DVDO, based in Sunnyvale, CA, recently released their new Wireless HD adapters, the Air3C and Air3C-PRO. Claimed to be the industry's first wireless HD solutions, both are said to deliver full 1080p60 HD content from HDMI and DVI (through a DVI to HDMI cable) source to a TV or projector. This is a basic transmitter/receiver package, with both the receiver and the transmitter powered by USB ports or via the included AC power supply. The Air3C-PRO adds in some professional-level setup and management functions, as well as the ability to “hard pair” the units in environments where multiple systems are in use. Probably a good feature to have in church installations – it wouldn't do to have your auditorium lyric graphics suddenly switch to being shown on the TV in the conference room across the hall.
The units are designed around the 60 GHz band, available for unlicensed short-distance communication systems with data throughputs of up to 2.5 gigabits per second. As this is far outside the frequencies used by Wi-Fi systems and cordless phones, the potential of interference with such devices is eliminated.
DVDO states that the system can deliver full HD with near zero latency, making this look like an effective installation tool for equipping conference rooms or class rooms with a large-screen monitor or projection system without the need to run cabling through walls, floors or ceilings. It could also be useful for adding projection systems to smaller auditoriums and sanctuaries, where retrofitting cable runs could be problematic or expensive.
The range of the system is purported to be 10 meters, or 32 feet, and according to Wikipedia, the 60 Ghz band is susceptible to absorption by oxygen, which is in the air and water, and is what limits its range. And due to this, higher humidity levels can also reduce signal strength. Therefore, the ability to use this to send a signal to your projectors in your auditorium might be limited, depending on the placement of the projectors and source of your video signal.
Some questions I have include: Is the 10 meter distance what you get under optimal conditions, or will this distance be reduced on humid days? Would multiple installations of the Air3 system interfere with each other, as they all operate on the same frequency band? Will it work with copy-protected sources like a commercial Blu-ray disc playing in a Blu-ray player? And just how solid is the connection? Can you go all day and not have a glitch, or are some glitches to be expected as with any wireless system?
We'll take a closer look at this intriguing wireless system in an upcoming review in the December 2014 issue of Church Production Magazine.
