Entered CNET Catalog: 12/01/2004
SKU: 0722868529614
Manufacturer: Belkin International, Inc.
Manufacturer description
Now you can send video and music from one room to another without running wires through your home. The PureAV RemoteTV frees you from the added bulk and expense of additional components by sending audio and video wirelessly from a cable box, satellite receiver, digital video recorder, DVD/CD player, or AV receiver to a TV, LCD, or plasma display in a separate location. Designed to deliver the clearest picture and cleanest sound, PureAV RemoteTV lets you play movies and music in two rooms at once, with better quality than ever before-and without interruptionProduct summary
The good: Wireless video system; excellent picture quality; easy setup; IR blaster passes remote control signals; 350-foot range.
The bad: Expensive; limited audio connectivity; no support for HD video.
The bottom line: While expensive, Belkin's RemoteTV delivers flawless wireless video reception from any standard video source.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 12/22/2004
The RemoteTV system is comprised of two identical-looking modules, a transmitter and a receiver. Both measure 8 inches high by 4.5 inches wide (including the stand) and 8 inches deep and mount vertically; they're small enough to nestle in an entertainment system or next to the TV. The transmitter's back panel includes composite, S-Video, and component inputs, so you can connect any standard video source--VCR, DVD, TiVo/DVR, satellite or cable box--with matching connections. And Belkin conveniently includes passthrough outputs as well, so the RemoteTV transmitter simply leeches off the audio/video feed of your choice, leaving your primary A/V system essentially unchanged. Hook it up once and forget it.
Once you've connected the RemoteTV transmitter to your video source of choice, you take its companion receiver to another room in the house--the system has a rated range of 350 feet, but our obstruction-filled office topped out at about a third of that--and connect it to a TV or video monitor. Naturally, the receiver has the same outputs (composite, S-Video, component, and stereo analog audio) as the transmitter, and you need only hook up the ones you're using; we chose component, for the best video quality from our DVD player. Once all the cables are in place, simply power on the receiver. In just a couple of seconds, the connection light switches from red to green, indicating that it's automatically locked on to the transmitter.
That's the first of RemoteTV's three biggest advantages: it just works. Because it uses a proprietary 5GHz wireless connection, there's no setup menu, no passkeys, and no need to integrate it into your existing home network--just connect and power up both modules, and you're good to go. The audio and video quality is virtually flawless. No matter our viewing choice--the Seabiscuit and Alien DVDs, for instance--the sound and picture were rock solid, exhibiting no interference, dropouts, or pixelation. If you weren't told otherwise, you'd assume the TV was directly wired to the video source. Other pluses: the RemoteTV system includes an IR blaster (on the transmitter), so it can pass on remote codes from the receiver. That means you can control your video source (DVD player, VCR, set-top box) from the other room, as long as you have the original remote or a properly programmed universal model.
As smoothly as it works, the RemoteTV is not without flaws. Despite the three separate video inputs, the system has only a single audio input. So while you can toggle between each of the three remote inputs by clicking a button on the front face of the receiver, you're stuck with just one audio source, meaning it's effectively a one-source system. (Enterprising users will no doubt connect it to the output of their A/V receiver and use that to switch between various A/V sources.)
Also, the lack of a direct coaxial video connection means the RemoteTV can't pass a raw analog cable feed; you'll need a source device with a built-in tuner, such as a VCR, a DVR, or a DVD recorder. The only audio option, meanwhile, is analog stereo; since the transmission system is already digital, adding a coaxial or optical digital audio jack on either side would seem to be an easy upgrade for Belkin. Finally, the system is limited to standard definition 480i video--neither progressive-scan (480p) nor HDTV (720p or 1080i) resolutions are supported. Given the high bandwidth needed for proper transmission of these better video standards, though, their lack of inclusion is probably for the best.
That leaves us with the RemoteTV's biggest problem: its high price. At $499, it's hardly a bargain. For that price, in fact, you could get six DVD players, a handful of TiVos, or even a new TV. That said, it's far more affordable than Sharp's LC-15L1U-S wireless TV. And if you want to get a cable or satellite feed to a remote part of your home, the $499 may well be cheaper--and less aggravating--than having a custom installer punch holes in your wall or staple ugly cables up the length of your staircase. Still, we'd like to see the RemoteTV's price drop by at least half and add audio support to each input. In the meantime, however, if you're willing to pay the price, the RemoteTV will add a high-quality, stable, and easy-to-use wireless extension to your home-theater system.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8out of 8 user reviews
NO other alternatives available!
Pros: It just works! Great (and unmatched) reception. IR Blaster
Cons: Price, No way to turn it on and off on demand (using the remote maybe).
out of 8 user reviews
Nothing else like it! Only wish it were a little cheaper.
Pros: Fantastic image quality, simple setup and ease-of-use.
Cons: No HD support. A bit expensive. And now, hard to find...why?!
First off, assessment of the equipment:
The nicely packaged system comes in a smallish rectangular box. It feels 'designed.' The hardware itself is nothing spectacular, but nicely done. The transmitter and receiver units are silvered plastic w/ amber-tinted front sensor panels. They were a bit bigger than I thought they would be. Also, they were light, with the airy feeling of a fair amount of 'wasted space' inside. You know, plasticky (if that's a word). The connectors aren't especially heavy-duty either. My Sony wireless headphone kit has a very similar look-and-feel, but has the feeling of a being a bit 'tighter' in its design...but only a bit. Standard external power bricks about three inches long (again, a bit bigger than I'd thought). Minor quibbles. Overall, I thought, if these do what they promise, they look decent enough. I was happy.
Next, set-up:
Very, very straight-forward. On the transmitter end--I used the component A/V jacks for video and a split stereo RCA for audio from my Dish 211 reciever. Also, plugged in the IR blaster for remote control of the reciever and placed the blaster underneath the reciever near the IR sensor. On the reciever end--I likewise used the component out for video and stereo RCA for audio. The TV is a small flat-tube JVC monitor on top of our refrigerator in the kitchen of our condo. The distance from transmitter to receiver was about 30 feet, through two walls. Our condo, a brick building originally built in 1920, is contructed like a tank...our wireless internet needs repeaters to effectively cover the entire unit. So while this isn't a long haul for the system based on its specs, I figure it will be an ample test of its effectiveness.
Finally--the test run. I did this quickly, because the season premiere of "Lost" was coming on in minutes...
Turned on the satellite reciever locally. I then took a spare E* receiver remote to the kitchen and reprogrammed it to control the JVC tv. Finally, I powered up both Belkin units and they initialized and locked transmission within seconds, almost immediately, really. All I then had to do was toggle through the video sources on the receiver unit until it switched to component (it defaults to composite). Voila!
In short--I was AMAZED at how good the picture quality was. I called my wife in to take a look, and she was very impressed as well. You absolutely could not tell that the video had been altered in any way by the MPEG-2 real-time encode/stream. It looked and sounded as good as it did on the TV directly connected to the 211 receiver. My only snag was the sat remote was initially unable to control the reciever over the repeater system built into the Belkin. I quickly solved that...it was my fault, I'd hesistated on applying the IR blaster directly to the sensor face on the reciever and it obviously needed to be attached, because once I did that, it worked like a charm. The only giveaway that I wasn't controlling the settop directly was a slight delay in the response time. But nothing untoward.
In all, I spent more time unpacking the system and figuring out what to do w/ the twist ties than in setting it up. It was up and running in under 15 minutes. I was concerned that with a lot of WiFi signals bouncing about (our unit has an Apple Airport Extreme and three Express repeaters alone--and then there are the neighbors' networks), a bunch of cordless phones and the potential interference of the refrigerator's compressor, I'd see some instability in the wireless transmission system. It locked instantly and performed flawlessly.
Color me thoroughly impressed.
The only other gotcha I encountered had to do w/ the 211 itself and some curious inconsistencies in the way it sends 4x3 downconverts of the HD channels out it's S-Video and its Component outputs. Problem was, it was letterboxed properly on the local TV (direct connected via S-Video), but not on the Belkin-connected TV in the kitchen (Component). I spent a couple of minutes trying to figure it out, looking for component-specific settings until realizing that I needed to change the HD setup (already set to 480i and '4x3 #1') to '4x3 #2'. Why this is, I don't fully understand. But after that, all the HD downconverts looked as desired/expected.
Now, please understand, I love my Slingbox system (and all the functionality it affords), but I have to agree w/ my wife, who said "Wow. This looks way better than the other system [Slingbox]. I can really watch this and forget I'm not watching 'the real thing'." Indeed.
The only downside w/ this system is the price (thus the 1-star deduction). I wish it were a hundred bucks cheaper. But it's rock-solid and delivers amazing quality...and it kept me from having to do any crazy wire runs or call in professionals. Plus, its allowing me to get much more out of our third room satellite reciever--value added, indeed. So I consider it money well spent.
The system is now quite hard to find (perplexing and a bit frustrating...I was hoping to get the system for my parents but it's proving difficult). Get one if/when you can! And Belkin...get more out there, it's a good product!
out of 8 user reviews
This unit actually works as good as the manufacturer claims!
Pros: Works Great!
Cons: Price is a little high but should come down with demand.
Eventually I think this technology should be the standard built in all flat panel TV's.
out of 8 user reviews
MUCH CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE
Pros: NONE
Cons: This product is way too expensive...there are similar products on the market at a much more reasonable price. I personally own the RF Link AVS-5811 (google it) which I paid $120 for. It's about 1/3rd the size and performs exceptionally well. I live in
out of 8 user reviews
Great Product, Excellent Quality
Pros: Set up was a breeze. Video and audio quality were as good as the original source anywhere the unit was placed throughout the house. Offers multiple inputs. Allows use of the source player's remote control from another room. Price was higher than
Cons: None
out of 8 user reviews
Fantastic product - Excellent video reception everywhere in my 3200 sq ft home and back yard.
Pros: Fantastic product - Excellent video reception everywhere in my 3200 sq ft home and back yard. If you have frustration with any past wireless TV --- this one will help alleviate your head ache --- Easy to use, truly a plug and play.
Cons:
out of 8 user reviews
Excellent product, it really works!
Pros: Video quality and distance are as good as wire. You can now watch video anywhere in or just outside your house. Excellent application to send stored or live video to a "portable" LCD display.
Cons: Size of unit, nice to have a smaller unit to velcro on the back of a display
out of 8 user reviews
It really works! Excellent distance and quality.
Pros: - Excellent distance. It covered my large 4BR house. - Supports component video (unlike any other wireless product I have ever seen) - The video and audio quality was as good as the original picture.
Cons: - Pricey! I was desperate because I can't drill holes in my walls. I would buy another set if the price hits $350. - Doesn't support progressive scan mode.
