Nov/090
Getting the best audio from PS3, without HDMI
Once you’ve actually decided what hardware to purchase, avoided the perilous purchasing decisions involved in finding cables, but actually setting it up can trip up the newbies among us. Suck is our friend David’s problem, trying to figure out if lossless audio is a possibility for his HDMI-less receiver:
“I read your article and I would like further advice. I have the brand new PS3, which I’m going to use with a 1080p Sony Bravia – the video is fine..HDMI to the tv. The problem is that I have an ONKYO THX 7.1 system (really 5.1), and there is no HDMI, so I plan on using an optical audio cable from the PS3 into the receiver. How do i get the best sound? Will the PS3 decode the trueHD (or whatever it is) and send the full spectrum of sound across the optical to the receiver? Will NOT having the HDMI to the receiver affect my sound, or will the PS3 internal decoding send a perfect lossless sound to my non-HDMI receiver?”
Just in case our HD 101 explanation wasn’t enough (First off, S/PDIF transmission — over either optical TOSLINK or coax — does not have the bandwidth to carry Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA signals. If you connect your Blu-ray player to your receiver with optical or coax, the audio will “fall back” to Dolby Digital, DTS or two-channel PCM — lossless, but only two channels,) any tips on how David can get the highest audio quality possible out of the equipment he has? Of course, if you think replacing one of the components is a better choice, that’s always an option as well.
Nov/090
NETGEAR Presents New Configurable Switches
The success of building a great network of linked computers lies in the hardware you use. Whether you’re referring to the computers, routers, cables or switches, everything contributes to the quality of your network. And because NETGEAR has recently launched a new series of configurable switches for business use, how about we check them out a bit and see what’s what? Especially since this fresh ProSafe Plus Switch family is said to even allow non-technical users to monitor and configure their networks like the best of them.
“Businesses are relying more heavily on their networks as they deploy more Ethernet-based technologies such as VoIP, as well as Internet-based applications for email, calendaring and collaboration,” said Maggie Wu, NETGEAR’s product line manager for SMB Switching Products. “To support this trend, NETGEAR has created this simple yet powerful network switch for businesses. The ProSafe Plus Switch, as an upgrade from the simple connectivity of an unmanaged switch, offers our customers essential network features such as enhanced security, troubleshooting, traffic prioritization, segmentation and monitoring, all at an affordable price.”
The ProSafe Plus Switches sport easy-to-use configuration tools, QoS features, VLAN support as well as other features of a more greenish nature such as auto power-down or auto cable length detection. Seeing how every SMB out there is searching to save even the smallest amount of money, this could definitely be a winning series of devices. Pricing starts from 70 USD to as much as 110 USD depending on what device you want from the ProSafe Plus series.
I’ll leave you now with Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst of enterprise voice and data at Infonetics Research, an international market research and consulting firm specializing in data networking and telecom, “With many business users running multiple, real-time applications on their networks, they need to be able to segment and prioritize traffic to ensure consistent performance. […] NETGEAR’s new line of ProSafe Plus Switches gives SMBs greater control over their networks at only a modest premium over unmanaged switches, thereby providing a good balance between features and price.”
Nov/090
SkyCross Buries the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth’s Hatchet with the iMAT Antenna Solution
SkyCross, one global antenna designer and manufacturer, has announced today that it will expand personal connectivity and enhance end-user satisfaction by enabling Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to operate simultaneously in netbooks. The problem is this, the two protocols work at the same frequency, namely 2.4GHz, therefore interference between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth made the two nearly impossible to run at the same time, although I do remember using my roommate’s laptop with Wi-Fi enabled (I was actually on YouTube) and I did send a couple of files via Bluetooth to my phone.
The press release tells that nowadays’ chipsets and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo Mini-cards are capable of supporting both operation simultaneously so what kept developers from improving was the industry’s roadblock, namely the antenna. Clearly, this is the point where SkyCross jumps in, and unveils the iMat antenna, the first in the industry single-antenna solution that provides more than 38dB of isolation between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, thus enabling coexistence even in compact devices such as netbooks.
“Chip makers are very encouraged by this breakthrough, and manufacturers are already planning to use the SkyCross iMAT solution in their future products,” said Joe Gifford, Vice President of SkyCross. “Our antennas differentiate netbook brands by maximizing their connectivity range and enabling optimal simultaneous functionality at an equivalent price, which pleases consumers. Seamless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth coexistence opens the door for new applications and a user experience that will propel netbook brand loyalty.”
If many designers tried to relieve the device of the Wi-Fi – Bluetooth problem by physically separating the two, then SkyCross approached the whole scenario completely differently, via the iMAT antenna that is a design technique enabling a single antenna element with multiple feed points to behave like multiple antennas, while also maintaining very high isolation, just like they were physically not just decoupled, but even very wide apart. Among the other benefits of the iMAT, we find included reduction of specific absorption rate (SAR), elimination of RF components and more.
Also, SkyCross’ solution demonstrated an improvement in data throughput, further range and nearly perfect Bluetooth audio, when showcased using 802.11n Bluetooth Mini-Card modules in several brands of netbooks in an office environment.