Wi-Fi Alliance readies Miracast certification for audio-video connections

Wi-Fi is set to get a boost as a peer-to-peer connectivity technology for audio and video content with the arrival of the Wi-Fi Alliance's Wi-Fi Miracast certification program.

The Wi-Fi Alliance said late last week that it was in the process of finalizing its certification program for Wi-Fi devices to support display applications. The devices that pass certification will bear the mark "Wi-Fi Certified Miracast." The organization had been working on Wi-Fi Display project which leveraged Wi-Fi Direct technology for peer-to-peer applications.

The Wi-Fi Alliance announcement comes as Wi-Fi already has been getting positioned by some companies as a short-range peer-to-peer connectivity solution that does not necessarily require the presence of Wi-Fi blanket network coverage. Qualcomm Atheros announced several months ago that it was coming out with a Wi-Fi Display connectivity solution. Wi-Fi also increasingly is being position to tackle other digital home applications, such as home energy management and automation.

Miracast-certified products would allow audio and video content to be delivered over a Wi-Fi connection from one device to another. For example, it could be used to send a downloaded movie from a smartphone to a TV, or allow sharing between multiple laptop screens. Support for these kinds of applications would set up Miracast-certified devices to compete with Apple devices supporting AirPlay.

For more:
- here's the Wi-Fi Alliance press release

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