If you regularly use your XBOX 360 or Playstation 3 to stream HDTV content from a PC, you probably know by now that 802.11g, or WiFi-G, is insufficient for 1080p video streaming. 54 Mbps just doesn’t quite cut it, even with compressed video. 720p isn’t a problem though.
Switching to the newly official 802.11n, or WiFi-N, will allow you to stream this format easily. With a theoretical cap of 300 Mbps (or even 600 Mbps in some cases), you will have no problems streaming 1080p.
Of course, neither console offers this type of connectivity right now – the PS3 includes an integrated WiFi-G controller, and the XBOX 360’s official adapter is also WiFi-G (and A). To get these consoles onto a WiFi-N network, you’d need to use an ethernet connection direct to the router.
However this will all change, when this new product is released:
This was spotted on the FCC website (who keeps an eye on these things, I have no idea) and it appears that Microsoft is using its lack of integrated WiFi as an opportunity to offer a better connection. In a perfect world, this would be offered at an even lower price than their current $100 model, to appease the fans and… well, not make the 360 look so stupid. But I doubt that will ever happen – expect to see it in stores for even more than $100.
Ummm…wireless N has been an option for awhile now. http://www.linksysbycisco.com/CA/en/products/WGA600N
Unless this is what you meant as an “ethernet connection directly to the router”? If so you might want to change the wording since it’s not really a router.
That is not a Wireless adapter, it’s an access point. AP’s have always been a good solution for those who don’t want to use Microsoft’s adapter.
And by “ethernet connection directly to a router” I mean connecting the console to a router using an ethernet connection. I’m not sure how you would re-word that to make it better. I’m sure most people will understand.
Not to get into semantics because it really doesn’t matter, but the adapter you’re writting about and the MS one for that matter also “connect the console to a router using an ethernet connection”, just by a different means, it’s all the same by the definition of “ethernet”, just different flavours. Most people tend to associate the term ethernet with wired technology though which is why I was mentioning it as the wording made it sound like the only previous option was to have your Xbox “wired” to your router, which obviously isn’t the case.
Yes, they do the same thing in the end. But one is a “Wireless Adapter” and one is a “Wireless Access Point”. This blog post pertains to the “Wireless Adapter”.
And my point about getting high speed connection via ethernet, because WiFi-G is too slow to stream 1080p is still valid.
So I don’t even know why you keep arguing about this. You said you don’t want to get into semantics… Then stop getting into semantics! LOL