The Ups and Downs of the WirelessHD Technology

Some of you may be aware that LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony, Matsushita Electric, SiBEAM, NEC, and Toshiba had joined forces back in late 2006 in an effort to start developing wireless technology that will make it possible to enjoy high-definition audio/video streaming as well as high-speed content transmission between electronic devices. After forming a special interest group to work on this goal, the manufacturers introduced the concept of WirelessHD. This product was based on semiconductor products that had been previously developed by SiBEAM Inc.

Throughout 2007, the concept of WirelessHD seemed increasingly plausible. Unfortunately, there are still some problems associated with the technology that are standing in the way. One problem the technology faces is the fact that most wireless radio channels have a low bandwidth and high bit-error rates. High-definition video, on the other hand requires a high bandwidth as well as a high compression.

So far, a realistic solution to this problem has not been found. One possible solution, however, would be to use the gigabit transmission abilities provided by the 60GHz millimeter-wave radio spectrum and transmitting uncompressed high-definition video. This way, it would be transmitted in a way that is similar to short-ranged wire connections similar to HDMI cables.

Nonetheless, this technology is looking promising. In fact, Panasonic displayed the WirelessHD technology at the Consumer Electronics Show. Their system utilized a plasma television as well as a WirelessHD receiver and an equipment rack that include an HD digital camcorder and Blu-ray Disc player.

Technorati Tags: WirelessHD, HDTV