Apr 15, 2011 12:04 GMT  ·  By

It appears that ASUS is thinking of other things besides computers and tablets, made clear by its recent press release, which deals with a product supposedly part of that 'world' first' category.

While not too many sorts of multimedia devices existed about a decade ago, things have changed and evolved a lot since then.

Today, there are many media players, DVD players, Blu-ray players and HDMI streamers, with or without wireless capabilities, among many other things.

To these are added smart TVs, namely HDTVs with web connectivity and USB ports (LAN is obviously present, as is WiFi). Set-top boxes are just another example.

Now, ASUS has stepped up to deliver the WAVI, a HDMI streaming kit that is said to be the first with two-way wireless USB control.

The wireless standard used is the AMIMON WHDI Technology, while 4 x 5 MIMO antennas handle the streaming itself.

WAVI uses a transmitter and receiver for two-way input and streaming and lets one use a wireless keyboard and mouse to control the PC that media is being streamed from, thanks to USB. The wireless band is of 5 GHz and stretches over up to 25 meters.

What's more, the WAVI can work in Extend Mode, meaning that movies, PC games, social networking and even do online shopping tasks will be possible off the big screen while still allowing one to stay at the PC and do other things.

“WAVI (Wireless Audio Video Interaction) is offered as a pair of devices that bridges the gap between the home office and living room,” says the press release.

“Watch movies, play the latest PC games, enjoy social networking or even do online shopping.”

The product runs on 24W of power and measures 241 x 171 x 290 mm. It handles video quality at up to 1080p, even in 3D (at 24Hz).