This review has been slightly modified to reflect the actual model that I have for review, which is the SWP100a that only does 720p streaming. Thanks to one of my readers who asked questions about the item and I do apologize. However the rest of the review, including the score, still stands.
Hey folks, Valkor here. Back in 2008, I built my very first PC desktop; essentially just slapping in all the components into an Autobot ATX case (with a sweet glowing red Autobot insignia) that I plugged into my 32 inch Samsung LCD TV. With Bluetooth mouse and keyboard in tow, I had the best time kicking back and enjoying a much larger view rather than being hunched over a monitor. That PC has since bit the bullet, but my Toshiba laptop has stepped in to save the day. And thanks to the folks at Warpia, I can now do my work or enjoy my movies, online surfing and gaming on a grander scale - wirelessly. I give you the Warpia USB PC to TV Audio/Video Display Adapter (Warpia SWP100a for short).
The SWP100a involves two USB sticks – one plugged into your laptop and the other that goes into the audio/video base. From there you plug the base into your television, monitor, or projector using an HDMI cable and stream your content onto a larger palette – in full 720p hi-def. Setting it all up is simple and takes but a few minutes. Once it's done, you can surf the interwebz, watch/listen to your media and even play games. The SWP120a streams both audio and video with no further connections required. The range between the base and the laptop is 30 feet in any given direction, so long as line of sight maintained. However I did test it through a door and it still worked. So ultimately you just need tp keep the range or it's "game over".
Other than that, it all comes down to what it is you'll want to do and how you use the device. So let's see how the Warpia fared in Val-Cave testing with the TOV Breakdown.
The Bang:
First off the SWP100a does an amazing job of seamlessly streaming PC content to your television. Video-wise everything is crisp, clear and colorful. Seriously, it does an amazing job; surfing the web, watching trailers, working on the site – seamless, with only a few hiccups. I was even more impressed with the audio, which was actually my biggest concern as I expected some serious lag. Thankfully there isn't and audio comes across amazingly clear and everything syncs up nicely. So for such a small device, it's really quite remarkable with astounding performance.
The Slack:
The SWP100a isn't exactly perfect. For one thing gaming is too intense for the device to handle, even playing the simplest of games (though I find playing online flash games more manageable than playing games locally). I tested out Battle Slots (review coming soon) and once I started, the graphics began breaking up to the point of being unplayable. I can't imagine what would happen if I played something more intensive. Next on the video side, while the quality is clear enough, there is some pixilation and dropping of frames. Nothing that makes the media unwatchable, but its noticeable. Finally device gets hot, so I wouldn't use it for long periods of time.
Overall Warpia's USB PC to TV A/V Display Adapter is perfect for anyone looking to break away from the small screen, moving up to a bigger display. I highly recommend it. And out of TOV 5 stars, I give the Warpia SWP100a 4 stars. And it's been Valkor tested, TOV Approved.