Gigabit Powerline Networking offers speedy solutions

Although we've always been able to see and hear in "High Definition," we think of that phrase as belonging to the 21st century. High Definition or HD devices such as television sets, Blu-Ray DVD players, digital still and video cameras are all considered to be today's top-of-the-line consumer electronic devices. Even audio equipment and broadcast radio now have the same HD bragging rights. If you want the best technology has to offer in video and audio, it's got to be in HD. But there's a price to be paid for HD and while one of them is most certainly at the cash register, another is to be found within the additional bandwidth one needs to accommodate all the additional digital information that HD demands.

Moving HD content from one place to another requires a bigger "pipe" to get it there in a timely manner. For example, if you want HD content on your computer to be played on your HD TV in the living room, your wireless connection has to use the newest 802.11n standard to keep up but even that 300

The other nice feature is built-in security. All of these devices use the same signal standard so that they can work with each other regardless of the manufacturer. The downside is that anyone with one of these devices could access your information by just plugging one in at another room. The Belkin model defeats this from happening by implementing a simple push-button security procedure. When you first power them on, you press a button on each unit which creates a coded communication between them. From then on, their information is encrypted and can only be decoded between those units. Any other units added later on will not be able to decode what is being sent. If you wish to add another unit later on, you must press the button on the original device and the button on the newly installed one before they will work together.

Belkin's Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit sells for $149.99 and comes with two units to get you up and running. Life is in HD and now you can enjoy it wherever you are in your home.

More information: www.belkin.com

(Craig Crossman is a national newspaper columnist writing about computers and technology)
(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.