Monster Cable Rolls Out Wireless HDTV Connection Kit
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Monster Cable Products Inc., the company that's synonymous with expensive video and audio cables, is going wireless.
On Thursday, Monster is introducing a set of two boxes: a receiver that plugs into the back of a high-definition TV and a transmitter that connects to a DVD player or other components of a home entertainment center.
The transmitter can send an HD video signal wirelessly up to 30 feet to the receiver, using so-called ultra-wideband, or UWB, technology from Sigma Designs Inc.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is our Monster Cable-less solution," joked Monster Cable president Noel Lee, in an interview.
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The Monster Digital Express HD boxes will be available in October for $299.95 each.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wireless HD connections are a hot field in consumer electronics, with many companies trying different technologies to solve the problem of maintaining a steady flow of wireless data at very high speeds. Ultra-wideband, a relatively novel technology, is a leading contender.
In January, Westinghouse Digital Electronics showed off an LCD TV for the commercial signage market with a built-in UWB receiver chip and a matching transmitter.
A consortium that includes Sony Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Intel Corp. is promoting another wireless technology they call WirelessHD, with transfer speeds that are even higher than UWB.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Other manufacturers, like LG Electronics, are betting on run-of-the-mill Wi-Fi as the wireless link. Wi-Fi is a tried and true technology for data networking, but is less than ideal for streaming video because of interference from other Wi-Fi gadgets.
"We had opportunities with lots of other systems that just didn't have the quality of service," Lee said. "[Sigma] is the first partner we found ... that has a robust enough technology."
The Monster transmitter will "upscale" non-HD signal sources, like DVDs, to HD resolution before transmitting. The receiver plugs into a High-Definition Multimedia Interface, or HDMI, port on the TV.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}To back up the short-range wireless capability, the boxes can also connect via coaxial cable to reach each other in different rooms, up to 330 feet away.