CES: ViXS aims wireless multimedia at home nets

By Bernard Cole
iApplianceWeb
(01/15/03, 03:16:13 PM EDT)

Las Vegas, Nevada -- ViXS Systems Inc.(Toronto, Canada) used the venue of the Consumer Electronics Show here to introduce its Matrix  IEEE 802.11a wireless communications processor optimized for delivery of multiple streams of wireless video over a home-based network of iAppliance and consumer electronics devices. 

Matrix is designed for “gateway” appliances, using two 802.11a channels to enable the distribution of quality video to multiple wireless devices.   Matrix, when combined with ViXS' XCode, its' MPEG/video network processor is aimed at robust video distribution with guaranteed broadcast-quality video streams at 30 frames per second.  This combination, the company said, will allow the construction of  home network media gateways and access points to stream video simultaneously to a variety of digital and analog devices such as TVs, next-generation plasma- and HDTVs, laptops, Webpads, and PDAs, that are using basic “off the shelf” 802.11a device cards.    

The Matrix dual independent channel 802.11a baseband chip is designed to wirelessly stream video to two HDTV-like devices with each client working on a different 802.11a channel.  XCode's MPEG chip is a multistream transcoder that maintains QoS for up to eight real-time digital video streams. ViXS' Matrix/XCode chipset can support two 802.11a channels in a wireless video network, which is key to supporting multiple broadcast-quality video streams with guaranteed QoS. 

The technolpgy was demonstrated at CES illustrated a streaming solution from a set-top box or “video gateway,” to a variety of connected digital and consumterCE devices over 802.11a and .11b networks at distances of up to 125 feet. Consumer iappliances used for reception included Web Tablets and PocketPCs.
 
According to Sally Daub, President and CEO of ViXS Systems, the ViXS solution deals with the inherent variability of an 802.11 wireless network (also know as a Wi-Fi network) which have been a roadblock to delivery of  streaming broadcast-quality video to multiple devices.  The challenges include the distance a remote client is from the gateway device, impediments such as doors and walls that are typically found in the home environment and, most importantly, the number of client devices in use.Just one client device receiving video from the Wi-Fi network has a tendency to use the full capacity of the available bandwidth. 

Also included as a part of the solution to these problems, she said, is network management software that monitors and manages the video stream in real-time as well as providing DES, Triple DES and AES encryption technologies for content security.

For further information on this product, go to www.vixs.com.

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