WLAN Chips Support Multimedia Products

Aug. 6, 2004

Wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) solution supplier IceFyre Semiconductor recently demonstrated the use of their WLAN products in next-generation multimedia products at the Wireless Japan 2004 show this past July 21-23, 2004 at the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre. The chipsets are employed in a wide range of multimedia consumer products, including SDTV and HDTV flat-panel television displays being readied for commercial release later in 2004.

Demonstrations included an I.Link-based High Definition TV (HDTV) network using the company's SureFyre 802.11a mini-PCI reference design that is capable of distributing High-Definition (HD) video content over a range greater than 40 m, proving that cost-effective, single-point distribution of HDTV or multiple SDTV multimedia streams throughout the home is possible now with the SureFyre 802.11a chipset. According to Dan Mathers, president and chief executive officer of IceFyre Semiconductor, Inc., "Those buying next-generation WLAN-enabled multimedia products will accept only perfect quality video, audio and image content distributed throughout their house through a single access point. Delivering this requires a level of performance far superior to that offered by WLAN systems developed for PC-centric products. Our innovative SureFyre 802.11a and TwinFyre 802.11a/b/g products are the only products that meet the demanding performance requirements of WLAN-enabled multimedia and consumer electronics devices."

Studies by market-research firm Forward Concepts indicate that the market for WLAN-enabled multimedia and consumer electronics devices will exceed 126 million devices by 2007, more than double the size of the market for WLAN-enabled PC-centric devices. To realize this market opportunity, WLAN-enabled multimedia networks must feature low deployment cost and complexity while delivering high-quality video, image, and audio fidelity.

IceFyre --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BKHa0AV

Forward Concepts --> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BKHb0AW

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.