A technology that promises to replace the cables behind TV sets and entertainment centers with wireless connections appears to be headed for a format war, after two industry organizations formally broke off their collaboration.

At a meeting in Hawaii on Thursday, the UWB Forum and the WiMedia Alliance voted to shut down a working group that sought to create a common standard for a radio technology known as ultra-wideband, or UWB.

Utilizing UWB allows data transmission at extremely high rates, more than enough for high-definition TV signals, at ranges up to 30 feet.

Two products that use Cable-Free USB were announced at the Consumer Electronics Show this month by Belkin Corp. and Gefen Inc. Both packages consist of a small dongle that connect a laptop wirelessly to the other part of the package, a USB hub, where a printer, scanner, or other peripherals can be plugged in. They are expected to go on sale in a few months.

The first products using the WiMedia Alliance’s technology are expected by the end of the year, according to Aiello. Its use of UWB has been certified by another industry body, the USB Forum, and the products will carry the Certified Wireless USB logo.

The Certified Wireless USB products and the Cable-Free USB products will not be able to communicate, and may interfere with one another, according to Aiello.

Like every “ordinary” geek, I always wonder how much of these conflicts is owed to uniquely different approaches to problem-solving — and how much is egoistic power grab?