Although the HDAiR was introduced by Atlona earlier this year, the device featured a critical downside through the fact that it did not support audio. This made the USB wireless adapter rather useless for everything besides non-audio presentations. Now, however, the new version of this device has audio capabilities, making it excellent for any home-entertainment setup.

Basically, the HDAiR wirelessly sends both video and audio signals from a computer with USB ports to a different display, as long as the display in question is capable of HDMI or VGA connectivity. Basically, in using the UWB protocols, the device is capable of establishing a working connection between the computer and the target device over a distance of as much as 30ft.

“Compatible with both XP, Vista, and Windows 7, this one of a kind device will allow users to connect any USB enabled computer or laptop wirelessly, to any HDTV or projector via VGA or HDMI. This unit wirelessly transmits high resolution signal from a small USB adapter connected to a computer, to a receiver unit placed next to the display, making it perfect for taking the traditionally personal computing experience and making it a communal experience. Like the older model AT-HDAiR, this newer model with audio still uses chipsets developed by Wisair to transmit USB protocol over Ultra wide band (UWB) frequencies” the press release said.

The AT-HDAir can transmit HDTV resolutions of up to 720p and PC/VESA resolutions of up to 1440 x 1050. Interesting is the fact that both the HDMI and the VGA ports operate at the same time, which means that the same transmission can be simultaneously played on two different displays. No longer lacking audio, the HDMI and the 3.5mm stereo jack complete the multimedia experience.

“With the addition of audio to this new version, the HDAiR is perfect for viewing continuously popular streaming media from HULU or Youtube, as well as computer based learning programs such as Rosetta Stone or Lynda online training” the release added.

The installation is quite simple. All it takes is for one USB transmitter to be plugged into the computer, one into the actual HDMI/VGA port on the HDTV and install the drivers (the HDAiR supports Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7). Everything else is done by the wireless USB adapter.

Atlona's new and improved AT-HDAiR with audio has an MSRP of $219.00 and will be officially available in time for this year's holiday season.