Whether you want to stream video from the internet or just connect a subwoofer wirelessly, there are a number of products being displayed that may be of interest.
Perhaps the most prominent internet streaming video source today is Netflix. Although known more for revolutionizing the DVD rental business, Netflix also boasts the largest number of devices to get their video from the internet to your TV. This year at CES both LG and Vizio have announced plans to deliver Netflix compatible TVs later this year.
If you're more interested in distributing HD video throughout your house from a central media server maybe the CodexNovus DMS-6000 is more your style. It boasts the ability to deliver up various combinations of video and audio streams simultaneously to a network of hardware clients. Its 120MBps network connection can be used to simultaneously deliver up to eight 1080p video streams, 12 Standard Definition video streams, 16 High Definition audio streams or 48 MP3 audio streams to a network hundreds of CodexNovus Client Players and Player/Servers.
Not looking for anything that fancy (or expensive)? Maybe you just want to get the signal coming out of your Set-top box or Blu-ray player from one room to another. ProVision would like to sell you on the AXAR 1000, a 802.11n wireless device designed to do just that.
Or maybe your needs aren't nearly so advanced.If all you need is the ability to connect a subwoofer to your home theater receiver without running wires. Polk Audio's PSWi2255 uses a 2.4GHz wireless signal to do just that.
With the dust long since settled in the Blu-ray vs HD DVD format war and the dominant TV technologies fairly well established, the next big frontier seems to be networking and connectivity. For consumer electronics companies competing for a piece of the smaller consumer pie it's a good way to distinguish themselves from the competition.
For consumers it may be better to wait and see which technologies are still around when the dust settles in the next few months to several years. Or of course if you have money for your home theater system burning a hole in your pocket you could throw your lot in with whatever looks the most promising and add another dimension to your home entertainment.
Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 13 Jan 2009 2:01
