IOGEAR AVIOR-Series Wireless HD Kit (TPV 91)

1080p Without Wires

How Well Does It Work?

At this stage I’ve only had an opportunity to conduct rudimentary tests, and results have thus far been positive. The IOGEAR manual provides blessedly straightforward, step-by-step setup instructions that I’ve outlined below, along with practical hints I picked up while doing my initial product tests.

• Start out with all components turned off. (Hint: This point is really essential, so remember to power everything down before you start).
  
• Connect your A/V source components to the Wireless HD Transmitter.
• Connect the IR Blast cable to the Wireless HD Transmitter and to your A/V source components, if you want to use the IR Blast function. (Hint: the IOGEAR installation guide makes this step sound mandatory, but it’s really optional.).
  
• Connect your TV or projector to the Wireless HD Receiver.
• Power up the Wireless HD Transmitter and Receiver. (Very Important Hint: it appears that, under some circumstances, the kit can be sensitive to the order in which the Transmitter and Receiver are powered up. IOGEAR technical support advises that, when in doubt, you should power up the transmitter first.).
  
• Power up the TV or projector.
•  Wait for the various Power/Link LEDs on the Transmitter and Receiver to stop blinking. When the blinking stops and the Power/Link LEDs stay on, the Transmitter and Receiver are “paired” and ready for use. Once this happens, you’ll see an IOGEAR startup screen on your display screen.
• Using the IOGEAR remote control, select the Transmitter input and Receiver output you wish to use. (Very Important Hint: IOGEAR allows you to set the Transmitter’s audio and video inputs separately so it pays to verify that your inputs are set up properly.).
  
• Finally, turn on the source component(s) and play A/V material as you wish.

For our initial tests I ran the HDMI outputs of our reference Oppo BDP-83 SE Blu-ray player through the IOGEAR Wireless HD Kit, which in turn was connected to a JVC HDTV.

Setup ran almost flawlessly, though I did encounter one very minor snag that was quickly resolved by IOGEAR’s excellent Technical Support team (hence my hint, above, regarding powering up the Transmitter module before powering up the Receiver module).

In a matter of minutes, I was sending wireless HD video and audio from the Oppo via the kit to the display. The result: I could discern no quality differences at all between the IOGEAR’s wireless HD connections and the direct, hard-wired HDMI cable connections I normally use, which is exactly the result I was hoping to achieve.

BOTTOM LINE:

While I’ve not yet had the opportunity to test all of its operating modes, IOGEAR’s Wireless HD Kit has thus far proven to be easy to set up and has performed exactly as advertized, offering a useful, high-performance solution for homeowners who desire wireless HD connections between their source components and TVs or projectors.

The kit’s price may at first seem a bit steep, but the convenience and ease of use it provides may prove priceless—especially for users who dislike the otherwise complicated A/V wiring schemes their systems might require.

SPECS&PRICING

IOGEAR AVIOR-Series Wireless HD Kit

Inputs: 2 x HDMI, 1 x VGA/Component video, 1 x Composite video, 2 x Analog Audio (via stereo RCA jacks and 3.5mm mini-jack).
Outputs: 1 x HDMI, 1 x Component video, 1 x Composite video, 2 x Analog Audio (via Stereo RCA jacks and a 3.5mm mini-jack)
Digital Video:
--HDMI: Up to 1080p60Hz
Analog Video:
--Component: up to 1080i60Hz
--VGA: Up to 1920x 1080@60Hz
--Composite: up to 480p
Digital Audio (pass through):
--AC3
--Dolby Digital
--DTS
Analog Audio:
--16-bit 2-Channel, liner PC (44.1kHz & 48kHz)
Communications Channels: LAN, "WiFi Channel 1" (WiFi channel 38, 5.19 GHz) or "WiFi Channel " (WiFi channel 46, 5.23 GHz)
Remote control functions: Power on/standby, Info (display system connectivity settings), Receiver Video Output Select (HDMI, Component, or AV), Transmitter Video Input Select (HDMI1, HDMI2, PC, AV), Transmitter Audio Input Select (HDMI1, HDMI2, PC, AV), and Communications Channel Select (LAN, WiFi Ch1, WiFi Ch2).
Price: $899.95
Warranty: 1 year, parts and labor