Accessories

Promising an easy way to transmit Full HD video signals around your house using existing mains power lines, Marmitek's HDTV Anywhere consists of a rather dull-looking transmitter and receiver, each of which have an HDMI output. The transmitter has two HDMI inputs.

You need to plug both boxes directly into a wall-mounted mains socket to avoid weakening the signal and you should avoid locating the units near to other electrical devices such as phones, microwaves, etc.

Both units have LEDs that show when a link has been established over the mains and indicate which source is selected. You can watch the same source in two rooms simultaneously and a simple remote allows you to switch sources. And you can use your playback devices’ own remotes to change channels, pause, rewind, etc thanks to an IR return function.

The system supports 1080p video with HDCP and PCM audio. I was impressed by how it coped ably with my Victorian terraced house in terms of image and sound quality. There was no noticeable degradation to Sky HD or Blu-ray transmissions. However, the transmitter box did crash from time to time, requiring a power cycle just to let me watch TV in my normal viewing room. This infallibility took the gloss off what is otherwise a very useful multi-room solution.

Marmitek HDTV Anywhere
Price: £280 Approx
www.marmitek.com

HCC VERDICT: 3.5/5