Stream your head off: The Veebeam HD
By The Prodigal Fool, published on 24 February 2011
Apple’s Airplay is a truly wonderful piece of technology: a magical breakthrough that has changed everything. Er, except it didn’t. Not at all. Computers had the ability to stream video to widescreen TVs long before Jobs and Co. showed up with their Apple TV and AirPlay software.
That’s not to say that AirPlay isn’t one of the most elegant implementations we’ve seen – it is – but we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you of alternatives. So, for those of you unlucky enough not to have bought into the whole Apple ecosystem (if not, why not!?), we’d like to introduce you to a cheeky little box called the Veebeam .
The Veebeam is simple and focussed – and all the better for it. Plug it into the back of your TV and it will wirelessly stream any video content from your PC to your big screen. No wires, no clutter. The company’s latest HD model streams up to 1080p and also has an optical audio output for full surround sound.
The interesting thing about the Veebeam is something the company calls “Play To” mode. Effectively, this allows you to stream files directly without having to display them on your laptop screen. You just download and install the Veebeam software, remove the USB dongle from the cradle and plug it into a free socket on the laptop. Which means the laptop can be used to do anything else while it’s streaming. Clever.
Yes, we know what you’re thinking: “at last I can watch Prodigal TV as God intended: in full HD, on the big screen!”
So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to Veebeam and check it out.
Stream your head off: The Veebeam HD
The Veebeam is simple and focussed – and all the better for it. Plug it into the back of your TV and it will wirelessly stream any video content from your PC to your big screen. No wires, no clutter. The company’s latest HD model streams up to 1080p and also has an optical audio output for full surround sound.
3 Responses to “Stream your head off: The Veebeam HD”
-
-
Straight-Six
25 February 2011
Ivan,
Are you rightfully suggesting the Fool has done a poor job with this review?! And down-mixing is a big no-no in my audiophile notebook…
-
-
I simply can’t believe how amazing Veebeam is. I have been long waiting a day where I can stream an HD signal (with sound!) wirelessly from my computer to my TV with ease. That day has now come. This is truly a great product. There is virtually no setup required at all. The install is amazingly simple, and the best part is that whenever you want to stream to the Veebeam box you just plug in the usb to your computer and it does all the work for you. Veebeam couldn’t be made better at this point it is simply amazing.
Ivan Y
24 February 2011
Unless Veebeam recently updated their software, you are limited to stereo sound (surround sound gets downmixed to two channels). This review & video is very good — http://www.missingremote.com/review/veebeam-hd-wireless-hdmi-your-pc-tv (PCMag also has a review – http://reviews.cnet.com/audio-video-distribution/veebeam-hd/4505-14101_7-34176645.html).