Wireless TVs to go on sale this month

[Siege]

Wireless TVs to go on sale this month

If you're fed up of the tangle of wires behind your TV set, Panasonic is set to launch the first in a barrage of wireless televisions that will require no cables to hook up to your other kit.

Panasonic has apparently already jumped straight into work following a ruling from Ofcom that will open up part of the radio spectrum (57-66GHz) for use by consumer electronics manufacturers.

Previously manufacturers had to get permission from Ofcom to use any part of the spectrum, but from the end of this week this small section will be free and open to any manufacturer of a wireless device to take advantage of.

Panasonic is expected to release its wireless TV range within the next few weeks, with a choice of 46- and 54-inch plasma models in the range.

It will work by attaching a receiver to the TV and a transmitter to anything you want to connect to it, such as a Freeview box or DVD player. All the wires will be plugged into the transmitter rather than the TV, which will then send the signal to the TV (as long as it's within 10 metres).

Ultimately that means you'll be able to tuck your set top boxes and the like out of sight, and just have your TV sans wires on show. Nice.

Steve Lucas, technology specialist at Panasonic, said: "The advantage of this high radio frequency is that you can send a lot of high-definition information from the transmitter to the television without the need to compress it. There will be no break up of the picture".

Of course, don't expect all this tech on a budget. Lucas has warned the new TVs would be "priced at a premium", with the 54-inch version packing a £5,000 price tag.

However, once the likes of LG and other competitors hop on the bandwagon later this year, expect prices to come down drastically.

Before you go signing yourself up for one though, the voice of reason Tom Dunmore, told the Telegraph: "It's great but you have to remember that the television and everything else will still need to be plugged into a power socket.

[parad0x_i]

So we are all doomed to be microwaved to death in the future then :rolleyes1:

Actually wireless can be a nuisance.. Take my 2.4GHz sender unit and my 2.4GHz anti-scanning wireless house alarm..

Other night i got to bed and the house alarm signals a scanning warning.. (8 high-pitched short bleeps). I try to ignore it and sleep but it does it every 5 mins for an hour.. Fed-up i reluctantly get out of bed wanting to punch the alarm - i didn't..
Reset it went back to bed only to have the same thing happen 4 or 5 times.. Despite changing channels - made no difference
Out of bed for the fifth time i lost it.. punched the alarm.. it shorted out and screamed for help.. deafening me in the process..
Upshot is.. my £250 control box is knackered.. (main IC damaged)..

Moral.. Use wires for everything!

:sad_smile:

[Josh]

That's called release of adrenalin in the blood late at night which can sometimes be linked to noisy neighbours having all night parties... now they do want zapping... but hey they have moved and we are all spinsters round here now which object to me washing after 10PM...

On topic, Panasonic must be selling this product elsewhere in the world and the UK is just catching up I guess.

[parad0x_i]

It's all the stress i've been under i think Josh.. and it doesn't help for an insommniac like me too.. :confused_smile: