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Industry giants announce HD audio video network alliance
MUMBAI: Charter Communications, JVC, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., NBC Universal, Samsung and Sun Microsystems have come together to form HANA, the High Definition Audio Video Network Alliance.
HANA members are working together to create a standards-based design guideline for secure high definition AV networks that will help advance commercial deployment of products and services and will enhance the consumer HD entertainment experience.
In addition to the founding members, ARM, Freescale Semiconductor and Pulse~Link have joined HANA as contributing members.
“Since HANA is a cross-industry effort with members from each of the impacted HD industries, we can achieve the ‘win-win’ necessary to commercialize HD networks. HANA is a milestone among industry alliances because we are starting in the living room, not the home office,” said HANA president Dr Heemin Kwon.
HANA’s mission is to create industry design guidelines, utilizing existing technology and specifications that will help enable consumers to:
View, pause and record 5+ HD channels simultaneously without compromising service quality;
View, pause and record HD anywhere in the home with just one set top box;
Share personal content from PCs to AV devices while keeping protected content secure;
Control all AV devices and access content with just a single remote per room; and
Add any device to the home network with just one cable.
HANA is also in discussions with standards bodies such as the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), CableLabs, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), the UWB Forum and the 1394 Trade Association.
“We recognise the immense value that these groups bring to the HD industry. HANA is utilising their technologies to enable HD content sharing around the home. For example, by utilising 1394, HANA will eliminate the confusing tangle of cables used to connect TVs with home theaters, DVD players and other consumer electronics products, and let consumers use a single remote to control them all,” said Kwon.
In the first half of 2006, HANA plans to work with AACS, Open Media Commons and other digital rights management technologies to gives consumers new flexibility in using content across the entire network, including managing copies across multiple devices such as portable video players. By including copyright detection technology, HANA will help consumers to access all of their personal video content while protecting content providers from piracy. This will also help enable content providers to make new and exciting HD content available to consumers in a more timely manner.
HANA compliant products will include HDTVs, next generation DVD players, personal video recorders (PVRs), set top cable boxes and home theaters. The first commercial products are expected to be available in the second half of 2006. The alliance plans to facilitate compatibility among various manufacturers’ products through compliance testing and developers’ conferences.
Looking ahead, HANA will also address:
Advanced video compression technologies
Interactive content
Enhanced security
OCAP
Wireless Extensions
“Another big ‘plus’ of the HANA approach will be the ability for one remote control to manage all of the video equipment that gets connected to a HANA network. This ‘one remote control per room’ capability is a major breakthrough and presents a tremendous opportunity for consumers to finally be able to have easy access to all their home video content,” said In-stat principal analyst Gerry Kaufhold.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
