sibeam
Latest
Silicon Image buys up SiBeam, what's next for WirelessHD?
Despite years of tech demos, promises and new specs, wireless HDMI products have failed to set the world on fire, and now WirelessHD backer SiBeam has been acquired by HDMI chipmaker Silicon Image. The $25.5 million deal is expected to close in the second quarter and both parties seem to be interested in pushing the 60GHz WiHD standard forward. We'll see if Silicon Image's hardware prowess can get WirelessHD in more boxes and displays, but the most likely outcome is that we'll still be plugging in the same old wires this time next year.
ASUS debuts WirelessHD-equipped G73JW and G53 laptops, we go eyes-on
We already took a closer look at ASUS' minty fresh ROG G53 gaming laptop earlier in the week, but it was the outfit's 17-inch version (the G73JW, predictably) used to showcase a new partnership with SiBEAM. The aforesaid rigs are the world's first laptops to integrate SiBEAM's 60GHz WirelessHD technology, essentially doing exactly what Intel's WiDi does. For those unfamiliar with either technology, it enables the laptop to beam 1080p content directly to a receiver box (that tube you see above, which will be attached via HDMI in theory) from up to 30 meters away. Both machines are slated to be slinging HD sans cabling this Fall, though pricing for the upgraded beasts wasn't available just yet. Still, we were treated to a demonstration over at the outfit's Computex booth, and while it was dangerously close to the receiver, HD content still was streaming without a hitch. Granted, we've seen nothing but great things from other WirelessHD applications in the past, but it's still lovely to see it humming along so nicely within a full-fledged computer. Have a look yourself just past the break.%Gallery-94278%
Wi-Fi Alliance and WiGig sync up for 60GHz WiFi
We already heard that Hitachi, Panasonic and Toshiba would be delivering 60GHz wireless products in the latter half of this year, but it looks like a whole heap of other companies will be as well after this bombshell drops. The Wi-Fi Alliance and WiGig (which just nailed down a final spec in December) have finally got their respective ducks in a row, and thanks to a new partnership announced today, 60GHz WiFi products are now possible. For those unaware, 60GHz airwaves are typically reserved for high-bandwidth applications -- think streaming a Blu-ray flick from a player to an HDTV sans any cabling. The two will be working in unison in order to create a next-generation certification program for products operating in the 60GHz band, and best of all, a "significant portion, if not all, of these devices are expected to also support traditional WiFi networking in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands." There's no mention of when exactly the first 60GHz WiFi wares will begin to ship, but we can certainly say we're eager to update this here tutorial when tri-band becomes reality. Update: The rival WirelessHD alliance (updated to 1.1 today with support for 3DTV, HDCP 2.0, data applications and data rates in excess of 10Gbps) says it will support WiGig with dual-mode WirelessHD/WiGig silicon now available from SiBeam for sampling. Hey, what would a standard be if we didn't have options?
GefenTV Wireless for HDMI slings 1080p over 60GHz airwaves
The wireless HD war is far from over, but 60GHz is sure making a push for becoming the top dog in the race. Gefen's latest relies on SiBEAM's wireless tech in order to transfer uncompressed 1080p footage up to 30 feet sans lag. You simply connect one box to an HDMI-equipped source (like, say, your minty fresh Blu-ray player) and one box to your HDMI-equipped HDTV; from there, you can watch in amazement as the signal is beamed from one unit to the other without any cords in between. 'Course, this whole solution would seem a lot more elegant if these wireless modules were just baked into said BD deck and the aforementioned television, but hey, the retrofitters take what the retrofitters can get. It's all yours right now for just under a grand.
WirelessHD 2.0 spec speeds up to 28 Gbps to make room for 4K, 3D, portable devices
Two years after finishing up version 1.0 WirelessHD (WiHD) is still trying to come out on top of the no-cables-necessary high definition streaming dogfight, and it's going to get a boost in that effort now that the 2.0 standard is available. Backwards compatible with existing WiHD hardware, the bandwidth has been upped to 10 - 28 Gbps (up from initial specs of 4 Gbps with a theoretical 25 Gbps limit) - enough to handle 4K resolutions, Deep Color, a newly specified 3D over WirelessHD set of standards, HDCP 2.0 DRM and even 1 Gbps file transfers between devices. Out of this world specs are just a matter of course for new hardware, but our focus is still on the group's ability to get the price down this time around if it ever plans on going mainstream. With an investment from Best Buy just announced and a spot in VIZIO's LCD lineup already confirmed, existing cable manufacturers may want to start developing Monster Air (10x higher transmission speed due to special platinum ionized molecules, of course) to sell sooner rather than later.
VIZIO adding WirelessHD to top of the line HDTVs
We might have to take the WirelessHD group's claims of mass adoption pricing more seriously now that VIZIO has made plans to integrate 60GHz chipsets from SiBEAM into its XVT line of LED backlit LCDs. SiBEAM is also planning to demo some the no-wires hookup at its off-site CES location, but since we've seen the technology at work, the only big question is how cheap can it get? The top of the line Panasonic Z1 made our gift guide despite a high price, but for VIZIO to send its first products onto Wal-mart and Costco shelves later this year it'll have to start at somewhere below the $6k mark.
WirelessHD second generation hardware promises "mass adoption" pricing
Two years after assembling a team to fight the tyranny of wires with 60GHz beaming and less than a year after entering mass production, SiBEAM has unveiled its second generation of WirelessHD chips, this time with the promise of low cost, mass adoption price points with an eye towards reducing overall costs and improving video quality. The new 65nm chips don't require active cooling, use less power and take up less space, plus integrate HDMI, HDCP and DTCP support and surround sound capability. Last year the premium was too steep for us to consider wireless HDTV as a serious option, but as costs come down and manufacturer support comes up it may be time to take another look at WirelessHD.
SiBEAM's WirelessHD chipsets enter into mass production
Given that SiBEAM was on hand at CES showcasing a number of WirelessHD-enabled products, we can't say this tidbit is surprising in the least. Still, it is great to hear that its WirelessHD chipsets have entered into mass production, and better still, it's now prepared to "broadly expand partners' product development activity." It's hoping to broaden the technology's reach from wireless video area networks (WVANs) and AV transmission to consumer electronics applications (wireless iPods, anyone?) as well as PC virtual docking applications. We know it's still early to say, but we just might have our final two contestants in the forever long wireless high-def war: duke it out SiBEAM / AMIMON, and may the best transmitter win.
WirelessHD hands on & recklessly-interfering
After some demo time with WirelessHD and Chairman / President John Marshall, it appears 2009 will finally be the year cable-free TV connections roll out in a big way. Expect products to launch towards the end of Q2, according to the Gefen rep on hand, their adapter will go into production towards the end of Q1 and hit shelves for about $700, while WirelessHD tech could add as much/little as 10% to the cost of a new TV like the demo units from LG and Panasonic. How well does it work for the money? Pretty well, with no untoward effects on the picture, and easily switching from source to source automatically. Walking between the display and source didn't cause a problem but even millisecond-switching 60Ghz hardware was no match for being picked up and fumbled around by a photo snapping Engadget editor. Check out pics featuring Gefen (fear not, the final models will have RS-232), LG & Panasonic prototypes plus OEM hardware we're likely to see soon in one form or another.%Gallery-41205%
Wireless HDTV products backed with cash, still barely available
ABI Research definitely put its thinking cap on for this one, as it recently found that wireless HDTV vendors are still pouring cash into products, yet few are available for consumption in North America. It's a trend we've watched develop, and we cringe to think that it's not getting better. Chances are we'll see a new wave of cord-free HD products at CES 2009, all while we wait patiently for cord-free wares from CES 2008 to make it out of the testing phase. Sadly, the report doesn't actually mention anything we didn't already know -- companies are still out there trying to prove their format is superior, all while actual manufacturers dillydally around and miss one opportunity after another. And really, with prices like $1,499 for the Belkin FlyWire, we wonder if there's any mass market appeal even if the shipments do begin to flow.
SiBEAM founder says WirelessHD is best for "in-room" applications
While AMIMON is busy gloating about its 100,000th chipset shipment, WirelessHD is quietly lurking in the background waiting to exploit a niche of its own. In a rather telling interview, SiBEAM founder John Marshall (pictured) confessed that it was going after a different market rather than taking on the WHDI (and similar) format directly. He stated that its milliwave'-based WirelessHD technology -- which just received a cash infusion from Panasonic and Samsung -- "targets in-room use, whereas the others target whole-home use." He continued by noting that it "limit its use to inside a room to make the most of milliwave's properties, without assuming content transmissions through walls." Finally, we're led to believe that certain partners will be making product-based announcements at CES 2009, though judging by the history of cord-free HD, we wouldn't expect anything to start shipping right away. Or ever, even.
Panasonic, Samsung step up SiBeam WirelessHD investment
The WirelessHD group has been making noise all year in what looks like run up to big things in 2009, so two of its biggest supporters, Panasonic and Samsung, are putting their money where their mouth is, with a "strategic investment" in developer SiBEAM. No word on exactly how much cash was laid out by the two, but the 60Ghz band chip maker is spinning it as a clear show of confidence from two of the world's biggest consumer electronics manufacturers that will help it roll out product in the future. With more than a few variants of cable-free technology on shelves or on the way we'll need to see actual hardware for sale before lining up as true believers.
Switched On: WHDI seeks to unplug hi-def
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. The past few years have seen a wide range of wireless technologies proposed to substitute for the now nearly ubiquitous (at least in terms of new HDTVs) HDMI connectors, but the dust is just starting to settle. Some proposals involve squeezing more juice out of 802.11n. Others rely on ultrawideband technology. Yet another that has many in the industry excited is from SiBeam, which intends to use the 60GHz band to deliver uncompressed 1080p video at 4Gbps. That technology, embraced by a group called WirelessHD, had received the most public support among major consumer electronics companies, with Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Toshiba and LG listed on its site as promoters (and others listed as adopters). But WirelessHD is still a ways from consumer availability and recently another wireless high-definition technology has attracted some heavy hitters of its own, including Sony, Samsung, Sharp and the cable set-top division of Motorola. Amimon's WHDI (Wireless Home Digital Interface) is different from many of its emerging competitors because it is designed, like WiFi, to be a technology that blankets the home, whereas most competitors focus on an in-room solution. WHDI even operates in the 5GHz band (like 802.11a and 802.11n), but sheds the costly bandwidth overhead WiFi utilizes to correct transmission errors. In contrast, WHDI is a "video modem" technology that attaches to a device's video output to send uncompressed 1080p video. After that, it's survival of the fittest for the bits.
Panasonic gets official with WirelessHD transmission system
We already knew Panasonic was linked in with WirelessHD, but the outfit is choosing CES to come out in the open and trumpet its development of a transmission system. Apparently, it partnered up with SiBEAM to dish out a system that will enable "HD video transmission in uncompressed format," and while Panny gloats quite heavily about the use of a 60GHz band, it's really not all that surprising. 'Course, it seems we've got awhile before this stuff hits en masse (in actual products), but at least we've got yet another corporation on board, right?
WirelessHD version 1.0 is complete
WirelessHD (WiHD) is back, originally announced in late 2006, the 1.0 spec has been pronounced fit for consumption and will be released later this year. What's changed in the last 14 months? HD dream team Intel, LG, Matsushita (Panasonic), NEC, Samsung, SiBEAM, Sony and Toshiba have added 40 other companies as well as approval from DRM watchdogs MPAA and DTLA for their 60Ghz-based standard. Move over cable vs. satellite, downloads vs. disc and HD DVD vs. Blu-ray, with UWB-equipped HDTVs already on the way, a battle to replace the still-tricky HDMI connection is the new HD battleground for 2008.
SiBEAM details WirelessHD-compliant WVAN technology
We'll bet you aren't alone if you were starting to wonder if you'd ever hear from SiBEAM again, but after an extended pause, the company is back to fully unveil its WirelessHD streaming solution. Reportedly, the company has developed 60GHz chipsets for non-line-of-sight applications, and has also stated that its OmniLink60 wireless semiconductor technology would be WirelessHD-compliant and "deliver AV connectivity for wireless applications at the 60GHz band." Built using standard CMOS manufacturing techniques, this system will purportedly allow users to enjoy Wireless Video Area Networking (WVAN), which could consist of an HDTV, HD DVD / Blu-ray player, HD DVR, etc,. and while specific integration details were solely absent, the firm seems quite adamant that its newfangled technology will have no issues fitting in (whenever it actually ships, that is) with your current setup.[Via ExtremeTech]
WirelessHD group plans to replace cables using 60GHz band
Six of the world's largest consumer electronics companies have joined with startup SiBEAM to form the WirelessHD interest group. They expect to complete the WiHD spec by spring of next year, using the unlicensed 60GHz frequency to stream digital information at multi-gigabit rates. The advantages of using SiBEAM's solution is that such chips can use higher power levels without overlapping other frequencies, yet are limited to a short range and won't penetrate walls. With the backing of LG, Matsushita (Panasonic), NEC, Sony and Toshiba, this standard could easily overtake WiFi- and UWB-based solutions others are working on. Its backers expect HDTVs, DVD players, receivers and other devices based on the technology to start rolling out in 2008, leaving us wondering: why can Sony and Toshiba cooperate on this high definition standard, but couldn't make Blu-ray and HD DVD work together?[Via Yahoo News]
