A new white paper titled "Creating the Connected Home: The Debate over Home Networking Standards" presents a comprehensive examination of the current options for distributing IPTV and other high-bandwidth content in the home. The report was prepared by broadband solutions provider Actiontec Electronics and can be downloaded at no cost at http://www.actiontec.com/company_info/press/index.php.

The white paper examines the challenges faced by both service providers and consumers in ensuring that high-definition IP video streams delivered over broadband connections can be routed from the point of entry in the home to the appropriate room. It offers a brief overview of the market factors that are fueling the debate and an in-depth look at solutions that are being considered, including MoCA, HomePlug AV, HPNA and the emerging 802.11n/e home networking standards.

As noted in the report, the methodology chosen must provide at least 100 Mbps of throughput. That includes 60 Mbps for three HDTV streams (at 20 Mbps each), 10 Mbps for two standard TV streams (at 5 Mbps each), and the balance for services such as data, voice over IP, audio, computer-based video from YouTube to movie downloads, and placeshifting solutions that feed digital video files from home to remote sites across a broadband connection. The need to support three HDTV streams reflects the fact that there are 3.5 televisions in the average U.S. household.

Today's ubiquitous WiFi networks can meet only one-fourth of those bandwidth requirements at best, eliminating WiFi as a video transport solution in its current form. Category 5 Ethernet networks offer a possible alternative, but only 1% of U.S. households are wired, and pulling Ethernet cable is both expensive and time-consuming with an installation time of four to six hours per home.

"Creating the Connected Home: The Debate over Home Networking Standards" devotes separate discussions to the pros and cons of the MoCA, HomePlug AV, HPNA and 802.11n/e protocols as a solution for room-to-room delivery of video services and other digital entertainment. For a free copy of the report, visit http://www.actiontec.com/company_info/press/index.php.