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Netgear's Home Theater Internet Connection Kit spreads content on power lines

by Darren Murph posted Aug 12th 2009 at 8:41AM

Not so fond of those wireless streaming solutions? Unable to strew Ethernet cables all across your abode for fear of an SO beating? Fret not, as Netgear's now-shipping Home Theater Internet Connection Kit has you covered. The $179.99 bundle consists of an XAVB1004 Powerline AV Ethernet switch and a single Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101) to get you started; just connect your web-ready wares to these adapters via Ethernet, and connect said adapters to your home's vast array of power outlets. It's magic, really.

[Via HotHardware]

HomePlug fires back with powerline IEEE P1901 Draft Standard adoption

by Steven Kim posted Jul 29th 2009 at 5:19PM

HomePlug Power Alliance logoHighly variable real-world performance aside, the lack of a well-defined standard for powerline networking isn't helping the technology take off; but sticking consumers between the warring G.hn and HomePlug AV factions doesn't help anybody. In the latest round of the fight, the IEEE P1901 reached Draft Standard acceptance, and -- wouldn't you know it -- the onus of coming up with compliance and interoperability testing for products will fall upon the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. Just to raise the stakes, the Draft Standard is aiming for backward compatibility with existing devices. Sounds like herding cats to us, but with finalization of the Standard slated for 2010, it looks like things are going to heat up in the coming months.

Belkin's Gigabit Powerline Adapter ups the ante for electrical outlet networking

by Ross Miller posted Jun 22nd 2009 at 7:46PM

We don't know exactly how, but Belkin's claiming its new Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit adapters can outpace the current 200Mbps standard speed of most other powerline devices (not all of them, mind you) by five fold. Of course, the caveat here is that the touted 1000Mbps is under ideal settings, and there's no telling what other network traffic, interference, or problematic wiring could lower that figure -- still, assuming all conditions are sound, we're talking some hefty numbers for an HD streaming network run via your home's electrical system. It's available now in North America at a penny under $150 for a pair of adapters, with a European release in early August.

D-Link ships $139.99 PowerLine HD Ethernet Adapter Starter Kit

by Darren Murph posted Apr 15th 2009 at 3:21PM


While we wait for the phenomenon that is wireless HD to actually matter, D-Link's forging ahead with technology that's here, now. Starting today, the outfit is shipping a new PowerLine kit that can stream high-def footage throughout a home's integrated electrical wiring system. In other words, it's not wireless, but it's far from being messy. The PowerLine HD Ethernet Adapter Starter Kit (DHP-303) includes a pair of wall plugs / adapters which convert power sockets into access points for streaming media across the network. D-Link promises that users will see up to 200Mbps of throughput, and of course, the tried-and-rarely-true "plug-and-play" buzzword is thrown in as well. Assuming it actually works, the $139.99 asking price ain't too bad.

Gallery: D-Link ships $139.99 PowerLine HD Ethernet Adapter Starter Kit

Linksys by Cisco PLTK300 Powerline kit is pretty, sluggish

by Darren Murph posted Mar 21st 2009 at 8:17AM


And to think, this here box had so much promise. At first glance, it's easy to fall head over heels with the PLTK300 Powerline box. After all, it features a four-port adapter that easily manages game consoles, Blu-ray players, AV receivers, etc., and passes those signals along your home network via power wiring. The rub? It's based on the older 85Mbps standard and not the fresher, speedier 200Mbps protocol. In other words, you may see dropped frames and the like if trying to push too much HD through here at once. Ah well, at least that news makes the Asia-only availability that much easier to live with.

Update: So, these seem to be shipping now in the US. Huzzah! [Thanks, Dave!]

UPA and HomeGrid Forum agree to support G.hn networking standard

by Darren Murph posted Mar 1st 2009 at 10:16AM

While wireless HD / HDMI attempts to find itself a place in the market, G.hn is racking up its fair share of support from those who still get along with wires. Universal Powerline Association and the HomeGrid Forum have just announced an agreement to support the G.hn wireline networking standard. If you'll recall, G.hn was just recently ratified by the ITU as a new global standard for HDTV home networking, and while it's tough to tell how it'll react to HomePlug AV vying for those same customers, we can already see a battle shaping up. Still, a universal format for transmitting 1080p content around the home is certainly something that's easy to dig -- it's getting everyone on a single caboose that's difficult. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading UPA and HomeGrid Forum agree to support G.hn networking standard

DS2 shows off embedded powerline module

by Darren Murph posted Jan 15th 2009 at 9:52AM


While powerline as a whole still has quite a ways to go before it's considered mainstream, DS2 is apparently hoping to bring it a touch closed by embedding it in places we'd least expect. At CES last week, the company was spotted showing off an embedded PLC module which gave powerline capabilities to whatever item it was integrated into. Now, let's see DS2 convince router companies and the like to follow suit.

HomePlug Alliance hits some milestones, rallies the troops at CES

by Steven Kim posted Jan 8th 2009 at 3:17AM

HomePlug Alliance logoWe've been disappointed by the fits and starts that powerline technology has suffered in the past, but an honest look over the past year's HomePlug Alliance achievements isn't without bright spots. Growth in the install base (now at 25 million devices), products and vendors (18 new members) are nothing to sneeze at, and HomePlug AV2's promise of 600Mbps speeds sounds promising going forward. Kicking of at CES this week and moving forward, the alliance wants to see lots more household connectivity for HDTV, HDMI and all manner of data transfer you want to get done without tearing down the sheetrock in your home. Could this be the year that HomePlug really takes off, or will disappointing real-world performance continue to dog the technology? Hit the link for the alliance's rosy view and let us know your predictions in the comments.

Continue reading HomePlug Alliance hits some milestones, rallies the troops at CES

Netgear's CES showcase: powerline / MoCA gear, Internet TV player

by Darren Murph posted Jan 7th 2009 at 12:00PM


Netgear isn't kidding around here at CES, and if you thought three new routers was the extent of it, you're sorely mistaken. The company is also debuting its new Internet TV Player (ITV2000; pictured), which is essentially an internet set-top-box that brings online media to the TV with all sorts of elegance. It'll be able to stream content from CNN, ESPN, NBA, TMZ, YouTube, Google, Yahoo and MetaCafe, though we're going to need a little Hulu mixed in before we take it seriously. We're also being reintroduced to the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150) box, and in slightly less interesting news, we've got the XAV1004 Powerline AV adapter with 4-port Ethernet Switch holding it down within you walls. Lastly, we've got the MCAB1001 MoCA coax-Ethernet adapter kit and the WNMR834 Wireless-N MoCA router, both of which enable users to rely on their existing in-home cabling to distribute signals over Ethernet. All the gory details (minus price and availability, naturally) are just past the break.

Gallery: Netgear's CES showcase: powerline / MoCA gear, Internet TV player

Continue reading Netgear's CES showcase: powerline / MoCA gear, Internet TV player

Panasonic set to unveil powerline networking prototypes aplenty at CES

by Donald Melanson posted Dec 29th 2008 at 2:00PM

Panasonic already has a few powerline networking products to call its own (including the adapters pictured at right), but it looks like it's going to be expanding things in a fairly big way at CES next month, with it even set to bring some electric cars into the mix. That latter bit comes in the form of a prototype networking system that promises to let a variety of devices connect to an electric vehicle as it charges in the garage, letting you ensure that everything is set just right for when you drive out the next day. Other devices apparently on tap include an HD-PLC adapter for a security camera, and an electrical monitoring system of some sort. As you might expect, however, details on any of them are pretty light at the moment, but you can be sure that we'll be digging up what we can as soon as Panasonic officially takes the wraps off 'em.

[Via Digg]

HomePlug's powerline technology incorporated into IEEE P1901 standard

by Darren Murph posted Dec 23rd 2008 at 1:02PM


Powerline technology has been hanging around for years, but due to a combination of subpar real-world performance and a general lack of structure around the tech, it never really managed to take off. Now, it appears that we've stumbled upon yet another format war, this one over the power cabling within your walls. Within the very same month, we've seen the ITU ratify G.hn as the global standard for HDTV home networking and the IEEE bake HomePlug technology into its P1901 draft standard. Rob Ranck, president of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, said about the development: "The formation of a ubiquitous IEEE standard will help to unite the industry, create even faster market growth and provide strong benefits to the consumer." Right, except now we're in the midst of yet another war of the protocols (or so it seems).

DS2 already concoting a G.hn-compatible chipset

by Darren Murph posted Dec 19th 2008 at 4:07PM

Man, these guys are really on top of things. Just days after the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) ratified the G.hn home networking standard, DS2 has emerged to announce that it is already working to introduce a G.hn-compatible chipset as early as next year. When brought to market, the DSS9960 chipset will enable manufacturers to jump in and attempt to revive the obviously flagging powerline niche. Will interoperability be what finally turns this segment into a viable business model? We'll wait 'til the wireless HD fiasco gets sorted before attempting to answer that.

ITU ratifies G.hn as new global standard for HDTV home networking

by Darren Murph posted Dec 14th 2008 at 12:36PM

CopperGate knew this day was coming when it snapped up HomePlug AV's powerline business, and now the ink has finally dried on a new global standard for HDTV home networking. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ratified a standard that will be published under the G.hn banner and will serve to deliver "high quality multimedia over power, coaxial, phone and other home network wiring." Reportedly, the protocol will also bring "up to 20 times the throughout of existing wireless technologies and three times that of existing wired technologies." Moving forward, it's expected that the specifications will be used by chip manufacturers to "build transceivers that can be incorporated into set-top boxes, residential gateways, home computers, home audio systems, DVD players, TVs or any other device that may be connected to the network." Sounds good -- now let's get some gear to take advantage. CES, maybe? It's a date.

GefenTV Ethernet over Powerline Extender does what it says

by Darren Murph posted Dec 13th 2008 at 11:41AM


Pretty easy, right? Gefen's new $199 GefenTV Ethernet over PLC Extender takes regular ole Ethernet and passes information through your home's pre-installed power lines in order to nix those plans of running 200-foot strands of CAT5 down the middle of your foyer. The device enables up to four Ethernet connections to be extended over power lines, and everything can be sent without quality loss (and at up to 200Mbps) as long as the sender is within 1,000-feet of the receiver. Put down the Ethernet spool, and slowly back away.

Audiovox HDP100 HDMI-over-powerline kit tested, on sale

by Darren Murph posted Dec 5th 2008 at 10:24PM

Generally speaking, anything over powerline has received tepid reviews at best, and sure enough, Audiovox's promising HDP100 is just more of the same. The kit seeks to shuttle HDMI signals over your existing power lines within the home, but in CNET's review lair, critics found that the signal was "slightly degraded over what it expected from a true HDMI cable (i.e. perfection), showing lower resolution and some subtle choppiness, as if it was dropping frames." Still, those with smaller TVs or less demanding eyes may find this desirable over running all sorts of cabling across your floors; if we just rang your bell, you can snap the package up now for around $399 (or less on the street).




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