Podcast #496: ZyXEL AeroBeam Wireless HD Video Kit

Through the years we’ve had the opportunity to check out several wireless audio, video and wireless HDMI systems. This week we’re adding one more option to your list of choices for wireless HDMI. If you’ve always wanted to use a front projector for huge home theater, but never wanted to cut up the ceiling to run cables, you’ll want to listen to this review. It’s the ZyXEL AeroBeam Wireless HD Video Kit (WHD6215).

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Podcast #479: HDMI 1.5 Wish List

When we bought our first devices that supported HDMI way back in 2006 the hot devices could handle the HDMI 1.1 specification. At that time the big deal was an AV receiver that would take next generation audio formats decoded on Blu-ray players and sent to a receiver that could accept PCM audio via HDMI. HDMI is still the only way to get next generation audio into a receiver.

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Podcast #465: McTiVia Review

Updated on Feb 13 by HT Guys

In the traditional sense a computer connected to your TV is commonly referred to as a Home Theater PC or HTPC. This requires you to dedicate a computer connected to the TV or at least use a Media Extender device like an Xbox 360. On today’s show we look at a device that is part Media Extender and part HDMI extension cord.  We are talking about the McTiVia ($230 with shipping) and it works with both Windows and Macs.

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Podcast #445: brite-View Air SyncHD and Bye bye Blu-ray

Netflix just launched their service in Canada, but they aren't planning to ship a single disc. The entire service is what we refer to as "Watch it Now" or their streaming video service. They're also on record as saying that if they were starting in the US right now, they'd do the same thing: skip discs entirely and go straight to streaming. Microsoft has recently also predicted that Blu-ray will go the way of the HD-DVD very soon (article). So what do these companies know that we don't?

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Podcast #433: Bye bye HDMI; Hello HDBaseT

There’s been a lot of activity on the Internet recently around the new HDBaseT Alliance. Bottom line, they want to replace HDMI with standard Cat5e or Cat6 cables.  The group was launched in December 2009, but recently announced that LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony have thrown in their support.  This, along with a finalized spec, have moved the HDBaseT idea to the forefront of home theater news.

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Podcast #427: brite-View Air HD Review

A few weeks ago water damage in Braden's home forced him to remove the ceiling in his family room.  He took advantage of this "opportunity" to run some new cables to allow for the installation of a front projector.  Of course, one of the necessary cables in that endeavor was HDMI.  But not everyone wants to rip out their ceiling to run HDMI.

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