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Mitsubishi Electric Demonstrates Wireless Ultrawideband Technology; Technology Can Eliminate Wires, Simplify Installation of Home Theater Systems (24/1/2005)

Mitsubishi Electric is demonstrating its wireless ultrawideband technology for home theater at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Jointly developed by corporate research and development labs in the United States and Japan, Mitsubishi Electric's demonstration is based on the emerging standard from the MultiBand OFDM Alliance (MBOA).

The demonstration system, which is located at the MBOA Ultrawideband Techzone at CES, shows how ultrawideband (UWB) technology can eliminate wires and simplify installation of high-end home theater systems. It includes a single transmitter unit that sends two independent high-definition television signals wirelessly to two high-end display products: a plasma HDTV and a high-end projector, both from Mitsubishi Electric.

"Mitsubishi Electric has a long history of leadership in the development and promotion of digital communications standards through international organizations like MPEG, IEEE and ITU," said Dr. Hiroshi Koezuka, general manager of the Information Technology R&D Center for Mitsubishi Electric in Japan. "As one of the original contributors to the MBOA SIG, we believe standardization of UWB technology will help ensure broad adoption in the marketplace."

While the demonstration system highlights UWB as applied to home theater, Mitsubishi Electric anticipates other applications, including car communications, wireless USB, and inter-board communications.

"UWB technology has the potential to impact many of the businesses Mitsubishi Electric is in, including consumer electronics, communications, industrial automation, transportation and building equipment," Koezuka said. "That is why our corporate R&D group is an active contributor to UWB standardization."

Commenting on the home theater application, Dr. Kent Wittenburg, VP and Technology Lab director at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories Inc. in the United States, said: "With leading products in high-end televisions, projectors, and DVD recorders both worldwide and here in the U.S., Mitsubishi Electric is a major player when it comes to technology for the high-end home theater market. Our R&D investment in this area, including efforts in digital communications, advanced user interfaces, and our contributions to the MBOA standard, will help Mitsubishi Electric maintain its position as a leader in home theater for years to come."

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