We really can't comment on the curious timing here, but just after CopperGate picked up the HomePlug AV Powerline business from Conexant Systems, along comes word that the HomePlug AV II specification is just over the horizon. Reportedly, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance is planning to release its next-gen home networking specification "later this year, with first silicon sampling in 2009." We're told that the new spec would simply "build on the existing HomePlug AV specification, developed in 2005, which offers a theoretical bandwidth up to just under 200 Mbits/s." Regrettably, no one could pry a new target speed from the mouths of execs just yet, but you can rest assured it will be at least somewhat speedier (duh).

Let's face it -- HomePlug AV has had a pretty rough go of it, and while we wouldn't consider the technology dead just yet, we can't imagine it ever rising to prominence at this point. Our negativity isn't stopping one CopperGate Communications from following its heart, however, as it just announced this week that it would be taking the business off of Conexant Systems' hands. The pickup makes CopperGate the "the first semiconductor company with home networking technologies supporting all three wire types (coax, phone and power lines)." The deal gives the new owner "all relevant power line technology and silicon products, related patents, appropriate licenses, and requisite personnel," which sounds to us like everything including the kitchen sink. Of course, there's no way of knowing what kind of impact the acquisition will have, but CopperGate's hoping that it will "better prepare the company for the new ITU home networking standard, G.hn." Check out the read link for more details.

HomePlug's had a rocky past, but ZyXEL's looking to take the technology to new heights with the DMA1100P HomePlug AV digital media adapter. Dubbed a "simple solution" to enable consumers to share content on an HDTV via power lines, the "world's first" DMA with integrated HomePlug AV Powerline technology includes support for 1080i streaming and HDMI output. Purportedly, users can toss content around on their home power lines at around 200Mbps and it also "automatically discovers all media files from DLNA supported devices and makes them available for browsing and playback." Granted, we'd be a wee bit gun-shy about pulling the trigger on this one, but the brave souls out there who believe that this stuff will deliver can grab it next month for $269.99.

Vidanti is hoping to shake things up in the HD IPTV game by offering up a product line devoted to networking your HD streaming home devices without laying down for fancy new cabling and a weekend's worth of installation charges. The company has chosen to base its forthcoming lineup on Intellon's INT6000 HomePlug AV, which utilizes the power lines already ran throughout your home to distribute HD audio / video. Intellon claims that its technology beneath the hood will allow Vidanti's product line to realize 200Mbps, but we all know that transferring bits and bytes through the power lines hasn't exactly lived up to expectations. Nevertheless, Vidanti is now hoping to "offer service providers an HD IP set-top box (pictured) whose power and connectivity to the broadband gateway are both supplied through a standard power cord," and if all goes as planned, it should be listed under its future BBTV4000 lineup of goods.