Wireless HDMI goes legal in UK

Sony's Bravia ZX1 features wireless HDMI tech
Sony's Bravia ZX1 features wireless HDMI tech

British TV viewers will finally be legally allowed to use televisions with wireless HDMI tech in the UK this week.

This is obviously terrible news for fans of ugly lounge-cluttering wires but a superb announcement for everybody else.

So as of 17 July, we will finally be able to head down to our local HDTV emporium and (in theory, at least) purchase a wireless HDMI-ready telly.

"It's great that Ofcom has moved so fast to clear the bandwidth for ultra wideband devices like wireless HDMI – and it shows regulators don't have to be lumbering behemoths," commented What Satellite and Digital TV magazine editor, Alex Lane.

"This is great news for anyone with a wall-mounted TV or a projector at the other end of the room from their HD source – no need to run a 10 meter HDMI cable around your walls. Expect wireless HDMI to be standard on top-end TVs at next year's CES."

The wireless dream

A number of major retailers, including Sony and Panasonic have already been showing off TVs packing in wireless HDMI tech, so you can also expect to see models such as the Panasonic Z1 or the Sony Bravia ZX1 in your weekend trawl around your local out-of-town electrical superstore sometime very soon.

TechRadar will, of course, be testing out our latest stack of Blu-rays with a wireless HD set-up as soon as we can get one in to test out.

We only hope that all the other wireless signals throbbing through our block of flats doesn't cause any interference to the picture or sound quality, because that would totally spoil that recurring dream of a wireless lounge…

Via Cnet UK

Adam Hartley