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New tech alliance sets standards for wired homes

SAN FRANCISCO - The Digital Living Network Alliance, a 145-firm consortium including Sony Corp, Intel Corp and the Samsung Electronics Co, has established standard specifications for connecting consumer electronics in wired and wireless home networks.

The group settled on the basic rules for data processing and transmission of audio and video content, effectively creating an international cross-brand standard for content-sharing between such devices as televisions, personal computers and audio equipment. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, Microsoft Corp and Royal Philips Electronics are also among the member firms drawn from 14 countries and regions. The standards were set here onTuesday.

Members will incorporate into their products Internet connectivity software, wireless transmission circuitry and image-processing chips that use the alliance's data compression format.

They plan to market the compatible products, which will have a common logo, from the end of the year in an effort to fuel the global spread of digital home electronics.

Sony is considering plans to market compliant products within the year, and Fujitsu Ltd is slated to sell compatible PCs by year-end as well. Samsung and Philips similarly are expected to unveil such devices for the year-end sales season.

(Asia Pulse/Nikkei)

Jun 25, 2004

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