CE makers create WirelessHD consortium

The wireless landscape continues to attract new users with a new consortium called Wireless HD making its debut today. LG Electronics, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
(Panasonic), NEC Corporation, Samsung Electrconics, SiBeam, Sony and Toshiba Corporation formed the special interest group to develop a
specification for a wireless high-definition digital interface
(WirelessHD or WiHD),
that is intended to enable high-definition audio video (A/V) streaming
and high-speed content transmission for consumer electronics (CE)
devices. In addition to actively promoting the new format throughout the
industry, WirelessHD will present the format available for adoption as
soon as the specifications are completed, in Spring 2007

“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,
a Senior Analyst with In-Stat/MDR. “The data rates (or bandwidth) that
WirelessHD will support are truly impressive.”

WirelessHD, which intends to specify the unlicensed, globally available
60 GHz frequency band, will enable wireless uncompressed
high-definition, high-quality video and data transmission and is first
targeted to be built into HDTV’s as well as a wide range of audio video
(A/V) devices, both fixed location and portable.

“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,” says John Marshall, chairman of WirelessHD. “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.”

he key characteristics and focal
technologies for WirelessHD include:

High interoperability supported by major CE device manufacturers

Uncompressed HD video, audio and data transmission, scaleable to
future high-definition A/V formats

High-speed wireless, multi-gigabit technology in the unlicensed 60 GHz
band

Smart antenna technology to overcome line-of-sight constraints of 60
GHz

Secure communications

Device control for simple operation of consumer electronics products

Error protection, framing and timing control techniques for a quality
consumer experience

Interested companies can
visit www.WirelessHD.org or
email [email protected].