San Jose,
Calif. – Netgear plans to launch two wireless adapters
that wirelessly connect Ethernet-equipped home-theater components to the
Internet to stream high-definition video, audio and other content.
The devices can be
used with any brand of Ethernet-equipped game console, TV, Blu-ray player or A/V
receiver designed to stream Internet content.
One of the two new
products, the
Wireless-N HD Home
Theater kit
, consists of two Wi-Fi-certified 802.11a/n adapters capable of
delivering multiple, simultaneous, jitter-free 1080p HD video streams
wirelessly.
One adapter can connect to two Ethernet-equipped CE devices
at a time, thanks to the adapter’s two Ethernet ports. The other adapter
connects to the Ethernet port of any wired or wireless home-network router.
Both adapters must be plugged into AC. Additional adapters are available
separately to plug into additional CE components in the same room or other
rooms. Each adapter is 6.9 inches by 5.1 inches by 1.4 inches.
It’s promoted as the only solution that provides sustained
throughput of HD streams exceeding 40 Mbps 99.9 percent of the time through
multiple walls in an above-average single family home, the company said.
The Home Theater Kit also features plug-and-play setup,
enabling them to power up, connect and work automatically, the company said. Built-in
security enables users to add adapters to additional components by pressing a
button.
The Home Theater Kit will be available in the third quarter
in the U.S. Pricing hasn’t been announced.
Netgear’s second product is the
Universal WiFi Internet Adapter
,
which consists of a more compact 802.11b/g/n adapter that communicates with an
existing wireless router at up to 300Mbps. The 3.2- by 2.44- by 0.7-inch
adapter will be available in May at a suggested $79. It can be powered via a
connected component’s USB port to eliminate the need to run a power wire to an
AC outlet. It features one Ethernet port and uses a CD-less smart-wizard
wireless connection utility on a PC.
