Peerless itrio HDS100 Processor Special Features

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Art Feierman

HD Flow Features

The HD Flow is designed to do more than move HDMI around wirelessly. In fact, it's a well endowed system when it comes to connections. Consider the Transmitter (really a transceiver - since there's handshaking, error checking...):

2 HDMI 1.3 inputs (including surround sound audio)
1 Composite video input
1 Analog PC input
1 Component input (shares connector with Analog PC - so just one of the two or a switch box if you have both
2 pair of stereo audio inputs - one for video, one for PC (two RCA jacks, 1 stereo mini)
LAN connector
Infra-red output for hard wiring a remote
Infra-red receiver for HD-Flow remote control.

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The Receivers are just a bit different:

1 HDMI output (including surround sound audio)
1 Composite video output
2 stereo outputs (RCAs for video, stereo-mini for PC audio
LAN
USB
Infra-red input for itrio remote

Working Range of HD Flow in a Typical Home

I've used the HD Flow here for several months but initially I used it inside a single room, between my equipment "rack" and whatever projector I was using. For the month or so that I used it "locally", it worked exactly as expected. It added some minor delays when locking onto a signal. Those of you with PS3's know that resolutions and frame rates can change a half dozen plus times when first loading in a disc, and setting it to play. Between the HD Flow and the various projectors, there is some delay, so you don't even actually see every PS3 change being shown by the projector. This indicates that the HD Flow is definitely taking longer to lock onto a signal, such as 1080p 24fps, or 1080i 60, than straight, hard wiring. This was also consistent with our experience with the Gefen product. The HD Flow, however, definitely is faster at locking on, than the Gefen, not that a second or two really means much to most folks.

Pictured: itrio remote control

So, for a month or more, the HD Flow HDMI device was simply an alternative to hard wiring in my theater. And it did the job. A great many movies and hours of sports were transmitted over it, without encountering any problems.

Long Range HD Flow Operation

Since it's been barely a half year since we moved (home and company), the theater and much of the home's final AV is yet to be done. The first real test of the HD Flow came when we hooked up an LCDTV in our bedroom. Unfortunately, we did not, at that time, have a spare satellite box - DirecTV.

I grabbed the HD Flow receiver, plugged it in next to the LCDTV, and hooked up a short HDMI cable from the HDMI output on the HD Flow hds100, to the Sony 40" LCDTV.

The Transmitter, however, is placed in my home theater setup, which is on the same floor, but in the front of the house, vs. the bedroom in the back. I plugged in both my PS3, and my DirecTV box into the two HDMI inputs.

The HD Flow operates on the 5 Gigahertz band, by their claim. I think that's a little different than the Gefen which claims using the 5.8 Gigahertz band, but, I would think that those two ranges are close enough to have similar wall blocking properties. As such, the range difference must be due to other aspects of the HD Flow's design.