Guidelines for Video-Capable Wireless Networking

Updated: May 22, 2006

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The shared-media experience for the home customer is only as good as the home's network. With Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 and Media Center Extenders (Linksys, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360), the need for high-quality video-capable networks has become more important. Digital enthusiasts using Media Center Edition PCs for producing high-resolution digital photos and videos and recording television content want to distribute it around the home using their wireless home networks. They assume their current wireless home networks are sufficient to support these experiences.

With the release of the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, even greater growth is expected for wireless networks based on 802.11 (Wi-Fi), and for media streaming in homes and small businesses.

Unfortunately, users - especially early adopters - have experienced difficult barriers in using wireless networks for video streaming. To solve this problem, Microsoft has partnered with leading networking equipment manufacturers and developed the "Designed for Windows XP Media Center Edition" logo program to help digital media enthusiasts realize great media experience anywhere in their home.

The Windows Vista Logo Program for network infrastructure devices advances the goals of the original logo program to help hardware manufacturers provide the best customer experiences, and to offer consumers a reliable guide for purchasing decisions.

The discussion in this paper provides a brief technical background on issues customers experience with wireless video-capable networking, and then shows how Windows Logo Program requirements help manufacturers implement solutions.

This information applies for the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP

Included in this white paper

• Video-Capable Networking Issues

  • Transport Bandwidth

  • Shared Transmission Medium

  • Wireless Interference

  • Rate at Range

  • MPEG2 Demands

  • Reliable Sustained Media Streaming

  • Security

• Windows Logo Program and Network Devices

  • Transport Bandwidth - Windows Logo Program Improvements

  • Shared Transmission Medium Improvements - Windows Logo Program

  • Wireless Interference - Windows Logo Program Improvements

  • Rate at Range - Windows Logo Program Improvements

  • MPEG2 Demands - Windows Logo Program Improvements

  • Reliable Sustained Media Streaming - Windows Logo Program Improvements

  • Security - Windows Logo Program Improvements

  • Summary - Windows Logo Program Improvements

• Windows Rally and Other Partner Programs

  • Windows Rally and Network Infrastructure Devices

  • Partner Directory for Network Gear

• 802.11n and Future Directions