Wirelessly Connect Your PC to Your Stereo Or TV

!±8± Wirelessly Connect Your PC to Your Stereo Or TV

Caveat

Before I start I'll mention that I prefer to use a wired connection whenever possible. Wireless is subject to many sources of interference particularly in urban and some suburban areas where there are many different wireless signals that can interfere. Interference can come from cell phones and cellular phone towers. Even wireless devices in a nearby neighbor's home or apartment can cause interference.

Let's Get Started

I will show how to connect your PC wirelessly to your television. The best device I've been able to find for transmitting wireless audio to your stereo also includes a video adapter. The GWB-4000 Wireless PC to TV System by Grandtec was designed to allow computer presentations, games, and Internet browsing to be professionally shown on televisions or video projectors. The device is currently sold online for 9. (Wired connections can be done for under ).

Grandtec provides with a complete with all the cables and connectors you need to connect your PC to your television and stereo system. They also include manuals for setting everything up, but I'll discuss the process all the same.

Setup: Safety First

Remember to turn off your computer, stereo, and television when setting up this connection. Make sure the entire connection process is completed before turning on any of these devices. There's little risk of hurting yourself, but your home electronics are much more sensitive.

Setup: The Basics

The Grandtec GWB-4000 has two boxes. One connects to the audio and video outputs on your computer, and the other box can be connected to the audio and video inputs of your television, or to the audio inputs on your home stereo. If you have a home audio-video receiver as part of your home entertainment system, the box can be connected to it as well. Each box has its own power adapter.

As with all wireless devices, they work best when there are few obstruction between the transmitter and the receiver. The GWB-4000 has a range of 125 to 150 feet, but too many walls and heavy appliances directly between the two boxes will reduce the reception quality. I've found microwave ovens and refrigerators put up the greatest interference. Try to imagine a line drawn straight between the two boxes and observe if any appliances are directly on that line. If yes, try to position the boxes so the imaginary line is as unobstructed as much possible. Position the two boxes as close to one another as possible.

Setup: The PC Side

The GWB-4000 kit has a box which connects to the back of your computer. Though the box has a range of 100 feet try to position it so there are few obstructions between it and the box that connects to your television.

Looking at the picture at right, you connect the provided PC audio (sound) cable to the lime-green colored line out connection on the back of your PC, and the other end of that cable goes to the mini phone stereo connection on the box.

If you are connecting to your television, disconnect your computer's monitor cable from the back of the PC, the attach the provided VGA pass-through cable to the same connection on the PC. The other end of the cable connects to the scan converter connection on the box. You'll see there's a connection remaining on the pass-through cable for reattaching your PC's monitor.

Connect the power adapter to the PC box and wall outlet or power strip/surge protector.

Setup: The TV Side

The TV box: The box that connects to the television or stereo has composite video out connection (yellow). Attach the provided composite video cable from that connection to the video in connection on your television or home audio-video receiver. They also have an alternate S-video connection. Use the S-video cable if you can for better picture quality.

There are red and white RCA audio (sound) connections oon the box. Attach the RCA cables provided to the appropriate color connection (red to red, white to white) and do the same to the any available audio in on your television or stereo.

Some of the more expensive stereo receivers and television sets have multiple connections, and you may see connections labeled "Video In 1" and "Video In 2". If you are using the GWB-4000 kit for audio and video make sure if you connect to "Video In 1" that you also use "Audio In 1". Mismatching numbers will either result in video without sound, or sound without video.

Turning It All On

Turn on your computer and your stereo or television and follow the instructions provided with the kit for getting the best sound and picture results possible for your setup. There are several different channels your GWB-4000 can transmit on, and you'll want to find out which gives you the best results. Some urban areas might have more sources of interference. Also, be careful not to have the volume up to load on your TV or stereo, the initial volume levels on a PC can be loud and could damage your audio system on your TV or stereo, so always start out at a low volume before turning it up.

If you have any trouble, you might try contacting a home theater specialist in your area to help out.