Intel Corp. said this week that its Wireless Display technology is now available on 25 systems from several large manufacturers. The adoption of the technology, as expected, is proceeding slowly due to various reasons, moreover, it is unclear who actually uses the technology.

According to the world's largest chipmaker, Intel Wireless Display (IWD) is now available on more than 25 systems based on Intel Core i3 or Intel Core i5 processors from manufacturers like Asustek Computer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba. Initially notebooks featuring IWD technology were only available from Dell, Sony and Toshiba; hence, the formal support for the tech among manufacturers is growing. Unfortunately, Intel remained tight-lipped regarding the number of Netgear Push-to-TV adapters, which are required to take advantage of Intel Wireless Display technology, that have been sold so far.

Personal computers featuring Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200, Advanced-N +WiMax 6250 or Ultimate N 6300 coupled with Intel My WiFi technology and Intel wireless display software can transfer video information, including high-definition video, to special Netgear adapters that can be connected using HDMI to high-definition televisions. Personal computers equipped with the aforementioned Wi-Fi adapters as well as Intel’s new Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7 processors compatible with LGA1156 platform are compatible with Intel’s wireless display tech.

Recently Intel also unveiled several enhancements to the Wireless Display. The version 1.2 enables people to access an extended display mode for watching a video on TV while surfing the Internet on the laptop. New remote only mode allows end-users to watch a video with a black screen on the laptop to lower glare and distractions. A new fast cursor improves navigation on the TV.

General prospects of IWD remain gloomy. There is WHDI technology that is supported by consumer electronics companies and that does not require any special-purpose Wi-Fi 802.11n adapter from Netgear. Moreover, Intel’s wireless display tech still has limitations: based on the information available now, it cannot playback Blu-ray disc (BD) on a TV due to digital rights management technologies used by content owners. By contrast, it is relatively easy to playback a BD movie on a TV from an HDMI equipped notebook that does not have HDMI-BD limitations (like some Sony computers do).

Tags: Intel, Core, HDMI, Wireless Display, ASUS, Toshiba, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony