WLAN technology is making its way into multimedia presentations now that networks are fast enough to handle them.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, two companies introduced products that marry wireless LANs to video and audio presentation equipment. OTC Wireless Inc. introduced WiJet.Video, a wireless projector and display adapter for WLANs, while Netgear Inc. unveiled the WGT634U Super Wireless Media Router, which is 802.11g-compliant.
The WiJet.Video adapter connects to a projector or other display and lets users transmit full-motion video from laptops. It can play embedded video while displaying a Microsoft Corp. PowerPoint presentation, said officials of the Fremont, Calif., company.
The WiJet.Video adapter connects to a standard VGA port as well as to component, S-Video and composite video ports, said the officials. WiJet.Video also supports stereo audio for high-tech home theater owners.
“You can use it for many applications—for living room, conference room or classroom,” said Alex Tsao, CEO of OTC, which does most of its business through distributors. “The enterprise business market is at least as important as the home market, but down the road we expect more users through the home market.”
WiJet.Video works with Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It runs on the 802.11g WLAN standard, which operates in the 2.4GHz frequency range with data transfer rates of up to 54M bps in ideal conditions. It is backward-compatible with 802.11b, but since 802.11b is about five times slower, the video transfer is not as good. Tsao said the prevalence of 802.11g has spurred demand for wireless video applications.
WiJet.Video will be available this quarter for $799. It is a follow-on to OTCs line of adapters that run still images across 802.11b.
Netgears WGT634U Super Wireless Media Router can stream video to distances of up to 200 feet, and it supports storage access off the router via a Universal Serial Bus interface, said officials at the Santa Clara, Calif., company. The router will be available this quarter for less than $200, officials said.
Netgear also introduced the MP101 Wireless Digital Music Player, which is compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g.