Jason Dunn
03-28-2005, 11:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,120175,tk,dn032805X,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,120175,tk,dn032805X,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"When the HomePlug AV specification is ratified in June, HomePlug will deliver a 200-megabits-per-second data rate, with expected throughput just shy of 100 mbps, which makes it ideal to transmit multiple streams of video throughout the home. Intellon today has 98 percent of the HomePlug 1.0 market for silicon, but Arkados and Conexant Systems plan to build HomePlug AV chips, with others like Broadcom expected to join the market. The first HomePlug AV products should ship around October. Overall, HomePlug gear is reliable, secure (encryption is built in), and toaster-easy to set up. Just as significant, the Alliance chose the HomePlug AV specification as the basis for its upcoming HomePlug Broadband over Powerline (BPL) standard, expected to be ratified by year-end. This means that in time you'll be able to buy broadband equipment and services from your power supplier that work seamlessly with your HomePlug LAN equipment. Moreover, BPL means increased broadband access for rural communities, and improved energy management and efficiency."</i><br /><br />I had pretty much given up on power line networking, because it just never seemed to materialize, but some industry efforts seem to be breathing life back into it's stiff corpse. The expected benefit? 100 mbps of real-world throughput, designed mostly for video streaming. Will consumers bite? Not unless they all agree on one standard, which they don't. Idiots. :roll: