The wireless industry was graced with the presence of yet another standardization initiative last week. Naturally, backers of the new movement launched their plan with all the gusto and enthusiasm of well … every other just-launched standards development group. And so it was that the new WirelessHD consortium announced its existence, naming some of the electronics industry’s giants as members.
The special-interest group said it intends to develop a standard that works in the unlicensed 60 GHz frequency band to stream uncompressed high-definition data between HDTVs and cable or satellite boxes, as well as DVD players, game units and portable multimedia devices such as video camcorders. The group said it expects transmission rates of up to 5 gigabits per second at distances of up to 30 feet within a single room along with support for video streams to multiple displays.
LG Electronics Co. Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic), NEC Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SiBeam Inc., Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. have pledged to collaborate on the standard’s development and to push for industry acceptance of a wireless high-definition audio-video streaming technology they say will let consumers get rid of some of the cables that connect TVs to other electronics gear.
John Marshall, chairman of WirelessHD, said he expects the group to present its specifications for standardization in the spring. He said products based on the standard could be available as early as 2008.
“The availability of high-definition wireless connections stands to eliminate the morass of cables, switches and other complexities traditionally needed to support the wide variety of devices consumers have and will continue to buy, such as HDTVs, HD disc players, digital video cameras and game consoles,” noted Marshall. “With high-definition wireless links, media streaming and transmission from any source to any display or recorder is dramatically simplified by removing the need for a hard-wired connection. WirelessHD will provide a high-speed wireless digital interface that will enable customers to simply connect, play, transmit and port their HD content in a secure manner.”
Research firm In-Stat predicts global sales of devices with a high-speed digital A/V interface is expected to grow from 60 million units this year to 495 million units in 2009.
“Emerging as the first consumer-electronics industry initiative for wireless uncompressed digital video transmission, WirelessHD will provide consumers wireless flexibility and ease of use while preserving the benefits traditionally associated with popular wired alternatives for point-to-point display, such as HDMI and DVI,” said Brian O’Rourke, senior analyst with In-Stat. “The data rates (or bandwidth) that WirelessHD will support are truly impressive.”
WirelessHD said industry support for its standard is critical for interoperability among HD video-capable products. The group is calling for support from other manufacturers, though several technology developers reacted to the launch of WirelessHD with a virtual roll of the eyes.
Specifically, supporters of ultra-wideband technology, which is collectively represented via the WiMedia Alliance, called WirelessHD downright unnecessary.
Stephen Wood, president of the alliance, offered: “It’s an interesting technology, but this isn’t something new and exciting, using the 60 GHz band to deal with partially compressed formats. It probably makes the transmission a little easier, and we’ve been looking into something similar. But it’s probably a little early for this technology. I don’t see these types of products making it to market before 2009.”
When asked why so many big-time manufacturers joined the WirelessHD movement even though UWB is capable of meeting the industry’s current A/V transmission needs, Wood responded, “Large multinationals put down as many chips as they can, and then they sit back and watch to see which ones mature. A lot of us are opportunists, and we realize that making a single bed in a world that’s quickly changing is a risky proposition. They’ll see how many take off, and there’s always the potential of deploying more than one technology.
“The bottom line is that we think the technology is valid, but it needs to take its turn.”
Wood explained that A/V transmissions are dealt with in terms of the compression factors. Non-compressed files require huge amounts of bandwidth and are best served by wired connections. Partially or totally compressed files open the door to wireless transmissions as well as the argument as to which wireless technology can best do the job while maintaining levels of quality associated with wired connections.
Wood acknowledged that the WiMedia gang may work with the WirelessHD crew at some point, saying, “We’ll talk to them and find a way to cooperate to do the job more productively.”
Indeed. Video-transmission technology firm Tzero Technologies Inc.’s founder and chief technology guru, Rajeev Krishnamoorthy, opined that too many standards that aim to serve the same need is not a good thing for the industry.
“The only thing worse than a redundant standard is a redundant standard that isn’t here,” said Krishnamoorthy.
