Intel wireless display dedicated to wireless monitor. What is Wireless Display, how to connect Intel WiDi and how to use it? Indispensable Intel program for all moments of use, from and to
Exploring the Intel Centrino Wireless Adapter
Advanced-N 6205 for Desktop
We have been using Intel wireless adapters in router tests for a long time, and for good reason - this equipment is one of the first to support new standards and has very high performance. Intel, with large engineering and manufacturing resources, devotes to technology wireless a lot of attention. The widespread adoption of the company's solutions began with the time of the first Centrino platform, when a Wi-Fi module was added to the chipset for a laptop to the processor and chipset. The use of a single manufacturer and special technologies has significantly improved performance and battery life.
Since then, several generations of devices have already changed, and today the Intel Centrino 6000 series is presented in the middle and upper market segments. The Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 model is most often found in laptops, presented in the form of a half miniPCIe format card that has support for two bands ( may depend on adapter modification) and operates at speeds up to 300 Mbps. Its older sister, Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300, capable of showing higher performance thanks to the 3T3R mode (450 Mbps), is a rare guest due to the higher cost and the need to install not two, but three antennas in a laptop. In addition, do not forget that it is routers with 300 Mbps support that are most common today, 450 Mbps models are much less common and belong to the top class.
Wanting to bring success to desktop systems and to support further technological innovations, the company plans to release a modification under the name Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 for Desktop. It differs from the "laptop" version by the use of an adapter for installation in a standard PCIe x1 slot and the complete set of external external antenna. The exact plans for the model to enter the market have not yet been determined, in particular, it is possible to change the antenna design to improve performance.
In this article, we will conduct a small express test of the device, as well as check the Wi-Fi Direct and Intel Wireless Display technologies in action.
Testing the wireless adapter
An engineering sample was tested, but the differences from the release version are likely to be minimal. The device is a standard half miniPCIe card, which can be found in laptops, installed in a special adapter to the PCIe x1 bus for use in desktop computers and its own version of the antenna with a 1.2 m cable.Formally, such a kit can be assembled in parts by yourself. The difference from the "Chinese" version is the high-quality and convenient adapter board. Optionally, it is possible to use a low-profile bracket for installation in compact media center cases. The rear panel contains standard connectors for two antennas and a link activity indicator. Some questions are raised only by the antenna - it is not very clear how and to what to attach it.
The adapter is based on a proprietary Intel chip, it provides operation in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands in 2T2R mode with a maximum operating speed of 300 Mbps. The drivers can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. It is also suggested to use a proprietary program to manage connections. For testing, the device was installed in a stand at the base motherboard ASUS Maximus V Gene with Intel i7-3770K processor.
The performance study was carried out in conjunction with the ASUS RT-N66U router, which has support for two bands and modes up to 450 Mbps inclusive. Note that by default in the adapter properties on the 2.4 GHz band, only the 20 MHz channel is allowed. To determine the maximum capabilities of the device, this setting has been disabled. The test conditions were slightly different from those usually implemented in wireless tests, so direct comparison of the results with other articles will not be very correct. The direction is indicated relative to the adapter.
For an adapter with 300 Mbps support, the numbers are excellent. They are clearly knocked out of the rule "real speed \u003d theoretical / 2". It is possible that an optimally fitted antenna also played a role in this case.
Wi-Fi Direct
Modern wireless Wi-Fi networks in the overwhelming majority of cases are created with the participation of an access point. It is she who is responsible for the security of settings and control of client access. However, more and more often, users mobile devices there is the task of exchanging documents in an environment different from home - for example, at a meeting or on the road. Previously, Bluetooth claimed the role of a protocol for such tasks - thanks to the ability to work in point-to-point mode without any additional equipment. But today its mass implementations are not suitable for transferring large documents due to their relatively low speed. The second limitation is the relatively short range. At the same time, Wi-Fi in phones and tablets is capable of providing performance at the level of tens of megabits per second, and laptops are capable of much higher speeds. The disadvantage is the need to use an access point.
The protocol proposed by the Wi-Fi Alliance simplifies the interconnection of devices in a network without the need for a hardware access point. Wi-Fi Direct is software solution, and its implementation is possible on any type of Wi-Fi equipment. It is based on a bundle of a software access point organized on one of the devices, the WPS secure connection protocol and automatic detection technologies. In most cases, to connect devices, it is enough to carry out only a couple of simple actions, for example, select a partner and click the "connect" button. In addition to the organization of one-to-one and one-to-many networks, it is possible to connect "regular" Wi-Fi devices. It should be noted that new networks can be created simultaneously with the existing connection of the device to the access point, but it should be noted that adapters are usually able to work at a time only on one radio channel. You can find devices that support Wi-Fi Direct on the alliance website, where this protocol is included in the "Special Features" section of the certificate, along with WPS.
As examples of scenarios and services, the following are usually given: the exchange of documents (photos, videos, etc.), printing on a printer, access to the Internet, broadcasting images to a TV or projector, multiplayer games. The standard specification states that it is possible to use special methods to refine the services provided by devices before establishing a direct connection. Unfortunately, this feature is listed as optional, and the mandatory requirements include only the process of establishing a connection and some additional services, such as power management (which, of course, is very important for modern mobile devices). So, the convenience similar to modern Bluetooth services is not here today, and each manufacturer comes up with its own implementations. For example, one of the top-end smartphones of the latest generation allows you to send files through this protocol, and the My Wi-Fi Dashboard suite of programs for Intel adapters allows you to organize chat, exchange files and create an Internet access point. Let's take a closer look at it. The tests will also use a second computer with an Intel 6300 card and similar software.
The appearance of the program is original - a round-shaped window, displaying neighboring systems in the form of icons, several switches on the right edge. In the settings, the user can specify a folder for receiving remote files, select a name and password for organizing an access point. There is no possibility to select the range and channel of work.
File transfer is really very simple: you select a partner, then a file, a request is sent, on the second system you allow reception, after which the transfer is carried out. However, it should be noted that the actual establishment of the connection takes a noticeable time, about ten seconds, and the sending speed is not that great. In our case, it was about 40 Mbps. Compared to Bluetooth, this is certainly not bad, but significantly less than we expected.
Chat works the same way. Of course, in this case we are talking more about a technology demonstration than a really useful function. But it did not work to start the access point mode. The main PC had the Internet via a wired connection, the access point was turned on, but of the three clients that were connected to check the clients, the Internet was "wound up" only on one.
So, in general, this protocol and its capabilities may certainly be of interest to many users, but the current implementation by Intel seemed a little crude to us. Particular care should be taken by manufacturers to create and agree on the details of use profiles so that interoperability between different devices can be ensured.
Intel Wireless Display
The ability to display a picture from a PC or laptop on a large TV screen remains one of the functions most demanded by consumers. The only problem is that today few people want to mess with cables, settings, special programs. If all this worked wirelessly and at the touch of a button, then, no doubt, the number of users of such scenarios would increase significantly.
Intel, promoting its mobile platforms, developed Intel Wireless Display (WiDi for short) technology just for these requirements. For several years of its development, it has grown to version 3.x and today is capable of broadcasting Full HD video with 5.1 sound and supports HDCP 2.0 for protected content.
For most users, the easiest way to answer the question about technical requirements is the presence of the corresponding logo in the description of the laptop. If we look deeper, then they will obviously require modern Intel processor, graphics and wireless controller... Also note that the software is only for the operating room. windows systems 7. Depending on the exact component models, there may be some variation in WiDi capabilities. In our case, a combination of intel processor i7-3770K and Intel 6205 adapter can demonstrate maximum modes. Note that for the technology to work on desktop PCs, it is necessary to use new 22-nanometer processors (Ivy Bridge), while in laptops the use of the previous generation is also allowed.
But broadcasting a picture is not enough, you also need to somehow receive and transmit it to the TV. For this, it is proposed to use special adapters that have a built-in receiver, decoder and video output for connection to a display device. We were unable to find an exact and complete list of compatible devices. For testing we used a Netgear Push2TV HD adapter (model PTV2000).
This is the latest generation device with Full HD video support. Besides HDMI, it also has analog video and stereo audio outputs. We tested the device with HDMI only. The adapter is built on the Sigma Designs media processor and has a Wi-Fi module on a Ralink chip supporting dual bands and 2T2R mode. Interestingly, the adapter firmware is updated automatically through the Intel utility. WiDi receivers are expected to be built right into TVs, making life much easier for users of this technology.
As you can see from the description, another feature of the technology is working only with Intel graphics controllers, so we immediately understand that modern dynamic games can be deleted from the use cases in advance. One more reason can be found in the notes to the utility: with an active WiDi connection, programs using DirectX will not be able to work. Also note the lack (at least in the current version) of back channel support, which could be useful for remote controls or mouse / keyboard.
So let's see how it all works. Special software is installed on an Intel-based computer. It software emulates a second virtual display for operating system... Thus, the resulting configuration will be able to work both in the modes of cloning and expanding the desktop, and in the form of a single monitor. It uses standard technologies and requires nothing more than this single program. A similar remark applies to the sound path - a virtual sound controller is created in the system, available to any programs, which automatically becomes the main one. The system works quite conveniently and reliably. During testing, we did not notice any difficulties from the appearance and disappearance of devices in the operating system.
The documentation mentions the possibility of using the technology on mobile systems with switchable graphics, but we were not able to test this option.
The picture displayed on the virtual monitor is encoded by specialized processor units using the H.264 codec. As for the sound, it is difficult to determine exactly. The easiest option is to use PCM (at least this is where the decoder outputs 5.1 sound to the receiver). However, real-time encoding of audio information is not a difficult task for modern processors, and the stream is not so large.
By the way, with regard to the requirements for the processor. Testing has shown that WiDi actually uses its separate hardware units - during the active broadcast of the stream, no "normal" load was noted on the processor, the core frequency dropped to 1.6 GHz, and a few simple performance tests finally confirmed this fact. By the way, WiDi can also run on Atom N2600 / N2800 processors and even on the Intel mobile platform, which indicates the high efficiency of specialized units for this task compared to universal cores.
Based on the described scheme, several conclusions can be drawn. First, a full copy of the video card's framebuffer will be broadcast; second, the image is encoded using a lossy codec; thirdly, the circuit cannot operate without relatively long delays. So the main use cases are seen more as viewing photos, videos and presentations, rather than working with documents, accessing the Internet or playing games.
During testing, we came across another feature that limits the choice of applications. Despite the fact that the TV supported Full HD, and the reception conditions were, one might say, ideal (five meters in a straight line without obstacles), after activation, after a few seconds, WiDi independently reduced the resolution on the receiver to 1366 × 768 ( more precisely, the resolution of the virtual monitor was reduced, while the set-top box continued to output in Full HD). Perhaps the point here is the built-in signal level control functions that reset the resolution to preserve the picture quality. So unless otherwise stated, 720p was used in our tests.
So, we have an encoded media stream. It remains to transmit it to the receiver. Of course, Intel could have installed a special separate unit in the wireless adapter, as it was with the processor, but in reality everything is much simpler. Using the Intel and Windows driver software to connect the receiver, a virtual wireless access point is created on the adapter (judging by the data from the Wi-Fi scanner - using WPA2-PSK), and the remote decoder simply connects to it like a regular client. For access control, the input on the computer side of the code generated by the receiver is used, which it shows on the screen of the connected TV. On the one hand, this solution allows using standard operating system tools and protocols, on the other hand, it is less efficient in terms of using the wireless bandwidth. This approach allowed us to determine the bitrate of the stream: in the case of a resolution of 1280 × 720, it is about 7 Mbit / s.
But there is another, more significant nuisance - a wireless adapter in a computer can operate only on one frequency and one (or two for the "40 MHz" mode of the 802.11n standard) radio channels. This leads to the fact that the broadcast of the video stream will struggle for bandwidth with the main access point. For desktop systems, this may not be very important, since they usually have a wired connection, and the adapter-receiver pair will only compete with neighboring networks, but in the case of a laptop, there may be a noticeable decrease in its own network access speed. In addition, the load on the underlying wireless network can interfere with video transmission, resulting in delays and degraded quality. What is more unfortunate - the software does not allow in any way to influence the choice of the band and channel, to carry out diagnostics or to display statistics. The maximum that can be seen is the abstract "sticks" of the wireless signal level at the receiver. It was also noticed that if the adapter was previously connected to some kind of access point, then it will continue to use its channel numbers to create WiDi. Measuring the performance of a wireless adapter with simultaneous broadcasting of a video stream showed a decrease in speed by up to 30%. However, even in these conditions, it remains quite high - more than 120 Mbit / s in the scenarios of receiving or transmitting data.
We also decided to measure the signal propagation delay by displaying a changing picture on two monitors, the first of which was connected directly to the motherboard's HDMI output, and the second through a WiDi adapter. The distance between the antennas in this test was about one and a half meters. The test showed that the delay is about 0.4 seconds or 25 frames when the mode is set to 1280 × 720 @ 60 (interestingly, the manufacturer claims a delay of 0.2 seconds). For video, this is certainly not much, but working with a desktop is very uncomfortable.
Another test was carried out with a TV to determine the frame rate of the broadcast stream. To do this, a simple video was displayed on the screen, in which there was an element that changed its position every frame. Photographing the screen at a shutter speed of one second revealed that only half of the frames actually made it to the receiver. Unfortunately, the hardware configuration used did not allow us to test the 24p mode - such a frame rate option was simply not available in the monitor settings. This, incidentally, can be counted as another drawback for those who planned to use the technology to watch high-quality video.
In the current version of WiDi, in addition to wireless broadcasting, there is another option for remote viewing - using a DLNA client. All the same ready-made video and audio stream can be broadcast to compatible clients via wire or Wi-Fi. Note that it requires server side permission to gain access, and it can only work with one client at a time. In particular, you cannot have access directly from WiDi and DLNA.
Conclusion
Welcome to Intel's release of its own wireless desktop adapter. The device works in two ranges, shows excellent results in performance tests, has high-quality support and implements additional functions. The only question that remains is the cost. If it does not rise above 1,500 rubles, the offer will look good against the background of competitors.
Researching a new Wi-Fi Direct standard for peer-to-peer wireless networks and communication of devices without using an access point showed that it certainly has prospects. Considering that the implementation does not require new equipment, but only add software support, there is a chance that many manufacturers, especially mobile devices, will show interest in it. Some concern is the lack of hard-coded service specifications in the standard, which could create compatibility issues and negatively impact the user experience. The presence of a logo on the packaging of the device without a detailed description of the functions in reality means little. Checking the Intel version showed that the service loses to Bluetooth in terms of convenience, but the data exchange rate is really high, although significantly less than in the mode of operation via an access point or via a cable connection.
Intel Wireless Display is a proprietary technology from Intel and has changed several version numbers. It is currently capable of transmitting video and sound from a laptop or desktop PC, which are based on the components of the company of the same name, to special set-top boxes or TVs equipped with a built-in receiver. Officially, there is support for Full HD, but we were unable to achieve stability in its work. Other resolutions - 1366 × 768 and 1280 × 720 - worked without issues. Additionally, we note the possibility of broadcasting 5.1 sound. WiDi can be used to view photos, presentations, share your PC desktop. The video also looks pretty good in some cases. For dynamic games and high-quality video, the current version is not suitable at all. It has too long delays, low frame rates and low bit rates. The technology is implemented entirely at the software level, and it is not yet very clear whether the manufacturer will be able to improve its performance in any way and expand the scope of its application.
In our time, a modern person is difficult to surprise with anything. Just yesterday the combination of the words "refrigerator with Wi-Fi" or "Bluetooth kettle" that seemed ridiculous today is a real product today. Agree, dear reader, cellular has already become something completely ordinary. The practically unlimited possibilities of the World Wide Web have not frightened us for a long time with the grandeur of its manifestation. One way or another, but Intel's new Wireless Display technology is directly related to everything mentioned above. To understand all the benefits of using it, to feel the genius of the idea and to adopt it, so to speak, into service, you just need to read a few short chapters. To which we invite you!
"Wireless" introduction
Let's say you need to display an image from a laptop on a TV screen. There can be no question of any cords when small children are running around in the house or there are very curious representatives of the animal world, such as dogs or a playful cat. A lively environment, such as a party, can also be the reason for organizing a “wireless show”. We hope you get the idea - the need for a comfortable, and at the same time the most secure and stable connection can be dictated by a lot of reasons. By the way, we can talk endlessly about the benefits of using WiDi in business ...
The last argument in favor of Intel Wireless Display technology is: significant time savings and minimization of efforts to organize visualization synchronization. Illuminated method wireless connection is designed to save the user from the problematic and often very time-consuming procedure of mechanical insertion of various plugs. After all, access to connectors is often limited, and physical damage to the connecting cable is a common cause of a missing signal. As you can imagine, it will take some time to find and eliminate this type of malfunction. For the sake of wisdom - get rid of the "extra" wires!
WiDi: the advantage
Intel Wireless Display, or WiDi for short, is a technology that facilitates the process of transferring multimedia content from a laptop to a television receiver (Smart TV) or external monitor. In fact, this is another way to organize a wireless connection. However, the described technology is more effective as a result of its application than its predecessor, since with the help of WiDi it is possible to duplicate the main computer screen by projecting the operating area of \u200b\u200bthe OS onto a TV matrix.
It is worth noting that the basis for this development was the same Wi-Fi standard, thanks to which many establishments have gained particular popularity by organizing free access points to the Internet. However, let's leave the humorous tone and turn to specifics, which will help explain to which devices the Wireless Display Intel technology is applicable and how to configure the combined devices.
How do I know if my TV is WiDi compatible?
First of all, you need to understand that this is a new technology. For your TV receiver to be able to "communicate" with a laptop, it must at least have an HDMI connector. The ideal option is Smart-TV devices equipped with a Wi-Fi module supporting the Intel My Wi-Fi standard. The rest of the "functionally deprived" TVs can be upgraded by connecting a special adapter. The financial costs of purchasing additional equipment are not commensurate with the benefits that you will receive as a result of using it. And this is a fact!
Hardware "WiDi-competence" laptop
The absence of a sticker with the Wireless Display Intel logo on the case of your laptop does not mean that this technology is not inherent in your mobile device.
Make sure your device meets the following requirements:
- The laptop is equipped with a second generation Intel Core-i3 central processing unit or higher.
- Graphics not less than 2000 series.
- Wireless chipset supporting Intel My Wi-Fi technology.
- Operating system not lower than Windows 7 (including the "Home Basic" edition).
If any of the above items do not meet the required parameters, the use of WiDi functionality is simply impossible. Therefore, before proceeding directly, test the laptop for compatibility. Which is easy enough if you use the dedicated CompatibilityChecker software.
Indispensable Intel program for all moments of use, from and to
Here we come to the main part of our story. As you already know, hardware cannot work without the appropriate software. At the same time, along with the official software, "miracle software" is freely distributed on the Internet, the developers of which promise an incredible increase in the performance of PC hardware components and arch-functionality, if their "revolutionary" driver is installed. For the sake of prudence, use only original software, and you will protect your laptop from negative consequences.
Finding and Installing Critical Drivers
It doesn't matter when and from whom you bought your laptop. Even if you received it “just yesterday”, you still need to check the relevance installed drivers... This can be done in two ways. The first and easiest one is to run the automatic update script using the running Intel Driver Update Utility Installer. The second is more laborious and is performed, so to speak, by a manual method. That is, the user independently searches, downloads and installs the "latest" version of the graphic and wireless driver... In the first case, even a beginner will not have a question: "Intel Wireless Display Driver - what is it?" When implementing the second scenario, the user needs to understand exactly what it is about ... However, for you, dear reader, everything will become clear in just a few seconds.
Software that activates the laptop screen emulator: Intel Wireless Display Software for Windows
So, after successfully updated drivers, you need to download the above software from the official "Intel" technical support site. Found and subsequently downloaded software must match operating version used OS.
Therefore, while directly on the download page, select the software (Intel Wireless Display) for Windows 7. Otherwise, a system conflict is inevitable during its installation. After you install the WiDi software (the same mysterious driver!), You can proceed to the stage of directly connecting the TV device to the laptop.
The widescreen result is the result of confusing ideas
Now activate the wireless adapter in the optional TV menu. Find the WiDi icon on the laptop screen and click on it. In the program window that opens, click on the "Search ..." button. After the laptop displays the found wireless device (TV), use the "Connect" button. Enter the code displayed on the TV screen and enjoy the result!
What if the TV device does not have a Wi-Fi adapter?
You can use Intel Wireless Display technology through a router. Today the market is quite saturated with such devices. The Netgear Push2TV adapter has proven itself quite well. Even a beginner will be able to connect such network equipment. To do this, it is enough to connect the TV and the wireless Wi-Fi module using an HDMI cable and use the corresponding input in the TV settings. Next, it remains to run the WiDi software on the computer and activate the displayed connection.
A few words about a useful add-on
If you want more functionality, install the Intel WiDi Remote widget. It will greatly simplify the process of using the mentioned technology. With this software (Intel Wireless Display Application), you can easily switch applications from one monitor to another.
Well, by setting up automatic connection in the main WiDi program, you can almost instantly start the process with just the press of one button.
Natural ending: once again about the obvious unknown
In conclusion, I would like to remind you that sometimes seemingly complex programs are in fact an incredibly simple thing. For example, do you know what Intel Wireless Display Connection Manager is? Unless you own a Dell laptop, you probably don't know what this English text might mean. However, for some "understanding Americans" the meaning of this sentence may also remain a mystery. However, the answer is simple: this is the same WiDi driver, albeit in a proprietary, so to speak, Dell package.
Perhaps some of you, dear readers, are incredibly tired of the continuous digestion of incomprehensible and little-known terms, names and abbreviations. But now you know how you can organize a WiDi connection, and what programs are essential for this. However, how appropriate it is to use this wireless technology, you still have to learn from your own experience. In the meantime, all the best and stable connection to you!
Intel WiDi (stands for Intel Wireless Display) is a technology based on wiFi networks, which allows you to transfer content (video, audio, or photo) from different devices (computers, laptops, tablets, etc.) to Smart TV. Thus, you can connect to your TV without any wires and transmit information. This is much more convenient, since you can not only be anywhere in the room, but also free yourself from buying cables. Therefore, if you want to get rid of the wires, you need to install the intel widi program for windows 7 as soon as possible, download the Russian version of which you can on the Internet, or from the official website.
How to use
Let's take a look at the advantages of this technology, and what possibilities it allows to realize:
- The first time the technology can come in handy is if you don't have a WiFi router and your laptop or PC is connected to the network via a cable. In this case, you can connect your computer and TV via Intel WiDi, and easily download movies to your computer, turn them on, and watch them on the big screen;
- It also happens that you want to view family photos, or you think that the remote control is too inconvenient for squeaking movies through the browser built into the TV. As a rule, a standard remote control is supplied with the TV, which is very inconvenient to use. And touchscreen remotes are expensive. In this case, it is easier to find movies on a laptop and watch them through TV;
- If you have children, you can always control what they watch on the TV from the other room. And if necessary, you can include other content;
- Also, the technology will be useful for freelancers. As you know, a person's eyes can get tired from working at close range. To avoid this, simply move the monitor further. But if you do this with a small screen, then already at a distance of 1 meter you will not see anything, but with the help of a TV with a large diagonal, you can safely work at a distance of 2-4 meters, and not strain your eyes.
There are many more situations where this technology can actually help. Let's look at the advantages of this technology that make it convenient to use.
Benefits
Among the many advantages of Intel WiDi technology, the following points can be highlighted:
- Easy to connect. The TV itself creates the necessary network to which you simply connect from your device;
- No delays. Rather, they are, but so insignificant that they are invisible to the human eye;
- Almost all Smart TVs support this technology;
- Everyone can download intel widi on the Internet and use it freely. The program is free and freely available.
Features:
It is worth remembering that there are a number of requirements that a TV must meet in order to use this technology. Almost all large companies began to implement Intel WiDi in their products from 2012-2013.
Conclusion
This simple technology has made life much easier for many people. Therefore, if you want to download intel widi for free for Windows 7, you can always do it on the Internet, or on the developer's official website.
In the Intel blog, we have already written about Intel WiDi technology many times. A year ago, a whole post was devoted to it, then we tested the work of WiDi in the MegaFon Mint communicator, finally, quite recently, it flashed in our news digest. However, we felt that among all this information, there was a lack of personal and exhaustive testing of WiDi in order to examine its features, advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, as soon as the WiDi adapter Netgear Push2TV HD fell into our very skillful hands, we understood: the moment had come. Over the course of a week, I tested technology and hardware in my homemade home lab, combining business with pleasure. Let me report on the results obtained, found nuances and bugoffs.
Selection of compatible hardware
WiDi technology belongs to the category of hardware dependent, for its operation requires the fulfillment of a number of requirements. Briefly, these requirements can be formulated as follows:- Second or third generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 processor (not any, see below);
- Graphics subsystem Intel HD Graphics, as we know, built into the above processors;
- Intel Centrino Wi-Fi adapter with 802.11n support.
The list of compatible equipment is constantly expanding, we recommend that you carefully study it if you want to deal with WiDi. Your humble servant took this rake with his own hand, choosing an ultrabook for tests - it turned out to be noble and handsome, but had an incompatible Wi-Fi adapter. Everything turned out only on the second try, that is, the second ultrabook. Its characteristics, in principle, do not matter, I will only say that it uses the third generation Intel platform; installed OS - Windows 8.
By the way, I want to note in passing that for the first time Intel software immediately after starting the installer honestly warned that WiDi would not work on this ultrabook and refused to install it further, which saved my time and nerves. The same approach is implemented in other hardware-dependent technologies, such as Smart Response.
Netgear Push2TV HD Box
So, we figured out the ultrabook, now let's look at the reverse side of WiDi, that is, the receiver. There are a number of monitors and TVs with built-in WiDi, notably a range of combo devices from Samsung, a range of TVs and Toshiba TVs, and in addition some media players and game consoles. However, most TVs do not have WiDi or Wi-Fi and need to purchase a set-top box. There are also several types of set-top boxes: from D-Link, Belkin and other manufacturers. In our testing we used the Netgear Push2TV HD adapter; there is a feeling that all of the following will apply to other consoles.
Installation and configuration
It makes sense to start acquaintance with the technology from the WiDi home page on the Intel website - reading it, no doubt, will be useful for further research. Unfortunately, the most useful information, namely where to get the WiDi software, is missing, but I will tell you. The second step is to go to the download section of the Intel website, where you can very easily update the drivers responsible for the WiDi operation - take my word for it, it will not be superfluous. There we will also find directly the WiDi software. To facilitate the use of WiDi, there is a special widget, although you can do without it.
Updating the software on the WiDi adapter
Installing the WiDi software is quick and uninteresting - literally, there is nothing to take a screenshot from. But my first launch was not without light dancing, although again it did not come to the jew's harp, given to me by Intel in due time. So, the set-top box is turned on and connected to the TV via the HDMI port (besides it, it also has a component port). We start scanning adapters on the ultrabook and almost immediately find ours. Click "connect" and ... do not connect. The process was aborted several times at various stages with various errors, until finally it was not possible to somehow connect the two adapters. Immediately after that, the STB software update began. The prefix itself does not have an Internet connection, so the idea of \u200b\u200bupdating via an ultrabook seems sensible. I note that the ultrabook was not connected to the Internet at that time, which means that the update is contained in software WiDi. After the update, the set-top box rebooted, and there were no more problems with pairing.
Entering a password when pairing
The newly turned on set-top box is in a connection standby state - the standby screen is shown in the first picture. In the process of establishing a connection after a successful initialization, a random number-password is displayed on the TV, which must be entered on the ultrabook. Following this, a desktop image appears on the TV. The Wireless Display is a full-fledged second display that, like a wired second, can operate in two modes: cloning and expanding. Intel software recommends using the second option. The TV resolution was automatically set to 1080p in both modes.
Functionality testing
After light adventures with the setup, I started directly testing. Several films were selected as media content, both in HD and in lower resolutions. The viewing experience can be expressed as follows. The video of non-HD resolution is going “with a bang”, literally a couple of times traces of some digital interference were noticed. When watching high-definition video, sometimes you can see a barely noticeable twitching of the picture, most often - with a smooth rotation of the camera. I've seen the same effect when the TV is connected to a DLNA server via Wi-Fi; I myself preferred to use the wire the old way.
TV asks for DLNA connection
By the way, about DLNA. Ultrabook software can work in what I would call "WiDi without WiDi" when the TV does not need a WiDi set-top box; he receives the picture from the ultrabook via DLNA. In the documentation, the developers honestly warn that this mode does not work with all DLNA clients, but my Samsung 5300 TV connected without problems. However, there are not very many benefits from such "emulation": the picture quality is much worse, HD resolution is not supported and in general everything slows down. In addition, due to the DLNA habit of caching content, the TV connected in this way cannot be used as a monitor, since the mouse refuses to crawl in real time.
The connection to the attachment is established. Left - WiDi widget
The Wi-Di widget has two functions. Firstly, it allows you to connect a Wireless Display with one click, the connection to which has already been configured once and in the properties of which it is indicated "connect automatically". Secondly, in extended monitor mode, the widget allows you to switch the application from one monitor to another. The thing, in principle, is good, if not for the limitations in functionality that I do not understand. For example, it can move some applications between screens, and some not; by what principle the choice is made, I could not establish. Having suffered a little, I switched to "manual control" of the windows and quickly got used to it.
The intensive use of Wi-Fi while watching movies on an Ultrabook quickly discharges the battery: if in normal office mode it works for 5-6 hours, then there is hardly enough charge for a movie. This, of course, can hardly be called a drawback. In general, no real, conspicuous shortcomings of the technology were identified. The connection (at a short distance, of course) was stable, no software failures were noticed either. In my opinion, WiDi is quite suitable as an alternative to DLNA, having even an advantage over the latter in the form of versatility: WiDi is completely indifferent to what is delivered to a remote display, and besides, there is no need for transcoding. There is every reason to believe that in the near future Wi-Fi will settle in all TV receivers without exception, and not only in top models, as it is now. Then WiDi may have a second wind, especially if the family of devices capable of transmitting a picture to the Wireless Display expands in principle.
Intel WiDi is the driver responsible for the technology of the same name. It, in turn, serves to broadcast content from the memory of a computer or laptop to a TV screen or monitor that supports Intel Wireless Display. The application also allows you to display a "picture" on the screen of some portable Android devices... We draw your attention to the fact that in the latest versions of the operating system from Microsfoft - Windows 7, Windows 8 and 10, this technology was superseded by another software solution - which is installed in the system by default.
Appointment
Intel WiDi eliminates the need for external storage to play a movie or presentation on a TV and projector. Also, this technology saves you from using VGA and HDMI cables because the image is broadcast via a Wi-Fi access point. In general, by downloading and installing this driver, you will greatly simplify the transfer of data to a remote device.
The concept of Wireless Display is a bit like DLNA technology. The key difference from the second is that deploying a DLNA server on a computer allows you to broadcast only individual files, while Intel WiDi makes it possible to turn a remote output device into a "second monitor". Simply put, it is much more appropriate to use this technology for presentations.
Requirements
The main condition for the correct operation of Wireless Display is the presence of a built-in or connected WiDi adapter in the output device. In addition, both devices must be connected to a single wireless access point. Well, the last fact that needs to be taken into account is that the technology does not work with any CPU. Moreover, compatibility problems arise precisely with new processor models.
Key features
- broadcasting images from a PC / laptop to a compatible projector, TV or Android device;
- works through a single Wi-Fi access point;
- quick installation and configuration;
- high quality of the broadcast image;
- compatibility issues with newer CPU models.
