been the living room. While some providers offer a second receiver and smartcard for a single subscrip- www.TELE-audiovision.com/13/01/antiference 44 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 01-02/2013 — www.TELE-audiovision.com www.TELE-audiovision.com — 01-02/2013 — TELE-audiovision International — 全球发行量最大的数字电视杂志 45 01-02/2013 Antiference Wireless HDMI Extender Perfect solution for wireless HDTV in your house or apartment tion, this of course comes at a price and further stretches the family budget. It gets even more complicated if we decide to watch the latest movie out in the garden on a warm summer night, since we also have to think about signal distribution in the first place. As long as we’re happy with terrestrial TV this is a problem that can easily be solved, but what about satellite TV? Do we really want to roll out thick coax cables all over the place? Well, we don’t need to any longer! This test report will introduce you to the Wireless HDMI Extender from Antiference. When we first heard about a new solution for wireless transmission of 1080p signals we were a bit sceptical, to put it mildly. Is current consumer technology capable of such a highly loaded mission at all? There was only one way to find out – get the system and give it a try! Antiference’s Wireless HDMI Extender consists of two modules, which take care of transmission and reception. As far as appearance goes, they look like your average Ethernet switch. This is hardly surprising given their size, which is 148 x 98 x18 mm and thus could easily be mistaken for a network hub. In order to make sure the integrated antennas of the two modules can operate at full capacity the manufacturer ships both devices with supporting feet, which not only take care of safely positioning the modules where they are required, but also optimise the transmission and reception quality of the overall system. Apart from all this highly welcome functionality, we did appreciate the 0.53
1 2 3 4 5 6 fact that the manufacturer also thought about a smart design for its product. Transmitter, receiver and supporting feet all come with a shiny white surface and create a low-key yet stylish overall appearance. Both the transmitting and the receiving modules come with two status LEDs indicating an established connection between the modules and a receiver or TV that is connected via HDMI. Our test showed that a third LED would have been welcome to light up every time the system is connected to the mains and ready to operate. The reason for this is that none of the two LEDs is active unless a connection between the two modules has been established and so you never know whether the system is turned on at all. And while we’re at it, a signal bar indicating the signal level at the receiving end would have been very handy as well. On a truly bright note, the manufacturer treated the reception module to an integrated infrared receiver on the front panel, which means you can use your remote control on the terrace or in the garden the same way you would right in front of the telly in the living room. So not only does the HDTV 1. The receiving module of the Wireless HDMI Extender has successfully established a connection with the transmitting module. An on-screen message confirms this to the user. 2. Wireless transmission of a HDTV signal from a receiver to the TV – thanks to the Wireless HDMI Extender. 3. The receiving module of the Wireless HDMI Extender tries to establish a connection with the transmitting module. 4. The receiving module of the Wireless HDMI Extender has successfully established a connection with the transmitting module. There is, however, no incoming signal at the moment. 5. The receiving module of the Wireless HDMI Extender is currently not logically connected with any transmitting module. 6. HDTV content with a resolution of up to 1080p can easily be transmitted wirelessly. 46 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 01-02/2013 — www.TELE-audiovision.com signal from the receiver travel wirelessly to your TV panel, but commands sent from the remote travel back to the receiver as well – two-way communication at its best. In order for that to work the Wireless HDMI Extender converts the infrared signal from your remote into a digital signal that is first sent to the transmitting module and then transformed back into an infrared signal which is finally sent to the receiver from there. Sounds complicated, but works wonderfully. In the outer left corner of both modules you can find a flush mini-switch which can be used as a sort of range extender for the wireless signal (albeit with reduced video signal quality) and for logically linking up two or more modules in the first place in order to get going. The back panel of both modules sports an HDMI port and a socket for connecting the external 5V power pack. In addition, the transmitting module features a socket for the external infrared transmitter, while the receiving end comes with a mini-USB port. Antiference ships the system with a concise manual which will tell you everything you need to know to set up the system and which comes with useful illustrations where required. We were absolutely impressed by the build quality of this signal extender, which met all of our – admittedly rather high – demands. Now that we knew about any nook and cranny of its outside appearance it was time to have a closer look at the technology behind the Wireless HDMI Extender from Antiference. Transmissions take place in the 5 GHz range, or between 5.1 and 5.9 GHz to be more precise. We find that’s a smart choice by the manufacturer, since the overly popular 2.4 GHz range has become a bit crowded with all the countless WiFi routers, analog transmitters, microwaves and other devices in recent years.
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Antiference Wireless HDMI Extender

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