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[doncale]

Verison on B3D pointed this out

http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200501/05-0106E/index.html

Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric And Sony Agree To Form Alliance To Establish Common Specifications For Promoting PLC-Based Home Networking

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 5, 2005) ?|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Mitsubishi Electric) and Sony Corporation (Sony), today announced that they agreed to establish an alliance for high-speed power line communication (PLC) specifications. These specifications will allow smooth interface between different systems using electric power lines for audio, video and data networking. The new alliance, tentatively called the CE-Powerline Communication Alliance (CEPCA), will promote PLC-capable home networking worldwide by encouraging other consumer electronics and information technology companies to collaborate.

PLC is considered a critical bi-directional communication channel that will support home networking into the future. It will use existing electric power lines in the home to enable high definition video transmission and the use of IP telephones.

Recent technology advances have seen the growth in home networks to connect a variety of products like computers and appliances that can also be accessed remotely. There is a growing demand for ease of access and smooth interconnectivity. Home networks connected to powerlines will have authentication and encryption functions so that PLC ensures safe and secure home networking. PLC offers more solutions with multiple networking access points and plug-and-play features. This makes accessing networks simple.

Building a PLC-based home networking requires overcoming difficulties in interoperability between different manufacturers' products. Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric and Sony have been working collaboratively in interface technologies and the potential applications of home networking based on high-speed powerline communication. The result is the CEPCA promoting common PLC specifications for different makers of PLC-based products.

The new not-for-profit alliance will encourage consumer electronics and information technology companies worldwide to establish an environment where access to PLC-based home networking is available globally. At formation of the alliance, three companies commented as follows:

Panasonic
"By adopting the specifications of this alliance, consumers can enjoy the benefits of home network without the worry of different PLC systems."

Mitsubishi Electric
"'CEPCA' will allow consumers increased access to data networking and will make a more comprehensive network with less compatibility problems."

Sony
"This alliance brings the reality of home networking and its benefits and applications into the homes of the users."

B3D discussion on this
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/viewt...generation, though possibily in time for PS3?

 

[Rhindle]

Home powerline networking technology has been around for at least five years, it isn't anything new.

There is also an existing standards body that all the main networking companies are members of. Of course, Sony has to go and create their own standard, as with everything they get involved in.

 

[Ghost]

PLC is a pretty poor option imo, the transfer rates are crap (14mbps last i checked, which was a while ago) and the actualy quality of that signal depends entirely on the quality of your electrical cableling, so if you're in an old house you wont get more than 4mbps.

Seems like a pretty pointless development too as wireless seems to be taking off in a big way, and the reason for that is mobile technology, the market for wired networking isn't growing nearly as fast.

 

[Mr. Lemming]

PPL has been doing some market testing for this broadband over powerlines stuff in the area. I'm somewhat tempted to try it but I'm happy with my cable service so its hardly worth the effort to switch.

http://www.pplbroadband.com/

 

[Ghost]

It would have been really cool if they'd developed this 10 years ago BEFORE all the phone exchanges in the world were upgraded for high speed data transfer and entire continents were cabelled, now it's just pointless.

 

[AndreasNystrom]

This is actually great for homenetworking, since you dont have to pull cables all over your house. Just connect the ethernetbox to your powercord, and in the room upstairs do the same, and you have networked 2 computers, without a single ugly cable all over the stairs etc.

 

[Gek54]

The home phoneline networks were faster and more stable.

 

[Ghost]

This is actually great for homenetworking, since you dont have to pull cables all over your house. Just connect the ethernetbox to your powercord, and in the room upstairs do the same, and you have networked 2 computers, without a single ugly cable all over the stairs etc.

Well wireless is the same, but several times faster, and if you have laptops, PDAs etc they dont need to be plugged in to use.

 

[Rhindle]

Well wireless is the same, but several times faster, and if you have laptops, PDAs etc they dont need to be plugged in to use.

Yeah, this technology was much more meaningful 3-4 years ago. The current 802.11 standard is more than sufficient to handle real-time video streaming, so coming up with kludgy solutions for home wired networking is unnecessary. You just need to work on the compatibility issues with wireless ethernet to make it easier to install and configure.

 

[Drek]

Data transfer over electric wiring will stay a popular idea since if it can be fully realized it'll give amazing, near immediate, transfer speeds. Thats why Sony etc. are still trying to get in on the ground floor, they don't want to be left behind should it break out. Nice idea for the very technically illiterate, but as of now pretty useless to everyone else.