CES: D-Link joins WiDi wireless display crowd

D-Link announces its own version of a WiDi-based wireless display product, called the MainStage.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews

CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.

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Dong Ngo

Jan. 6, 2011 7:47 a.m. PT

The WiDi-based wireless display accessory MainStage from D-Link. It's supersleek. Dong Ngo/CNET

LAS VEGAS--You've heard of Netgear's new Push2TV HD--now there's competition.

D-Link announced at CES 2011 that it supports Intel's Wireless Display technology, known as WiDi, with a first product called the MainStage.

Like all WiDi-based accessories, the MainStage allows people to instantly display a laptop's (and even some desktops') screen on the big TV.

Supporting the next generation of WiDi, the MainStage is very similar to Netgear's Push2TV HD. According to Daniel Kelly, D-Link associate vice president of marketing, the reason D-Link waited until now to support WiDi is because this technology is much improved over that of the previous generation, especially in terms of latency: lag time between the laptop display and the TV is much reduced compared with before.

The MainStage supports TVs via HDMI port or component ports. Dong Ngo/CNET

The MainStage sports a sleek black chassis and has a flat and tapering shape like that of a UFO. It supports TV via either an HDMI port or component ports. The MainStage is designed to be used only with a TV. This means you should only buy it if you have a laptop that has built-in support for WiDi.

According to D-Link, the MainStage is set for release in the first quarter and will cost less than $150.