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WD Launches Livewire Power AV Network Kit

btarunr

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WD, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its new WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit, a HomePlug AV compatible solution that enables consumers to use their existing electrical outlets to extend secure and reliable high-speed Internet connections throughout the home. Complementing the WD TV line of media players, the WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit enables consumers to easily and affordably deliver HD video streams to the home theater, transfer large files or play multi-player online games, all without running network cables around the home. With four ports on each of two adapters included in the kit, the WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit offers users the ability to connect their router and up to seven additional devices to their high-speed network.



According to research from Parks Associates, an increasing number of consumers own connected devices such as HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, game consoles and digital media players such as the WD TV Live Plus HD media player (Home Networks for Consumer Electronics 2009). By the end of 2010, Parks Associates forecasts consumers will own 111 million of these devices, with 37 million Internet-capable devices in the U.S. alone, but "connecting" them can be challenging and costly. In a recent Parks Associates survey, 42 percent of respondents unwilling to connect their TVs to the Internet indicated that either their router was too far from the device or it would be too complicated to set up or both (Digital Media Evolution II 2010).

Featuring HomePlug AV technology, the WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit provides users with data transfer speeds up to 200 megabits per second (Mbps), enabling glitch-free playback of Full-HD 1080p video streams on up to seven connected devices. Setup is as easy as plugging in a lamp. Consumers do not need to undertake home improvement projects to route new wiring between rooms. They simply plug one of the two adapters in the kit into their router and an electrical outlet then plug the other adapter into another outlet where they need access to wired network connections. Users can stream video to four connected devices in the home theater and also gain an additional three network ports by their router.

For an integrated entertainment solution, users can store digital media on WD's My Book World Edition home network drive and stream photos, music and HD video via the WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit to one of the WD TV line of media players or other DLNA-compliant devices located throughout the home.

"Consumers are accumulating an increasing number of Internet-capable connected TVs, video game consoles and media players providing access to exciting online content through services such as Netflix, YouTube and Pandora," said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD's branded products group. "Wireless networks, while popular, don't always deliver the reliable high-speed connections needed to sustain HD video streaming. Meanwhile, drilling holes for new Ethernet cables is complicated, expensive and messy. With the WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit, it's truly easy to enjoy all the HD streaming and broadband Internet capabilities of these great new devices anywhere there is an electrical outlet."

Compatibility
The WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit is HomePlug AV certified and is IEEE 802.3 and IEEE 802.3u compliant. The kit requires an Ethernet router and AC power outlets.

Price and Availability
The new WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit has a 1-year limited warranty and is available now at select retailers and online. MSRP is $139.99 USD.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 
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Kreij

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This means that you will need (at least) two outlets for every connected device.
Too bad they could not have made the adapter that plugs into the wall also supply power for the device.
 
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Anyone actually used one of these broadband-over-electrical network systems? I've been reading about them for nearly half a decade now, and wonder if they're any good. :p
 

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It works, and it's good if you have a brick house and don't want to rewire Ethernet cables. But after WiFi g/n came to be, nobody uses it.
 
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Anyone actually used one of these broadband-over-electrical network systems? I've been reading about them for nearly half a decade now, and wonder if they're any good. :p
Have it running in my house using all Netgear products, plan on upgrading/replacing with Plaster Network's offering;)
 

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This means that you will need (at least) two outlets for every connected device.
Too bad they could not have made the adapter that plugs into the wall also supply power for the device.

??

Only one power plug needed for this device... RJ45 to the network port on the computer... and NOTHING ELSE to the power socket... just the mains lead provided.

However, a PSU with built in powerlive networking would be interesting.
 

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Anyone actually used one of these broadband-over-electrical network systems? I've been reading about them for nearly half a decade now, and wonder if they're any good. :p

i know, right. we have been hearing about development of broadband over electrical for a while now but it still no widespread adoption. everyone still wants wireless for some reason.

oh, and if we could get something like this for HDMI then i would buy it.
 
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Cos some looneys keep bashing these types of products saying they should be banned for causing noise on the am frequencies. I mean hello lcd tv's also cause noise on am frequencies (my noisy Sammy 40") but they don't moan about that. :nutkick:
 
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The performance of the ethernet over power devices used to be really pathetic but has really come a ways in recent years. That is the general consensus I gather from the reviews that I read 10 years ago and the ones I read today.

I think part of the problem is that wireless is now so cheap and flexible that it really renders a lot of these devices not very useful. For about the same price or cheaper you can buy a nice 802.11n router and use it with an endless number of clients.

There are places where wireless performance just don't work and in those cases the ethernet over power devices can be very valuable.
 
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The performance of the ethernet over power devices used to be really pathetic but has really come a ways in recent years. That is the general consensus I gather from the reviews that I read 10 years ago and the ones I read today.

I think part of the problem is that wireless is now so cheap and flexible that it really renders a lot of these devices not very useful. For about the same price or cheaper you can buy a nice 802.11n router and use it with an endless number of clients.

There are places where wireless performance just don't work and in those cases the ethernet over power devices can be very valuable.

Advantage for me as a gamer is the pings are more stable and no drop outs compared to my g network. Worked out cheaper as well to upgrade to homeplug AV2 as I'm getting nearly 100mb/s speeds, like we're all connected to the same router which is rather exciting considering there is a floor between the pc's and no need to drill!
 
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Anyone actually used one of these broadband-over-electrical network systems? I've been reading about them for nearly half a decade now, and wonder if they're any good. :p

Yes, I am using one. My home has no cables inside of walls. Basement has a cable coming from outside. I put cable modem there in basement and connected it with powerline ethernet. I have my main wireless router on 2nd floor connected by powerline ethernet.

It's 200 Mbps, so it's overkill for cable internet speed anyway, so it is working faultlessly.
 
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i own 6 devolo powerline adapter,
two 14mbit slow but "range" is insane :roll:
and four 85Mbit that are barely enought for hd streaming for my popcornhour and that's it....
w lan was no option as security was low back in the day and today i have no radiation all the time
 

Kreij

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??

Only one power plug needed for this device... RJ45 to the network port on the computer... and NOTHING ELSE to the power socket... just the mains lead provided.

However, a PSU with built in powerlive networking would be interesting.

What I meant was that you will need one socket to plug in your computer and one for this device.

Yes, a PSU with this built in would be very nice.
 
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