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VDO Air3C-Pro Wireless HD Adapter. Images courtesy of DVDO.
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VDO Air3C-Pro Wireless HD Adapter Back View. Air3C-Pro exhibited the same amount of latency as a six-foot HDMI cable.
There are many aspects of professional technical ministry that are truly amazing to be a part of. Pulling cable through conduit is not one of them. The only thing worse is pulling cable through conduit, getting close to the end, and having the pull string break. One of the more popular solutions in recent years has been Cat5 and fiber transport systems; though typically not unreasonably priced, companies aren't giving them away either. This is why DVDO developed products for transmitting HD content using what the company calls WirelessHD technology.
Using the 60 GHz frequency band, the Air3C-Pro is free from interference from common problems like Wi-Fi, cordless phones and microwave ovens. It supports 1080p60 resolution as well as 7.1 HD audio and 3D support at throughputs of up to 2.5 gigabits per second. The Air3C-Pro uses advanced radar technology used in fighter aircraft. This phased-array beam-forming technology automatically scans the room and looks for the best path from transmitter to receiver in every frame of video—up to 60 times a second. This RF “beam” steering also creates an auto healing connection, or one that does not require human intervention to reconnect in the event of degraded or broken connection.
Design Notables
Another interesting design choice is the pairing options available for the Air3C-Pro. The standard pairing is WiHD, which is the most flexible.
The second choice is to soft pair the units; this allows you to mate select units to each other. This is great for a situation like a conference room with a TV. If you are using a rolling AV cart, it’s easy to re-pair the units while they are in the room together.
The last and most interesting choice is the whitelist pairing, which provides the most control and security. This is great for installs where you don’t want the end user to be able to make changes, like auxiliary overflow rooms or kids’ environments. In this mode, a transmitter only mates with specific receivers. Think of it as an “only allow these partners” situation. This will prevent unintentional parings if other transmitters or receivers are available. The receivers can have eight different mates and the transmitter can have two.
Upgrading the firmware is an easy process, simply download and unzip the new firmware then, using the proprietary configuration tool, navigate to the file and open it.
One of the other noticeable features is the low lag time. The Air 3C-Pro boasts a “zero latency” lag. In my testing of the device, I found this lag time to be as advertised. Using a video camera hooked up to a TV, shooting a clapboard with running timecode out to hundredths of a second, my test demonstrated the same amount of latency using the Air3C-Pro as using a six-foot HDMI cable. So the latency, if there is any, is less then one one-hundredth of a second.
Convenience & Possibilities
The most exciting thing about this product is the possibilities it represents. With a max range of 10 meters you can’t send it terribly far, but there are some really cool uses for the DVDO Air3C-Pro. A perfect example can be found at our church where there is no direct conduit path from the video room to the projector. As a result, run from the video room to the center projector is 300-400 feet and runs all the way across the auditorium to the back stage area, up 30-40 feet, and then half way back across the auditorium again. However, the conduit run from the video room to front of house is more like 60 feet, and is located 30 feet directly under the center projector. So it could easily be a cable-saving option.
Another alternative is for churches that use a TV on stage for the speaking pastor’s notes. The Air 3C-Pro could easily reduce the cable on stage. If the cable run was to either front of house or front of the stage or just off stage, you could put the receiver in one of those locations and keep signal cable off the stage.
In churches with multiple meeting rooms, it’s a great option for your AV carts to connect wirelessly with the in-room TVs.
The last option, and I am almost afraid to mention it, is the Air 3C-Pro could be an option for a wireless stage cam. In a situation where the stage is small and the receiver could be located just off stage, theoretically a camera could roam up to 30 feet from that position out on to the stage.
The downsides are pretty obvious. Right now there is a very limited range you can cover from transmitter to receiver. The specs say range is limited to 30 feet, though the company tells us that’s a conservative figure. In a line-of-sight situation, DVDO says users can expect it to function at over twice that distance. I believe if it were possible to get that quality connection at 75 feet there would be a much larger opportunity for use. Also, I mentioned using it on camera. I think that option is a non-starter until Genlock is included—then it becomes really interesting in that application.
Despite the limitations, at a price point of $299, I think the DVDO has a future in the house of worship market.
