Atlona Technologies

70 Daggett Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
United States

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Hands-On Review: Atlona's Linkcast Wireless HD AV System By Margot Douaihy

Posted on Friday, September 6, 2013

The Atlona LinkCast is a genuinely plug-and-play solution; you can have this product up and running in-literally-one minute. It ships with the necessary cables that tech managers need (HDMI, USB, power), a remote control and an HDMI swivel adapter. The swivel adapter will prove useful if the transmitter/ dongle needs more flexibility, e.g., if is going to hit the back of a cabinet, ceiling, or for some quirky console design. I tested the LinkCast with a motley crew of laptops to put the device through its paces.

INSTANT ON

Here's how the system works: select your source device, plug in the LinkCast transmitter into its HDMI port along with the provided USB cable to power the transmitter. Then connect the Receiver via HDMI cable to the projector and plug it into the power strip. It is ready for primetime instantly. No special drivers required. No extra set-up or keys required. The laptop with connected transmitter was on and as we fired up the projector we instantly saw the feed from Atlona that confirmed that everything was successfully connected. You can walk in between the devices, you can use other computer or mobile devices, and signal stays strong and uninterrupted.

IS IT BETTER THAN CHROMECAST?

Google Chromecast is the new $35 dongle for streaming Netflix and content from the Google Chrome browser. While Chromecast could work for a few aspects of home use, it is not device-agnostic and it just doesn't check off the needs of educational or commercial applications. When I need to project in the classroom, show CAD renderings, or use wireless projection for training on a proprietary MOOC platform, the Chromecast might not work. Atlona's media manager, Raymond Moore, shared his insight on this topic: "I think the LinkCast is different from the Chromecast as it serves a much wider range of applications and is compatible with more products. The LinkCast also does not require a Wi-Fi signal while the Chromecast will. I believe the LinkCast serves a wider market."

IMAGE &AUDIO QUALITY

It displays 1080Pp which is ideal for projectors in the conference room, classroom, training room, or the home. We are testing the LinkCast with animations, 3D, HD video, and static imagery; it all looks excellent. My test laptop with the LinkCast hookup is connected via receiver to a 5.1 surround system; both wired sound and wireless video were flawless with zero latency or time lapse.

LINKCAST BENEFITS

Easy to set up-one minute out of the box and you're good to go.
Helps reduce unsightly wires from your install.
You can place your source anywhere (even in a cabinet) or carry it anywhere and the signal stays strong.
You can buy up to four extra transmitters/ dongles and use multiple sources, e.g., you have a game console, laptop, and Blu-Ray player-three sources you use regularly. You can buy additional transmitters and, from the remote control select which source to display. It essentially can make all of your HDMI wireless.
Wired sound and wireless video operated with no synch or latency problems.
Remote control and batteries for the remote are included.
Smart user manual with clear, precise instructions and great images.

LINKCAST CONS

Atlona's official word is that this product is not compatible with Apple products, but a few online forum users are connecting it to Macs with no problem. But since the company states that they don't support Macs, this could be tricky for universities, corporations, or organizations that are Apple-exclusive, or use Macs in a BYOD environment.
There is no way to change the source other than the remote; there are no buttons on the transmitter or receiver. So don't lose the remote.
LinkCast requires a USB port for the dongle and an HDMI port. Most current devices come equipped with both, of course, but if you are working with a few hundred university professors on a campus, you never know what kind of legacy equipment they have.