Wireless HD update: Sony drops price on DMX-WL1 Wireless Video Link, In-Stat says 802.11n Wi-Fi will win

The wireless transmission of high-def video from the source to an HDTV is still a bit of a Holy Grail, as technologies like Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI), WirelessHD, and Ultrawideband (UWB) are struggling to gain any traction. One example: Sony has just slashed the price on its DMX-WL1 Wireless Video Link (pictured), which uses WHDI, from $799.99 to $499.99. Market research In-Stat predicts none of these technologies will emerge as the victor in the space, concluding that 802.11n wireless networking will win out instead.

In-Stat concludes that WHDI and WirelessHD are too expensive and power-hungry to make major inroads and that UWB manufacturers will be bailing on the standard in the near future. While still expensive itself, 802.11n has a couple of key factors in its favor: 1) its widespread adoption for home networks and 2) its ability to transmit video from Internet services, which should become increasing more popular over time.

Chipmakers won't go down without a fight, however, as evidenced by Amimon's introduction of its second-generation WHDI chip. Specs include 1080p/60Hz HD video transmission, range that exceeds 100 feet (including through walls), and support for HDCP 2.0 copy protection. Amimon claims the new chipset is a "low-cost" solution ($45 for both transmitter and receiver in production quantities), though we'll see how that translates to the final price of devices that use it.