Indeed, as consumers have begun to configure their home theaters, digital cameras and other audio/video consumer products, the wires connecting each of these devices have become a nuisance and are often unsightly for those who don't want to run cabling throughout the living room. In particular, the display industry is challenged with developing a large display — plasma or LCD — that can be hung on a wall, yet not have cables connecting it to home theater source products. In the past, no technology was able to wirelessly transmit video in consumer electronics applications, due to the quality limitations of low-data-rate solutions and the high costs and power consumption associated with wireless. PC-oriented solutions offer no help for the multimedia home, as existing solutions, such as 802.11g, a and b, don't have the data rate or quality of service to deliver multiple streams of video.

However, since the Federal Communications Commission approved commercial ultrawideband technology a year ago, ultrawideband is enabling consumer electronics OEMs to embed a wireless capability into a variety of consumer products. With data rates of 100 Mbits/second at a cost of under $20 in an ultrawideband solution, this new wireless technology is finding adoption among consumer electronics OEMs for next-generation product lines. And based on this quick adoption, ultrawideband-enabled products are expected to reach consumers as early as this Christmas — only 18 months after the first commercial ultrawideband solution was announced.

So while the battle continues over ownership (PC-centric vs. consumer device-centric), one thing is clear. A wireless digital living room will emerge and could be one of the most exciting market segments over the next five years.

Martin Rofheart is chief executive officer of XtremeSpectrum Inc. . (Vienna, Va.).