Cavium Networks Unveils New In-Home Wireless HD Video Distribution Platform

Cavium Networks, a provider of semiconductor products, has unveiled a comprehensive Networked High Definition (netHD) Wi-Fi reference design, which is a ready-to-use, feature rich development platform developed to build next-generation, in-home wireless video distribution systems.

 

Multiple flat panel televisions are some of the popular gadgets found in many homes today. These gadgets are connected to a variety of sources such as set-top boxes, game consoles, DVD/Blu-ray players, media PCs and portable media players. Interconnecting these sources to multiple displays in multiple rooms requires complex wiring. In this regard, many manufacturers, service providers, and gaming console vendors were looking for a standards-based, secure and a cost effective wireless technology to transport real-time, HD broadcast quality video.

 

With this in mind, Cavium Networks developed netHD Wi-Fi solution that delivers 1080p60 quality (broadcast quality) video and sub-frame latency video wirelessly -- leveraging standards-based H.264 video compression and standards-based 802.11n Wi-Fi technology.

 

According to Cavium, the netHD Wi-Fi reference design is a cost-effective platform that can be used by consumer electronic manufacturers, service providers, gaming console vendors, media PC and after market gateway and HDMI cable replacement vendors -- to introduce systems that deliver full HD 1080p60 quality in-home video distribution to a single or multiple flat panel displays within the home wirelessly.

 

Cavium's netHD Wi-Fi reference design integrates the PureVu CNW3602 video CODEC and the OCTEON(TM) CN50XX processor with 2x HDMI interfaces, 1x VGA input, 1x SPDIF audio output, 1x GE port, 1x USB 2.0 host and 1x mini-PCI slot that supports any 802.11n Wi-Fi card, the company said.

 

The company said the HDMI interfaces present in the platform has the capability to input 1080p60 video and sends a secure compressed stream over 802.11n Wi-Fi to any, or multiple displays within the home thereby making it ideal for in-room or multi-room wireless distribution of HD video.

 

In addition, the netHD solution features HDCP 2.0 (high definition content protection) protocol and supports the industry standard Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) protocol. The platform is capable of delivering sub-frame latency video via company’s patent-pending super low latency technology, making it ideal for enabling interactive video applications, such as gaming.

 

The new netHD platform ships with a ready-to-use netHD application suite, which is optimized to deliver HD video over Wi-Fi. This application suite comes bundled with -- software for video transport across varying distances and network conditions; DLNA device discovery; full set of HDCP 2.0 security protocols for security/content protection; and high-performance rate-adaptive algorithms coupled with QoS. All these features ensure un-interrupted wireless video and audio experience to users, said the company.

 

In addition, the netHD’s application suite can seamlessly integrate and co-exist with other DLNA compatible devices as well in the home, Cavium said.