Is it that simple?
I love wireless tech. I want to see a world without those tangled up wires. We are moving towards the "wireless world" one step at a time and the Warpia Easy Dock Pro SWP220 does demonstrate what wireless can do today. I used a SWP100 many months ago, now let's see if the SWP220 is better.
Index
- Specs and Features
- Unbox and Contents
- Setup Notes
- Testing
- Conclusion
- Links
Specs and Features
It looks like an alien spaceship!
What is the SWP220?
In very simple terms the SWP220 is a wireless docking station. It enables wireless transmission of audio, video, and data of usb devices.
Features and Specs
Connect to TV, PC Monitors or Projectors
Supports resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 (or so they say)
HD Video up to 1080p
32bit color
48Khz, 16bit stereo audio
Windows XP, 7, Vista and Mac OS X (10.5 and 10.6) compatibility
System requirements
Win XP
- For document and web browsing you need a 1.6Ghz Intel Atom processor and 512MB RAM
- For video streaming you need a 1.8Ghz Intel Core2 Duo and 1GB RAM
Win Vista and Win 7
- For document and web browsing you need a 1.6Ghz Intel Core Solo processor and 1GB RAM
- For video streaming you need a 1.8Ghz Intel Core2 DUeo and 1GB of RAM
MAC OS X (10.5 and 10.6)
- For document and web browsing yo uneed a 1.8Ghz Intel Core2 Duo processor and 1GB RAM
- For video streaming ???? No info provided.
Now... all of those details are important, but can it deliver?
Unbox and Contents
What's in the box?
Wireless USB PC Adapter (transmitter USB dongle)
Wireless USB Display Dock (receiver USB dongle, and docking base)
Power Supply Unit
DVI to VGA Adapter
Quick Start Guide
Installation CD
Setup Notes
Software Setup
- Download the drivers at Warpia's website
- Install the software first
- Once software has been installed you can plug in the USB dongle to your computer
Do the reverse and you might run into issues. I'm warning you!
Dock Hardware Tips
To get the best results there should be line of sight between the USB dongle (transmitter) and the Dock (receiver). If you have a thin LCD and you want to have the receiver behind that will be fine.
For TVs using HDMI
- You need a DVI to HDMI adapter
- For audio you might need a 3.5mm to RCA cable
Cables hooked, and ready to go!
USB devices used with SWP220
- Thumb drives are ok
- External hard drives are ok
- Wired USB mouse and keyboards are ok
- Logitech Unified USB devices make the Warpia system go crazy (my mouse would not work)
Testing the SWP220:
Regarding claimed 1080 resolution
I could not get 1080 on my monitor that supports 1920 x 1200. I got a max of 1680 x 1050. If you plan on running HD videos then it's going to be similar to this:
1080 videos - Ok
720 - Good
480 - Smooth
If your plan is for using the Warpia for documents and web browsing then there won't be issues. Again, lower resolutions = faster response/smoother experience.
Range is good as long as long as there's line of sight, or not too many things between the transmitter and the receiver.
Conclusion
The SWP220 improves on it's predecessors and adds some features. For those that need a wireless docking station this is one method of doing it. There are alternatives out there, but I doubt they are better than the SWP220. This type of wireless technology will not get massive distribution until it's "built-in" on computers. For right now... we must hook the USB dongle, which is one more step that I wish could be avoided. Someone needs to buy Warpia and integrate the technology in their systems. That would be the sweetest thing!
Warpia Easy Dock Pro SWP220 Links:
Official Warpia Easy Dock Pro SWP220 Product Page
Driver Download Page for Warpia SWP220
SWP220 User Guide (.PDF)
Amazon - Warpia Easy Dock Pro SWP220 (Support my blog)
Lenovo X201 Tablet Blog
Fujitsu Lifebook Digitizer/Stylus
Lenovo X200 Ultrabase (Docking Station for Lenovo X201 Tablet)
Videos were recorded in early December, 2010. Warpia has released the Warpia StreamHD Wireless PC to Full 1080P which offers 1080p, HDMI, 3.5mm stereo, SPIDF (5.1 surround sound).
Fujitsu's Attempt with Warpia SWP220
Details at http://blog.ts.fujitsu.com/face2fujitsu/?p=2330
can you connect multiple usb devices? Is It USB2.0? doesnt it support 64 bit windows7
ReplyDeleteYes you can connect multiple devices, it's USB 2.0 and I think I was running a 64bit OS on that Lenovo ThinkPad X201T.
ReplyDeleteHi Jesse,
ReplyDeleteI pastor a Methodist Church in Brazil and I need a device like that to transmit video presentations during praise time, that is, the lyrics. The distance is about 15 meters, or 47 feet, without walls in between. No sound or hd video, only the contents of powerpointlike presentantions. Take a look at this picture for a better understanding:
http://images.orkut.com/orkut/photos/PQAAAAshvijg4SgCxX3E75vOSXBrmGK9slsuvVQqyx3J7QT4Svi5q345qo8ZK8xWNdfV2bJpCaAl0zgfAqSSdW9H_WAAm1T1UHhCshzJbEYCukJJeCZppT4NLdif.jpg.
It'll be transmitted from where those two fellows are back the church on the mezzanine to the projector in front of the church. Do you think Warpia or Q-waves will do? Thanks a lot. Pr. Adilson.
Pastor Adilson,
ReplyDeleteAs much as I like the wireless technology I would not recommend the Warpia or almost any wireless devices for that distance. As you can see on my videos the distance between my devices is short. 15 meters (49 feet) is beyond the range of the Warpia (30 feet) There's also a risk of having interference by radio waves and objects.
I would use a cable because it's more reliable, faster, and a lot less expensive (about $10 for 50 feet at some webstores).