Sigma Designs has been dabbling in wireless HD technologies for eons, so we aren't going to get too excited until we see this here system-on-chip (SoC) actually hit some products that we care about. Still, the CoAir is a fairly sweet concept, wrapping integrated wireless, coax and gigabit Ethernet capabilities into one single chip aimed at whole home networking. Put simply (or as simply as possible), this chip is the world's first to "simultaneously deliver multiple independent streams of video and data over coax cable, Ethernet cable and wirelessly without compromising quality of service and throughput." Based on the WiMedia standard, it can reach speeds of up to 480Mbps with UWB (ultra-wideband) wireless streaming, and room-to-room linkage via UWB-over-coax can peg those same rates. What we have here is a great basis for building a whole home server on, but until said device emerges and performs flawlessly, we'll just smile and carry on.

A lot of things in the high-def world are going down in 2012, so it's not shocking at all to hear that we've got yet another thing to look forward to during that fateful year. ABI Research has just loosed a new report that tags wireless HD as being in its "incubation" stage, with fewer than 100,000 devices in the sector scheduled to ship in 2008. Furthermore, analysts are suggesting that 2012 would be the earliest point in which one million wireless HDTV installations occurred worldwide -- and that's an "optimistic forecast." We posed the question a few months back wondering just how long it would take for this stuff to take off. 'Spose we have our answer, huh?

[Via Connected Home News]

Funny -- just this week we heard Hitachi President Kazuo Furukawa make mention of a forthcoming Wooonet networking scheme for its Wooo HDTVs, and now we're getting a few more details on potentially related peripherals. Analog Devices has just announced that its Advantiv technology is playing a huge role in the TP-WL700H. Said device is an ultra-wideband (UWB) based wireless transmission hub, which is currently available exclusively in Japan and designed to bring high-definition material to Wooo HDTVs sans extra cabling. There's not a peep about the unit ever heading Stateside, but given that everyone and their second cousin once removed is wondering when wireless HD will ever take off here, we'd sure like to see it make the journey.

[Image courtesy of Impress]

Monster Cable -- the firm famous for grossly overcharging for its wares and suing nearly every company on Earth with "monster" in its title -- is going wireless. Yep, rather than gouging customers for Unicorn-like wiring, it'll now be promising to transmit signals through the purest air -- the kind only a Monster box could attract, most likely. Over at Hometech 2008 in Dubai, CEO Noel Lee affirmed that it would soon be "coming out with wireless," also noting that the elusive product(s) would be based on ultra-wideband (UWB) technology and support 1080p. Beyond that, it looks like we'll be waiting for specifics, as an official announcement of the device won't come until the "second week of June." Lee also stated that it "[wouldn't] be inexpensive," and threw out a $600 estimation for "a pair of boxes," while each additional room would cost $200 to connect. Color us absolutely unimpressed.

Remember those "world's thinnest" X-Series LCD HDTVs we spotted earlier this year? On their way over from Japan to the US, Sharp has whipped up a partnership with AMIMON in order to offer a wireless HDTV link based on the latter company's WHDI technology. Apparently the 37-, 42- and 46-inch displays will be sold in both nations with an optional wireless video transmitter (read: each set is "wireless ready"), giving users the ability to send uncompressed HD to their HDTV from up to 100-feet away. As for US pricing and availability, Sharp's not quite ready to dish out those points, and while we're not exactly sure if this is the launch that finally gets wireless HD headed in right direction, it certainly can't hurt matters. Full release posted after the jump.

This week's Ask Engadget HD question is near and dear to our hearts, and quite frankly, it's one of the best inquiries we've heard thus far. After a veritable onslaught of wireless HD, wireless HDMI, WHDI and other cord-free HD apparatuses were introduced and trumpeted at CES 2008, the hubbub has completely died in the months after. Sure, we realize many firms were simply showing off unreleased kit back in January, but it seems the push for untangling one's components has been (at least momentarily) halted. Check out Jeff's concerns for yourself:

"When is wireless HD finally going to hit the market? Philips introduced a wireless HDMI product that never saw the light of day; now Belkin (FlyWire) and Gefen have announced similar examples at CES, but there's no word on when either will hit the market. Yes, this technology comes with a large price tag, but when will those willing to pay for a clutter-free setup have the chance to?"

Beyond all that, we're wondering if these kinds of products will even impress once unleashed. In our experiences, transmitting loads of data over any form of wireless setup has been prone to dropouts, hiccups and all sorts of annoyances. Heck, even PowerLine has yet to overcome the stigma attached to it -- and it's a wired technology! Personally, we're hoping companies with wireless HD wares are taking the time to perfect them rather than handing them over unpolished, but still, will you be willing to subject yourself to possible early adopter woes when this stuff finally greets retail floors en masse?

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

It's been a tick since we've heard a noticeable peep from Avocent, but the firm has recently unveiled the true successor to its Emerge MPX1000. The aptly-named MPX1500 is still a high-definition multipoint extender at its core, but rather than relying on swappable output modules, this unit packs a single DVI-D output and uses adapters to output HDMI, component, S-Video, VGA and composite. Additionally, this newer iteration comes in a much smaller enclosure and offers VGA resolutions up to 1,360 x 768 (while HDMI / DVI still goes to 1080i). Reportedly, users can still expect to see signals transmitted sans wires up to 150 feet through walls, and if interested, can pick one up as we speak for $995.

After waxing rhapsodic in our last podcast about how dodgy the issue of wireless HDMI / wireless HD really is, we're beginning to wonder if passing along 1080i / 1080p content on existing power lines is an acceptable (or flat out better) alternative. Granted, PowerLine applications haven't had the best of luck over the years functioning as advertised, but given that PowerLine-enabled HD media streamers are already seeing reality, we're hoping the technology can advance beyond its flawed past. Another example of said technology moving forward is the debut of several PLC (Power Line Communication) adapters from Sharp, which can be used to connect an AQUOS Net HDTV (among other devices) to the internet via electrical wiring. Truth be told, we're crossing our fingers that this stuff can really take off -- after all, you'll still be stuck figuring out a way to run a single wire to an AC outlet regardless of everything else. Of course, only time will tell if DRM-laced, uncompressed HD content will flow unimpeded through a home's electrical infrastructure, but this corner is definitely rooting for it.

[Image courtesy of X10]

Pulse-Link and Westinghouse displayed their UWB-equipped wireless HDMI LCD, streaming 1080p goodness from an attached Blu-ray player. The JPEG2000 compression showed no trace of artifacting as the video passed three, shoot, maybe four feet without the aid of such antiquated devices as cables. Due for B2B applications soon, they still hope to make this available for consumers by year-end with a minimal cost premium over wired devices (read: a few hundred dollars), until then just check out these pics and dream of the future.

Amped up about the onset of CES? Stoked about the possibilities of wireless HD? If you answered yes to even one of the aforementioned questions, here's a tidbit sure to keep you salivating. Apparently, a not-yet-named "leading consumer electronics manufacturer" will be showcasing a WHDI-enabled HDTV at CES, which will reportedly be able to receive "uncompressed 1080p 60Hz HD video streams wirelessly." The chipset handling the dirty work is the AMIMON AMN2110/AMN2210, and while there's little more to say beyond that, you can rest assured that we'll be looking to find out more about this elusive set as soon as it gets unveiled.

We didn't have to wait for CES to begin to find out the UWB camp's response to WirelessHD 1.0, Westinghouse and Pulse-Link plan to demo the first "fully-integrated" wireless HDTV Saturday. The Westinghouse Digital Wireless HDMI HDTV should hit the B2B digital signage marketplace in the second quarter, and could see release to consumers by the end of the year. If wired HDMI is just too complicated, Pulse-Link's CWave Wireless HDMI promises 40 foot range with no loss of quality. No word yet on exact price, or what kind of Monster accessories we can expect to enhance our wireless viewing experience, but this seems a lot more tangible than the Philips wireless HDTV technology vaporware from CES '07.

Radiospire and wireless content go hand in hand, so it's almost expected that the firm unveil a few new technologies for us to drool over at CES 2008. Apparently, the outfit will be showcasing two production-ready products based on its 1.6Gbps AirHook wireless HD technology, one of which will "allow consumers to connect multiple high-definition sources" to their HDTV via HDMI without smashing up their wall to run cables. Aside from the aforementioned Wireless HD Theater Hub (pictured), the AirHook Wireless for HDMI cable replacement product (dongle-based) will enable consumers to pass along HDMI signals from components to TVs / receivers sans a cable, but unlike AMIMON's solution, there's no confirmation that either of these are HDCP-compliant. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see what both of these can really do in just a few weeks.

Update: Turns out, this stuff is HDCP-compliant. Thanks, Alex!

That wireless USB hub you peeked this morning was just the calm before the storm, as Gefen has now unveiled a smorgasbord of HD converters, extenders, and other accessories that you just can't do without. Up first is the $249 Component + Digital Audio to HDMI Adapter, which pipes that recently one-upped component and Toslink connection into a single HDMI cable. Next, it looks like Gefen is expanding its PVR lineup with an HD iteration that supports HDMI and is capable of recording HDCP-compliant sources in 1080p. Moving on, you'll find a 4x4 HDMI CAT5 Matrix to string your HDMI signals along up to 200-feet using vanilla CAT5 cabling, and the $399 Component Audio Extender enables nearly any audio source to be transferred 330-feet away over Ethernet. Last (but certainly not least), the $699 Wireless HDMI Extender delivers a plug 'n play method of extending HDMI signals up to 33-feet over the air with no loss in quality. Unsurprisingly, Gefen's latest niche convenience products won't enter your AV system without a premium, so be sure and avoid the gallery below if you're already being negatively tempted to pick something up.

Read - Component + Digital Audio to HDMI Adapter
Read - Personal Video Recorders
Read - 4x4 HDMI CAT5 Matrix
Read - Component Audio Extender
Read - Wireless HDMI Extender

If you're looking to pick up any UWB device to stream high definition video / audio around your crib anytime soon, chances are it might have a little Taiyo Yuden and Sigma Designs beneath the shell. The two firms are showcasing a WiMedia Alliance-based UWB wireless HD streaming solution here at CES, which highlights "Taiyo Yuden's antenna array on its mini-PCI reference design module with Sigma Designs' Windeo chipset." The unique three-antenna array offered on Yuden's solution supposedly offers up extended range possibilities, and fully supports Sigma's "Intelligent Array Radio" technology. Unfortunately there's no word on any end product uses just yet, nor any expected dates for this newfangled system to hit the mainstream, but with the ginormous pressures being felt around here to get wireless HD streaming out to consumer, we're sure it's pretty high up there on each company's priority list.

Looks like CES 2007 is the place to be for wireless HDMI, as now we've seen offerings from AMIMON, Philips, and Tzero showcasing the ability to stream beautiful 1080p HD sans wires, and now Asus is joining the fold. Apparently basing its self-branded product line on technologies from Tzero and Analog Devices, the admittedly vague press release simply informs us that the company will be fighting tooth and nail in the wireless HDMI over UWB arena, and notes that we'll be seeing "accessory devices and embedded designs that dramatically simplify connections between home audio and video electronic components." Per usual, Asus' box will accept component, composite, S-Video, and HDMI (HDCP-compliant) signals, and the video is then compressed using Analog Devices' ADV202 JPEG2000 video codec, where it's then combined with audio, packetized and encrypted, and transmitted via the Tzero MAC and PHY chip. So until we can mosey on over to see some of this stuff in action, we'll just have to take Asus' word for it, as the company withheld information regarding model numbers, prices, and release dates for the time being.