DonnaC
10 years agoNew Contributor
Wireless TV
Is it possible to have wi-fi for television? I have an area in my home with no cable hookup but I want a TV there, is there a wi-fi connection available?
Is it possible to have wi-fi for television? I have an area in my home with no cable hookup but I want a TV there, is there a wi-fi connection available?
Are you looking to see actual TV broadcast, or just any video? If normal TV broadcast, you either need a cable outlet or a antenna. If your just looking for video, depends on your TV. What model TV do you have?
I think you're using the term "WiFi" loosely. WiFi is a wireless connection on your home network. You're looking for a wireless technology to transmit audio/video from a source (Cable TV, Internet, Home Media Server) to your TV.
The biggest question is what will be the source of programming you want to watch in that area of your home? I'll take a leap and assume (I know) you'll want to watch Cox Cable TV on your remote TV.
There are technologies to transmit audio/video signals from an HD set-top box (Cox) to a remote TV. The technologies are WHDI and WirelessHD and both work at different frequencies, 5 GHz and 60 GHz respectively. If your TV will be in another room, you'll need a WHDI transmitter to prevent interference from walls, furniture, cabinets, etc.
As of now, this technology comes as a kit. You connect a transmitter to your set-top box...connect a receiver to your distant TV...and use the remote control of your cable box while watching the TV.
You can go without the Cox cable boxes as well, but you have to roll your own infrastructure...but it gets VERY complicated. I figure it will take me like 11 months to realize an ROI for 2 TVs. That said I added functionality that I never had before, and more places and ways to view television. This is a configuration that is not for the faint of heart.
I should add that believe that Cox could offer an updated service that would put the DVR (and tuners) in a Cox internal cloud. There would be less of an outlay of infrastructure at the customer locations, the "cable boxes" would be much smaller (and prettier), and Cox could offer more services within the customer's homes. The set-top boxes that I am using are running kodi, formerly known as xbmc and it runs on almost everything. The DVRs could be in the cloud on large, scalable, and cost effective disk arrays...etc. Just my opinion.
You only need the one set-top box with a wireless HDMI kit (non-WiFi). In the living room, for example, set-top box-->HDMI cable-->transceiver-->HDMI cable-->TV. If the remote TV is in the bedroom, receiver-->HDMI cable-->TV.
What I like about the wireless HDMI kits, is you can use the remote control of the set-top box (living room) in the bedroom because the kit will relay the IR signal back to the transceiver. There may be a lag...but convenient.
Total cloud service is a great idea, but Cox would lose money renting all those boxes. But, then again, they could just charge for the cloud services. Nevertheless, I don't understand DVR service because, personally, there isn't anything on TV worth recording. Even if it's worth recording, just watch it a few days later on-demand. If it's not on-demand fast enough, it will be on the website of the network the next day, such as HBO Go. I may be wrong because I've never had a jones for anything on TV. If it's sports, my SiriusXM account fulfills that void.
The layout for the set-top boxes I used are significantly cheaper than you might think. Cox would likely make more per device.
The retail prices that I paid are (a company can negotiate for bulk systems):
chromebox @ $160 (perfect)
Amazon FireTV @ $85 (some issues with 1080 interlaced pictures)
The ChromeBox with OpenELEC on it, gives me a perfect picture on a projector (better than my cablebox).
Cox could contract to have their own built at a much cheaper cost in bulk than what I paid. Plus it would be cheaper than what they are paying now. My devices are hidden behind the TVs on the wall. :)
Just my opinion. To each their own. Take care sir.
This will do it, but can only see whats tuned from box it is hooked to. http://www.radioshack.com/rf-link-avs-5811-5-8ghz-wireless-a-v-sender-system/55016513.html