News and Reviews....

Seeking Wireless ..... July  2008

By Bob Lieto

    It has been reported that a number of companies are seeking a STANDARD in wireless format so a "Wireless Home Digital Interface" (WHDI) can be set for future products to the home. Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation, Sharp Corporation, Amimon Incorporated and Hitachi have banded to form a standards group for delivery of wireless high definition video and audio. The goal is to have one set of standards for using one source to deliver 1080P video to many HDTVs in one household. The key as all the companies above realize is to make sure that every high-def piece of hardware, TVs, players, PCs and game consoles, will talk to each other smoothly. WHDI technology will compliment other wireless and wired standards with a new class of connectivity within the home.

Comment .....  The major problem with "Standards" is that they have to adopted by all players in the Consumer Products Family, not just a few and not to be created to form a monopoly of sorts. Just look at the SONY release this week of having their TVs connected directly to their movie studio's movie collections. This in itself is a great selling point for folks that are told to connect their TVs to the network and enjoy a direct movie service that only SONY can provide. It doesn't make much sense to limit your products (Movies in the case of SONY), but it does lend itself to stacking the deck around their TV products. Much the same as patent mentality of taking someone's patent and developing around the edge of the product with new patents. REPEAT: Be careful when purchasing a product. It is going to take a very knowledgeable and patient consumer to be able to navigate the waters of wireless digital for many years to come. Custom Audio-Video Systems is in the business of sorting through and informing their clients of the best choice based on their client's use and requested features. And so it pays to have someone in the A/V field that can provide you with the correct information.

Beware of Wireless Formats   Feb 2008