ProVision, who wowed the CES crowds earlier in the year with their wireless high-def streaming kit, have just lifted the covers off of their potentially game-changing AXAR2010 HD video system.
Though not yet available to buy, the AXAR2010 will allow four separate HD signals to be streamed to multiple sources around the home from a single box.
Using the 5GHz 802.11n wireless standard, four different 1080p HD streams (HD TV channels, Blu-ray, games consoles etc) can be sent to different TV sets around the house. Potentially, the technology could do away with the need for separate set-top boxes per room in a house.
"AXAR software technologies are sold under an IP licensing model and will be integrated into set top boxes, TVs, DVD players and media routers from major consumer electronics manufacturers and multinational OEMs", said Steve Cliffe, CEO of ProVision.
No word on a retail release yet, but ProVision are said to be in talks with distributers on both sides of the pond.
Looking for a 1080p compatible HD media server and player? For £199.99, the LaCie LaCinema Classic HD media centre could be sitting next to your flatscreen.
1080p Full HD compatible, the 2TB device lets you sync up all sorts of media content from your PC, Mac or gaming console, and deliver it via an included HDMI cable to your TV.
Though the device can be used as a wireless DLNA server, the LaCinema Classic HD will also support USB transfer of media content.
All the most popular video file formats and plug-ins will be supported, from DivX to high-quality MKV H.264, meaning pretty much all of your current video content will be compatible. An intuitive onscreen menu system should help to navigate the device, meaning faster access to your favourite flicks.
Salem Tirane, Digital Home Product Manager said of the product, "LaCinema Classic HD is all you need to store, play and share your movies, music and photos at home. We believe organising and playing should be simple for everyone, without concern for media compatibility or how to access media, no matter where it's stored in your home".
Though there are plenty of media centre solutions knocking about, the LaCinema Classic HD is set to feature some pretty attractive functions by the looks of things. Giving change back out of £200, it's worth a look if you don't already have a similar alternative.
For more information, visit www.lacie.com/uk
Unexciting but vital, memory cards are powering a huge range of high definition camcorders, so higher capacity is always welcome.
Sony has just announced the addition of a 32GB Memory Stick to its HX family of cards, offering 20MB/second data transfer.
The new Memory Stick can store three-and-three-quarter hours (225 minutes) of full 1080p high definition video, and comes shipped with a USB adaptor for transferring data to and from a PC.
Exact pricing and availability to be confirmed.
Though it's hard to get excited about HDMI cables in themselves, there's been a development by the HDMI Licensing Committee that means a new connector type should make it easier for mobile devices to interface with other high definition gear.
This is great news, given the increasing number of mobile phones and mini camcorders that are capable of shooting in a high definition format.
Shop for the latest mobile phones with HD capabilities at Phones4u.co.uk
Sky has decided that the best way to celebrate its high definition coverage of The Ashes is to produce a special remote control unit where all the buttons are rotated through 180 degrees.
This year's Ashes are the first to be shown in HD, with coverage starting on Wednesday 8th July exclusively on Sky Sports HD:
- 1st npower Ashes Test - Wed 8 - Sun 12 July
- 2nd npower Ashes Test - Thurs 16 - Mon 20 July
- 3rd npower Ashes Test - Thurs 30 July - Mon 3 Aug
- 4th npower Ashes Test - Fri 7 - Tues 11 Aug
- 5th npower Ashes Test - Thurs 20 - Mon 24 Aug
Buffalo has announced its latest LinkStation Pro NAS hardware, designed specifically for the needs of those users downloading and streaming high definition content around their home network.
The LinkStation Pro features a built-in DLNA media server with WebAccess, Direct Copy for sharing media with others, BitTorrent server and iTunes compatibility.
It comes in 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB capacities and can handle data transfer rates of up to 66MB/s.
Available now, pricing to be confirmed.
The next version of the HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) cabling standard has been announced ahead of an official launch on June 30th this year.
Version 1.4 will include improved networking via built-in Ethernet connectivity plus an Audio Return Channel that can upstream audio connections directly.
The maximum possible resolution able to be transmitted will also be improved so that it can support 4K and 2K as used in many digital cinemas. Many home users won't notice a difference as the current HDMI standard can easily handle 1080p video and high def audio. However, it does open up future possibilities for advanced equipment.
It's going to take some time for the new standard, which will require upgraded cabling in order to work, to be installed on hardware.
Wall mounting gear probably ranks alongside memory cards in the excitement stakes, but again, it's important hardware for those wanting to set up a decent home cinema system.
Vogel has announced its latest wall mount systems - the 8000 Series Motion and Motion+.
The Motion+ system allows a flat screen to be turned up to 75 degrees on either side, allowing the best view, and can also be set perpendicular to the wall.
A company called Hi-Den Vision has just introduced its HD-0311 Tiny Hi-Def Photo Player gizmo that allows you to view your digital photos on a high definition TV via HDMI.
Aimed particularly at travellers, it offers a range of viewing customisation effects such as transitions, zooms, and such like, as well as playing back music and video clips.
It will read files from anything you can connect up via USB, and the unit measures just 4.8 x 10.1 x 1.6cms and weighs 50g.
It has a US retail price of $42.99.
Product page
Come on, wake up! Memory cards aren't the most scintillating read going, but they are becoming ever more vital in the world of disk-less storage, particularly for high bandwidth applications like HD video.
Panasonic has announced its latest SDHC Memory Cards which conform to the Class 10 speed specification. Put simply, that means a maximum speed of 22MB/s.
Available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities.
Samsung has announced that its latest mobile phone, the i8910 HD, has launched in the UK today exclusively on the Orange network.
While we don't normally feature mobile phones on HDTVUK, this handset is one of the increasing number of ultra-portable devices capable of creating and outputting some kind of true high definition content.
In fact, Samsung is claiming a world first. The i8910 HD is the first mobile phone capable of capturing video in high definition.
As a likely baby brother to the Linksys WRT610N router launched last year, Cisco has announced its latest WRT320N Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router.
Designed to give priority to the streaming of high definition video content, it is based on the draft 802.11n high speed Wi-Fi specification and operates on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
The WRT320N is designed so that network performance is fine-tuned to give priority to High-Definition video without the need for manual configuration. PC users can customise their networks to give priority to certain devices, like gaming consoles, over others.
It's also Energy Star rated because it helps to reduce power consumption by almost half over previous models.
Available now for around £100.
Buffalo has announced the launch of its Nfiniti Wireless-N high power router and access point, providing an advanced high-speed networking solution for the home.
It can deliver speeds of up to 300Mbps so is well suited to streaming high definition content wirelessly between devices. It also has an extended range compared to standard 802.11g devices.
Also built-in is network attached storage (NAS) functionality to make file sharing easier, plus QoS technology for prioritising high bandwidth real-time traffic.
It's secure, featuring WPA2, WPA-PSK (AES, TKIP) and 128/64-bit WEP, and is easy to set up with the AirStation One-Touch Secure System.
Available now (product code WHR-HP-G300NH) for £89.99.
Hot on the heels of the wireless quadband home router comes D-Link's Wireless N Bridge, ideal for linking together two or more home entertainment systems.
The DAP-1522 can connect up to four wired devices to an existing wireless network, opening the way for HD video streaming and online gaming.
D-Link has just announced its latest router, designed to service the wireless needs of the multimedia household by incorporating both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously.
This means that standard network traffic such as email, web surfing and such like can be done on the standard 2.4GHz Wi-Fi channel, while bandwidth and delay-critical data such as high definition video can be sent over the newer and faster 5GHz channel.
Cables are boring, granted, but the least you can do is to buy one that fits in with your home decor and doesn't show itself up in polite company.
Something like Sony's latest streamlined HDMI cables, perhaps, which are "perfect for stylish home entertainment installations".
Tech-wise, they are high-performance HDMI cable compliant with the 1.3a category 2 specification and able to transfer data at up to 10.2Gbps. They feature a horizontal connection at each end, designed for flat TV wall installations, and are constructed from oxygen-free copper with 24 carat gold-plated connectors. They are triple-shielded to provide a high level of protection from electromagnetic interference.
The new Sony DLC-HD10H (1 metre) and DLC-HD20H (2 metre) HDMI cables feature connectors rotatable through 180˚. It can perfectly well handle 1080p, 240Hz refresh rate and 48-bit Deep Colour.
Available from April, pricing to be confirmed.
The specification for USB 3.0 was released last November, and now Gennum Corporation has announced an integrated physical layer and controller for USB 3.0. Another three companies, including Synopsys, have demonstrated silicon support for the interface.
Amongst other things, USB 3.0 could be used for transfer of high definition video and audio, given that it has a maximum throughput of 5Gb/s and can deliver up to 300Mb/s of data at the application level. It's also a bidirectional technology, as opposed to USB 2.0 which is unidirectional.
Presuming that the current economic situation doesn't slow things down, hardware utilising USB 3.0 could be available early next year.
(Via EETimes)
Related posts: USB could be used for HD transfer with HDCP | PS3 gadget can bypass HDCP copy protection | DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, UDI: Too many standards spoil the HD broth?
LaCie has announced the availability of its LaCinema Classic hard drive, aimed specifically at multimedia users and designed by Neil Poulton. Not only does it come with up to one terabyte of storage, but it can be connected directly to a high definition TV via standard HDMI port.
DivX-certified, the drive will upscale standard definition video content to 1080p, and also comes with stereo and S/PDIF coaxial output for connecting to audio equipment. It also has a remote control unit for accessing media without having to touch the unit.
Available now from £139.90 for the 500GB version.
LaCie
Samsung has announced its first 256GB capacity SSD, capable of reading data at 220MBps and writing at 200MBps.
This means it can store 25 high definition films (10GB of storage space required for each) in just 21 minutes, compared to a 7200rpm hard drive which would take around 70 minutes to store the same multimedia content.
This advanced performance is attributed to a new optimised single-platform design consisting of chip controller, NAND flash, and a special drive firmware.
The SSD is also energy efficient, consuming around half that of a comparable hard drive (1.1W vs 2W)
Availability and pricing to be confirmed.
If your home entertainment system is overflowing with toys that require HDMI inputs, the IXOS Studio XHE228 is for you.
It allows you to connect two HDMI sources to a single display, has auto switch functionality, and is compactly designed so that it won't prove too obtrusive.
The Switcher supports standard definition as well as 720p, 1080i and 1080p, and is HDCP compliant. The RRP is £49.99.
Product page
ProVision, who wowed the CES crowds earlier in the year with their wireless high-def streaming kit, have just lifted the covers off of their potentially game-changing AXAR2010 HD video system.
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