I've gotten more than a usual background radiation questions lately about whether "wireless" technology really IS going to eliminate wires this time. Custom installers are saying that both customers and builders are saying they don't think they need wires installed because of all the new wireless technologies. I'm sure you are all hearing this. This seems to happen about once every two years, but lately it's gotten louder and more frequent.
I'm sure part of the reason is all the press over several new competing wireless "A/V streaming/HD streaming/atomic streaming" technologies released recently. These include FlyWire, WirelessHD, WiMedia UWB, as well as plain old 802.11n. I'm sure there are more in the "wings". If you add in newer wireless control technologies such as Zwave and Zigbee, I guess if I didn't know any better, I would also think the wires problem has been basically solved.
Hey, I hate wires as much as anyone else but, unfortunately, they're still gonna be with us like death and taxes for the forseeable future—until the laws of physics are changed and the FCC is eliminated.
The issue with RF technologies is always the same (and always will be). You can use RF to get information from one place to another (rather than using wires) some of the time in some of the places. It's all about probabilities. If you're willing to throw more money and power at the problem, the odds go up (but never reach 100%) until you cross the graph where it's cheaper to install wires, even a retrofit. Success in the custom electronics installation business is based on (at least) three requirements: reliability, predictability, and reproducability. When you design an installation, it HAS to work, 100% ALL THE TIME. The customer isn't paying you for prototypes. Unfortunately, using RF introduces a certain amount of unreliability, unpredictability, and unreproducability (is there such a word?)
More for some technologies and installations, less for others. You can't always know.
However, I'm NOT saying don't use RF. It's too handy not to. It's really required for mobile applications such as laptops, remote controls, etc. There is some flexibility here since these applications always have wired backups or the customer can move them around. And to some extent, they are used to the unreliability. But if the only way to get that HDMI signal to the projector is via RF, you may be in trouble.
To make a more educated decision on when and where RF technologies will and won't work, we all need to understand what's going on.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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As more and more wireless technologies and devices that use these technologies become available and become mainstream, it seems over time our homes and businesses will be flooded with more and more RF. At what point does this sea of RF become unsafe/unhealthy for us, our families and clients? Especially when you take into account all of the existing RF being produced both naturally, via cell towers and so on.
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