Intersil Corporation announced yesterday that its PRISM WLAN chip sets are being integrated into Sharp Corporation’s new AN-SS700 audio/visual digital transmission system. This will enable wireless television viewing as long as an electrical outlet is present.
Sharp’s AN-SS700, like the Intersil product it is incorporating, is designed to operate in the 2.4 GHz band. The result, according to the companies, is high-quality, low-noise reception despite obstacles or lack of line-of-sight.
The AN-SS700 includes a transmitter and receiver each measuring 5.83″(W) x 3.11″ (H) x 1.54″ (D). Specifications include the use of Sharp’s MAC technology and an MGEG2 encoder/decoder for compressed audio and video. The transmitter connects to a VCR, DVD, or satellite tuner by composite video signal. Video is wirelessly transmitted digitally, and can be viewed remotely using the LCD TV connected to the receiver unit. A wireless remote control can be used to operate the transmitter.
The partnership between Sharp and Intersil is an example of how the Wi-Fi related industry vendors are attempting to broaden their customer base and create a market for non-PC based applications of WLAN technology.
Matthew Peretz is Managing Editor of 802.11-Planet.com