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HomePlug Alliance AV2 specification promises gigabit class networking over electrical wires
It's been a long time coming, but the Homeplug Powerline Alliance is introducing a new class of home networking technology known as AV2, which is meant to better facilitate HD content transmission over electrical wiring. With MIMO functionality (multiple-input and multiple-output) at its core, the new specification features gigabit class speeds and comes from a decade of field tests. What's more, the new standard promises to bring greater in-home coverage beyond WiFi capabilities while maintaining compatibility with existing HomePlug AV / IEEE 1901 products. Whether consumers are willing to embrace yet another new specification from the HomePlug group remains to be seen, although we can imagine a few Netflix junkies will be downright giddy. For the complete deets, the PR follows the break.
Switched On: No new wires, one new caveat
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In the decade that WiFi has blanketed home networks across the United States, several technologies aimed at using existing wiring in the home have met with limited success. These have included MoCA (Multimedia over Coax, which has been adopted by some service providers for implementing multi-room DVRs) and HomePNA (originally for phone lines but later expanded to coax cable as well). At least three dueling standards have also sought to bring high-speed connectivity over electrical wiring. HomePlug, the most successful of these, has had several iterations. The latest – HomePlug AV – is rated at a theoretical throughput of 200 Mbits/sec. However, power line technologies have been held back by high prices and occasional interoperability problems. But a new approach seeks to be the one protocol to rule them all, operating over phone lines, power lines or coax. Dubbed G.hn, the ITU standard promises up to 1Gbps theoretical throughput, with real-world usage over electrical lines expected to reach between 250Mbps and 400Mbps. If that sounds appealing to you, you're not alone. Service providers like the idea of G.hn since it allows them more flexibility than previous efforts. In fact, they like it so much that -- despite G.hn's capacity -- they have insisted on quality of service standards that could limit or prevent consumers from installing it themselves after they buy adapters from retailers.
HomePlug and IEEE want our home networks to play nice, talk to each other
HomePlug hasn't exactly struck it big on the home networking scene but, with so many disparate options (none of which play very nice together) it's not hard to see why. The Powerline Alliance is throwing its support behind a new IEEE standard, P1905, that may ease our consumer pain and make the outlet connectivity tech a better fit for our dungeons living rooms. The goal is to create a layer that sits atop the various wired and wireless hookups that blanket our homes and let them easily share data. Bridging the gap between HomePlug, HomePlug AV, Ethernet, WiFi, and MoCA is an ambitious task to tackle, but we've got faith our gadgets can get along.
Sigma Design's 'ultra thin' TV box design promises HD in a tiny package
It's not much bigger than many of the wall warts currently filling outlets in your power strip, but this reference design from Sigma Designs could be your next cable box. With HomePlug networking, Z-Wave RF remote control technology and the ability to process multiple 1080p streams at once built in, it only needs to be plugged in to the wall (and connected to a TV via HDMI) to get to work. connect to the network and pull in video from the internet, feeds from an IPTV provider like U-Verse (or Comcast eventually), or multiroom streams from a connected DVR. At its heart is the SMP8670 chip unveiled at CES that's optimized for XBMC, Adobe AIR and Flash which could make it an ideal extender for someone like TiVo or Boxee, if Sigma can get them to bite on the concept. Until then, all we can show you are a few pics of the bare internals in the gallery and a press release after the break. %Gallery-126765%
D-Link outs hybrid powerline / wired / wireless router, does Atheros proud
Many moons ago, Atheros had a dream, of a future where a single device could simultaneously extend Ethernet, WiFi and powerline connectivity to any part of your home. Well, gents, the future is now, as D-Link has taken the idea (and presumably a presumably paid a hefty licensing fee) to bring just such a device to market. The $130 D-Link DHP-1320 does 802.11n WiFi at up to 300Mbps, sends up to 200Mbps through your house's electrical system and sports three 10/100 LAN jacks as well. Oh, and never you mind that Netgear did something similar a couple months ago. PR after the break.
Atheros Hybrid system merges WiFi with powerline networking in one tidy bundle
Network routers are increasingly becoming our portals to the world, and the latest model from Atheros, the Hybrid Router, is making that doorway wider than ever. Naturally it supports 802.11 WiFi and Ethernet, just like any good bit of networking kit, but it also adds in HomePlug AV powerline networking. By just plugging the thing's AC adapter into the wall you're extending your network signal throughout your abode and, by plugging in one of the company's Ethernet or WiFi adapters, you can extend your access to places that even microwaves fear to tread. Atheros hasn't announced pricing for the Hybrid Router or either the wired or wireless powerline range extenders, but all are said to be shipping before the end of the year, so we'll all be finding out soon enough.
WD intros HomePlug-compatible powerline networking package
Western Digital's bread and butter is (and will likely remain) storage, but as we all know, all the storage in the world is useless if you can't access it. It only makes sense, then, that the company would get behind the HomePlug bandwagon for networking all your connected devices over your home's existing electrical power lines. The WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit includes two HomePlug AV adapters with four Ethernet ports each, boasting data transfer speeds up to 200 megabits per second. And it's HomePlug compatible, meaning your previous investments in the technology won't go to waste. Available now for $140. PR after the break.
IEEE P1901 powerline networking standard passes key hurdle
You may not realize it, but powerline networking is growing up before your very eyes. It's latest milestone comes courtesy of the IEEE P1901 Working Group, which largely relies on HomePlug AV as its baseline technology, and has now seen its initial sponsor ballot pass with a whopping 80% support. That, according to the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, offers clear evidence that there is "overwhelming industry support" for the standard, and that final ratification of the standard could come as soon as the third quarter of this year. In fact, the draft standard is already so far along that companies can purchase it from the IEEE store, and get to work on products that will comply with P1901.
Innoband HomePlug AV+802.11n AP Starter Kit review
HomePlug has been around for years now, nearly as long as mobile broadband, Windows Mobile and sliced bread... combined. Unlike any of those three, however HomePlug hasn't exactly caught fire in the industry. For those unaware, the general principle with these devices is to send network signals (or other signals, we suppose) over a home's existing power network. In theory, this would prevent someone from being forced to run a 50 foot Ethernet drop, instead using the 50 feet (or more) or power wiring that already resides within the walls of a given abode to transmit the same signals. For whatever reason, early models were plagued with flaky performance and speeds that were far less than advertised. Granted, things have progressed quite aways since the HomePlugs of old, but has the tech finally reached a place where it could be adopted en masse? We recently had the chance to test out Innoband's HomePlug AV+802.11n AP Starter Kit, which is a two-piece solution that consists of a transmitting unit (which connects to your router or modem via Ethernet and plugs into a nearby wall outlet) and a 802.11b/g/n WiFi transceiver, which is designed to be plugged into a different wall socket where you need an Ethernet connection or extended wireless coverage. Curious as to how things stacked up? Tap that 'Read More' link for the rest of our review. %Gallery-88705%
brite-View LinkE pipes content to four Ethernet sources over existing powerline network
The market is darn near flooded with HomePlug AV-compatible powerline solutions, but Zinnet has seen fit to one-up the networking mainstays by dishing out a product that serves not one, but four Ethernet-packin' devices simultaneously. Designed for use with its brite-View CinemaTube (but fully capable of working with game consoles, Blu-ray players and media streamers), this two-piece kit allows internet content to flow through your home's existing powerline network and hit up to four devices on the other end. Simply plug the solo port adapter into a wall socket beside your router or broadband modem, and the four port adapter in your home theater room (or den, for the simplistic among us). From there, you can connect your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Roku set-top-box, Blu-ray player, CinemaTube deck or any other AV device that benefits from a wired internet connection; just like that, you've got a makeshift connection to four devices, and you'll never have to worry over WiFi dropouts again. All that's required to bring this joy into your life is $89.99 and a basic understanding of online checkout procedure, both of which we're sure you can handle.
Netgear brings the goods to CeBIT: HD streamers, HomePlug AV adapters
Another month, another blockbuster trade show. CeBIT's show floor doesn't open up until tomorrow (and yeah, we'll be storming it like no other), but Netgear's wasting precisely no time in unveiling its latest wares. The two pieces that are nearest and dearest to our hearts are the WNHDB3004 and WNHDB3004, the former of which is an 802.11n HD Home Theater Kit and the latter of which is a universal WiFi adapter that adds wireless support to any AV product with an Ethernet jack. Users interested in streaming "multiple, simultaneous, jitter-free 1080p HD video streams wirelessly throughout the home" should certainly give the first a look, as it enables instant wireless streaming from your existing router to any component with an Ethernet port; think of this as the beautiful alternative to running a 50 foot patch cable through your living room and simultaneously eroding your relationship with Mr. / Mrs. Significant Other. The outfit also doled out a few SMB-centric ReadyNAS devices and a couple of HomePlug AV boxes with AC outlet passthroughs, all of which are detailed there in the source links. %Gallery-86732%
Netgear intros EVA9100 media streamer, DGN2200M WiFi / WWAN modem and more at CES
Some crazy stuff is going down in Vegas -- fancy that, right? Netgear is doing its darnedest to make its own scene with the introduction of three new items here at CES, so we won't waste any time in breaking 'em down. Up first is the now-available $249 Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100), which incorporates the media prowess found in the EVA9150 in order to give users instant access to "Blu-ray quality digital video up to 1080p, MP3s and high-resolution digital photos from PCs, Macs or NAS devices." Portals to YouTube, Flickr and RSS feeds will be readily available, and the free trial of PlayOn will provide access to Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, BBC iPlayer and CBS. Next, we've got the $179.99 DGN2200M wireless router (available in April), which actually pulls double duty as an 802.11n-enabled DSL modem and a WWAN modem. Hailed as the only wireless-N product on the retail market with dual WAN capabilities, this one can get users online via a 3G or 4G USB dongle whenever they leave their home broadband connection. Finally, the $159 Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter (XAV2501) -- which will ship early next month -- enables homeowners to create a 10/100 Ethernet connection from any ordinary electrical outlet that already supports a powerline network. This one's also a HomePlug AV-certified device, so it should have no issues pushing through data at up to 200Mbps. We'll be scouring the show floor for a little hands-on action, so stay tuned! %Gallery-81231%
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.
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).
Netgear's HDXB111 / XAVB101 powerline adapters now shipping
It took 'em long enough, but Netgear has at long last decided to ship the two powerline adapters it announced way back at CES in January. The Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (XAVB101; pictured above), which is based on the HomePlug AV standard, and the UPA-based HDXB111 Powerline HD Plus Ethernet Adapter Kit (which is obviously capable of transmitting HD footage) can both be snapped up in time for the holidays. Each set is designed for plug 'n play action and for those who'd rather network their wares via installed cabling instead of running something new. Of course, performance is always the questionable aspect of these type devices, but those with faith (and a North American address) can finally lay down their $149.99 / $169.99 and get busy. The full release and a shot of the HDXB111 can be found after the break.
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.
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.
