CES 2011: Onkyo Adopting Avnera-developed Rocketboost

All Onkyo receivers introduced in 2011 will connect via the company's proprietary U-port to an optional Rocketboost transceiver module to transmit audio to a remote Rocketboost receiver module, which will either be built into or plugged into planned Onkyo Zone 2 audio systems.

Onkyo's first Zone 2 system will be a compact one-piece unit with networking capability, built-in speakers, iPod/iPhone dock and optional Rocketboost card. The system will be the first of a growing line of Rocketboost-enabled Onkyo products, the company said.

via TWICE

New Insignia 450W 5.1-channel home theater with Rocketboost adds anchor to Best Buy's wireless audio standard

There is now a centerpiece device for Best Buy's Rocketboost wireless audio standard. This Insignia NS-R5101AHD-A is a pretty impressive home theater receiver with modern features such as:

• 3D pass-through
• 5.1 channel surround processing, Dolby, DTS, super plus happy technologies, yadda yadda yadda.
• Audyssey suite of dynamic EQ technologies
• 3 HDMI inputs
• 450 Watts of total output power

Add to that the Rocketboost features/capabilities that come via the included NS-RB1 transceiver:

• multi-room audio
• wireless surround sound speakers
• wireless subwoofer
• wireless zone-B audio
• wireless iPod dock receiver
• wireless headphones

...and you have one of the most capable home theater systems ever built. Of course you'll have to pick up some of the existing or upcoming Rocketfish Rocketboost accessories to round out the scenarios you need.

Congrats to everyone who worked on bringing one of the most flexible and extensible wireless audio systems to market. I hope consumers find great uses for wireless audio. I know we spent a lot of time spec'ing these scenarios out at Avnera, and that team has continued to work hard to make all the user-scenarios possible by working with device makers applying Avnera's highly integrated wireless audio ICs to build numerous affordable product choices.

Rocketboost card gets FCC approval... Rocketboost-ready gear imminent?

Good stuff!

Rocketboost has some FCC action going on. The new Rocketboost card has gained approval and will enable a range of Rocketboost-ready consumer electronics products, from flat-panel TVs, to Blu-ray players, to soundbars to support Best Buy's "house" wireless audio standard.

Great to see some progress and I hope this means more 3rd parties will be getting their RB-ready gear on shelves soon.

via wirelessgoodness.com.

For device makers, AM2G's special sauce is in AAL

Avnera announced AM2G today.  From the release:

Avnera has announced the availability of the AvneraAudio Link™ (AAL) software protocol stack. AAL eliminates the low-level details typically required to implement a multipoint to multipoint network, significantly reducing the time to market. It also provides manufacturers with a way to establish interoperability between all AudioMagic 2G-enabled wireless audio devices independent of product category or brand.

AAL is also the underlying compatibility goodness behind Rocketboost.  In addition to fostering compatibility, it speeds up device makers' development cycles by simplifying the tasks of managing complex wireless audio topologies and diverse end-product feature requirements, by supporting application-level semantics at the API.

Best Buy released a marketing video showing how Rocketboost enabled products can help

A bit corporate and simplified, but you weren't expecting tear-downs and spectrum plots now were you?  There are never too many ways to tell a good story...

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyT5-5oEgJw]