We are now one step closer to wireless high-def television. The WirelessHD Consortium--composed of Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, LG, Panasonic, NEC, Intel, and chipmaker SiBeam--announced it has completed development of its specification for uncompressed high-definition video transmission without cables.




While this news might not sound earth-shattering to everyone, there are some really neat things that are going to come out of this. This protocol allows manufacturers to begin development of set-top boxes, DVRs, next-gen DVD players, game consoles and camcorders that can wirelessly stream true, uncompressed 1080p signals through the room. This will give much greater flexibility in where you place your components, plus you don't have to worry about stringing wires across your room or snaking them through your walls. It even provides a new standard for universal remotes that will be able to function with all your WirelessHD equipment right out of the box.




WirelessHD works by using the unlicensed 60Ghz band to broadcast 4Gbps of bandwidth up to 33 feet away. This bandwidth pipe is more than enough to accommodate an uncompressed 1080p signal, which only uses 3 gigabytes-per-second. It will also support two simultaneous 1080i signals or multiple 480p connections, along with multiple audio channels. You won't be able to watch your neighbor's DVDs though. Oxygen in the air and exterior building walls quickly reduce the power of the 60Ghz signal, limiting it to in-room use only.



It appears that WirelessHD will be a broadly adopted industry standard. Look for members of the consortium to demo this technology at next week's Consumer Electronics Show.



--Jon D.

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