Customer Reviews

Terk Technologies Leapfrog LF-30S Wireless 2.4 GHz A/V Distribution System

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(62)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(40)

 

 

I was looking for a wireless way to send the video & audio from my living room to a bedroom, so that I could watch movies coming from my cable box & DVD player. Having a remote control feature, I chose this model.
I can tell you that the picture was very sharp, and the sound was great. However, I also have a Panasonic KX-TG2730 expandable cordless phone system, which operates on the same 2.4Ghz frequency. With the phone's base plugged in, it produced crackling sound and wide dark bands that scrolled vertically along the picture. Unplug the phone system, and it was flawless. I had read other mixed reviews on interference caused by 2.4Ghz phone systems, but I can tell you that the Panasonic system I mentioned did cause interference for me. I tried moving the phone base, and tried all four channels on the Leapfrog Wavemaster 30 video transmitter, but nothing helped.

In short, if you don't use any other wireless devices using the 2.4Ghz frequency (cordless phones, wireless network devices), the Terk Leapfrog Wavemaster 30 delivers a great picture with equally great sound. If you do use other wireless devices on the same frequency, I would look for a video transmitter that uses a different frequency (or a wired one), or be prepared to return it to the store.

I used this product for several weeks to transmit satellite TV from our living room to a computer upstairs (with windows media center). It was easy to set up and the remote worked great; however, if you are considering buying this product, you should be aware of some things:

1. The price of this product is dropping quickly because it's inferior to RF links that run on the 5.8 GHz spectrum. I strongly recommend considering spending the extra money on a product that runs on this less-crowded spectrum. Specifically, be prepared to run into trouble if you are running a wireless 802.11b or 802.11g network (which uses the same frequency), 2.4ghz cordless phones, and microwaves. If you live in a condo/apt complex close to other neighbors, you will want to be sure they are not using products on this spectrum. Also, the 5.8ghz products have a range roughly 4 times as far as this and other 2.4ghz products.

2. If you decide to go with this product, I recommend buying an extra long (6-12 feet) audio video cable so you can move the receiver around more flexibly. Be prepared to move it around to many areas and to spend time experimenting. It took me several hours before discovering a receiver/transmitter position and channel that worked reasonably well.

Matt

The comments on the Terk LF-30S seem to run in two distinct camps. It either works great, or won't work at all, usually due to WiFi interference. You can beat the WiFi problem, and I'll show you how.

First, my experience with the Terk has been positive. It was easy to set up and everything you need is included. We use it to send a signal from our Comcast DVR (hooked to our main big-screen TV) to a secondary TV in our kitchen / family room area. We use a secondary output on the DVR to hook up the Terk sending unit. The signal is sent between two floors of my house. I did a little measuring on the two floors, and with a little basic geometry, was able to aim the antennas acceptably on the first pass. Its not like a satellite antenna - aim in the correct general direction will be fine. It is a wood frame house. Your mileage may vary.

The IR extender function works well. The IR emitter (at the sending unit to control the source Comcast DVR) is quite strong. I never figured out exactly where the IR "eye" is on the Comcast box, but no matter, the IR emitter works as long as I put it anywhere on the right side of the box. As with the antenna aim, close is good enough. The IR commands miss about 5% of the time, but I can't be sure that isn't just my poor aim with the remote (the Terk receiver is not right next to the TV).

Picture and sound quality are excellent, as many others have noted. I was surprised. I am also impressed by the Terk's ability to handle wide-screen content coming off the cable box. It appropriately displays that content with black bars top and bottom on the secondary TV, which is the old style 4:3, even though the Comcast DVR is set up for a 16:9 widescreen format.

Our large dog likes to sit in the signal path, which sometimes creates both audio and visual static. Better antenna aim helped, but usually we just ask her to move. Static also occurs when using a Bluetooth headset close to the receiver, which also uses the 2.4 GHz band, but this is an infrequent occurrence. But you are probably reading this to find out how to handle static from WiFi and other 2.4 GHz devices. So here's the story on how to handle this problem.

First, some people have panned the product because its not 5.8 GHz. That is silly. You need to assess what 2.4 and 5.8 GHz products are already in your home, and then decide which frequency spectrum is less crowded given what you already have.

Phones: In our home, we got rid of our old 2.4 GHz phones because they interfered with the WiFi. Most modern wireless phones automatically try to chose the clearest channel - you can't restrict this operation, and the problem is worse if you use a phone with Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) security. So we opted for 5.8 GHz phones. If you have 2.4 GHz phones, the Terk may not work well for you depending on the proximity of phones, base units, etc. to the receiving unit. (And if you have 5.8 GHz phones, then a 5.8 GHz version of the this product will have similar problems you won't be able to control. Note that Terk doesn't make a 5.8 GHz version, but other manufacturers do.)

Microwave ovens: These interfere in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, and make a mess of the Terk product if the receiving unit is in the same room as the microwave. The microwave also made a mess of the our old 2.4 GHz phones, another reason we switched to 5.8 GHz phones. When we use the microwave, we turn of the TV momentarily due to extreme static, but remember that our microwave is close to the Terk receiver. If you want to cook and watch TV at the same time, the Terk may not be for you. Find a 5.8 GHz product instead.

WiFi: Here is how to make the Terk work with your WiFi. First, understand your WiFi. Although there are 11 WiFi channels in the USA (more in Europe), these channels overlap. There are only 3 non-overlapping channels: 1, 6, and 11. You should choose one of these channels, based on what is in use by your neighbors. (Using only these 3 channels is also more polite to the neighbors too as it leaves more room for them.) Now, knowing what channel your WiFi uses, choose a Terk channel that won't interfere as follows:

Terk channel A: Interferes with WiFi 1, OK with 6 and 11.
Terk channel B: Interferes with WiFi 6, OK with 1 and 11.
Terk channel C: Interferes with WiFi 6 and 11, OK with 1.
Terk channel D: Interferes with WiFi 11, OK with 1 and 6.

The information above was gleaned from the Terk manual and a website that listed the frequencies used by WiFi channels. (Google it or try www.moonblinkwifi.com/2point4freq.cfm)

This should get you where you need to go. The Terk doesn't reject signals as well as I would like. When using my laptop at the kitchen table, it sometimes causes interference with the Terk receiver in the same room, even though I'm not using an interfering channel. However, simply changing the orientation of the laptop usually does the trick. Our WiFi router isn't that far from the Terk receiver, but its far enough that there isn't a problem. Having the WiFi router in the same room as the Terk RECEIVER could be a problem. Having the router in close proximity to the Terk sender wouldn't cause a static problem (but it might cut the range of both the Terk and the WiFi).

Sorry if I got too geeky. Hopefully your WiFi router and/or computers are far enough away from the Terk receiver that you won't have this problem, but if you do, there is a way around it. I'd also be sure to get the Terk from somewhere that has a good return policy. That way, if you can't resolve the RF interference problems, you can return it for a 5.8 GHz version from another manufacturer.

This product worked great if I unplugged my wireless computer network. It did not work acceptably when the computer network was turned on, which happens to be all the time.

We have an 802.11g wireless network at home, which is to say we have ANOTHER transmitter broadcasting at the same frequency of this A/V Distribution System. As a result, due to the fact that the Terk transmitter is more powerful than my wireless router, when I first turned on the A/V dist. system I could not use my wireless network, because the computer I have wirelessly connected to the network could not find any networks... i.e. it does not know how to deal with the "network signal" from the A/V dist. system. This was easily solved (thanks to Doug for the tip) by switching over to Channel 2 (there are four channels available to broadcast over).

Otherwise, it was a true breeze to set up and very inexpensive compared to wired options, if you need to run cables over more than 16 feet or so. However, if you are VERY critical about video quality, know that this wireless "bridge" will degrade quality a little bit. If you have anything remotely similar to HDTV, for example, it will kill the quality because it only uses composite video or coaxial (HDTV requires component or DVI). But if you are not overly critical about perfect video quality, this is more than enough, and will save you probablyt some $200-$400 in cable costs and installation expenses to get the video signal wired. I must clarify that I didn't run the audio signal through, since I was only using it to bridge the gap between our receiver (which has its own speakers) and the video input for our digital projector at the oposite end of the room.

Just bought this product from B&H (the cheapest place that sold it I could find) and hooked it up. I wanted it to have DirecTV/Tivo combo unit in the bedroom without having to have a second DirecTivo device AND to have all my programs "shared" (i.e. not have to have the same Season Passes on both, and manually delete a program from both after watching it on one.)

Installation was about 3 minutes and easy. Forget the manual; it's totally not required. The manual actually made it look much harder than the pure simplicity that the device is.

I had some interference problems at first (fuzzy lines and audio pops appearing every second or so) until I adjusted the antennas (layed them flat was the trick for me) and the channels, which helped but didn't reduce it completely. I have no cordless phone so that wasn't a problem, but do use the Linksys Wireless-B Router w/ 4 port switch. That router and this device both share spectrum from the 2.4 GHz range. I set the router to use channel ONE and the Terk device to use the 4th channel to get the frequencies as far apart as possible. Once I did this, the picture improved dramatically and is essentially as good as a direct connection although it's hard for me to truly tell since the transmitting box with TV is an HDTV, and the TV connected to the receiving box is just a standard, so definately some quality differences, but similar to a convential picture quality.

The remote control pass-through transmit part works very very well. It's really nice to have it totally built-in to this device without needing anything extra.

My only concern with the device is that the built-in remote control IR extender plug only has ONE plug on it which only allows me to remotely control one device at a time since my TV set top boxes are scattered about. This probably isn't an issue for most people since their DVD player is probably right next to their VCR, etc, but for me it's a little bothersome. I think that RadioShack has an extra IR extender that I can wire into it to give me full remote control over multiple devices....

Overall, an excellent product. Video and audio are perfect along with good working of the remote control through the walls as well. Simple installation and saved me hours of stringing a coaxial cable or others through the walls as well as getting all my Tivo programs watchable in multiple rooms... :-) Just make sure to adjust the antennas and channels, cordless phones, and wi-fi routers to eliminate interference and you're fine.

I wanted to put a flat panel LCD TV in my kitchen but didn't have a cable plug anywhere near that room. I had previously seen this item at Best Buy for $115.00 and thought it might be the solution to my lack of cable access. I found it here for less than 80.00 and thought it might be worth a try. (note that the newer units are about ½ the size pictured)

I dug out an old VCR and hid it along with the wireless sender unit behind my entertainment center. I then ran the TV cable into the VCR and used the RCA video outputs to run the signal into the wireless sender. I hooked the receiver unit up to my LCD TV using the RCA cable output from the receiver and into the TV. Basically my LCD TV now works as a monitor. I can use my VCR remote through this product to change the TV channel. The picture is clear and the sound is fine.

The sender and receiver units are only about 15 feet apart and it goes through one wall. I did need to adjust the antennas to point directly at one another or it didn't work well.

Before buying this item I read the reviews and after hearing all the interference issues I was worried but bought anyway. I live in the end unit of an apartment and I have tons of wireless stuff so I had my doubts. I tested all four channels and it only worked well on channel three. I was pleasantly surprised! I have a D-Link 802.11g wireless router upstairs and I have NO interference on the TV. I also have a 5.8 GHz GE; a 2.4 GHz Conair; a 2.4 GHz V-Tech; and a GE 900 MHz cordless phone and NONE of them interfere with the signal. I also have a set of 2.4 GHz two way radios which have no impact. I've even taken each phone and my laptop into my kitchen to test it. There is no noticeable difference in the signal. However, the microwave does create some very nasty interference. Not convenient considering the TV's in the kitchen, but I'll live with it. To make a long story short, you should try it yourself before making a judgment about interference issues. Good Luck!
=========== update ================
It's been in use for four months now and... no change... the above review holds... In fact i'm getting ready to buy another one for the garage (where I keep the pool table). good luck

I've read a number of reviews of items such as this and I didn't have much hope for it. Typically these sorts of items sound better than they actually work. Often, interference that causes "beats", "pops", or "bars" across your screen make viewing unacceptable.

I bought this unit in order to avoid fishing a coaxial cable through my walls from the cable box in my basement to a newly installed television upstairs. I am surprised and happy to report that it works much better than I had hoped!

This unit differs from other similar devices (such as the X-10 video sender) in that the remote control secondary functionality is built in. This means that I can use a remote control upstairs to control the channels on my cable box in the basement right out of the box. Other units make you buy some additional product to get this functionality.

Keep in mind that I'm not trying to send video across town... my two units are probably only 10 feet away from each other (through a floor) and the quality is excellent. The remote IR extender works great as well.

Also, the unit I received is different from the one pictured here on Amazon. My units are actually each about half the size of those pictured. They must have re-designed the components to fit into a smaller enclosure.

Doesn't get 5 stars because it is rather pricey for what it does. The quality is not perfect either... it's excellent, but certainly not perfect. There will undoubtedly be at least *some* random interference in the form of the occassional pop or static during your viewing session.

Update (10/20/2004) - After nearly 6 months of use, this system is still working perfectly. I use it nearly every day.

This product works like a charm. Like many other devices (wifi, bluetooth, some cordless phones, microwave ovens, etc) this device uses the 2.4 GHz frequency. That does not mean you will get interference though. If you have a properly configured wifi network, your phone is spread spectrum or uses the 900 MHz or 5.6GHz, all your bluetooth devices are BT 1.2 complient, and you have a well shielded microwave oven, then you should get no interference from or to those devices.

Complaints about interference by other reviewers are totally unjustified. One could just as easily blame their other household devices for causing the interference. And I tend to lean towards that conclcusion since I to use wifi, bluetooth, cordless phones, mircrowave ovens, etc. and I dont get interference. Most wireless devices use the same frequencies because there is a limited number of public frequencies. Its like buying a pair of walkie-talkies and then complaining that you can periodicly hear other people on the radios. I dont want to scare people, most people will experience no interference unless they turn on an interfering device. Once you realize any such device then you can either not use the said device or replace it with something else that does not interfere with the leapfrog.

As I previously mentioned, I get perfect reception. The transmitter and receiver are about 20 feet apart and the signal is sent through two sheetrock walls. The tansmitter is directly in front of my 802.11 router, there are a number of wifi devices near the transmitter (<5 feet) and the receiver is close (few feet) to a PC with BT and wifi. My microwave oven is about 30 feet to the side of my receiver and through two other sheetrock walls.

My interest in this product was only to provide a high quality stereo audio link between a TV and amplifier - distance of only 20 feet. I never looked at the video transmission capability but found the audio link unacceptable due to interference from both a wireless telephone (800Mhz) system and wireless LAN (801.11g) also operating in the house. I returned the unit for refund.