Archive for May, 2009
Share your MoCA network through HDMI?
The latest HDMI specification 1.4 is out today and one of the features is an HDMI Ethernet Channel among other things:
The HDMI Ethernet Channel will allow an Internet-enabled HDMI device to share its Internet connection with other HDMI devices without the need for a separate Ethernet cable. The new feature will also provide the connection platform to allow HDMI-enabled devices to share content between devices.
It looks like this means that if your HDTV is already networked via MoCA, then you can share this connection with your Bluray or Xbox through the HDMI cable. Other features specified include audio return channel, 3D capability, improved 4K x 2K resolution support, micro HDMI connector, and automotive connection system. The spec also includes options for 5 different HDMI cables, each supporting various combinations of data speeds and features.
Could also be titled: “Why You Need MoCA”
Better Together: Wi-Fi and Powerline Networking – PC World.
PC World does make a couple of good points in this article: both Wifi and Powerline networking have some serious inteference issues. I’m sure they’ll get around to including MoCA in the discussion, but we definitely agree that the latest home networks will include coverage for laptops as well as media streaming devices. Wifi is good enough for data, but with so many signals using 2.4GHz band and range problems at 5GHz, dependable media streaming is out of the question. Having networking in your living room also make sense, but Powerline networking shares the line with other electrical appliances that cause disturbances on the network. This shows up as pops and clicks in audio streaming or glitches and blockiness in video streaming.
The next best alternative to a wired Ethernet network is a MoCA network and with more and more media streaming applications becoming available, MoCA will start getting the attention (and reviews) that it deserves.
SmallNetBuilder – More MoCA: D-Link DXN-221 & Actiontec ECB2200 Reviewed
SmallNetBuilder – Small Network Help – More MoCA: D-Link DXN-221 & Actiontec ECB2200 Reviewed.
Wow. MoCA is really beginning to blast off as a new and exciting home networking category and these new products just add to the excitement. Both the D-Link and Actiontec MoCA adapters give the same great performance as the Netgear adapters reviewed about a month ago and are all compatible with each other so you can mix and match devices in your home network. Depending on your brand and feature preferences, all of these adapters are MoCA compliant so interconnectivity won’t be a problem. That’s a big leap for MoCA networking as more vendors jump on the bandwagon to deploy MoCA-enabled networking products and consumer electronics gear. Stay tuned to the blog as the new connected devices start rolling out this summer, all of them able to take advantage of a wired MoCA home network.
Netgear MoCA COAX-Ethernet Adapter Kit MCAB1001 – PracticallyNetworked.com
Netgear MoCA COAX-Ethernet Adapter Kit MCAB1001 – PracticallyNetworked.com.
Another MoCA review is in and the verdict?
For situations where Wi-Fi or powerline networking won’t cut the mustard, chances are the Netgear MoCA Coax-Ethernet Adapter kit will.
The reviewer gave the Netgear MoCA adapters high praise for ease of setup and good performance which has become a common theme among many of the reviews from both consumers and networking bloggers. He also performed a variety of “real world” tests using streaming HD video
To gauge how well the MCAB1001 could keep the video rolling when there was other network traffic to contend with, we set up a 1 GB+ Xbox game demo to download in the background while we streamed video to the device—the video displayed with no apparent reduction in frame rate or visual quality. The same was true when we watched HD Netflix video on the TiVo while the hefty game downloads were in progress on the Xbox.
Once again MoCA shines especially while running various high bandwidth applications simultaneously. The only conclusion that might be in question is that MoCA is a last option versus Wi-Fi or Powerline networking. In fact, MoCA should be the first choice if you don’t have CAT-5 in your home. Comparing the two, wireless vs wired, is like comparing over-the-air (rabbit ears) TV vs cable TV, you might get good reception on some channels most of the time, but do you really want to deal with the randomness of wireless reception when you can have a solid wired connection all of the time? As consumers rely more on their home networks for entertainment and media streaming, the obvious choice will be MoCA.
Adding More Ethernet Ports to Your MoCA Network
Let’s say you installed your MoCA network adapter kit and now have a blazing fast connection between the Xbox in your living room to your router upstairs. Well, being a good citizen you now take your Obama stimulus check and go out to your local Best Buy and buy a brand spanking new Bluray BR-DVD Player. Lo and behold, your BR-DVD has an Ethernet port so you can access BD-Live as well as get your software updates. How will I share my one MoCA Ethernet port?!?
The answer is simple, it’s called a 5-port ”Ethernet Switch” and can be found at any electronics store or online for about $20 (Amazon had one on sale for $9 with rebate). Like the name says, it has 5 Ethernet ports on it so you connect the Ethernet port from your MoCA adapter to one of the ports on the switch and Voila! – you now have 4 ports for all your devices! If you really have a big tax return, you can buy an 8-port switch and get 7 extra ports to plug into your Xbox, Slingbox, TiVo, HDTV, Bluray, Squeezebox, Roku, etc… Think of the money and aggravation you’ll save by not spending $700 on 7 different wireless adapters for each device that all interfere with each other and drop connection every 2 minutes!
Just another reason to get wired with MoCA now!
‘Connected’ CE Sales Poised to Explode, Driven by Consumer Demand – CE Pro
As if there was any doubt that connected CE devices would take off, someone actually put a number on it. Parks Associates defines the category, which allows users to access and display photos and music on home networks and retrieve online contents like games and videos, includes networked TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, home media servers and set-top boxes. And just how does everyone intend to connect these devices to broadband? A wired home network makes more and more sense for both the number of connected CE products that will be in the home as well as the performance expected by consumers. And if you don’t already have CAT-5/6 installed, a MoCA home network will be the next best thing.
Web-To-TV Video Changes Everything – In-Stat
A new report from In-Stat says that the transition to viewing Internet video on the TV is already happening in the under-35 adult population. This includes streaming to a Game Console or Home Theater PC that is connected to the television. Not mentioned in the report is that this effect might be accelerated due to the ongoing recession as consumers find ways to cut entertainment expenses and maximize their monthly broadband charges. In-Stat research highlights:
- Within five years, the number of US broadband households viewing Web-to-TV content will grow to 24 million.
- Already, 29% of US 25 to 34 year olds with game consoles use the devices to watch streaming video off the Internet.
- In five years, there will be 7.4 million US broadband households that use media center PCs for streaming Web-to-TV content.
- TV networks and pay TV operators currently view online TV as additive to pay TV services, but Web-to-TV will ultimately force a complete restructuring of today’s video services.
- Video content will be optimized for broadcast or Web-to-TV based on content type.
No doubt the next generation of consumer electronics, including MoCA, is banking on this transition and that TV Networks and Pay TV operators are slowly positioning themselves accordingly. Given the success of video sites like Hulu, Boxee, Justin.tv, and others, In-Stat might be underestimating how quickly TV viewers will move to the web for their video fix.
Actiontec Sips MoCA – 2009-05-04 19:18:17 | Multichannel News
Actiontec Sips MoCA – 2009-05-04 19:18:17 | Multichannel News.
Following up on their CES introduction, Actiontec announced new MoCA networking adapters to extend broadband to Home Theater installations. Available through installers and CEDIA distributors, the Actiontec MoCA adapters have been seen on Amazon as well as other home theater online retailers. Actiontec has had extensive experience with MoCA as the technology supplier to Verizon so it’ s no surprise they are expanding the reach of their products.
