Easy Wireless Television?

May 10, 2009 10:03 PM

How can my dad wirelessly connect a TV to cable television for under $500?

My parents live in a large condo with limited cable hookups- and today my dad told me that what he really wants is the ability to have "wireless television". Read: you still plug it in for power, but nothing else. This would allow my parents to move the TV from one room to another if they wanted, without a messy cord solution, or the pain of unscrewing/screwing a cable every time.

Is the best option here to stream cable with a Slingbox to a media PC hooked up to a TV, or is there a better, less complex solution?

posted by lifeofthunder to Technology (2 answers total)

There's the Terk Leapfrog -- you'd have to bring the receiver around with the television, but if you are within a reasonable distance, it works pretty well. Runs about $100 from Crutchfield, might be able to get it for less elsewhere.
The possible downside of the leapfrog is that it uses 2.4 GHz wireless frequencies, so it can interfere with other systems (although it seems to work fine with our wireless router). Therefore, worthwhile purchasing from a place with a good return policy.

Explore and see what looks best, but the Leapfrog seems pretty good from my experience. And the receiver is tiny, only a few inches square, as opposed to bringing a whole PC around.
posted by davidnc at 10:15 PM on May 10, 2009

Wireless AV extenders are available in 5.8GHz

You probably want one that sends IR as well, so you can change the channel without having to walk back to the cable box.
posted by onya at 1:34 AM on May 11, 2009