WirelessHD could forge high-def streaming home networks

Wireless links carry the potential to speed consumer adoption of high-def video by easing home networking woes. Sony, Toshiba, LG, Samsung, NEC, Matsushita, and now Intel are now working on a standard called WirelessHD to help meet this promise, while some other vendors continue to go it alone.

Although consumer electronics makers are still trying out a variety of approaches to sending high-def video over wireless links, the industry is now starting to see more consolidation around an upcoming standard known as WirelessHD.

On the eve of CES 2008 in Las Vegas next week, the budding WirelessHD consortium announced completion of an initial WirelessHD specification, plus plans to present the format to adopters early this year, and the addition of Intel -- a long-time champion of wireless technologies -- to the group.

First launched in October of 2006, the consortium now includes 40 vendor and adopter companies, including CE manufacturers Sony, Toshiba, LG Electronics, Samsung, NEC, Matshushita, and chipmaker Sibeam.

The consortium's WirelessHD (also known as WiHD) specification calls for technology that operates in the unlicensed 60 GHz spectrum, so as to prevent interference with other types of wireless networks.

Proponents envision the spec as providing support for HD streaming video in home environments -- without the hassles and bandwidth limitations of copper or powerline wiring -- across HD TVs, gaming consoles, disc players, set-top boxes, camcorders, and other consumer devices.

The spec is designed to provide a high-speed 4 Gbps wireless digital interface for use among these assorted machines, as well as secure content protection.

Ultimately, manufacturers are supposed to be able to use the specification for building add-on WirelessHD adapters to their HD products.

To prevent illegal copying of movies, TV shows, and other digital content, the group has achieved content protection for WirelessHD 1.0-compliant devices from the Motion Picture Association of America, along with technical support from the Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator (DTLA) for DTCP content protection.

But to allay intellectual property (IP)-related concerns of the MPGA, the group is reportedly intentionally limiting the range of WirelessHD technology, and its ability to cut through walls.

Proponents are applauding the spec as a way of speeding consumer adoption of high-def devices by alleviating home networking concerns and easing the difficulties that manufacturers have faced in getting HD content to run smoothly over wireless links.

Philips Electronics, for example, has quietly ditched its previously announced plans to release an antenna kit for wireless streaming of HD video sometime in 2007.

But all industry standards typically take time to fully develop, and to achieve high market penetration. WirelessHD is turning out to be no exception. Apparently, the standard still lacks a specification around power supplies, for example.

So perhaps to help get their products to market faster, some vendors are still opting to go it alone.

For instance, companies such as Tzero Technologies, Inc. and Pulse-Link are now developing chips aimed at sending HD content over another type of wireless link, dubbed ultra-wideband (UWB).

UWB is also designed to transport images quickly, but it isn't as fast as the speeds supported by WirelessHD. Moreover, unlike WirelessHD, it requires some image compression, a drawback that could potentially create a bit of image degradation.

AT CES next week, Westinghouse Digital is expected to demo an LCD TV that uses Pulse-Link's UWB chip. The initial 47-inch HD flat panel is geared to retail displays, but Westinghouse is reportedly looking at expanding into the consumer market later this year.

Even among members of the WirelessHD consortium, vendors aren't necessarily willing to put all of their eggs in one wireless basket.

Also next week, for example, LG Electronics is expected to show HD LCD and plasma displays that use Wi-Fi -- a much slower wireless link that requires considerable compression of HD images -- instead of the emerging WirelessHD technology.