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HomePlug fires back with powerline IEEE P1901 Draft Standard adoption
Highly variable real-world performance aside, the lack of a well-defined standard for powerline networking isn't helping the technology take off; but sticking consumers between the warring G.hn and HomePlug AV factions doesn't help anybody. In the latest round of the fight, the IEEE P1901 reached Draft Standard acceptance, and -- wouldn't you know it -- the onus of coming up with compliance and interoperability testing for products will fall upon the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. Just to raise the stakes, the Draft Standard is aiming for backward compatibility with existing devices. Sounds like herding cats to us, but with finalization of the Standard slated for 2010, it looks like things are going to heat up in the coming months.
dLAN Audio World streams audio over HomePlug
We've never been huge fans of HomePlug -- 5GHz WiFi is our preferred obscure networking tech -- but the new dLAN Audio system from Arkados and devolo AG might have us reconsidering. The various dLAN components all simply plug into power outlets and connect to each other, instantly creating a whole-house audio streaming system. Arkados and devolo are hyping iPod compatibility, but we don't care about sources, really -- we just want to see how crazy speaker and radio designs can get when both power and signal are coming from one plug. Sadly, there are no pics, pricing, or availability yet, but we'll keep our eyes peeled.
Intellon ships 26 million HomePlug-based Powerline ICs -- who's buying?
Intellon, the outfit responsible for providing HomePlug-compatible integrated circuits for all manners of applications, is pretty jovial today. Just this month, it surpassed the 26 million mark in terms of IC shipments, which have apparently gone to manufacturers of home networking, networked entertainment, Ethernet-over-Coax (EoC) and smart grid equipment. While all that may be fine and dandy, we're wondering just how many people outside of Intellon (and its tightest group of friends) actually care. To date, HomePlug is still struggling for recognition outside of the hardcore custom install market, and with wireless technologies gaining traction each day, we're left to wonder if HomePlug even has a shot at a second (or are we at third now?) life. Anywho, don't let us halt the party, but Intellon might want to divert some of that celebration cash to marketing.[Image courtesy of PCW]
DS2 shows off embedded powerline module
While powerline as a whole still has quite a ways to go before it's considered mainstream, DS2 is apparently hoping to bring it a touch closed by embedding it in places we'd least expect. At CES last week, the company was spotted showing off an embedded PLC module which gave powerline capabilities to whatever item it was integrated into. Now, let's see DS2 convince router companies and the like to follow suit.
HomePlug Alliance hits some milestones, rallies the troops at CES
We've been disappointed by the fits and starts that powerline technology has suffered in the past, but an honest look over the past year's HomePlug Alliance achievements isn't without bright spots. Growth in the install base (now at 25 million devices), products and vendors (18 new members) are nothing to sneeze at, and HomePlug AV2's promise of 600Mbps speeds sounds promising going forward. Kicking of at CES this week and moving forward, the alliance wants to see lots more household connectivity for HDTV, HDMI and all manner of data transfer you want to get done without tearing down the sheetrock in your home. Could this be the year that HomePlug really takes off, or will disappointing real-world performance continue to dog the technology? Hit the link for the alliance's rosy view and let us know your predictions in the comments.
Netgear's CES showcase: powerline / MoCA gear, Internet TV player
Netgear isn't kidding around here at CES, and if you thought three new routers was the extent of it, you're sorely mistaken. The company is also debuting its new Internet TV Player (ITV2000; pictured), which is essentially an internet set-top-box that brings online media to the TV with all sorts of elegance. It'll be able to stream content from CNN, ESPN, NBA, TMZ, YouTube, Google, Yahoo and MetaCafe, though we're going to need a little Hulu mixed in before we take it seriously. We're also being reintroduced to the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150) box, and in slightly less interesting news, we've got the XAV1004 Powerline AV adapter with 4-port Ethernet Switch holding it down within you walls. Lastly, we've got the MCAB1001 MoCA coax-Ethernet adapter kit and the WNMR834 Wireless-N MoCA router, both of which enable users to rely on their existing in-home cabling to distribute signals over Ethernet. All the gory details (minus price and availability, naturally) are just past the break.%Gallery-40401%
HomePlug's powerline technology incorporated into IEEE P1901 standard
Powerline technology has been hanging around for years, but due to a combination of subpar real-world performance and a general lack of structure around the tech, it never really managed to take off. Now, it appears that we've stumbled upon yet another format war, this one over the power cabling within your walls. Within the very same month, we've seen the ITU ratify G.hn as the global standard for HDTV home networking and the IEEE bake HomePlug technology into its P1901 draft standard. Rob Ranck, president of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, said about the development: "The formation of a ubiquitous IEEE standard will help to unite the industry, create even faster market growth and provide strong benefits to the consumer." Right, except now we're in the midst of yet another war of the protocols (or so it seems).
STMicroelectronics and Arkados join up on HomePlug AV SoC
HomePlug AV has been around for what seems like eons, but regardless of how hard it tries, it never seems to really take hold in the market place. That being said, two big names in the industry are teaming up to give it yet another push, as STMicroelectronics and Arkados join hands to "develop and manufacture a 200Mbit-per-second HomePlug AV wideband powerline modem System-on-Chip (SoC)." If all goes to plan, it'll become the world's first HomePlug AV SoC, and it's being designed to "power applications ranging from simple Ethernet-to-powerline bridges to full-featured products as wide ranging as HDTV distribution, digital set-top boxes, IPTV, whole-house audio, networked digital picture frames, surveillance systems, etc." We'll see if anyone notices when it ships in mid-2009.
NuVo Renovia delivers whole-home audio over powerline
Faults notwithstanding, powerline is still mighty scrumptious in theory. Evidently NuVo Technologies agrees, as it's cranking out what's possibly the planet's first whole-home audio system that relies on existing A/C wiring. The Renovia can deliver audio and metadata throughout the house by simply tapping into the power wires already within your walls, and in case you couldn't guess, it's using the HomePlug 1.0 specification in order to do so. The central hub has AM, FM and Sirius-ready tuners already on board, and owners can plug in a pair of iPod docks along with two analog sources to boot. In case that's still not enough to get your drool a-flowin', it'll also stream "virtually any digital content on the network via NuVo's Music Port module." There's no word just yet on an MSRP, but judging by NuVo's past, we'd assume that it'll be somewhere between grossly and obscenely overpriced.
HomePlug AV II specification nearing release
We really can't comment on the curious timing here, but just after CopperGate picked up the HomePlug AV Powerline business from Conexant Systems, along comes word that the HomePlug AV II specification is just over the horizon. Reportedly, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance is planning to release its next-gen home networking specification "later this year, with first silicon sampling in 2009." We're told that the new spec would simply "build on the existing HomePlug AV specification, developed in 2005, which offers a theoretical bandwidth up to just under 200 Mbits/s." Regrettably, no one could pry a new target speed from the mouths of execs just yet, but you can rest assured it will be at least somewhat speedier (duh).
CopperGate buys HomePlug AV Powerline business
Let's face it -- HomePlug AV has had a pretty rough go of it, and while we wouldn't consider the technology dead just yet, we can't imagine it ever rising to prominence at this point. Our negativity isn't stopping one CopperGate Communications from following its heart, however, as it just announced this week that it would be taking the business off of Conexant Systems' hands. The pickup makes CopperGate the "the first semiconductor company with home networking technologies supporting all three wire types (coax, phone and power lines)." The deal gives the new owner "all relevant power line technology and silicon products, related patents, appropriate licenses, and requisite personnel," which sounds to us like everything including the kitchen sink. Of course, there's no way of knowing what kind of impact the acquisition will have, but CopperGate's hoping that it will "better prepare the company for the new ITU home networking standard, G.hn." Check out the read link for more details.
ZyXEL intros DMA1100P HomePlug AV digital media adapter
HomePlug's had a rocky past, but ZyXEL's looking to take the technology to new heights with the DMA1100P HomePlug AV digital media adapter. Dubbed a "simple solution" to enable consumers to share content on an HDTV via power lines, the "world's first" DMA with integrated HomePlug AV Powerline technology includes support for 1080i streaming and HDMI output. Purportedly, users can toss content around on their home power lines at around 200Mbps and it also "automatically discovers all media files from DLNA supported devices and makes them available for browsing and playback." Granted, we'd be a wee bit gun-shy about pulling the trigger on this one, but the brave souls out there who believe that this stuff will deliver can grab it next month for $269.99.
Conceptual UNI enables compartmentalized computing
Those who find difficulty in cracking open a typical tower to replace that aging DVD writer with one that burns in high-definition should adore Richard Choi's UNI concept, which exemplifies compartmentalized computing and takes the stress out of upgrading. Apparently, the "Think" module would act as the core computer and handle the essentials, while a variety of other plug-in modules would provide additional outputs (HDMI, DVI, optical audio, USB, etc.), hard drive space, and optical drives. Granted, this could get out of hand for those who get UNI-stackin' fever, but we'll certainly pass along kudos to the idea. Click on for one more shot.[Via YankoDesign, thanks Martin]
Sharp's HN-VA40S HomePlug AV 4-port Ethernet HUB: HD streaming over electrical wiring
High definition video streaming over power jacks? We say bring it Sharp, if you can. Meet the HN-VA40S pair, a HomePlug AV 1.1 PowerLine Computing (PLC) solution with the promise of an effective 85Mbps (200Mbps theoretical) across your home's electrical outlets -- ample bandwidth and QoS to stream HD video throughout the home. The ¥17,000 (about $137) HN-VA10 adapter feeds whatever data you bung down its Ethernet jack to the 4-port, ¥13,000 (about $105) HN-VA40 Ethernet hub plugged into any outlet up to 150-meters away. Better yet, save a few bills and buy the set for about ¥24,000 (about $194) when these ship August 24th in Japan. Don't be shy now; you can connect up to 16 units to the same network although we'd suggest waiting for a review before dropping that much dough.[Via Impress]
NEC intros Aterm CA2100P WiFi router and power line adapter
Just weeks after teasing us with succulent 802.11n gear, NEC is hitting back with an interesting WiFi / power line adapter combo dubbed the AtermCA2100P set. The AtermCR2500P WLAN router sports four Ethernet ports, the usual host of IP and security features, and purportedly works in conjunction with the AtermCA2100P HD-PLC wall adapter (shown after the jump) to provide a wireless extension anywhere you can find a nearby AC outlet. Additionally, NEC claims that throughput of 190Mbps is doable, but judging by the ho hum reaction to the power line alternatives that have come before it, we wouldn't be so sure. Still, the two devices can be purchased together for a price of ¥25,000 ($206), or you can pick up the router (¥20,000; $165) and HD-PLC adapter (¥13,000; $107) separately if you so desire.[Via AkihabaraNews]
DirecTV testing the broadband over power line waters
While analysts have long questioned how satellite television providers would answer the challenge of cable companies offering up bundled services with such little hassle, both DirecTV and EchoStar have traditionally partnered with DSL providers to tempt users to the dish, but change may finally be on the way. Reportedly, DirecTV's CEO recently suggested that it "may test delivering high-speed internet service through power lines in a major US city within the next year," meaning that broadband over power lines could be comin' down the pike. Notably, the company fessed up and stated that it "wasn't the only one" in talks to get such a plan in action, and while prospective test areas weren't named, the firm did say that it would probably aim for a "top 50 city where you're covering at least half the city." Of course, the talk of mergers was quickly shot down, but it's hard to think that a partnership isn't at least in the cards.
Linksys announces HomePlug AV PowerLine adapter
Linksys announced the PowerLine AV Ethernet Kit, its first HomePlug AV release. The bundle includes two PLE200 PowerLine AV Ethernet adapters and companion cables, and allows data to flow around your house as fast as 100Mbps (as in Ethernet, theoretically enough to support HD streams). Currently a HomePlug AV network will support up to 16 devices, and can "combat electrical noise generated by appliances, electronic [products] and halogen lights." A quick refresher for those unfamiliar with the concept, PowerLine allows you to create a home network via electrical outlets rather than running CAT-5 cables up and down the stairs. You plug any internet ready device into one adapter, and connect the other adapter to your router, plug both adapters into a wall socket, and like magic you've got internets. It is backwards compatible with PowerLine 1.0 (a sigh of relief for early adopters) and the kit and additional adapters are available now for your enjoyment.[Via Crave]
Vidanti chooses Intellon to offer HD IPTV via Powerline
Vidanti is hoping to shake things up in the HD IPTV game by offering up a product line devoted to networking your HD streaming home devices without laying down for fancy new cabling and a weekend's worth of installation charges. The company has chosen to base its forthcoming lineup on Intellon's INT6000 HomePlug AV, which utilizes the power lines already ran throughout your home to distribute HD audio / video. Intellon claims that its technology beneath the hood will allow Vidanti's product line to realize 200Mbps, but we all know that transferring bits and bytes through the power lines hasn't exactly lived up to expectations. Nevertheless, Vidanti is now hoping to "offer service providers an HD IP set-top box (pictured) whose power and connectivity to the broadband gateway are both supplied through a standard power cord," and if all goes as planned, it should be listed under its future BBTV4000 lineup of goods.
XAVi announces DS2 200Mbps Powerline HD lineup
XAVi of Taiwan just announced their new product lineup exploiting the DS2 200Mbps Powerline HD chipsets shown as a reference design to the right. Just like Netgear's hardware, XAVi promises the ability to stream high-definition video to any room of the house via your existing electrical wiring -- something promised by first generation HomePlug devices but never quite achieved. XAVi says they'll begin shipping their XP302A and XP302H wall adapters starting this month with their XP302D -- a power supply integrated with the DS2 chipset -- shipping later in the summer. It's not clear from the press release but we assume that some magical combination of the devices will allow simultaneous access to high-definition TV streams, internet access, and voice over IP services when the XP302D is mounted or plugged into XAVi's lineup of xDSL and cable customer premise equipment. We'll just have to hold on for a bit to see where XAVi is taking us with all this.
