News

Wisair and Intellon Team to Demonstrate Distribution of High-Definition Content Via Hybrid Ultra-Wideband and HomePlug Powerline Networks (10/2/2006)

Powerline-UWB Hybrid Network Topology Provides Entertainment Networking with Easy Connectivity, Robust Whole-House Coverage and Freedom of Mobility

Intellon Corporation, the world leader in powerline communications and HomePlug-compliant ICs, and Wisair, the leading provider of Ultra Wideband (UWB) and Wireless USB (WUSB) chipset solutions, collaborate to demonstrate the distribution of high-definition (HD) multimedia streams throughout the home. The demonstration uses Intellon's HomePlug(R) 1.0 with Turbo powerline technology together with Wisair's 480Mbps Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology to demonstrate the use of powerline as an in-home backbone and UWB as a short-range wire replacement solution.

In the demonstration, Intellon's HomePlug 1.0 with Turbo technology serves as the in-home network backbone, transmitting HD content over powerline from a media server to an Intellon-enabled Wisair HomePlug bridge that transmits the HD content to a laptop equipped with a Wisair Wireless USB adapter. According to the research group TDG, global home networking will grow from 35 million homes in 2004 to over 160 million by 2010. Consequently, TDG also believes that the number of network-capable devices will increase dramatically, rising from 108 million today to a staggering one billion Internet and LAN-friendly gadgets in 2010.

Both Intellon and Wisair are poised to benefit from this trend with standards-based best-in-class networking technologies. With Intellon's reliable, ubiquitous and secure HomePlug AV powerline networking technology and Wisair's short-range, high-speed WiMedia-based UWB solution, the two technologies provide a multimedia backbone and local wireless connectivity to a multitude of entertainment and communications devices in the home ranging from mobile phones, entertainment clusters, Set-Top boxes to television displays, video cameras and Digital Media Adapters (DMAs).

"Wisair and Intellon technologies and products are very complementary," said Amir Freund, Wisair VP of Marketing. "Wisair's UWB technology extends Intellon's 'No New Wires' paradigm by enabling the wireless distribution of high-definition (HD) content within rooms."

"The home of the future will incorporate different networking technologies for the distribution of multimedia content," said Philip Poulidis, Intellon's senior director of marketing. "Wisair's technology is ideally suited as a wire replacement solution, and when coupled with powerline networking as the in-home backbone, it creates an ideal in-home entertainment network."

Intellon recently announced the world's first HomePlug AV IC based on the 200Mbps HomePlug AV specification as the latest addition to its HomePlug product line, which includes the 14Mbps HomePlug 1.0 and 85Mbps HomePlug 1.0 with Turbo products. Designated the INT6000, the new IC will enable multiple high-definition video streams to be distributed over existing home powerlines, coaxial cable or other wiring with whole-house coverage, low latency, and robust Quality of Service (QoS) demanded by emerging in-home video and audio applications.

Wisair develops WiMedia-based UWB and Wireless USB chipsets and reference designs for rates up to 480Mbps with a range of 10-15 meters, targeting consumer electronics, mobile and PC based platforms. Wisair's UWB and Wireless USB solutions provide an excellent integration path for all products benefiting from complementary features of performance, power efficiency, and quality of service (QoS) for streaming multimedia content.

Both Intellon and Wisair will be demonstrating their respective solutions at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas January 5 - 8, 2006. Intellon will demonstrate its INT6000 IC at Booth 31850, South Hall 3, Las Vegas Convention Center and Wisair will demonstrate its UWB and Wireless USB technology at Booth 7923, located in the WiMedia Ultra-Wideband (UWB) TechZone. Intellon and Wisair will also provide private demos of the powerline-UWB hybrid solution described in this announcement to prospective customers.

www.wisair.com