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Panasonic's first Wireless HD televisions on sale in Japan
Finally, something wireless high definition related that's not delayed. As promised, Panasonic's Z1 line of Wireless HD packing 1080p plasmas and assorted accessories went on sale this week for the discerning yen spending consumer. It'll be June before these make a U.S. debut, pop on over to Panasonic's Japan site and pore over some machine translated spec sheets in the meantime.%Gallery-41205%
Belkin's $1,500 FlyWire delayed again, now slated for August release
And you wonder why people refuse to take wireless HD / HDMI seriously. A full 15 months after Belkin's FlyWire was introduced at CES 2008, the world is still waiting for it to ship. When launched, it promised the consumer world a device that would take multiple HDMI devices and stream them (one at a time, obviously) to your HDTV sans wires. The box itself relies on AMIMON's WHDI technology, and while we've seen with our own eyes just how marvelous it works, Earthlings won't be able to purchase one until -- drumroll, please -- August 2009. According to a Belkin PR manager that we spoke with on the matter, the January 2009 ship date has now slipped to late summer for the US market, though the altogether painful $1,499 price tag remains firmly in tact. So, what's the over / under on Belkin actually keeping its word this go 'round? Update: Contrary to some reports, the delay is absolutely not related to WHDI. Belkin's own PR team has confirmed that the hold-up is in no way related to WHDI, but that it is "paying very close attention to the user experience." In other words, it's delaying things to get things totally right, and for $1,500, we'd expect nothing less than perfection.
Sewell's WiFi-based HD Media Extender should be more affordable
You know what's most annoying about wireless HD solutions? Two things, really. First off, 95 percent of 'em only come out to play at trade shows. Secondly, the other 5 percent require you to refinance your now-worthless home to even procure 'em. Sewell, a company known for delivering unexpected treasures when it comes to adapters, has just pumped out its very own wireless HDMI media extender. The good news is that it's shipping right now and it relies on 802.11a/n technology rather than WHDI, UWB or any other less ubiquitous option. The bad news is that 15 to 30 feet of cord-free AV goodness will set you back $1,199.95. You can weigh the pros and cons yourself, but we'll be begrudgingly sticking with coat hangers cheap-o interconnects 'til it becomes just a touch more of a bargain.
Comtrend's wireless video adapters based on Celeno HD WiFi chip
Earlier this year, Celeno and Cavium teamed up to pump out a WiFi-based wireless HDMI Solution, and now the former company has notched yet another partner in its quest to spread the joys of wireless video the world over. Announced at the IPTV World Forum, Comtrend has selected Celeno's HD WiFi chips for its wireless video adapters, which are available now for service providers worldwide. Their purpose? To distribute multiple HD IPTV content from any Ethernet-equipped home gateway or DVR to IP set-top-boxes. In other words, the solution ensures reliable IPTV home networking, providing whole home coverage without any new wires. There's no specific word on where we'll see this stuff roll out, but those over in London can check it out in person starting tomorrow. Full release is after the break.
Panasonic's ultra-thin 54Z1 plasma in the wild
Now that it's official and priced, Panasonic seems much happier to show off its wireless HD-sporting, ultra-thin Z1 series, and it's quite the sight to behold. The 54Z1 we got to look at was very strikingly clad in brushed metal gray -- compared to the regular black of most of Panasonic's TV lineup -- and of course incredibly thin. The wireless HD receiver box was across the room and working flawlessly, and it was nice to see that the included remote is an RF unit, capable of non-line-of-sight channel changing -- it's starting to feel like the 21st century around here! The plasma picture was of course very good, and we're really feeling those Viera Tools icons across the bottom. $6,000 though? That's your call.
ASUS shows off Wireless LCD prototype, "Green" monitors
ASUS news from CeBIT? Say it ain't so! Just hours after the company introduced two new "Green" LCDs, we stopped by to see what all the fuss was about. What we found were two rather vanilla looking LCDs (they're in the gallery below, we promise) sitting beside something entirely more interesting: a Wireless LCD prototype. An ASUS rep informed us that the model shown was utilizing the currently-in-limbo ultra-wideband (UWB) standard, and he affirmed that the monitor didn't have a model name nor an estimated ship date or price; it was simply on hand to prove that wireless LCDs were possible and that they're on the way. He noted that ASUS was looking into other wireless protocols -- namely wireless HD and WHDI -- and that it was "waiting things out" before making a final decision on what variation to use. Our take? We suspect it's both testing for best compatibility / range and waiting to see if UWB will remain viable in the coming months, which likely means no shipping product for quite some time. For what it's worth, the on-hand demo was stellar, with no visible lag, glitches or dropped frames to speak of.
Staccato CEO says UWB still has more to give
Staccato Communications has been a big fan of this whole wireless USB thing for years now, and while it seems that most of the industry has presumed ultra-wideband as dead and gone, the aforesaid company is still firmly supportive. The company's CEO has issued an absurdly long letter in response to the death knell reports that flowed after UWB mainstay TZero decided to fold, and while we could go on and on about his deepest, darkest feelings on the matter, here's what really counts. The bigwig has suggested that UWB is still far from dead, and in fact, it's just now shaping up to grow. He promises that 2009 has big things in store for the format, and evidently, those "big things" will breath "new life" into the flagging protocol. We're still pretty skeptical that UWB will break out within the next 10 months or so, but we suppose we've seen crazier things come together.[Via Slashdot]
TZero closes up shop, UWB all but dead
It's been a slow, painful death, but it's about time to just pull the white sheet over ultra-wideband and let the wireless standard rest in peace. After Intel pulled its support for UWB and proponent WiQuest shut down late last year, all that the format really had left was TZero. After successfully surviving some legal issues, we thought the company was good to go in fighting a hopeless battle against wireless HD upstart AMIMON. Now, it seems that WHDI (that's AMIMON's magic) is free to take the market by storm, but only time will tell if wireless HD is even remotely close to mainstream. In one sense, we're sad to see competition die, but on the other hand, it's always good to see fruitless format wars fade away. Don't be too down on yourself, TZero -- it's not like anyone really had high expectations for you or anything.
Panasonic Z1 plasmas bring WirelessHD to Japan first
Interested in obtaining Panasonic's 1-inch thick first-with-WirelessHD Z1 series 1080p plasma -- before this summer? Hope you've got a good connect in Japan, because this baby is touching down April 20, complete with YouTube and 2.4GHz remote. Thanks to the slim 40,000:1 contrast ratio NeoPDP panel and ability to work without the usual assortment of cables it was born for stylish wall mounting in your appropriately adorned apartment as pictured above. Throw in half the power consumption of last year's PZ800 model and you've got a very attractive package. Checking in with ¥700,000 (about $7,835) 54-inch, ¥600,000 (about $6,715) 50-inch, and ¥550,000 ( about $6,156) 46-inch models our jealousy extends far across the Pacific, but until these get a U.S. ship date and pricetag, your closest look lies within our CES gallery.[Via AV Watch]
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%
Panasonic officially premieres Z1 wireless HDTV
We may be years out from a commercially available 0.33-inch thick NeoPDP screen, but we aren't far from seeing a 1-inch think NeoPDP. We caught wind of this puppy at Panny's presser, but now we've got the official verbiage to back it up. The flagship 1080p plasma incorporates SiBEAM's WirelessHD technology, VIERA Cast support and a 54-inch panel. Other specs for the TC-P54Z1 include a 40,000:1 contrast ratio, a THX certification label and a 600Hz sub-field drive. We're pretty bummed that Panasonic hasn't disclosed the price and release date, but did you really expect anything different? Got to keep the hype building, right?
Hisense selects AMIMON for its wireless HDTV, WHDI makes friends with HDCP
We've got three important tidbits to share this morning from the labs of AMIMON, so we can't afford to waste any time bantering about how far the wireless HD industry as a whole has to go before it becomes even marginally important to the average consumer. First off, LG Electronics has decided to tag along in the WHDI SIG, joining the likes of Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony. Obviously, LG's hoping to push the wireless standard as a protocol that'll be accepted industry wide, and given the amount of splintering that exists currently, we can't say we're too against the collaboration. Moving on, we're told that the aforesaid WHDI standard will enable HDCP revision 2.0 as its content protection technology, and leading Chinese TV manufacturer Hisense has announced its intentions to integrate AMIMON's solution into its sets. All the details are just past the break.
Celeno and Cavium team up for WiFi-based wireless HDMI solution
A ProVision exec proclaimed last month that WiFi was the only suitable wireless HDTV medium, and it appears that bigwigs at Celeno and Cavium Networks emphatically agree. The two have joined up to debut a whole-home 1080p60 HDMI over WiFi solution here in the desert, with the gem of the show being the CL1300. Said microchip is designed to be integrated into essentially any device (a set-top-box, router, TV, toaster oven, etc.), enabling the host device to deliver H.264 compressed HD streams over long distances. In fact, it promises 802.11 beaming of up to four concurrent high-def streams. So, here's a perfectly good wireless HDMI option based on a standard that everyone and their grandmother has already adapted too -- too bad there's not a laundry list of companies already signed on to integrate it. Full release is after the break.
LG's super slim LED backlit LCD packing wireless HD, DivX HD
Finally ready to give up further details on its 24.8-mm thick LED backlit LH95 (apparently dubbed the LH9500 in the UK), revealing to Stuff.tv we can expect a 55-inch HDTV with wireless HD box included. DivX HD support on the panel itself (sorry, no word about any Netflix streaming abilities just yet) via USB or Bluetooth makes sure there will be plenty to watch on the 2,000,000:1 contrast screen with 240Hz technology. At least on paper, one of the slimmest, best looking LCDs we've heard about so far, we'll see if it impresses in person shortly.
Stryker Endoscopy intros world's first wireless HD surgical display
Slowly but surely, AMIMON is establishing itself as a serious player in the wireless HD space. Right before our eyes, the outfit has announced that it's playing a major role in the world's first HD wireless display designed specifically for use in the operating room. Stryker Endoscopy's WiSe HDTV is embedded with AMIMON's WHDI technology, though few details beyond that are being disclosed. We've no idea if this is just the beginning of AMIMON's domination of the OR, but it's certainly a good start. Here's hoping we see some similar announcements in the consumer space at CES -- it's about time some of these wireless HD doodads stopped looking pretty and started shipping out.
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.
Valens HDBaseT tech carries HD video, audio and internet over Ethernet
Merely a day after we heard that the ITU had ratified G.hn as the new global standard for HDTV home networking, along comes Valens Semiconductor to keep the whole HD-over-Ethernet conversation going. Hailed as the first system to send and receive uncompressed HD video, audio and internet simultaneously over a single Ethernet cable, its HDBaseT technology will be showing off to the world at CES 2009. Reportedly, it's working towards "creating HDBaseT as the new digital connectivity standard for HD multimedia distribution," but we don't suspect that will be an easy road to traverse. Both the VS100SK (receiver) and VS100SR (transmitter) ICs are scheduled to be commercially available in 2H 2009, and we're even led to believe that they could be integrated within Blu-ray players, set-top-boxes, HDTVs and projectors. Full release and diagram is after the break.
ProVision exec calls WiFi "the only" suitable wireless HDTV medium
The wireless HD world is as mangled as ever, with a variety of formats vying for supremacy and the general populace turning a deaf ear to the whole concept (by and large, anyway). According to ProVision co-founder Andrew Nix, 802.11n is the "only standard capable of cost-effectively transmitting interactive wireless HD video across all rooms within a home." Oddly enough, his company will be supporting Pulse~LINK, SiBEAM and AMIMON, backing the HDMI, Wireless HD and WHDI standards respectively, so we're curious if it will be trying to push its WiFi-favoring ways onto these guys. Or, of course, it could bust out its own WiFi-based solution at CES while sticking tight to the others for mere business reasons. We'll agree that a one-format solution would likely aid adoption, but haven't we already seen that WiFi isn't exactly the most stable protocol to handle continuously streaming high-def material?
Samsung developing WiFi variant for TVs, testing elusive 3D rendering chip
There's no telling what kind of off-the-wall gear Samsung is apt to unleash at CES, and we'll be honest -- we're pretty jazzed about the possibilities. At a recent tech forum, Samsung confessed that it was working with both 60GHz wireless technology (read: WirelessHD) and "its own variant of WiFi" in relation to cord-free TVs. This news is particularly bad in two respects: first, it doesn't signal very much confidence in WirelessHD, and moreover, the last thing we need is yet another proprietary wireless HD / HDMI standard to slow down the already glacial pace at which it's being adopted in the industry. Moving on, we're also told that the outfit is "internally testing a stereoscopic 3D rendering chip for its TVs that could be released as early as the second half of 2009," which would "help translate 2D video to 3D and interpret 2D content with embedded depth information." Something tells us we best get used to wearing oddly tinted glasses.[Image courtesy of MyDigitalLife]
