MoCA® Blog : Coax Networking

Clearly, Sony’s ambition for PlayStation 4 to deliver a revolutionary experience for gamers and average consumers relies on reaching the Internet reliably and consistently.  PS4 promises a new way to receive games, to deliver and view content, a new gamer’s social networking with real-time peer interactivity – all delivered through the Internet.  Bringing the Internet directly to the PS4 is the only way to take advantages of these new and exciting features.

The consumer’s PS4 experience will certainly be influenced by the performance of their in-home network.  Using Wi-Fi to connect the PS4 to the Internet is the way that first comes to mind.  However, with Wi-Fi’s range challenges, contention with cellular phone radios for the same frequency band and bandwidth, its proximity with microwave ovens, and the sharing of bandwidth with DECT wireless phones, Wi-Fi could be PS4’s Achilles heel.  Contrary, MoCA Ethernet adapters are not affected by these constraints and can provide a direct connection to the internet without adding new any wires.

Today,“Gaming consoles have transformed into entertainment hubs for people to stream movies or YouTube videos” from the internet. Unknown to most consumers, MoCA networks already exist in many US pay-TV cable, satellite and Verizon FIOS homes. Many of these game consoles can already be found in these MoCA enabled homes (cable, satellite, and IP STB’s that support multi-room DVR).  Adding a MoCA adapter to the back of a PlayStation 4 brings the Internet directly to the back of the game console and connects it to the existing MoCA network. Once on the network the game console can also be used for sharing photos, home movies and any other personal media on the TV.

Moreover, MoCA is not solely applicable to MoCA enabled households.  MoCA can be added to any household with an Internet connection and cable TV wiring – otherwise known as coax wires. In the US, for example, over 90% of the homes have coax that can support MoCA.  Therefore in the majority of homes, the Internet can be extended directly to where it’s being used (living room, bedroom, den, family room) vs. receiving it from across the house wirelessly where the signal can be greatly attenuated due to the distance and obstructions such as walls and floors.

Gaming consoles capable of video streaming have become an integral part of our lives and we expect PS4 to affect us similarly.  Designed to entertain, these consoles have become gateways of electronic interactivity that take us to different places, sometimes to different worlds through the power of our imagination, some software, maybe a cloud, but certainly through the Internet.  However, existing home networking technologies have left us wanting more.  Limited network speed and the lack of available bandwidth have forced us to accept poor images, buffering, and dropped programs.  But MoCA can change that.

Today MoCA delivers up to 175 Mbps for on-demand, interactive games, and the streaming of video’s and music through the homes cable TV wiring.  The fact that MoCA is the choice of most multi-room DVR companies for networking is a strong endorsement of its capabilities.  In the very near future, MoCA will reach speeds of 1 Gbps.   Who knows what else the future will bring us with a blazing network connection, maybe holographic characters in our home?  Remember, all we want is great user experience: no delays!  No buffering! No stuck downloads – MoCA is here today.