WirelessHD

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WirelessHD is an industry-led effort to define a specification for the next generation wireless digital network interface specification for wireless high-definition signal transmission for consumer electronics products. The consortium behind the standard includes among others LG, Matsushita, NEC, Samsung, SiBEAM, Sony and Toshiba, and aims to have a finalized specification in spring 2007.

The WirelessHD (WiHD) standard will allow for uncompressed, digital transmission of HD video and audio signals, essentially making it equivalent, in theory, to wireless HDMI. The specification has been architected and optimized for wireless display connectivity, achieving in its first generation implementation high-speed rates from 2 Gbps to 5 Gbps for the CE, PC, and portable device segments. Its core technology promotes theoretical data rates as high as 20 Gbps (compared to 10.2-Gbps for HDMI 1.3), permitting it to scale to higher resolutions, color depth, and range.

The signal will operate on the 60GHz frequency band and apparently will sport the bandwidth required to support both current and future HD signals. The 60-GHz band currently requires line of sight between transmitter and receiver, but this obviously will not suit the real goal of the WiHD, which is to allow components to be tucked away in a cabinet eliminate the tangle of wires that currently mars otherwise elegant looking hang-on-the-wall plasmas and LCDs. The goal range for the first products will be in-room, point-to-point, non line-of-sight (NLOS) at up to 10 meters.

A ubiquitous wireless HD standard would do much to improve interoperability among devices, and would also expand the capabilities of personal video players, PDAs, and other handheld devices.