I wonder what the cable manufacturing companies will do when everything goes wireless…
In what may be a competing technology to the 802.11n wi-fi standard that several manufacturers are looking to for wireless HD communication, Tzero Technologies and Analog Devices yesterday announced that they have created a wireless HDMI interface that uses UltraWideBand technology.
Though they see benefit in traditional wi-fi, they say that in a video environment it can be problematic. The standards called for in UWB – which is also the basis for a future wireless USB – state that reliability must be at least 95% with packet error rate of less than 1 in one hundred million, and resistance from interference caused by microwaves and cordless phones.
The company had announced developments in this area in June:
TZero, a startup in the Intel-led WiMedia camp, claims its components will be able to produce 100-Mbit data rates across distances of between 10 and 30 meters, executives said. The company is producing an integrated design – a Media Access Controller (MAC), the physical layer (PHY) as well as the antenna – which will enter production in July, they said.
Here’s some additional coverage of the announcement:
The companies’ first wireless HDMI setup is a standards-based system, predicated on the standards set forth by Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony in July of 2003. Other wireless HDMI technologies introduced to date have been proprietary, both Tzero and Analog Devices alleged.
I just hope the industry rallies behind one standard. We certainly don’t need multiple ultrawideband systems to add to an already confusing product landscape.
Outstanding and interesting — since HDMI is the standard adopted throughout TV hardware distribution for audio and video — in the world of HiDef TV.
Any DRM features in this? (Gosh, it’s fun to be paranoid.)
Outstanding and interesting… with little chance of succeeding. The physical cable is a key part to HDMI’s ability to enforce DRM, and without clear evidence that a wireless-HDMI signal can’t be picked up my multiple sets the powers-that-be won’t get behind it.
Likewise, this isn’t a threat to 802.11n… Wireless music distribution’s lack of success among the general population is a sign that wireless television distribution will meet the same fate.
But can you see the requirements to record ANYTHING…
Many great ideas will not be explored because of things like the DRM. The other end will be safeguards like encryption so people in close proximity can’t use or hack the signal.
It’s a great concept, but there’s still going to be plently of people, like myself, who limit wireless use to when running wires is impractical. While a Wifi net in the house is great, I’m still going to hook into the router with ethernet cables as much as possible because it’s faster and more reliable. And for the A/V equipment, which is going to be sitting in the same place for an extended period, it just makes more sense to run cables. And with a 20″ or larger monitor at higher resolutions than any HDTV can do, there’s not really the incentive to watch video piped from the computer wirelessly. And the people with that type of gear are usually the first market for this equipment anyways…
Still – paying $20 for a 6 foot cable is horribly annoying – I wish wireless were a whole lot more prevalent. … Oh well, 20 years mby the cable will be obsolete …