Wireless HDTV steps up its game
In December 2009, a Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) 1.0 standard specification was released. This standard allows for uncompressed high-definition video to be delivered over a wireless radio channel. What does that mean? Theoretically, it means that users would be able to connect their HDTV source to any display, anywhere in their home. The standard specifies a range of over 100 feet with latency under one millisecond.The Sharp Corporation of Japan was one of the first companies to offer wireless HDTVs, while LG Electronics announced at CES 2010 that they would also be offering a WHDI-HDTV line (what a mouthful!). 1080p (1,080 lines of vertical resolution with progressive scan) is possible on these wireless links thanks to data rates of up to 3 Gbit/s on a 40 MHz channel. On a 20 MHz channel, data rates up to 1.5 Gbit/s are possible. The 100-foot range is applicable even through walls.The following companies are currently supporting the WHDI standard, according to Wikipedia:Promoters
- AMIMON
- Hitachi Ltd.
- LG Electronics
- Motorola
- Samsung Group
- Sharp Corporation
- Sony
Contributors
- Haier
- Maxim (the electronics company, not the magazine)
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Toshiba
Adopters
- AmTRAN
- Domo Technologies
- Elmo
- Gemtek
- Gospell Smarthome Electronics
- Hosiden
- Murata
- Quanta Microsystems, Inc. (QMI)
- Olympus
- Rohde & Schwarz
- Seamon Science International
- TDK
- Zinwell
A related specification is the WirelessHD standard, which is based on a 7 GHz channel in the 60 GHz EHF (Extremely High Frequency) radio band. This standard allows for wireless high-definition signals to be transmitted over a wireless digital network for consumer electronics devices. Currently, data rates on this standard can reach rates of 4 GBit/s, but it’s theorized that this rate could reach as high as 25 Gbit/s, allowing for resolutions over 1080p. Some of the companies supporting WHDI are also promoting WirelessHD, including LG Electronics, Samsung, and Sony.ASUS and brite-View are two of the latest companies to offer lag-free wireless HD transmitters. The ASUS WiCast and brite-View HDelight will be available to consumers soon at prices between 170 and 200. They allow for wireless HD to be broadcast from a laptop (or other device) to a TV set through a USB port. Dolby Digital sound is also transmitted between the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) ports on the device and the television.New wireless technology will make it possible for consumers to hang their televisions wherever they like, without worrying about cable access. In addition to ease of decorating, these devices (which will likely drop in price soon as more companies roll out their competing products) will eventually allow for high-definition resolutions like we’ve never seen before. That certainly seems like something worth supporting.
