Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} Wireless KVM, but just V?

[Grant]

> I haven't used them, but I'm somewhat sceptical of Avocent as a brand.
>
> Their network KVMs (all that I've seen advertised, I think) use proprietary viewer software. I don't think they even allow you to view using a web-based viewer applet (as do many other network KVMs), and I think they may even charge for upgrades of the viewer software (when you've paid £1000+ for their hardware!).
>
> The company that OEM's my Blackbox network KVM [1] also make "Digital Signage" AV extenders [2] - I would guess that these are doing essentially the same thing as a network KVM, but without the part that transmits the keyboard and mouse back. The important part is that they're a frame-grabber, taking as input the VGA or DVI from a computer's video card - that can then be transmitted across the network digitally. I would doubt that this kind of "AV extender" is much cheaper than a network KVM, which you can get in single-channel versions [3], but the performance may be better that I've seen on network KVMs.
>
> You can get great deals on network KVMs secondhand (expect to pay £100 - £200 on eBay) but at least with that generation (i.e. typically 5 - 8 years old) the resolution and refresh rate is a bit limiting, and there's no way you could use them for video. But a good network KVM (like the Blackbox) will allow you to control the remote computer using a standard VNC client.
>
> Dale needs to give us more info about *what he's trying to do*. It might well be, from his apparent lack of need to control the remote PC, that a $100 STB "network streaming media player", such as the Western Digital TV+, would do that job. That allows you to play video files across the network, and does so at high quality.

Thanks Stroller.  The idea was to put my Gentoo HTPC somewhere other
than nearby my TV.  I don't want to run a long HDMI cable so I was
wondering if there was a device that would allow me to send the video
signal from the computer to the TV wirelessly.  It sounds like it's
not such a good idea.

- Grant


>>> Does a device exist that will allow you to send the video signal from
>>> a Gentoo system wirelessly across the room to a monitor?  Should I
>>> just get a wireless KVM unit and not use the KM?