Intel's WiDi Helps Play Back Laptop-Stored Videos on a TV

This year's Consumer Electronics Show has been packed with all sorts of products, from 3D technologies to transparent laptops and all kinds of desktop and mobile PCs and monitors. Of course, multimedia-related technologies have also been one of the main focal points. The Santa Clara-based company decided to not restrict itself to its new processors and launched the WiDi, a solution for playing laptop-stored media on end-users’ TVs without complications.

"Computing in the home is rapidly expanding beyond the PC," Intel Corporation President and CEO Paul Otellini said. "The TV will continue to be a focal point of the home while becoming smarter, much in the way phones are evolving into smartphones. New user interfaces and forms of connectivity will change the way we interact with entertainment in the home."

The WiDi (Wireless Display) is an wireless adapter box that plugs directly into the TV and can wirelessly receive video and audio streams from laptops. As the name implies, the communication is done over WiFi and, according to Intel, the "connection is a snap" with only a few simple steps required to set it up, after which a simple press of a button is needed to use this wireless functionality.

Unfortunately for those end-users interested in technologies from other manufacturers, however, there are certain hardware requirements that laptops must meet if they are to be compatible with the WiDi. The laptops must be built with either of the Intel Core i7-620M, Intel Core i5-540M, Intel Core i5-520M, Intel Core i5-430M, Intel Core i3-350M or Intel Core i5-330M processors. Also, the device will only be compatible with laptops using Intel HM57, HM55, QM57 and QS57 chipsets. Furthermore, the WiDi will only be able to communicate with the Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200, Intel Centrino Advanced-N +WiMax 6250 and the Intel Centrino Ultimate N 6300 wireless solutions.

In addition to being restricted to Intel HD graphics, and Intel hardware in general, the use of the new product is also dependent on the Intel My WiFi Technology and Intel Wireless Display software. The operating systems supported are Windows 7 64-bit, Home Premium, Ultimate and Professional.

Set to start shipping on January 17, the WiDi wireless adapter box will cost around $100.