NETGEAR PTV3000
I am taking the time to write an in depth review of this product, the Netgear PTV3000 Push2TV Wireless Display Adapter.
I ordered this unit from Amazon and just received it yesterday.
The first thing that you need to know about this device is that it does indeed work. There are however a few things that you need to know in order to get it up and running and also to optimize its performance once that has happened.
I have my PTV3000 plugged into my Sony Bravia HDTV via an HDMI cable in the back along with a USB cable plugged into the back of the TV as its power source. No need to take up another outlet so it is best to use a spare USB jack on your TV if you have one available.
After you have plugged the PTV3000 unit in to your TV the next step is to open the Intel WiDi software program on your PC or Laptop computer. I am using a Sony Vaio Laptop to run the Intel WiDi software.
Once you have opened the WiDi software you can enable the software to scan for the PTV3000. If it finds it then simply click on "connect" and wait a few moments and see if it establishes a connection with the PTV3000.
When I first tried this I was not able to establish a connection to my PTV3000 unit after trying to get it to connect via the Intel WiDi software about 20 times.
Here is what I would recommend that everyone who buys the PTV3000 do FIRST!!
Update/download the latest firmware for the PTV3000 via the Netgear web site. The instructions for doing this are included in the brief manual that comes with the PTV3000. After you have done that I would suggest that you also update the driver/software for the Intel WiDi program on whatever PC or laptop you will be using to send content to your TV. The Sony laptop that I recently bought had an older version of the Intel WiDi software on it and after I downloaded the update for the software, which was 265MB by the way, I was able to connect to the PTV3000 via my Laptop with no problems.
Now, here is something that Netgear does not mention in the user manual. The PTV3000 works best when you have your source, laptop, PC etc..., as close to the PTV3000 as possible. I would suggest keeping your source no more than 20 feet away from the PTV3000 for best results. The second tip that I can share with you is to stand the PTV3000 end on end like a book sitting on a shelf so that the top of the unit faces the direction of your laptop/source. After much trial and error I determined that the antenna inside the PTV3000 is located on the top of the PTV3000 so by standing it end on end and pointing it towards your source you will get a much stronger signal as opposed to setting the PTV3000 flat.
One thing you will notice is that if you walk between your source and the PTV3000 that the audio will sputter and cut out briefly. This ties in with my theory that the PTV3000 likes to have a direct line of sight to your source in order to deliver the best picture with no buffering or glitches.
I had originally placed my laptop about 10 feet away from the PTV300 and after I discovered that the antenna was located in the top of the PTV3000 and stood it up end on end and pointed it towards my laptop I was actually able to have my laptop about 24 feet away and it worked perfectly.
Most of the stuff that I have shared was nowhere to be found in the manual. I learned from trial and error and hopefully this review will help those of you so that you can save some time and follow my advice so that you can be up and running in no time.
Overall the picture and sound quality that the PTV3000 delivers is excellent. The night before I received the PTV3000 I hooked up my laptop to my TV via an HDMI cable and I can honestly say that the picture and sound quality that I was able to get using the PTV3000 was the same as if I was using an HDMI cable.
If you follow my advice I feel confident that you will be pleased with the Netgear PTV3000.
Product Details :
- Wirelessly display content in up to 1080p HD video resolution.
- Flexible power option by using the USB port on the TV.
- Small size for easy placement and portability.
