New Standard Promises HDTV Over Home Networks

New Standard Promises HDTV Over Home Networks

A new home networking standard promises to link devices over power lines, co-axial cables and telephone wiring at speeds high enough to deliver high-definition video to any room in the house.

While the standard is being defined by the ITU, it will be promoted by the HomeGrid Forum, a group of vendors that currently includes Intel, Infineon, Panasonic and Texas Instruments.



Matthew Theall, technology strategist at Intel's Digital Home group and president of the HomeGrid Forum, said that G.hn should allow data rates up to 400Mbit/s over co-axial cables, up to 200Mbit/s over power lines, and somewhere between the two over phone cabling.

Even the brand name has yet to be decided, as G.hn is just a placeholder until the HomeGrid Forum can come up with something catchier.

Theall declined to say whether Intel will produce its own silicon or devices based on the standard, but said that the company believes the technology will be beneficial in the consumer electronics industry.