Are you spending less time channel surfing and more time surfing the web for video content? You’re not alone – according to CNN, there’s a growing army of defectors turning their back on traditional cable options and replacing the tube with the net.

As cable prices continue to soar and content is becoming less and less readily available, today’s couch potato is rising from their seats to find new methods of instantaneous delivery while neatly sidestepping an expensive monthly bill.  Online content providers have been rising to the challenge, providing everything from your favorite network TV shows to independent films to music videos – all available to stream online at no cost.

The fatal flaw? Even the most hardened gadget geek can agree that hunching over a computer screen isn’t the same as reclining in comfort in front of a widescreen HDTV…and passing a laptop from lap to lap to share a favorite clip may not be the best way to get a party started.

Previously, streaming computer content to an HDTV has been reserved for the tech-savvy brave enough to tackle an octopus of tangled wires and complicated setups.  Here at IOGEAR we’re happy to jump into the streaming content revolution and offer a solution to this conundrum!



Our Wireless A/V kit bridges this gap, with three easy adapters a simple setup, eliminating the clutter of wires, putting instant PC to TV streaming within reach. This kit provides a simple solution for the average consumer to sit back, relax and choose from a variety of online content and stream it directly to their HDTV.

So whether you’re hanging on to your trusty cable box, or exploring the brave new world of a Internet centric, cable-less future, there’s an easy solution to keep your HDTV at the center of your home entertainment. It’s time to shrink your bills….not your screen!

Cheers
The IOGEAR team

With so much noise surrounding Google’s recent announcement that Google TV is closer on the horizon than ever before, it seems as if everyone has PC to TV fever.

The truth is, even before Google entered the picture, the days of hunching over a laptop screen to show friends the latest viral video are swiftly becoming a distant memory. As we streamline our home entertainment and centralize our living rooms, streaming internet content directly to a HDTV has never been easier.

As the HDTV becomes our center for ALL information – from updating Twitter to editing spreadsheets and catching online video clips – solutions that help transport your favorite online content to your very own big screen are priceless.

Here at IOGEAR, we’re staying ahead of the PC to TV curve and working to bring you solutions that fit seamlessly into your digital home life – no tangled wires, no cumbersome and difficult setups, just fast, reliable streaming direct to your TV.

Our Wireless Audio / Video Kit closes the gap between PC and TV with an all-in-one wireless solution. This kit can help put you at the forefront of digital in-home entertainment – all at an affordable price point of under $280. With three easy adapters, you’re just three steps away from enjoying favorite movies, video clips, and music files streaming from your computer to the TV or stereo system. No need to reorganize your home setup – this kit works with a computer up to 30 feet away.

Have YOU made the move to the big screen yet? Watch this space – this market is set to explode!

Cheers
The IOGEAR team

PS
Don’t forget to check out our brand new Mystery Photo Contest on Facebook for a chance to win exciting prizes!

Apple’s latest brainchild, the sleek iPad is flying off the shelves. Conservative estimates put iPad sales at around 2.2 million for the calendar year, while overall tablet sales are expected to top 10.5 million.

If Apple even comes close to these estimates, we can look forward to a changed portable computing market landscape. Combined with the exciting changes in the Audio/Video market, we believe the iPad will play an interesting role,….but no-one seems clear on what that role will be. Here at IOGEAR, we’ve taken out our crystal ball and provided some thoughts on how the iPad will change the world … (cue world dominating laugh).

Getting Started

Whether you use a professional installer or you are a DIY pro, the iPad could help spearhead a new standard for instruction manuals. We already have Internet web sites that fulfill this need, such as HowCast, but unfortunately with the norm is still cryptic user manuals and PDF formatted installation guides. Take a moment to envision standing your iPad up next to you, while installing your next device into your home entertainment system, using a voice activated interface to pause, rewind and fast-forward video instructions. No more re-reading confusing instructions over and over while pulling out your hair – the iPad could offer a quick-glance guide to troubleshoot even the trickiest problem.

Perhaps even with video instruction you are still having trouble figuring something out. No fear – the solution may lie in your iPad’s built in WiFi or 3G for live streaming video, or audio help by tapping the help icon on the screen. Here is where a built in camera might come in handy – allowing you to show a live stream of what you are doing back to the customer support agent.

Integrating

We know that Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR connectivity is included with the iPad, but further details regarding connectivity options are unclear. WiFi and 3G connectivity already allows us to interact with all sorts of devices that can be controlled through the Internet or over the air. So how can we fit the iPad into our home entertainment center setup?

Many are making the switch from traditional cable to web TV bringing the PC into to the living room. The iPad can be the interfacing device between the PCs, consoles and TV. Think of it as the ultimate programmable remote control with all the advantages of Apple’s “magical” user interface.

The iPad also provides a unique experience for gaming with the way you interact and control the game. Integrating the iPad, or using it as a sole controller could open up new avenues of at-home gaming – whether it’s using it as a steering wheel control for racing games, or as a virtual map while playing an action/adventure game.

iPad vs. NetBooks vs. Slates

One of the advantages of a portable computer such as the iPad is the ability to take your home entertainment on the road. This is already a crowded market, with NetBook and Slate computers competing for your attention and dollars.

A key factor to your decision of where to spend those hard-earned dollars will be the answer to the questions: what do you need your portable device for, and what kinds of functionalities are a must? Undoubtedly a NetBook or Slate computer will have much more functionality, both in terms of software (e.g. you will not find QuickBooks or Starcraft on the iPad yet) and hardware (the iPad suffers from a lack of standard ports, while both the Slates and NetBooks have at least standard USB interfaces. In the end you should ask: what do you really need in a portable computer? More importantly, how much is the user experience or the ‘cool factor’ worth to you?

Battery life is one area where the iPad significantly outshines the other solutions, with an impressive 140 hours of music capability or 10 hours of uninterrupted eBook use. However, the lack of a removable battery may be a minus, unless you don’t mind using an external battery, such as the GearPower Mobile Portable Battery.

Finally, pricing is always an important issue. Even at the starting price of $499 for an iPad there are some very powerful NetBooks available at similar price points that could arguably match the iPad in terms of user experience. With a rumored $500 price tag, the HP Slate is one of the more popular contenders at this point, though there are some very interesting non-Windows contenders at similar price points.

Conclusion

What would you use the iPad for instead of a NetBook? Is there a deal breaker that would cause you to choose a Windows, Android or Linux powered NetBook or Slate vs. the iPad? What do you think about the pricing? Please take some time and share your thoughts here on the blog, on Twitter or FaceBook.

Do you recognize YOUR living room? The landscape in your family’s favorite room has changed dramatically the past few years as the Internet (as a main source of media content) begins to take over from your old favorite, the traditional cable model.

With these changes come dynamic new equipment options and possibilities. In this post IOGEAR is your fearless guide to help navigate this new media landscape and take advantage of the exciting changes in home entertainment.

HDTV

The TV remains the centerpiece of most entertainment centers in the home. Today, most homes enjoy the power of an HDTV, with newer models now equipped with Internet connectivity, effectively creating a web TV. Most recently, 3D enabled HDTV’s have joined the mix, promising a more vibrant (and dimensional!) future ahead.

The following resources will help you navigate the various options and discover the right choice for your particular needs:

• Understand, choose and optimize an HDTV at Cnet
• Compare prices, features, and reviews at PC World

Audio Systems

For fussy audiophiles, the sound quality built into most HDTVs is not enough to satisfy discerning ears. Those looking for a better quality sound experience may find the need to augment their system with full home theater capabilities.

Before you begin your search, it’s important to spend some time determining what’s important to you, based on how you will be using your system. For example, is full surround sound a priority? Do you want to be able to easily play music from your radio or iPod? Will you need headphones if thumping bass is an issue for the neighbors downstairs?

The following resources will help guide you to system suited to your lifestyle:

• About.com’s Home Theater guide
• Home theater system guide by ConsumerReports.org
• How to buy the right headphones from PCMag.com

PC Media Centers

For those who want to combine their computing experience with a little quality couch time, there are many options available to turn your PC into a full featured media center. While many newer HDTV’s have integrated Internet on TV abilities, they are usually limited to certain content sources. A quick solution is to include your PC as a media player – not only will this give you the full PC to TV computing experience on your HDTV, the IOGEAR Wireless Audio / Video Kit will allow you to cut the cord and work wirelessly!

These resources are a great start when looking for the best fit PC media center option for you:

• How to build an HD media center for under $1000 by EngadgetHD
• Using Apple TV with Boxee to create a easy-to-use media center by LifeHacker.com

Single/Multi Purpose Media Devices

From video game consoles to DVD and/or Blu-Ray players, there are a bewildering variety of add-on options for your home entertainment center. It’s important to consider your entertainment needs before making your selections, since some devices, such as the Xbox or Playstation 3 perform several functions (e.g. gaming, Netflix streaming and DVD or Blu-ray playback).

Here are some resources to help you decide how to extend your home entertainment center:

• Choosing between an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii
• Stand alone home media player comparison: Vudu, Roku and Boxee
• Recommended Blu-ray & DVD players from ConsumerReports.org

Bringing It All Together

Feel like you’re stuck in a cable nightmare? Today’s devices often come with cheap, low-quality cables, or cables designed to frustrate you by being short or easily broken. The good news is, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get the quality you need. The better news is, there’s no longer any need to even leave the comfort of your couch to switch between one device and the next. Cutting-edge technology provides solutions for that problem and keeps you couch-side in comfort!

These links will help you navigate today’s A/V connectivity options:

• Cnet’s quick guide to HDMI and HDMI cables
• Audio/Video Cables and Connectors explained by eCoustics.com
• Wireless resources by IOGEAR

Your Solutions and Experiences

Have you begun a high-tech upgrade of your living room, or are you hanging on to old technologies? What’s missing for you to be able to truly integrate the Internet experience into the living room? Please take some time and share your thoughts here on the blog, on Twitter or FaceBook.

Don’t forget to participate in this month’s Twitter contest where a USB Laptop KVM Switch is up for grabs. Entering to win is as simple as following us on Twitter!

For those who dream of enjoying their favorite YouTube clips, Hulu episodes or other streaming Internet content on their favorite widescreen televisions, Walt Mossberg’s recent Wall Street Journal article How To Watch Video, Wirelessly, on Your TV Set may sound familiar.

The good news: wireless PC-to-TV solutions are officially here to stay! With a growing number of solutions that allow consumers to play Internet media in full TV screen glory on the market, sharing and enjoying Internet content has never been easier.

The days of huddling over a small PC screen to share a favorite clip or video will soon be a distant memory, as Internet content makes the leap to center stage in the evolving living room landscape. Whether for work or play consumers can browse the Internet, watch online video, or edit spreadsheets on a widescreen TV from the comfort of their couch.

The GREAT news: Thanks to IOGEAR, finding a wireless solution has never been easier or more affordable. Our Wireless Audio / Video Kit is a user friendly and all-in-one solution which can help you bring your wireless digital lifestyle up to date – all at an affordable price point of under $300. With three easy adapters and a few simple steps, eliminating the clutter of wires and bring your living room into the digital future is within reach!

What’s the first thing YOU’D want to stream from your PC to your TV screen? Movies…video clips….or something else? Let us know!

Don’t forget to enter this month’s competition over at Twitter, where we’re giving away a USB Laptop KVM Switch. Entering is as simple as following us on Twitter and retweeting all messages that mention the March competition. Good luck!

Cheers
The IOGEAR team

It won’t have escaped the attention of any outdoor sport enthusiasts that the Winter Olympics have kicked off in Vancouver. While agile skiers, snowboarders and other cold-weather athletes compete fiercely for gold, there’s another army at work bringing you the action straight to your living room – the technology geeks.

What couch surfers might not appreciate is the full weight of technology behind the games. According to reports by CNET, powering the Winter Games requires more than 5,000 kilometers of cabling and 6,000 computers – and that’s before it even reaches your living room.

Although there may be no easy way to simplify the technology behind one of the largest events in the sports calendar, viewers at home can escape the crawl of wires and experience seamless enjoyment of the games, courtesy of IOGEAR. Solutions include the Wireless Audio/Video Kit, allowing consumers to combine audio and video streaming through one connection, cutting down on the hardware needed for the perfect entertainment setup. No additional snaking wires here to trip you up – just uninterrupted, high-quality snow action from Vancouver!

In addition, snow bunnies and chairmen of the (snow)boards can benefit from IOGEAR’s recently announced Wireless HD Kit in the AVIOR Series, helping to eliminate home theater clutter even further. This new kit can wirelessly transmit up to 100 feet through walls your Blu-ray / DVD players, DVR / Set-top box, VHS players, computers and media servers / Home Theater PC’s to HDTV’s or projectors. Whether you’re replaying the highlights or jumping online for ‘web TV’ to get a close-up on the best shred, it’s all seamless and customized with you in mind.

As part of IOGEAR’S AVIOR product series, the Wireless HD Kit is part of a broad product suite, which enables entertainment enthusiasts to bridge the gap between the computer and home entertainment center, providing internet on TV as part of a customized solution. From crime dramas to curling, and from PC to TV, IOGEAR has you covered this winter season!

For more information on IOGEAR items online, visit www.iogear.com.

Cheers,
The IOGEAR Team

It’s been an exciting holiday season here at IOGEAR, from our 12 Days of Christmas giveaway all the way through to a New Year celebrated at CES 2010. We are excited to move forward into 2010 and provide continued high value to our customers, including useful information to help make the very best of your digital life.

Going wireless has been a favorite topic on our blog this past year. For those who made New Year’s resolutions to finally get organized, this post offers some suggestions on how to simplify your digital life with IOGEAR wireless products that help reduce clutter.

Wireless Audio / Video Kit


The HDTV is the cornerstone of most living room entertainment systems today – but add a Blue-ray player, DVD/VCR player, video game consoles (Xbox, Wii, Playstation), home theater system or PC (taking advantage of web TV), and it all adds up to a lot of cables, wires and clutter.

The Wireless Audio / Video kit cuts the rats nest of wires by allowing you to simplify. Now you can untether your PC from that nest of wires, or add a PC to your entertainment mix without requiring the PC to be physically next to the HDTV. This setup allows you to enjoy the full breadth of content on the Internet from PC to TV wirelessly!

Solar-Powered Hands-Free Car Kit

If you’ve ever been frustrated by your wired headset ending up in a tangled ball, this hands-free kit is the answer. Not only does it avoid the tangle of wires, but this device also helps you stay on the right side of the law by making sure you comply with state laws regarding cell phone usage while driving.

This unit supports two phones, which eliminates any concerns about switching headsets on the road. You will also appreciate that this device is powered by solar energy, since GPS units and iPods typically take over our cigarette lighter adapters and switching adaptors while driving is dangerous.

Best of all, this is yet another IOGEAR device that supports our commitment to going green!

2.4GHz Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel

If your computer is already weighed down with one too many cables, why add to the problem? With the 2.4GHz keyboard you can set your keyboard free and work in comfort – completely wirelessly.

For even more freedom, you can use the built-in laser trackball, and ditch your external mouse – particularly useful for those wanting to experience the Internet on TV from the comfort of their couch with our Wireless Audio / Video Kit.

How has going wireless has enabled YOU to reduce clutter? Are there any devices that you wish had no cords? We want to hear your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, on FaceBook or Twitter.

With broadband connections rising in the United States and YouTube kicking off the share your video genre of Web sites that now has dozens of copycats, consumers have become more accustomed to watching TV, movies and videos on their computers. Additionally, with the dropping price of digital cameras and video cameras, and the video and photo features in cell phones, we now witness a whole new generation of consumers that are creating, editing, sharing and consuming media content online.

Pay-per-view options via Amazon and iTunes deliver video instantly to your computer as opposed to the now dated act of getting in the car and heading to the local video rental store, or waiting for your Netflix movie to physically show up in the mail. Netflix offers a wide collection of streaming video content but rarely provides newly released items for instant streaming.

Realizing consumers’ needs, Hollywood is now listening. They’ve Studio executive have slowly warmed to the idea of putting full shows online within 24 hours of the original air-date on traditional TV. This recent UK article shows the dramatic spike in online views of video based content, further reinforcing how much consumers want this option. With more than 80 sites available to legally stream movies, TV shows and short video clips now, clearly the shift to online content viewing is happening now and fast.

All of this is great news for consumers as it makes entertainment easier and cheaper, however, being stuck to your desk, office or kitchen table with a laptop is not the most enjoyable way to watch his newly available content. Having a dedicated computer to soley serve as a multimedia station for most, is a burden they’d rather not deal with. The set up, the proximity to the TV and figuring out how to use it and where to put it, can cause a huge headache. Anyone who’s taken the time to hang their flat panel TV on the wall and fish the cables down through it to have a clean look knows parking a computer tower under it is not the most aesthetically pleasing option.

There is now a better option available.

IOGEAR has introduced the Wireless Audio / Video Kit, which is changing how everyone views multimedia content from the Internet. A simple, clean and no-hassle hookup with no cables will have the video transmitting from your computer to your HD TV up to 30 feet away.

Now you can easily enjoy your HD TV from the comfort of your couch with the near limitless content available online. Unlike digital video recorders which cost several hundred dollars and require a monthly service fee, once you purchase the Wireless Audio / Video Kit it’s yours. The only other requirements are a TV and a broadband Internet connection.

Use the Wireless Audio / Video Kit for more than just streaming video. Easily show videos you’ve made on your camera after you’ve transferred them to a computer, or setup a slideshow of still photographs on your computer to be displayed when you aren’t watching videos. This technology easily converts your TV into a digital photo frame!

Showing you just how easy it is to connect your PC to TV can be opens a whole new world of exciting possibilities, entertainment and cost savings for you and your family. The added benefit of embracing one of the newest and fastest growing digital trends also means quicker delivery of media and instant gratification.

Internet on TV is a trend that still at the beginning stages of explosive growth and IOGEAR is at the forefront, bringing you cutting edge technology to allow full enjoyment of everything the Internet has to offer and will offer for years to come.

You can pick up or order a Wireless Audio / Video Kit today at Best Buy, Micro Center, Fry’s, Amazon or at our own IOGEAR store.

It’s no secret that the Internet is now a vast source of entertainment. It’s where we find, share and store pictures, home videos, movies and TV shows. However, we can’t always crowd a group of people around a small laptop screen to share our pictures, videos, favorite TV show or movie with friends and family.

Many companies are starting to see the value of offering online entertainment, but it’s how consumers view that content that is becoming increasingly important.

Some of the big cable giants are starting to offer more online content to paid customers but that comes with hefty monthly fees that can add up. And while Internet-enabled TVs aren’t new, they’re getting increasingly popular but are still limited to what content you can have access to. Recently, it was rumored that Apple might take a gamble and manufacture its own Internet-enabled TV that could eventually work in tandem with all Apple products.

We previously reported on a Yahoo! study showing the increase in online video viewing – so the questions are, how much online content are you watching, and would you like to have it viewed on your big screen TV rather than your small computer screen?

Cheers,

The IOGEAR team

Take a step back and look at how you and your family use common spaces, specifically the living room.  The living room was traditionally a place for people to gather and discuss current matters, how the day went and future plans.

With technology came multimedia.  First was the radio, then television, video, gaming systems and multimedia computers. Now, broadband Internet and wireless technology has pushed computers that were once confined to the office into our living space.

During this evolution nothing has really been able to control, manage or streamline how we interact with all the different devices in our living rooms – with the exception of the universal remote. But even with the universal remote, it was never easy switching from device to device.

Now, imagine sitting on your couch, watching TV in one moment, then easily switching to your computer to check a few emails and perhaps browse the Web, then switching over to your favorite video game system all on the same TV display and without leaving your couch.

IOGEAR’s latest revolutionary offering allows users to do that and more, in a simple way.  Utilizing an HDMI Multimedia KVMP Switch to seamlessly change between devices takes your home entertainment into a new level of enjoyment.

What’s amazing about this KVMP is the HDMI integration, it allows a single cable to be run for both high video resolution (1080p HD) and sound transfer, which makes setup a breeze.

The HDMI KVMP Switch supports digital inputs from:

• Blu-Ray / DVD players
• Gaming consoles
• Set-top boxes
• Home / office computers

Because the KVMP is designed to connect all of your existing systems to one central display, it becomes the brains behind your home entertainment system. Display Emulation Technology built into the KVMP remembers monitors parameters such as display resolution and eliminates the nagging delay when switching between or booting devices.

One of the new features included with this unit are the two USB 2.0 ports for asynchronously sharing USB devices between computers.  This patented asynchronous switching allows you to switch applications between two connected computers; run one application on one computer while running a second app on another.  You can further expand the ports with a USB hub.

Now you can take the guesswork out of connecting your gaming and multimedia systems to your living room HDTV while utilizing your multimedia computer to its fullest potential with this simple plug-and-play solution.  The HDMI Multimedia KVMP Switch is a complete home entertainment solution to enhance and enrich your living room and turn it into a complete home entertainment center that the whole family can enjoy.

We want to know how your home entertainment setup has evolved over the years. Tell us all about your setup in the comment section below or at our Twitter page. If you have any pictures to share with us, please do so at our FaceBook page. We look forward to your ideas.