WiFi-based technologies like AirPlay and Miracast already allow smartphone and tablet owners to beam content from their mobile devices to a TV. But Silicon Image believes it can do better with a new WirelessHD transmitter, the UltraGig 6400, which reportedly allows for gaming and full 1080p video streams with near-zero latency, consuming no host processor resources and without the hassle of wires.

The UltraGig 6400 is a single-chip solution for mobile devices that integrates a 60GHz RF transceiver, baseband processor, and embedded antenna array into the same tiny package. The press release doesn't mention any specific bandwidth targets but WirelessHD allows theoretical data rates as high as 25 Gbps.

The 60GHz spectrum is suited for short distances and doesn't pass through walls, people or objects. This means it's not as versatile as AirPlay for playing audio around the house over the network, for example, but it's still perfect for taking mobile gaming onto the big screen when on the same room. And it's particularly this type of scenario that UltraGig 6400 hopes to cover with end-to-end system latency of less than 5ms.

Efforts to commercialize the 60GHz band of unlicensed spectrum – including WiGig and WirelessHD – have gained little traction the past few years. But Silicon Image believes their latest solution is small, efficient and cost effective enough to be viable in the mobile market. Currently sampling to mobile device makers, UltraGig 6400 chips is said to consume around 500mW and should add $10 to the cost of manufacture.

Key features of Silicon Image's UltraGig 6400 include:

  • WirelessHD 1.1 compliant RF transceiver and baseband processor
  • Integrated in-package 60GHz antenna array
  • Ultra-low end-to-end system latency of less than 5ms
  • 500mW typical power consumption
  • Support for video resolutions up to 1080p full HD with multi-channel audio
  • Standard video and control interfaces to popular mobile application processors
  • Fully compatible with Silicon Image Gen3 and all WirelessHD 1.1 compliant receivers
  • Integrated MHL 2.0 compliant transmitter for optional wired HD video connections