SmallNetBuilder

Setup

When setting up the device, you have a few connection options. Figure 1 shows the back panel of the 1200 where you can see a number of output ports.

Figure 1: PC-on-TV Back Panel

From left to right, you can see the RP-SMA antenna connector, a single connector used with an included dongle for standard-def video and analog audio, component video connectors for high-definition video, a VGA port, an Ethernet port, a port for a included IR extender, a reset button and a power connector. Note that the box is fanless and silent but has no HDMI port. My power meter showed that it used about 5 Watts when active.

Although the 1200 can work wirelessly, the initial setup requires you to first connect it up to Ethernet and run an installation and configuration "Wizard" on your PC. This setup installs a couple of drivers and then walks you through setup. Figure 2 shows a nice diagram indicating how to connect the device to your TV.

Figure 2: PC-on-TV Video Hookup

At the top of the window, you can also see the selection options VIDEO and PHOTO. When the Video option is selected, the resolution of your Windows desktop is dropped to 720x560. That's a strong hint that the system can't keep up with rapid changes in a high-definition mode.

Once you get the video connected, you tell the system what kind of TV you're using as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: PC-on-TV TV Selection

When setting up your Ethernet network, a menu is presented that allows the device to use a fixed address or automatically acquire an IP address via DHCP. Figure 4 shows the default mode where the specification is set to automatic.

Figure 4: PC-on-TV Network Setup

Once you get it all set up properly, the software on the PC starts mirroring your display over to your TV. The transition to the remote display was a bit awkward, though. As part of the installation, a new audio device driver gets installed. So when you change over to the remote display, the audio control panel automatically pops up, the device gets changed to the new output and then it goes away. And at the same time, one of those little annoying Windows XP bubble pop-ups indicates that the remote display has been disconnected and then it comes right back and says it is connected.

But if you just sit back and let it do its thing, it's all automatic. And from then on, you can shrink the PC-on-TV display down out of the way, and you'll see everything you do on the PC mirrored over to the TV; audio as well as video.

So how well does it work? I tried it using both Ethernet and wireless connections, so let's see.