Nobody these days needs to plug a wire into the wall for their internet connection, so why should it still be necessary for cable TV?
Wireless connectivity has been embraced worldwide in just a few short years and the battle between cable and wireless in the Cayman Islands has followed the trend. The convenience and ease of use of wireless over cable, along with new technologies, has given us always-on internet, thinner, lighter and sharper screens and 24/7 entertainment at our fingertips.
It is also changing where we watch television, and how. But while nobody these days needs to plug a wire into the wall for their internet connection, why is it still necessary for cable TV?
There was a time, not so long ago, when cable TV was the pinnacle of home entertainment. Its arrival in our homes quickly removed the need for unsightly antennas and dreadful reception every time the weather turned bad. One simple wire and a cable box could connect you to an almost mind-boggling choice of TV channels – but only on one screen, in one place.
Now, just as you have Wi-Fi for your home internet, you can have a wireless connection for your Cayman Islands cable TV. Instead of lengths of cable, you have a wireless home digital interface (WHDI) transmitting a signal wirelessly throughout the house, just like your internet Wi-Fi.
The increased popularity of flat-screen TVs, relatively cheap, trending bigger yet lighter, has seen them being placed in a much wider range of locations that previously. Wall mounted TVs are very popular, bringing with them a particular problem – either put up with unsightly wires leading to/from the device, or put up with the expense and trouble of running cables behind walls.
Wireless cable TV solves that problem. At its simplest, all you need is a WHDI transmitter to connect to your cable TV box, as well as a receiver and a remote control for each TV you want to connect wirelessly to the cable TV service.
Previously, having multiple TVs in multiple rooms of a house would require a lot of cabling and multiple set-top cable boxes . The wireless solution makes installation much simpler, allowing you to place TVs wherever you want, totally independent of where the cable TV box is in your house.
Some TVs are already capable of directly picking up a wireless cable TV transmitter’s signal. Some have their own proprietary solution that only works with their own products and some will work with a third-party adapter. As is the case with most new technologies, an industry standard needs to be adopted before there is a generic solution and you will need to make sure you pick the right equipment and connectors to work with your particular setup at home.
Wireless cable TV systems have a range of between 50 and 100 feet and will penetrate walls, ceilings and floors the same way a Wi-Fi signal will. Some WHDI models transmit in high definition, but have a short range, as low as 30 feet. Other models transmit in standard definition but generally have a longer range.
If you want to connect multiple TVs to your wireless cable TV system then bear in mind that each TV needs its own receiver. Your WHDI box also needs to be able to support multiple receivers, unless you only want to watch the same show on all TVs at the same time.
To change channels may require an extra piece of kit called an IR extender and an accompanying remote control. Connected to each TV on the system, this allows you to operate the cable box and change channels on each individual TV, independent of all the other TVs on the system.
A wireless cable TV connection is now an affordable home entertainment option. Say goodbye to messy and tangled cables, connect multiple TVs to one cable box and enjoy the freedom of cable tv just like the internet, anywhere in your house, wirelessly.