WiDi and WiHD

There seems to be a lot of confusion about these two technologies, so i figured i write the differences between the two.

WiDi is Intel`s solution to transfer data from the laptop to a TV.
With this technology you use the IGP of either i3, i5 or i7 CPUs (those with an IGP) to display things on the TV. And to actually transfer the data from your laptop to the reciever, you will need a Wireless card. Wireless-N 1000, Intel Advanced 6200/6230, Intel Ultimate-N 6300 is cards that is able to transfer the data. You will also need a software which i don`t know the name of to run it all from your laptop. And at last you will need a reciever by the TV. The only manufaturer i know of that makes these are Netgear. You have two different types. 1: Push2TV which can recieve and output up to 720p. 2. Push2TV HD which can recieve and output up to 1080p.
i3, i5 and i7 1st gen can only manage to get up to 720p on the TV. i3, i5 and i7 2nd gen up to 1080p.
According to Intel all laptops that are compatible with this technology have this marked on them

And here is a list of laptops that is compatible. ptv_supportedlaptops_usa No alienware is on this list for some reason. Probably because they are not bundled with the software. M17x R3 have all the requirements filled. NB: You cannot use the M17X R3 versions with 120 Hz (3D) screen with WiDi because the IGP is disabled and WiDi relays on the IGP to display things on the TV.

WiDi 1.0 supported streaming up to 720p and you had to watch the same on the laptop screen as you did with the TV. No multitasking available.
WiDi 2.0 supports up to 1080p and you can stream video/music etc to the TV while at the same time do whatever you want with the laptop.

WiHD on the other hand is also a technology to stream data from the laptop to your TV. It is made by a whole bunch of electronic companies, and it is a direct competitor to Intel`s solution, which is? Yes WiDi (Do not forget this now). WiHD is also available for Bluray players, Cameras, audio equipment to stream data to TVs wireless, not just from laptops to TV.
Ok that said, the requirements for this technology is:
You need a transmitter AND a reciever. According to the manual and the part list, M17x R3 will later have the option to add-on a SiBEAM WiHD card which acts as the transmitter. It is not included today. Here is a video of a guy testing it out
YouTube - Alienware M17x WiHD Demonstration
Anyhow, you can buy WiHD kits to be able to stream data from the laptop to the TV for those who do not have add-ons like the WiHD card. Here there are several options available. From big boxes to small USB plugs. Here is a few kit examples:
IOGEAR Wireless HD Kit GWAV8141K Review
IOGEAR - GUWAVKIT2 - Wireless HD Computer to TV Kit
The first one supports video streaming up to 1080p while the last one only up to 720p. Some new HDTVs today have an integrated reciever so you won`t need a reciever, only a transmitter. Probably the benefit of having many big electronic companies working together to incorporate this technology.
With WIHD you can also do other stuff with your laptop while streaming data to the TV.

The difference between WiDi and WiHD is that WiDi use the Intel wireless cards to transmit the data from the laptop to the TV, while WIHD use a transmitter to transfer the data.

 

A couple more big differences are that WiHD does not have the lag that WiDi does, it could potentially be used for gaming etc. WiHD uses the 60 GHz band for transmitting so there is no chance for interference from your existing electronics equipment, however the WiDi receivers are much cheaper from what I have seen.

 

You are correct. From what i have read the lag of WiDi 1.0 was around 1 second while Widi 2.0 the lag is now about 1 millisecond. Will probably be bad for people playing FPS on the TV, but for movies etc it doesn`t matter.

 

That's some great information Cloudfire, thanks for sharing. I wonder if for WiDi on an R3 if you get the software with the receiver?

Although given the info ir0nman1 provides, it would not be of use for much other than watching BD content. I have a BD player for that.

 

Cloudfire,

I didn't know anything about these technologies until your post here. I have an R2, which to my knowledge has nothing of these technologies installed/supported anywhere. It is my understanding that in a sense, these capabilities would take the place of plugging an HDMI cable from your laptop to an HDTV, right? Are they intended to do the same for a computer monitor in general? How do they square with DisplayPort and monitors that support that (as nearly all eventually will)?

 

well WiDi can be used for more then BD content, what about playing youtube, streaming content from amazon etc... there could be some good reasons for it. I never use Youtube on my BD player because of the lack of keyboard etc. but honestly since I don't think anyone has seen either of these technologies outside of CES and other demos we will have to have someone test and report here to get a better idea.

I'm looking forward to both, and knowing that the R3 is suppose to support both is exciting for me as I'm sure prices on the WiHD will eventually and then I can pick whichever one seems to be the better tech.

 

I just prowled around Wikipedia and read about WiDi and a similar system, Wireless Home Digital Interface. Both this and WiDi/WiHD are very new standards for wireless display connections. I can imagine they will continue to evolve into completely wireless solutions for connecting displays and HDTVs, but it seems that they are very immature right now and there may still be a bit of a "format war" yet to be fought out before we will know exactly what it all means. I love watching the fits and starts of technology evolution! It is never a straight path, but much more of an obstacle course.

 

Great point, I just found out that my Amazon Prime allows me to access over 5000 streaming videos for free. There is also subscription Netflix.

Also, I just saw your post about the WiDi v2.0 having a delay of only 1 millisecond which could be usable for general computing.

Is the WiHD the only of the two technologies which allows a different display on the laptop screen vs. the wireless monitor?

Currently, when I extend a desktop to the big-screen via HDMI, I cannot take focus away from the full-screen streaming content or it stops playing.

 

it seems the intel 6300 network card has the ability to stream both these technologies

 

Yes WiDi and WIHD are almost the exact same as using a looong HDMI cable from your laptop right in to the TV. But everything is wireless
The recievers and transmitters with WiHD have different range in different kits, they all need to be in the same room. Some have 32 feet, some 100 feet. I have no idea of the range with WiDi but i have read about a test where they managed to put the laptop 90 feet from the reciever by the TV and still work. Also there you will have to be in the same room with the laptop and reciever.

Your R2 will not be able to use the WiDi because it has the i7 940XM with no IGP. But you can still use WiHD if you get the kit.
I don`t know about DisplayPort and its compability with these two technologies. If i should guess, yes it would work as long as you get a displayport to HDMI adapter. But i am not 100% shure.

 

I see. Thanks! It's worth considering down the road, but clearly I would need more external equipment to do it than you guys with r3s.

 

With both WiHD and WiDi you can do other things with the laptop while streaming a movie to the TV yes. Is that what you meant?

 

Yeah i agree. Would be nice for someone to test it out for us

 

according to what i'm reading the intel 6300 has the ability to transmit both WiDi and WiHD the latter doesn't need the IGP graphics so only a WiHD reciever on you external TV is required

 

Huh? Wireless cards got nothing to do with WiHD. That is why you have a transmitter. If you could use the Intel wireless cards. what difference would it be to WiDi?
Can you please show me a source?

 

WiHD works at 60Ghz, I haven't looked at the Intel 6300 card, but I would be very surprised it if had a 60Ghz transmitter. Also there is a big difference between WiDi and WiHD and it is the reason for the lag, WiDi is completely supported by the processor/IGP. WiHD processing is completely offloaded to a separate chipset which makes the processing faster and reduces lag.

 

ah right so extra stuff is required

 

Correct, it will be more useful to me to be able to use the machine to perform other tasks while some streaming content is being blasted out over the WiDi. It sounds like this will do the job.

I am going to look into the Netgear receivers for WiDi ...

 

Yeah good point. Intel wireless cards run on 2.4 and 5 GHz. Would probably be impossible to get a connection with the reciever

 

Looking at the service manual, the WirelessHD card is an option and it lists exactly where it should be. I don't have my M17x yet to check, but I would guess that slot is currently empty since it's listed as an option. The good news though is that since there should be a slot for it we can all add the card later when Dell releases it.

 

According to this thread, there's a "Sibeam Antenna Module" with the antenna included. I'm not sure if this is what we're looking for, or what because it's kind of vague. There's a code in front of it (39PKF) but, I've tried Googling it and can't find any info on what the heck this thing may be.

 

Yeah that SiBeam integrated chip is what i wrote about in the first post. Someone should contact the technicians at Dell and ask about that since some sources say yes and some spec sheets on their site says no.

 

I actually emailed them earlier asking what the heck was going on. I expect a response sometime soon and will post what they say.

 

from another thread on here about same subject ........ possibly merge the threads

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/563907-just-ordered-questions-about-widi-wihd.html

Our configuration of the M17x cost around $3,300; other options include adding a second 256GB SSD, which would increase the price to about $3,700. Customers can also add up to 24GB of RAM. At launch, Alienware will offer a version with a 3D display, Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 graphics, and a 500GB Seagate hybrid drive for $2,670, but not wireless HDMI. At some point in the future, the M17x will be available with both a 3D display and a wireless HDMI transmitter, but company representatives could not say when

 

I do not believe the SiBEAM chip is integrated. Its an add-on card - just like your wireless card, same principle. From the parts reference list -

5HT44 WiHD Card (DMC/SiBeam)

 

"Dell: The Dell Alienware Gaming Laptop, famous for its high video quality and fluid animation, will feature SiBEAM’s 60GHz-based WirelessHD chipsets. Powered by SiBEAM’s chipsets, the Alienware M17x R3 will effortlessly transfer wireless high definition video to the HDTV for an enhanced gaming experience"
http://www.sibeam.com/pdf/SiBEAM_CES%202011.pdf

That was from CES this year. Some other sites says HD card, so it could be quite possible and is probably the easiest way for Dell to include WiHD later BatBoy if they haven`t already included it. The part list states WiHD Card under "Motherboard" so i don`t know. The reason it is on that list is to cover all possible configurations. Doesn`t prove it is included.

 

I guess I should have screencapped this and added to my earlier post

Dell M17xR3 Service Manual
Documentation

So, given this information - the SiBEAM WiHD card is an add-on card and will require antenna cable. Not sure if the cable is included as part of the base config. If not, in order to use WiHD, one will need to purchase the card and antenna cable.

 

Strange that i get no hit on "WiHD card" with google other than sites talking about R3. No pictures, no information. If you look at SiBEAM`s homepage you will only find integrated chipsets and no cards.
SiBEAM :: SB9221/SB9211 WirelessHD® HRRX Chipset

 

Understood - what I snipped and included is straight from the 17xR3 service manual.

 

Aha. Nice find BatBoy.
That is why it is listed under "motherboards".

 

Actually, if it were me, I would have listed it under Networking/Wireless.

 

It says optional in the manual, and there is another thread running perhaps you could merge them

 

I've already redirected the other thread. Here, this should clear it up once and for all.

SiBEAM WiHD will be needed if you plan on outputting gameplay. See attachment for SiBEAM. It is OPTIONAL and must be purchased separately. Hopefully, once its available on the Dell Parts/Accessories site they price it reasonably. Personally, I wouldn't pay more than 50 bucks.


For Wireless Display Output (guessing web, maybe movie playback, etc.), the Intel card will do this on all 17xR3 systems with the exception of the 3D capable configuration. See attachment.
NOTE: The display (tv) must support the Intel Wireless Display functionality or an adapter will be required for the tv.

Source: page 18, page 19 of the M17xR3 Mobile Manual
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/Alw_M17xR3/en/mm/mm_en.pdf

 

That is already covered on the 1st post. I have updated the post with the new information. Thanks for the picture BatBoy

 

no worries - glad to help out.

 

Also there is no TVs that supports WiDi today. You need a reciever. WiHD on the other hand have TVs with built in recievers.
That is the benefit with WiHD. Sony, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Phillips, etc, they are all behind this technology, and they all make TVs. WiDi on the other hand is Intel, and they don`t make TVs

 

So I emailed Dell, they emailed me back asking for an order number and customer ID. I responded with the info, then they emailed me saying to call or chat customer service about it. I chatted them and they said I had to buy and install it myself.

 

That statement is slightly inaccurate...All the M17X R3's are "3D Capable." Whether or not you actually add the 120hz panel and the 460M is on you . If you go to the specs page before you go to config it, it says "3D Capable" in the title

 

ok so i am a bit confused as to what has played out here. Does the alienware m17x r3 come with Sibeam technology built in or is it an add on that we have to purchase later on? one of the main reasons why i purchased this laptop, aside from it being an alienware, and the HDMI in, is for the SiBeam technology. Can someone please confirm if it comes with it or not... First we lose the anodized aluminum now this!!!

 

Yeah the WiHD is neat
Alienware M17x R3 does NOT have that addon card now, but they "may" include it with future R3s. When they do you will probably be able to pick it when you configure it at Alienware, almost like when you pick Intel Wireless 6300 cards. I really don`t know if you can buy the add on card for users who have bought the R3 without it before. Time will show. Anyways, here are instructions on how to install and remove the WiHD card. It doesn`t seem difficult to do. Do you have the R3 without 120 Hz screen? In that case you can use WiDi instead

 

I have the r3 with the 120hz screen. Why won't WiDi work with it, I spoke with a dell alienware sales specialist he said it does, all I need is the push2tv netgear adapter for my tv

 

in the manual it says optional and if you have it you are very special, all you have is the cable/aerial and not the card, whoever you spoke to is blowing out his A55

 

Where do you think I can get the card and how much

 

i don't think they have a general release part number for it yet, but it was certaintly included during some R3 reviews, I posted the links somewhere on this forum a few days ago but stuff gets moved closed deleted I don't know if they are still here, do a google for Alienware wihd



found the thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/563907-just-ordered-questions-about-widi-wihd.html

 

Posted this earlier in the thread....

The part# is known - its included in the part list which was posted by Dell-Chris on the Dell community forum. The part# is known however it most likely is not available for purchase yet. I imagine that when you see it on the configuration page, that is when you can call Dell Parts and order it.

 

Read the first post. Nvidia said that the IGP of SB CPU is disabled and the discrete GPU is directly hooked to the 120 Hz screen. IGP is required to run the movies etc on the TV with WiDi.

Why are Dell not aware of this??

 

Very sorry I read the whole thread and it probably slipped my mind. I have another question so please don't jump down my throat. Is there any way to get in and enable the intel gpu, because I have read on hp envy forums that you can change screen to run at 60hz at which point the intel gpu is enabled. Is there anyway to do this on the m17x?

 

it seems not because the nvidia gpu has no pass through to allow the igp access to the screen, I find this a bit weird to understand as the screen is usually plugged into the MB, what would happen if you removed the nvidia card - surely the IGP should be able to access the screen at 60hz

 

No worries at all. Ask all the questions you like, what we're all here for - to help each other.

 

Hey everyone,
I bought the M17x R3 at the beginning of January. This was right before they pulled the M17X R3 for the sandy Bridge problem. I looked in the BIOS and under wireless menu there is an item that says Sibeam/DMC.