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AirTame HDMI display enabler review

Given that we’re all probably carrying around more video and photo data than graced the entire planet 20 years ago, I’m sure we’ve all been somewhere and wanted to show a group of more than 2 people a great shot. Perhaps you’ve wanted to actually present to a group, and you only had a phone with a pdf and a TV, and no cable to connect them. The folks at AirTame have seen your plight and have concocted a solution, in the form of an HDMI dongle that needs no setup other than with your phone or another device. It fits in the space of your earbuds, but it has a lot more hidden superpowers than this….

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

The AirTame is a black dongle 3”x1.5”x.5” with an HDMI plug on one end. It looks like an HDMI thumb drive. On one of the sides, there is a microUSB port for power, and opposite the plug, there is a small button to power it on. When it’s connected and powered on, your device’s images show up on your HDMI display. Once it’s on your wireless or Ethernet network, however, it is also available to be seen by full computers (Mac, Windows, Linux) or ChromeOS. These devices can share full screen live screens.

What’s in the box?

AirTame device
USB-A< ->microUSB power cable (1m)
USB power brick with plugs for US, UK, and EU (US only is shown above.)
7.5” HDMI extension cable

Design and features

The AirTame is easy to set up, easy to carry along, and easy to use. I’ll cover the setup below. Once it’s set up, there’s little to do. As long as you are connected to the same network, you can send PDF and JPG files to any HDMI source from your iOS or Android device, using their app. If the files are on your device, you give the AirTame app permission to read them, and you’re off to the races. If you want to store them in a DropBox account, the design is there to allow you to access that account. (During testing, I ran into a snag with changes that are happening with the DropBox app, but I feel sure this will be worked through in due course. The solution is to open the PDF in your device’s PDF reader, and “Open In” AirTame. This will copy the document to the Files section of the AirTame app, where it can be accessed and displayed.)
For computers and ChromeBooks, the dongle is much more powerful. You can do full-screen sharing. You can use the app to find any AirTame on your network, and send your video to it. This is fantastic for tech support, training, or viewing remote computers (servers, network monitors, etc.).

Setup

Setup is simple. Connect to an HDMI port on your display of choice and connect the AirTame to power using a microUSB cable. These things can be problematic, however, due to the placement of the display, or other cables that are already in place. There is an extension cord in case the HDMI of your display won’t allow the wide and long AirTame to attach directly. In many conference rooms and boardrooms, you may need to invest in a gender changer, since the only option available may be an HDMI plug, rather than a port. Other than private displays, I can’t remember the last time I had access to the port itself.
AirTame’s idea, however, is to have organizations put one of these devices on every HDMI screen in an organization. The pricing model changes rapidly from 1-3 to 4-9 and more than 10. Being able to remotely log in to any display in your company or campus and show your screen can make for quick resolution of issues where groups need to be shown something. (Audio can be turned on or off.)

Performance

I found the performance to be acceptable. Since video files are not supported with iOS/Android devices, the display rate isn’t going to be a problem. Bringing up a multi-page PDF document allows a PowerPoint / Keynote-like screen on your device where you see the current and next thumbnails, rather than the full screen being the current image. If you export your slide deck to PDF, you’ll only lose the animations and sound/video links, but those have lost favor of late. (Clicking the green button in the multi-page PDF document below leads to a screen-by-screen slide deck presentation.)


For computers, there is a bit of a lag over Wifi. (The company offers ethernet adapters that will allow direct connection to a router, which will speed up screen motion and video display. I was not sent this to test.) It’s not really that bad unless you’re trying to show video or any other high-frame-rate media.

What I Like

  • Very easy setup and installation
  • Fast, clear display
  • Supports virtually all platforms

What needs to be improved

  • Device gets hot after 30 minutes or so
  • Limited file formats supported on iOS/Android
  • Would benefit from a battery that lasted 15-20 minutes for traveling users

Final thoughts

Presenting to a large screen seems to be the modern curse, and I see no end to it in our current businesses. Presenting from something other than a full computer, however, is quite nice, and this device covers the basics of getting an image before a group with little to no roadblocks. If you need sound, animations, active video display (for training or visualization of content), this device paired with any modern computer will most likely fill the bill. If you can be happy with images and PDFs from your handheld, this is a worthy consideration.

Price: $299.00 (quantity discounts available)
Where to buy: Manufacturer website and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by AirTame.

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AirTame HDMI display enabler review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 29, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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BDI’s Olis media cabinet allows your soundbar be heard, not seen

 

When purchasing Audio Video equipment, almost as important as the gear you buy is the cabinet you store it in. BDI has come up with the perfect solution to hide your AV gear away in style.

Heard, not seen

The Olis 9650 is an AV cabinet with louvered doors that conceal both component compartments and a dedicated soundbar shelf.

The louvered doors allow for flow-through ventilation and remote control access.

They also allow sound from a soundbar to disperse cleanly and evenly from within the cabinet.

Other features include removable back panels, a cable management system, and a TV safety strap.

Designed by Louis A. Lara, the cabinet contains both stained solid wood and hardwood veneer. And it comes with a warm Toasted Walnut finish. 

With a recommended TV size of up to 65″, the Olis provides big entertainment within a smaller footprint. 

 For pricing on the Olis 9650, you’ll need to find a retailer near you by visiting bdiusa.com.

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BDI’s Olis media cabinet allows your soundbar be heard, not seen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 5, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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The Hercules may just be the motion that you need


Whether the goal is to shoot smooth motion video to create great effects or to shoot time lapse photographs, videographers, cinematographers and photographers are constantly looking for the perfect slider to bring their creative ideas to life. I am always on the lookout for the same, and I own at least two relatively expensive sliders and the attachments that compliment each of them. When we work as individuals without a crew, the problem we all face in this industry is carrying around all of the bags of equipment required to get the full functionality out of the sliders, and then the time it takes to get everything all setup.

In my quest to find a small, light, versatile and effective slider or slider system, I stumbled across the Rollocam website and a very promising solution. According to the website, “HERCULES is a patent pending, pocket-size, motorized camera system that creates cinematic dolly shots and motion control time-lapses”. It is small and compact, and the videos on the website show it to be versatile enough to fit into many scenarios where a slider or slider system is needed.

If you are tired of walking around with a heavy slider and looking for something capable and portable, you may want to give the Hercules Motorized Camera System a try. You can head over to the Rollocam website and pick a package up starting at $249.

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The Hercules may just be the motion that you need originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 1, 2018 at 8:50 am.

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The Zoom Q8 Handy Video Recorder is really handy after all


While I must admit that Vlogging is not my thing, I have dabbled with it a bit to see what my presence would be in front of the camera. After all, I have always been a behind the camera type of guy and I have always resisted the temptation to become a face known to social media.

A couple of years ago, I invested in a Zoom Q8 Handy Video Recorder, specifically for the purpose of Vlogging and producing YouTube product review videos. While I never quite realized my online video aspirations, I did end up using the Zoom video camera quite a bit in other scenarios.

The Zoom Q8 is quite small as handheld cameras go, but it offers some great features and I found it to be of great use whenever the need for a quick B-roll recording would arise, and especially so when packing light was the other requirement. It records up to 2304 x 1296 video at 30 frames per second with a 160-degree Wide-Angle lens and has a detachable X/Y Condenser Microphone. Other features include several preset lighting scene modes, a built-in speaker,  a color 2.7 inch LCD touchscreen, it can be used as a USB Webcam and an Audio Interface, it is compatible with Zoom Microphone capsules, has built-in dual XLR/TRS Combination inputs, and it even comes with a small lens hood. I am quite impressed with the quality of the audio it recorded, and I like the fact that the audio can be saved as uncompressed WAV files and AAC files.

While this is not a professional video recorder, it certainly is very useful and can certainly save the day for a small project when you are in a bind.

You can give the Zoom Q8 a try by picking one up at B&H Photo Video or Amazon for $349.99

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The Zoom Q8 Handy Video Recorder is really handy after all originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 26, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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The Rode NT1-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone is music to the ears


Although I am very much into photography, I am also a videographer, and I spend just as much time and effort seeking out good audio and video equipment. I have had more than one opportunity to film musicians performing in-studio, and good microphones are a critical part of a shoot if it is going to be successful. Apart from the instrument microphones, the vocal microphones for the singers are critical and should be chosen with the desired sound in mind.

I am a fan of several microphones from a few different manufacturers, and on my last in-studio musician shoot I used 2 different microphones, one for the musician and a different one for the bass player who was also performing the role of interviewer. For the bass player, I chose the Rode NT1-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone. This Rode mic has a Cardioid Polar Pattern and a 1-inch diaphragm, along with a transformer-less output stage. It is an amazing sounding microphone, and for that particular shoot, it nicely complemented the Shure Super 55 that the singer was using. The only major difference was that the sensitivity between the two microphones is quite different, so I had to make adjustments for perfect matching.

You can purchase the Rode NT1-A at B&H Photo Video or Amazon for $229.

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The Rode NT1-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone is music to the ears originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 24, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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